Comparison of Magazines

Music Magazine Coursework Action Plan

This is my action plan for my Music Magazine task:

In the first, second and third week (from the 3rd January - 10th January - 17th January) I will:

• Do my comparison of magazines
• My textual analysis of 3 covers, 2 contents pages and 1 double page spread

In the fourth week (24th January) I will:

• Conduct my audience questionnaire

In the fifth week (31st January) I will:

• Create an audience poll to find a name for my magazine
• Conduct internet research into institutions and reader ship figures ( This will carry on in the sixth week as well)

In the sixth week (7th February) I will:

• Carry on my internet research into institutions and reader ship figures

In the seventh week (14th February) I will:

• Create colour analysis, font analysis and a treatment sheet

In the eighth week (21st February) I will:

• Carry out my photoshoot and interviews and put the photos on my drafts
• Create my final front cover, contents page and double page spread

In the ninth week (28th February) I will:

• Get my audience feedback

In the tenth week (7th March) I will:

• Create my evaluation

Done and dusted :D

I have now finished creating my contents and title page for my student magazine, I will now start my music magazine coursework :)

My Evaluation

For our prelim coursework task in Media, we had to create a front page and a contents page for a new student magazine for our college.

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I think a student magazine should include information that the students want to know about, and my thought was backed up with my audience questionnaire that I conducted a few weeks back. I also found out from my questionnaire that the audience would like to see bright colours, bold headlines, students on the cover, information about what's inside and the price. I took all of these into consideration and used them on the front cover of my magazine. I Googled images of typical contents page of magazines and I found most of them have a white background, lots of pictures and bright colours. I tried my contents page with a white background to start with but didn't like how plain it looked so decided to look for backgrounds on the internet. I didn't want something to masculine, but on the other hand I didn't want anything to feminine either as this may result in it becoming a one gendered magazine.

• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
This cover of Elle magazine is obviously for a female audience. The pink writing tells us this, along with the cover lines that say what's inside the magazine. I analysed this image when I was organising my photoshoot and said that you would buy this image if you were a fan of the model as the picture is dominating. I used this idea with my magazine as the main picture is what you're going to see first and will make you want to buy it more. I didn't want my magazine to be just one gendered so I made sure my colours could attract both the male and female audience. The age range for my magazine would be about 15-19 year olds and there is something for everybody within my magazine.

I have used students on my front cover as that's what my audience in my questionnaire wanted to see. I have represented them as what you'd expect to see of students - lounging around being typical teenagers. Although this is a sterotypical phrase about teenagers, this may attract students to buy it more, as this is truly what happens in a students lifestyle and the magazine is not posed. I have used the images I have because I think they represent the article they're advertising well and this gets straight to the point. The language I've used isn't formal, but it isn't too "teenage" either. It's also quite short sentenced either, because too much writing can overrule the images and make the magazine look too boring. Most music/gossip magazines use the same layout as student magazines, having a main image that takes up most of, if not all of, the page, other images around the side of the cover, and the coverlines around all the images.

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

Local companies would want to distribute my magazine because there isn't any magazines that students can buy that advertise the college. If sometimes a student is embarrassed or doesn't want to talk to a tutor about anything that can happen at or around college, they could then buy this magazine and find out all the information they need. Pupils could also subscribe to the magazine through the college and get it automatically every month.

• Who would be the audience for your media product?
As mentioned above, I didn't want my magazine to be one gendered so I made sure my colours and fonts could appeal to both sexes. It could also appeal to any age, because if somebody middle aged wanted to find out what's happening around Ludlow, they could find out in the magazine. Or if a parent was looking at colleges to send their child to, they could see what goes on by subscribing and then finding out about the area that way.

• How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract the audience, I stuck to my idea of using bright, clashing colours. I used primary colours such as blue and yellow because they tend to jump out and get your attention more than secondary colours. Saying this, I did use green, but a bright, bold shade of green so it also grabs your attention quickly. I used the green on the strapline because if the magazine was in a shop and was behind loads of other magazines, you would see the green sticking out the top and that would then make you pick it up. After I finished my front cover, I realised that the brief said to use a medium close up shot, but I used a long shot. Although I haven't completely followed the brief, I think the image used works well. I also think my colour scheme goes well with the image. Someone would want to buy my magazine if they were interested about what goes on around Ludlow and the college. I stuck to my contents and title page drafts as well as I could, but if there was a gap in the page, I'd fill it in with adverts or extra images. The majority of my audience liked draft number 2 of my title page so I chose that as a main layout, and they also preferred draft number 2 for my contents page which was good because they both were going to have matching colour schemes.

