Double paged spread conventions and layout

Evaluation for AS Media coursework task

My media product is a music magazine that follows most of the conventions of a magazine. It has a masthead to show brand identity, the masthead is a suitable name for a pop music magazine “iScream”. It has a strap line to attract the audience, the strap line says “win a pair of Lady Gaga concert tickets” which can attract the audience as it shows star significance. There is barcode, the issue date and a slug(short burst of information) which says there is “a free CD inside”. I decided to add a free CD because from my questionnaire analysis I found out that people still listen to CDs even though there are downloads available. The target audience also like free gifts with their magazines.

My first draft of the front cover had challenged the conventions a little as the photograph was completely to the side instead of the middle. I looked at some pop magazine examples and they had used collages of pictures on the front cover. I decided not to follow that convention and only put one photograph as the main feature. I wanted my magazine to stand out a little bit implying that it is not the same as all pop music magazines with the collage of images, I tried to keep things professional with only one photograph. However, it can still be recognised as a music magazine. The magazine size is A4 . I decided to put most of the sell lines on the right as they would display well on a shelf.

I have used the conventions of a pop music magazine as the theme was to try to add different colours throughout my work. My first draft for the front cover the model is smiling and wears a white shiny dress to show innocence however, I thought the conventions should slightly be twisted. For my second draft of the front cover the model shows attitude and wears a formal outfit, I had to plan this out for the photo shoot. It shows a different side to the pop music culture as the model is not smiling on the front cover and that breaks one of the conventions of a pop magazine. I have chosen a neutral background so the picture can stand out. My masthead has curvy letters in purple which gives a feminine look. I have used an unusual shape for my slug which creates enigma and aesthetic value. I added a small image of my front cover on as I thought it made the page more colourful and “Q” magazine also do this. I kept with the pop theme and added star on the page numbers are special features. From my feedback for the first draft people said I used too many colours and the page needs more images. For my second draft of the contents page I chose green and purple as my main contrasting colours and added more images to fill the space. I like my double-paged spread the most as I have chosen sensible colour schemes and the framing and format suit the article. I also like the main double paged spread picture as it is a contrast from the magazine side. It shows the model (“pop star Jen Green”) at home posing on the bed to show a relaxed atmosphere which also links in with the mise-en-scene. I have chosen to show a new side of the pop culture making the model an aspirational figure.

My target audience are female teenagers (13-19) who have a source of disposable income. They would buy the magazine to feel like they are a part of a social group. This connects to the media theory Users and gratifications as it is a diversion form the real world. I have photographed a teenaged “pop star” which the target audience can relate to because they are of similar ages. A majority of music magazines have teenagers on the cover that are not stereotypical. However, I have chosen to photograph an ordinary teen which could be a role model. I feel my product could be more improved if I photographed a less stereotypical teenager. In this magazine I would want article that represent girls and women in the media as strong and independent in this male-dominated society.

The pop magazine I have created is main stream and I would like Bauer Media Group to distribute my magazine as they are one of the market leaders. They also publish ‘Q’ magazine which is a successful magazine and has sold 94,811, Kerrang which sold 41,125 and Mojo which sold 98,484 (statistics from abc). They have recently taken over some Emap titles. I would like them to distribute my magazine because they do not have a magazine which is specific to the pop culture.The institution may benefit from having a pop magazine aimed at a female teenage audience. They may reach a new audience this way.

In terms of AIDA my magazine tries to attract the audience through images, fonts and text. The front cover photograph is a mid close up, the model faces forward to show a direct mode of address. On the contents page I have added shapes, images and contrasting colours. For my double paged spread I have chosen a high angle shot so the model dominates the picture. I added different pictures of her in different outfits to show a variation of shots. Inside the contents page I have chosen language as if the magazine is talking to the reader as a friend “visit our website”. In terms of interest I have created sell lines which are eye catching. The reader should desire to buy the magazine if they are interested in the topics of the magazine. The action is to buy the magazine.

To construct the product I have used desktop publishing programmes. I have used Adobe Indesign for my contents page and main cover. I edited my pictures by changing the colour levels and using the cloning stamp to get rid of any hair which was in the model’s face. I also used the spot healer pen to get rid of any blemishes. The programme was difficult to use at first because I got confused by all the layers that had to be clicked on f you want to change something. My feedback for my first magazine cover draft was to make the picture lighter to contrast the writing. It made the product more authentic looking by adding effects to the masthead and manipulating the picture. I have used Adobe Indesign for my double paged spread as it doesn’t distort the images and fits it proportionally to the frame. It also kept the formatting of the article nicely, however it was difficult to use. I also created a blog using Blogger to display all my work therefore; it has an internet presence and shows convergence. I used Excel to create graphs for my questionnaire. I used publisher to show the graphs I had created in Excel and used it for any annotations to show basic concepts of a music magazine. I also used the Picassa slideshow to display all my products and photographs. I thought it was really clever that the slideshow already put all the images I used on my blog together without me uploading any more. The texts and images create eye flow for the work.

