Final Front Cover

This is my final piece for the foundation portfolio main task, this was to design and create my very own new music magazine. After extensive research I was successfully able to create a new music magazine which I have tried to make as individual as possible compared to other music magazines currently on the market.

My music magazine TNT, represents the pop culture music genre and has a target audience of young adults who are lovers of the pop music industry. The idea is to feature not only new and upcoming bands but also mainstream bands and artists. It is a very in depth music review magazine featuring reviews of an artists full body of work, songs, albums and both best and worst play lists, exclusive interviews and also more light hearted articles which make for a good read(when viewing the contents page this will give an insight to the range of pop based topics the magazine covers).


I decided to use the masthead 'TNT' this stands for a type of dynamite/explosive, which connotates as something with a big impact and a long lasting effect, ideally this is the effect that I wish my magazine to have. The simplicity of using letters makes it more of a statement which will hopefully be more memorable and recognisable in the long run. I wanted to make it look bold and stand out against the white background whilst still representing the colourful nature of pop music. Therefore my original idea was to use bright colours like aqua blues and bright purples, however I also wanted to represent the idea behind the masthead of being explosive leading to my decision of using colours such as reds and blacks. I realised after I had designed my masthead that it looks very similar to the 'NME' masthead so I thought about changing the colours around using black letters with a red outline. But this defeated the object of making it bright to represent the pop industry, for that reason I opted to stick with the original colours of red for the lettering as this colour is bright, bold and represents explosives.


The slogan which I decided to use is 'It will blow your mind'. This is a creative use of a play on words, as dynamite blows things up which relates to my masthead. Or it could be interpreted as the music and general content blowing your mind which is usually thought of as a positive effect something has on someone, which I definitely want my magazine to do. Unfortunately the font I have used is not very legible on display. However in its original state the bold and slanted text represents it being 'blown away', which again reinforces the slogan in itself.

To ensure that my main pictorial of the girl band remain the dominant focus of my front cover I have placed all other text around them. For example the text to the right is particularly made to curve round her body. Apart from the bands name, which I have written across their bodies in the centre of page to represent that they are the main focus of that issues of the magazine. I depicted a curly font and replaced the dot for the 'i' with a love heart, this portrays their feminist and girly nature of the band. I chose to dress the girls in bright and outstanding outfits to attract the readers eye and also to reperesent the bright and bubbly personality/nature of the girls in general. They each have a chocolate loveheart lollipop which are acting as microphones to represent the music side of things. I opted for this particular prop because it also reflects on the bands name 'The Sweetest Thing' and the shape reinforces the represenation of femininity. In addtion to this I gave each girl a particluar coloured centre to reflect on their outfits and gave the centre feamle a diffent colour to represent that she is the band leader.

Once I had conducted my research I noted that the usual conventions of music magazines are that the font colours are reduced to a minimum of three. I wanted to use coloured fonts that were similar to the coloured dresses that the three girls were wearing. I therefore chose to use purple, yellow and black, as I wanted to stay clear of orange as I was afraid it may contrast with the red masthead. The governing text colours are the black and purple as these are bold and clear colours to use to enable the reader to be able to see the magazine easily. The yellow I have used to highlight particular words or phrases that are particularly important to make them stand out. For example I used yellow for 'hottest' as this colour represents something warm or the sun. Also I repeatedly circled the main headline of the cover to ensure that it captures the most attention and is immediately associated as being the main story. In addition by using language such as 'exclusive' this says to the reader that this article is only available in this particular magazine which persuades them to buy it.

I also found within my research that music magazines have backgrounds to represent their particular music genre/style, for example dance magazines have very busy and bright background, whereas punk and heavy metal focused magazines have dark and bold backgrounds. My magazine employs a white, plain and simple background. This is to enable everything featured on the cover stand out even more to attract the readers eye. Also because the magazine is simply pop music I wanted the background to reflect this, which is why I stayed clear of making my cover too busy an over the top, but still made it bold and bright to represent the genre at hand.

One of the main aims of any magazine is to draw in the attention of potential customers which is why I have tried to make it as eye catching as possible. Another aspect to grab the readers audience are plugs, often advertising a free gift with the issue or a potential free gift with a competition. Therefore I opted to include a free CD with it being a special new year addition this features all the favourable songs from previous years which ties in well with the theme. The text in the right hand corner reads 'see in 2009 with a bang', this could suggest a bang as in fireworks which are expected of the new year or 'bang' which again relates to the title of my magazine, this is accompanied by a large arrow which navigate the readers attention to the free CD.