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

 I used computer programmes such as Gimp to edit my pictures to make them look more eye catching, so I edited them and changed the contrast, etc. I also used Publisher to create my contents and title page of my magazine. Publisher was quick and easy to use and I think it worked really well with the brief we were given. Gimp was a bit more difficult to use because I've never used it before so it was all a bit confusing to start with. Once you got used to it, it did get easier and I learned how to do more effects on images than what I knew once I started. I'm glad I used a programme such as Gimp and learned something new, rather than on a programme such as paint and not being able to change the image in any way except the colour. This is also the first time I've ever done a blog as well, so it was a new experience learning how to use Blogger as well as Gimp.

Audience Feedback

My blog is basically done :D Opinions of what you think would be mostly appreciated. Tell me:

What do you like?


What do you dislike?


What do you think I could improve on?


What works well?


What doesn't work well?


Do you think I chose the right drafts for the title page/contents page?


Do the pictures work well with the brief?


Do you like the colour schemes?


Does the contents page give information about what you wanted to see in a student magazine?


Any other comments would be great too :) Thankssss!

Final Title Page and Contents Page

Possible Title Page and Contents Pages

Possible Photos

 

This image may not work for a front cover image as the main focus of it is too big, but it may work for an image in the contents page with an article about the music block of the college. On the other hand, if I used draft number one for my front cover then it may work, because there's nothing in the bottom corners, and that's where I've drafted to have two more smaller pictures. I think I'm going to use this photo on the contents page as it may lose image quality if made any bigger.

This image may work for draft number two for my front cover as I could then put the title above where the computer and Ed's head line up. If I used this image on draft number one of my title page then I think the image may get a bit lost with the two smaller images to the side of it. This image could also work in the contents page for an article on the music block. I think I'm going to use this image in the contents page because although I think it would work well with the title above it, I prefer image number three as a title page image.

This image could work on either of my front cover page drafts as it is quite bright as the sun is on them. Compared to image number 2, this photo wouldn't get lost within the page because of it's brightness. This image may not work on the contents page as well as the other two, because it would have to be quite small, and I think this image would look better larger. I think I'm going to use this image on the front cover as it is very bright and will look good with cover lines and a masthead above it.

This image would work on the title page or the contents page as it has room around it to write cover lines but not necessarily room to have a masthead. It would work on a contents page because if I used image number 3 as the front cover, I could use the other 3 images as an article about music as they all link to the music block. I like how bright the guitar stands out, as this makes it quite a key focus point for the image. I think I will use this image on the contents page as it would fit better into there, rather than a front cover with everything squashed into the small places.

Contents Page Drafts

Draft 1

Draft 2

Please vote for which one you prefer! :)

Title Page Drafts

Draft 1

 

Draft 2


Please vote for which one you prefer! :)

What should my magazine be called?
	Snapped
	Published
	Leap
	Double Vision
	Echo
	Voice
pollcode.com free polls

Organising the Photoshoot

For my magazine, I have decided to have a number of students on my front cover of the magazine. I think this will add a more communal feel to it as there is more people within the frame. I will use bright clashing colours that will stand out amongst other magazines that choose to use colours such as greys, blacks and whites. I will take a number of photos and then choose my favourites from the ones I've taken. I've decided to take the photos in a room at college so it will make the magazine seem more local to the students that will read it. Although in my questionnaire, I found that students didn't want to see pictures of the teachers, I think it would be a good idea to have a page on a different subject each issue, this will include a picture of the relevant tutor. If my photos were of a big group of students that were sat down, talking and laughing, I think that it would have a sense of a happy environment.

On this cover of Heat magazine, they use minimal colours, but they clash which makes it look simple, but effective. I like how it has a long shot of Victoria Beckham so you can see her whole body, as this is what the point of the article is about. If I were to have the main article on something which you would need to see the whole body for, then I would go for a similar technique. However, for a student magazine, I don't think anybody would be willing to talk about their body issues as confidently as a celebrity would. Also on this cover, there isn't many cover lines which may not entice the reader as much as if they had twice as many on the cover. The writing is quite large which doesn't leave much room for the picture, as it looks like it's just been pushed away to the left hand side.

This cover is the complete opposite of the one shown above. The photograph is the main focus and the cover lines are what is pushed to the side. You're going to buy this magazine if you're a fan of Kristen Stewart, and not because of what you read as it's the picture that is the dominant feature. Heat magazine used a long shot because that what's you need to see to believe the article, whereas Elle have gone for a mid shot, as you don't necessarily need to see her whole body for the article.