I feel I have learnt a lot from my preliminary tasks. It helped me get used to the software which I also used for the actual product. I got feedback form my preliminary magazine cover that I shouldn’t put the sell lines on the edges of the model as it over powers the image but my teacher liked the use of colours and the mise-en-scene for the background because my model was posing with a textbook and a pen to represent the college. I have also learnt more abot framing and lighting when you take photographs.

If I were to do this project again, I wish I could have used better programmes to create my work in and more interesting fonts. I also would add pay more attention to the mise-en-scene for my photo shoot. I would also incorporate another music genre in because it was difficult for me to research pop magazines as most have folded e.g. top of the pops and there are more rock magazines available on the market.

A slideshow for my production and photographs

Main photoshoot plan for production

Here are some of the photographs (unedited) I have taken:











My concept is to create a pop magazine, in this issue I have focused on a break through solo artist. It shows the innocent and an attitude sides of the star (Jen Green).

Photoshoot plan
1. Casual look
Look- The model should wear a floral day dress and wedged heels. Minimal make up must be used a sparkling eyeshadow, eyeliner for a natural look. The hair needs to be down, so you can see her long and wavy hair.

Camera angle- A long shot, and mid-closeup for a variety of shots to choose from.

Location- A white neutral background so it is easy to edit.

Lighting- Natural lighting but still need the flash on the camera.


2. Pyjamas(the cosy look)
Look- model needs to be in pyjamas wearing minimal makeup and holding a teddy bear to represent a lucky charm.

Camera Angle- high angle shot with camera flash on.

Location- bed in a bedroom.

Lighting- artificial


3. Attitude
Look- a dressy look. Model should wear a skirt, top and high heels, I will use sunglasses for some of the shots. Model should wear sheer makeup and lots of jewellery.

Camera angle- low shot and mid close ups for a variety of shots.

Location- on a white background

Lighting- artificial lighting and the camera flash should be on.

Layout and convention of a contents page

Example: conventions and layout of a magazine

Double paged spread

I have decided not to change anything on my DPS. I like the title "the new fame monster" as it contradicts the picture.

second draft of magazine front cover

I changed the picture and used the cloning stamp to get rid of any hair out of place. I lightened the picture and used the spot healer.

2nd draft of contents page

I took the feedback from my peers and only stuck to 2 colours purple and green. I have also tried to fill out the spaces with more pictures.

Questionnaire analysis

Draft of double paged spread

To create the DPS I used desktop publishing programmes such as Adobe Indesign and photoshop for my dps.

Summary of feedback for the music magazine

Front cover
People liked the masthead and the slug shape. They liked the picture but thought the picture was not striking enough. They liked the colour combination used of purple and yellow for a slightly feminine effect.

Contents page:
People thought I need more pictures on my contents page as it looks to plain and simple. They liked the fact that I put a small picture of the front cover on the contents page. I took that idea from Q magazine.

Double paged spread:
A lot of people liked the colours and framing used on the dps. They thought the colours used and the outfits used fitted the pop theme. They thought the main picture looked cosy and relaxed which fitted well with the article.However, they thought the title "the new fame monster" was contradicting to the article. On the next draft I will use "The real Jen Green"

Sketch of the double paged spread

For my double paged spread sketch I used the rule of thirds to lay out my content. I placed the picture of the model in the centre where it would most eye catching, this would also create eye flow.

Contents page

I used adobe photoshop to create the contents page. I tried to use feminine colours because the target audience the magazine is aimed at are female teenagers.

Sketch of front cover

I sketched how I wanted my music magazine cover to look like. However, I didn't follow my whole plan because I wanted to slightly twist the conventions

Questionnaire

Music magazine questionnaire

Please circle the option chosen and specify any other choices if the question asks:

1.What type of music do you listen to?

RnB Rock Pop Indie Other

2 How old are you?

13-18 18-22 22-26

3.What gender are you?

Male Female

4.How often do you purchase magazines?

Monthly Weekly Once in a while Never

5.What attracts you about a front cover of a magazine?

Photograph Colours Font Other

6.How much money is sensible to pay for a magazine?

£2.00-£3.00 £3.00- £4.00 £4.00+

7.Would a free gift encourage you to buy a magazine?

Yes No

8.Which music magazines do you read?

NME Q Mojo Other

9.How do you listen to music?

Buy CDs Download

10.Do you write to magazines?

Yes No

Analysis of a front cover: 'Q'

‘Q’ magazine is a market leader for the music magazine genre and it is mainstream. It is published by a British magazine published by a German company Bauer Media Group. From June 2007 the magazine had a circulation of 130,179. The magazine also has internet presence therefore, it show convergence.