To carry out the new year theme all the content featured on the front cover is linked to this. For example the readers get a chance to read their most loved pop stars new year resolutions. If the artists featured are well known and the majority of the target audience like them then it more likely that they will be persuaded to purchase it. Which is why I also included images of already popular existing pop acts. The article featured along the bottom of my cover directly addresses the audience by asking 'who did you...', this immediately draws in the attention of the reader as they want to know the answer and therefore consume it. I used the 'apple' logo to represent the 'i tunes', competition my magazine is advertising as this logo will be notably recognisable to music lovers.

Overall I think that my magazine follows general conventions of music magazines, based on general layout, colours, fonts and content. I did note throughout the research process that many mastheads are slightly overlapped my an image to portray how recognisable. However I decided against this idea, I wanted my masthead to be clearly visible as it is a new music magazine therefore consumers need to know the masthead in order for hem to be able to recognise it in the future. Covering up lettering of the title would be an idea for a future issue once it has made its reputation.

In conclusion taking everything into account I believe that my new music magazine has the potential to be a success in the magazine industry and an influence to those who are greatly interested in the music industry itself.

Double Page Spread and Other Pictorials

This is the photo I have chosen to be my main photo on my double page spread.

(After)

(Before)

Again I used the exact same procedure for the editing using photoshop. At the moment it looks as if the two girls sat down are floating on thin air. I think this could work as it looks quite creative, however I am undecided on how I am going to finish it. I might have them sat on something else which I will edit it. I think it makes a change for them to be sat down which indicates a more relaxed approach and as my main article is a speacial interview with the band I wanted to opt for a more 'ordinary' look as if it were just a normal conversion with three normal girls instead of treating them 'special'.

Again the lollipops are representing microphones to relate bakc to the music theme. I was thinking about maybe sitting them on a giant sweet (edited in) or maybe a few loose sweets near their feet to reflect on the bands name.

I took various other photos all very differently posed so I had a variety to choose from so that I colud pick the best and most suited pictures;

Main Pictorials

This is the photo which will be featured as my image focus on the front cover of my magazine. (After)

(Before)

I found taking my photos very difficult as everyone had to be available, originally I was going to have a bigger group but there was just not a time when everyone could make it. So as soon as I had my chance I decided to take them. However I did not put enough thought into where I was going to take as I realized there was not a suitable background in the location where I took my photos. Although I knew that there would be various image editor programs that I would be able to use to create my desired picture.


After researching many music magazines I found that the majority have simple backgrounds, which is why I chose to use a plain white background. As my girl band are dressed very brightly they appear bolder and more eye-catching against the white background.


To edit my photo's I used photoshop. To change the background I found it very difficult and time consuming to be able to eliminate it completely without it effecting the girls bodies as you have to very precise that you do not cut out too much or not take away too much. However I think that judging from my final image I have been quite exact and it is not really noticeable that it has been edited which is the whole point.


As there band name is 'The Sweetest Thing', I wanted to use props that would reflect on this. So I used chocolate lollipops that also had colours to match the outfits. They are holding them as if to represent holding a microphone which reinforces the music theme. The middle girl in the yellow is the lead singer, this is shown by a number of things; She is situated in the middle with the other band members leaning in towards her and she is taller, also she has a different coloured lollipop to the other girls these things all com together to represent her lead figure.

Hand Drawn Final Draft

This is my final draft for my new music magazine. When designing my front cover I ensured I used similar conventions taken from other music magazines which I have researched into.

This particular issue of my magazine is a new year special which is shown at the top of the magazine. The CD design next to this is aims to look like fireworks sparks coming from the center. This is to represent the new year celebrations. Also in the top right hand corner it reads 'see in 2009 with a bang When a magazine is a special edition issue there is usually a free gift or something featured which is different or a one off. I have opted to feature a free CD, if potential buyers see a free gift it is more likely to persuade them to buy it which is what I am aiming to achieve. All the articles which are related to the new theme are situated down the right hand side underneath the arrow so that readers can see exactly what is on offer.

I have chosen the masthead 'TNT' as I did like the idea of using letters as a title because the simplicity of using just letters is overall very effective as it is more of a statement masthead. Therefore the magazine title is likely to be more memorable and in the long run very recognisable. TNT stands for a type of dynamite/explosive. If something is of this nature it is undoubtedly going to be of a very big impact. I definitely want my magazine to have a good and big impact on the reader which is why I therefore think this is a very suitable masthead in more ways than one.

This is reinforced in the accompanying slogan which reads 'Most explosive pop music magazine'. Not only does it support the masthead by including the word explosive but it also serves it's purpose to persuade in the sense that it says 'Most' indicating that it is the biggest and best pop music magazine. It uses catchy language features such as alliteration 'music magazine', so that it rolls off the tongue making it more memorable. I do have other ideas for my slogan along the lines, 'music to blow your mind'.