Audience Poll

Would you pay for the magazine, if yes, how much?
	Yes, less than 50p
	Yes, between 50p and 99p
	Yes, over 99p
	No, it should be free to all students
pollcode.com free polls

Textual Analysis of Magazines

I'm analysing the front cover of issue 355 of Star magazine. You can instantly see that it's full and have no gaps. The only gap that is in sight is above the mast head, but that is filled by a serif of the date and price. The masthead is very distinctive, being the big, bold red letters. Even though part of the 'a' and 'r' are covered up, you still know which magazine it is. The cover lines in the middle of the cover stand out as the red writing is against a bright white highlight. These cover lines are also lures, as it quotes part of the article which are quite dramatic and would make the reader want to know more. It claims it has an exclusive with an "X Factor Special" which would make you want to buy it if you were a fan of the programme. The typeface is all generally in capital letters which makes the magazine look loud. In the top left hand corner they have the very cheap price of 99p for 3 magazines. The way they have the '3' and '99' larger than the writing portrays the price well. The positioning of it is very clever as well being over the masthead. People will look at the masthead and then notice the clashing blue background of the price. Overall, it's a very bright, colourful magazine cover for teens. Myself being a teen, this magazine definitely stood out on the shelf to me and I was intrigued enough to buy it.




On this cover of First Car, they've used the cast of The Inbetweeners as this will promote their magazine by having a popular teen show with the iconic yellow car with a red door. They've worked around this colour theme by having  highlighted text to show who is on the cover. The masthead is large so you can automatically tell which magazine you are buying. The white writing stands out against the dark background and the yellow fit in well with this as well. The fact that the only colours used are white, yellow and black, bring the cast out who are all wearing blue, therefore promoting some more. The cover lines that are dotted around the page also stick to the colour theme of yellow, and this makes them a bit more obvious and maybe advertising the magazine more, depending on what they say. There is a small strap line at the top which is disguised by using dark colours again. There is no obvious hybrid as The Inbetweeners is a programme for all genres, although a magazine on cars would be more towards the male gender. The typeface is very bold as it's in capitals, and gives off a sense that it is a very fun magazine, mainly aimed at mainly male teenagers. The fact that the price isn't easiy seen may give off that it's an expensive magazine; it's most probably hidden on the barcode which most people don't look at.

Audience Questionnaire

I then went out around the college and asked a few students what they thought would be best ideas for my magazine. These are the results:

• What would you want to see on the front cover of a student magazine that would make you want to buy it?

Bright/clashing colours, bold headlines, students and not teachers (!), lots of information about what will be inside the magazine, price (if any).

• What do you expect from a student magazine?

Information on things for young people to do in the area, gossip, people, activities, what's going on in and around the college.

• What kind of name would stand out to you?

Snapped!, Published, Leap!, Double Vision, Echo, Voice.

Initial Comparison of Magazines

I looked at 3 different magazines and compared the qualities of each one.

• SMAART TALENT. VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1

This was a magazine for black and minority ethnic students. This magazine had a range of features such as politics, careers, adverts and university opportunities. This magazine also had Miquita Oliver had on the cover which could promote the magazine more than if you just had a civilian on the front page.

• YOUTH ACTION. SPRING/SUMMER EDITION 2008

This magazine was similar to Smaart Talent because it had a community based feel to it. It has a mixture of elements such as volunteer work, an agony aunt page and a massive amount of young people taking part in jobs in and around their community.

• STUDENT ID, NUMBER 14

This was a Ludlow College student magazine, and it introduced new teachers and students that had started the term it was released. It also had a double spread page that was taken up with bash photos, therefore advertising them to anyone that had never been to one before. It also advertised Vaughn's Sandwich Bar, who supply the college food. It also had everyday magazine features such as horoscopes, TV programme debates and photographs showing the college.

Personally, I would prefer my magazine to be most like Student ID, because I think it has more variety that you'd generally see in a student magazine than the first two.

Action Plan

We have been asked to create a front page and a contents page of a new college student magazine.
In the first week (from the 15th November), I will:

• Create an action plan
• Set up a blog
• Do my initial comparison of magazines
• Do my textual analysis of magazines

In the second week (22nd November), I will:

• Conduct an audience questionnaire/poll
• Organise a photoshoot, take my photos and edit my photos
• Decide on a name for my magazine
• Create a draft and front cover of my magazine

In the third week (29th November), I will:

• Create a draft for my contents page, and create the final product
• Get my audience feedback

In the fourth week (6th December), I will:

• Create my evaluation