The masthead ‘Q’ runs over the strap line takes up large area to accommodate for one letter as it stands out. The white ‘Q’ on the red background looks striking. The slug (short burst of information) contrasts with the colours used for the masthead, it has a white background with red writing. The sell lines are at the bottom of the magazine and it uses the same colours. This cover has not followed the conventions of the magazine completely as the sell lines are at the bottom instead of being on the side. A strap line is going across the top of the magazine saying “The UK’s biggest magazine” which shows it has wide recognition.


The cover is a mixture of graphic and photographic images. It covers a wide range of genres so I assume it is both for males and females. The thought bubble from the sailor imagines the Gorillaz riding on a wave could be a metaphor of how exciting their music is.The graphic image on the cover shows the music band The Gorillaz riding a wave. It shows the band members attacking the masthead with a harpoon gun. This could be iconography used to represent child-like behavior. The wave they are riding symbolizes the height of their career. The wave illustration is used as intertextuality as it was created by the artist Hokusai. Inside the wave there is a collage of all artists that have collaborated with The Gorillaz. It shows that with the support of these artists is making the wave go higher. It also links with the “plastic beach” concept of the new CD.The mode of address of the magazine is mischievous and fun. The wave creates eye flow and is about to hit a sailor.

The language used on the cover makes this issue of ‘Q’ very special. It uses words such as “World exclusive Gorillaz”. The sell line shape is in a circle that adds more aesthetic value. The sell lines match the picture “A star studded crew set sail again”. The attacking of the ‘Q’ masthead shows a mode of address. The magazine also has pull out quotes as sell lines to interest the reader and make the cover more eyecatching.

1st draft of music magazine cover

I created my first draft of the music magazine on adobe photoshop. I tried to make my cover colourful to go with the pop music theme. My magazine cover slightly twists the conventions of a magazine as the picture is on the side and the sell line are only on one side of the cover, this is NO accident. The effects on photoshop helped create eye flow. I had to change my front cover picture twice because in the first one the model's eyes are closed.

Analysis of a front cover: NME

The magazine (New Musical Express)is the most popular weekly music magazine first published in March 1952 by IPC Media. According to the ABC statistics(january-june 2009)NME sold 40,948 copies so it is a market leader.It is a mainstream magazine which is targetted at 25-40 year olds but people under 25 read it too.

Most of the magazineis laid out in a conventional way. The mastead of the NME represents brand identity and brand awareness as it is in thick bold letters. The main photograph is of the 'Manic Street Preachers'and there are hardly any sell lines on the sides of the page as they are on the bottom half of the page. The cover uses stereotypical colours of rock e.g.black,red and white. This could give masculine connotations. The band was popular in the eighties so the target audience are older people who have grown up listening to them.

The photography of the band portrays enigma. All the band members are wearing a shade of black.The member in the middle has red hair and lots of eye make up. This gives him an androgynous look and makes the reader unsure about his sexuality.He also has a Welsh flag painted on his cheek, which implies he is welsh.The tatoo also implies they are a successful band from Wales.He has 3 red heart badges on the right collar on his blazer. This could mean the love they have for their band and could symbolise how they only have 3 members left because one had mysteriously disappeared.Perhaps there is no fourth heart badge as they may have felt abandoned by the fourth member. The other badges create enigma. All the members in the band are Caucasian males and look older. Instead of the photograph being in the middle it is slightly to the side and has left a white gap to symbolises the missing band member.

The cover images are suitable as the colurs, images and fonts used suit the rock/indie genre. The readers who have knowledge about 'The Manic Street Preachers' will understand the star significance of the band which will make the magazine issue sell. The readers can identify with the band logo and with the backwards 'R'. A sell line across the masthead says it is a special issue. Under their logo it says the band" gear up for the gig of their lives" which creates drama and makes the reader want to find out more. In the photograph the band members are facing forward which shows a direct more of address to interact with the reader. It make the reader feel like he/she are a part of a musical social group.

Research methods

After finishing my preliminary task, my next task was to do textual analysis of two magazine covers. This task was to see how a music magazine is set out and what different themes they use.

Mock up contents page

Mock up contents page

The next part of the preliminary task was to create a mock-up contents page. I looked at exempler magazines e.g. Teacher,Mizz etc... to see how to layout a contents page. I liked the idea of using pictures to display the page numbers in. The pictures added more colour to the contents page.

I used desktop publishing programme called Adobe Indesign which I found difficult to use. However, I liked the fact that it doesn't distort the pictures as it fills the frame proportionally.

Commentary on the preliminary task

For my preliminary task I created a college magazine cover. I wanted to portray a happy expression from my model to appeal to the target audience as it shows the college is a happy place. I created the magazine cover on adobe photoshop. The programme was easy to use to manipulate the picture e.g. I used cropping and made the end product look good.I added strap lines, masthead, and a photograph to follow the conventions of a magazine.

If I were to improve the magazine cover, I would make the text smaller so it doesn't overpower the page and the text doesn't lay on my model.

My magazine cover