Although I have drawn the four figures (this will be the main featured band) very small and together towards the top of the page, realistically the bodies will fill the full length of the cover to make them more dominating. The bands title will be written across their bodies in the centre so that the audience immediately know the featured band. The font I will use for this will be slightly more fancy in the way that it is slightly curly and different to the conventional font style of other magazines. I have chosen to use this font to represent the bands nature and appearance.

The main headline is positioned slightly tilted to the right. I have done this so that it stands out from the other articles so that it can be easily associated as being the main headline. It reads 'why the pop princesses are not all sugar and spice'', this gives an indication that the main article is going to reveal some juicy gossip about the new girl band, which is what people like.I could have just simply something along the lines of 'not so nice' instead I opted for more sensational language which is a convention of magazines. Sugar & spice relates back to the bands title and represents the band at large being sweet and innocent with a hint of something hot.

Readers also have the opportunity to take part in a competition to win i-tunes vouchers. I have put this inside the I-pod logo to make it more recognisable to music lovers. There is also a plus section, this promotes extra content and people like to know they are getting more for there money which is likely to attract more readership.

First Front Cover Draft and Ideas

Masthead: I am aiming to come up with a creative masthead which represents my chosen music genre of pop. After researching other music magazines I have found that the mastheads all reflect the music genre in one way or another. For example 'Kerrang' is onomatopoeic of a guitar being smashed and 'Rave' is a common term used to describe a type of dance. Therefore I have come up with the following masthead ideas which represent the pop music genre;

The most obvious name would be 'POP' this straight up represents the genre with no connotations or another title could be 'SIMPLY POP' this re-enforces that the magazine is focused on one music genre.

I like the idea of the mastheads which are made up of letters as this makes the magazine stand out and more individualised. TNT is an abbreviation of a type of explosive. If something is explosive you think of big impact which is what I hope my magazine will have on people.

I think the masthead Alive indicates that the magazine is full of life and bursting with excitement which would be more influential to whether people decide to buy it. Alive suggests a fresh outlook and with my magazine being new to the market this is the message I would want to be portraying to potential readers.

The name, Bop connotates as a type of dance move for example when you 'bop' your head to the beat of a song, which immediately relates its to music. And also the fact that it rhymes with the word 'pop' shows it is connected with music.

I feel that the title, Flow is a good representation of music as the key to good song is for it to have flow and rhythm. By using this as my masthead it will portray to the potential readers that my magazine only features successful and well put together music.


Slogan: After extensive research i found that many magazines have a supporting slogan to their magazine to put it out there and make it more recognisable. The slogan must be catchy using language techniques such as alliteration. For example Kerrang's slogan 'Life is Loud'.
These slogans are used to persuade the potential buyer that they have made the right choice in the sense that the particular magazine they have picked up is the best. For example Mojo's slogan 'The music magazine' suggesting this is the one and only top music magazine.


Main Image: As I'm designing my magazine based on the pop music industry, ideally I want my main image to be a pictorial of an artist or band which are popular to this genre. I have had an idea to feature a new band, consisting of four girls who go by the band name of; 'The Sweetest Thing'. The band name has given me many different thoughts of how my photo could be posed. I would like to use a sweet theme with chocolate, lollipops etc. I think this would reflect the band and their title in the sense that it connotates them as been sweet, innocent, tastefully and fun.


Main Headline: The headline must be bold and entertaining. If the audience must find the main headline if interest as this could determine whether they choose to purchase the magazine or not. I have not come up with a definite headline as of yet but I have being jotting down various ideas that I think could have potential depending on what I decide to use for my double page spread as the main headline has to support this. The following are a few ideas which I have come up with so far; Not all sugar and spice ... The pop princesses talk songs, scandals and success ... From make belief to mainstream.


Other Cover Articles: The other magazine articles will also be about other artists, general news that is currently happening in the pop music industry. These will include such things like the latest reviews, the best and worst music video's, play lists etc. Also plugs that will offer chances of winning prizes, these would be music related, an i-pod for example. As well as my original image I will feature other supporting images to articles such as a CD cover a picture of another artist.

My chosen Music Genre

After researching such magazines as Rolling Stone, NME and Blender which are all guides to music and more, I found that they are all very controversial in the sense that they don’t focus on one particular music genre, but rather has coverage on popular music in all areas. Although the Rolling Stone magazine is noted for its pop culture reference it focuses on all different types of pop including rock/pop and has been known to be criticised for delving too deep into the fashion world. These magazines feature reviews of albums and music-related topics, as well as current download lists, great interviews and coverage of key events in the music history. Although I have not thoroughly researched the Q magazine after a brief overview I have also found this is another magazine of similar nature.

I Personally take interest in the pop music culture, which is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, with catchy melodies. It is a mainstream style with a conventional structure. Artists of this genre include; Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jenifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Enrique Iglesias and these are just to name a few. Bands that fall into this category are; Girls Aloud, The Pussycat Dolls, Westlife, Boyzone and many more. The foundation portfolio main task requires me to design a new music magazine and as I have found no magazine yet that focuses purely on the pop music culture, therefore I have chosen to design a music magazine whose focal point is mainstream pop artists and bands. I like the idea that the magazines I analyzed also include content of general news, music history, interviews and reviews. My magazine will also contain all this information but not on such a wide scale of music genres.

I understand that the pop culture is often criticized for not being individual, for not writing their own songs and for looking 'plastic', but nevertheless not all artists and bands are like this. Along with a main coverage on my own band that I choose to feature, I will include coverage of inspirational pop artists such as Girls Aloud and Christina Aguilera. I am looking to feature a new girl band that are fresh into the music industry who have made it big so that the audience are likely to recognise and appeal to them. It will be an article that gets deep down and personal and gives a detailed insight into their journey to fame. All the while I will make the article light, fun and entertaining, using informal language to make it a more enjoyable read.

I have researched into various magazine publishers including; IPC Media, Emap and Future. If i was to eliminate an institution which i think unsuitable for my magazine would be Future. As this publisher focuses on representing classical rock magazines. Emap however publishes a range of different music magazines catering for a range of different music genres. I think this would be a suitable institution for the type of magazine I intend to create.

My target population is simply for those who like and take an interest in the mainstream pop culture of the music industry, however the content will cater more for young adults. It will give the reader someone to be able to relate to and all the young hopefuls someone to inspire them. The magazine will do this by displaying articles of full reviews which tells the ins and outs of the pop music genre and personal interviews with music artists so the reader feels they know them more and therefore relate to them more. By including all this into my own creation I will hopefully be able to design a successful music magazine that caters for my desired music genre and the audience that will enjoy it the most.

Contents Page

This example is taken from the NME music magazine which is shown by the logo in the left hand corner. This is to keep a similar layout style of the front cover. Moreover the conventional colours that are displayed on the cover and fonts are also kept the same to keep a familiar feel throughout the magazine. In some magazines this page is simply title 'contents' however this one in particular is titled, This Week'. This is a more informative title as it lets us know that it is a weekly published magazine.

The contents have separated into different categories which are listed down the right hand side. This way it makes it easier for the reader if they are searching for an article in particular. In addition to this, cover stories are highlighted by a red arrow as the reader has most likely been drawn in by the content featured on the cover. There is also a 'Plus' section at the bottom right hand side to show the extra content, this appeals to the reader as they like to feel they have got more than their moneys worth. Underneath this is a boxed piece of text representing the 'UK's no.1 gig guide' this piece of information would be excellent for music lovers which i why it has been emphasized in this way. On the opposite side is a 'Band Index' this is helpful for the reader for example if they wanted to read about a specific band they would be able to look at this and go straight to the correct page instead of wasting time skipping through. This is boxed in a similar way to the gig guide advertisement as a link can be made here, if you are interested in a particular band you would be likely to be interested in the details of their gig.

In the centre is a small story, which is where I imagine the magazine promote a highlight event of that particular week in every issue. This is suggested by the headline, 'The moment that...' after the three dots any story can be placed in that space. It is likely that this will be featured every issue and whatever follows this statement will be different. For example in this particular page Oasis kicking off their world tour is one of the main events of that week. A short article is displayed to interest the reader and give them an insight into the exciting reads they can expect to find in the magazine. It is accompanied by an image of Oasis performing on their tour to support the headline. By using a well recognised and respected artist or band in this space will be more appealing to the audience. By including these small insights it makes the audience want to read on further.

A subscription advertisement is displayed in the centre at the bottom of the page reading, 'Subscribe today save 33%' it is the only piece of yellow text on the page which makes it stand out from the rest of the page. Moreover it is against a black background which makes it appear sharper, brighter and bolder. This is an opportunity for the company to make sales and therefore is essential that the readers know about the subscription offer which is the reason fr the way in which it has been displayed. Also by advertising at discount price the audience is more likely to want to subscribe to the magazine.

This example has given me an insight into how to compose my own contents page and I now know what features and conventions I could use and feature to create my own successful contents page.