Research a music magazine

In today's lesson (4th November 2010 - Thursday) I investigated a magazine called - "Terrorizer." First of all, I was aimed to find the price of this music magazine and who is the publisher. Due to my research I found out that the cost of this Music magazine was - £3.99 and was also published by Dark Arts Ltd - Miranda Yardley. What's more, this particular music magazine is released every four weeks and with thirteen issues a year. Also, what had caught my eye is the strong eye catching image that has been used within the front cover of this music magazine. This clearly illustrates that this magazine is based on heavy metal music.
Furthermore, down to my research I have figured the number of adverts that appear in this music magazine and their dissimilarities. I have discovered that this magazine has been displaying the albums that are available to buy, although the price has not been shown.
Also, as I have looked more into this particular music magazine, I have noticed the features within it, for example;
Live reviews, use of slang, formal AND informal language, publicised. Also the tone used within this magazine is informal, but also sounds old. This particular magazine would most likely target older individuals. However, the amount of images used would also attract the younger audience, as there is more chances for them to pick up this magazine and read it, as they wouldn't be as much interested in the text displayed. Therefore, from my perspective I believe that comparison images and writing, it both share equal percentage (50% - 50%) the space used within the music magazine.

Planning and Research - a girly music magazine

I have picked another music magazine that portrays a 'girly' type of a magazine. This is clearly portrayed, throughout the use of colour and font. As we look at the front cover, we can confidentially tell that it's directed to girls/ladies without even reading it. The fact that a female is also used, within this front cover also symbolises that this mag. is for girls only. However, girls aged 16 and over might not be the only audience that this is targeted to, since another aaspect members might be also reading this particular magazine, for example - gays, since they are more likely to be interested in fashion that is displayed on the left hand side of this front cover of a music magazine- "Fashion & Beauty."

Flat planning a music magazine !

• In today's lesson we ensured that the images we develop, have to be appropriate in order for the product to be constructed. Therefore, how I conceive of the intended images is paramount.

So, I have picked an example to show how a contest page might look like, within a music magazine;

It clearly portrays that this magazines - "The Beat" theme is R&B/Hip-Hop, as the costumes used within the images illustrate so. Therefore, this tells us that the choise of colour scheme or the pictures used are in order to communicate to the target audience the ideal reader for this particular magazine. So, due to this research I'm now be able to decide the images, colour and font that I'm going to use throughout MY project. Although, I have not yet decided what type of music my magazine is going to exhibit.

Front Cover & Contents

Planning and Research for Music Magazine !

I have selected two music magazines, in order to portray how this particular magazine should be displayed. For this reason, I'm going to be analysing the conventions of these two music magazines. 
The image used within this magazine, visibly illustrates a well known artist - Chris Brown that is an icon, for those who are into R&B, Hip-Hop or is a big fan of Chris Brown. Therefore, this particular image has been used in order to attract the readers and inform the target audience about the performer/artist.
What's more, the text used is also a very significant part of any particular magazine. Although, as this is a music magazine, it's important to display a musician within the front cover of a music magazine.




Also, I have chosen another music magazine that has a female artist within the front cover. This magazine is more likely to attract ladies, than men. However, the choise of captions, portray that this magazine is not only for men -"Chris Paul sabing basketball..." Also the choise of colours inform that this magazine is not only for one particular gendre, since the colour of the writing isn't girly pink or navy that is more likely to be seen within men's magazine.

Magazine Conventions

21^st October 2010 Lesson

In today’s lesson, we discovered what the mode of address means, since today’s lesson was about the conventions of magazines. Therefore, the mode of address is the way the media represents and addresses their target audience. So, this is also linked to the ideal reader (target audience) and also my existing research. In order for this to be successful, it’s significant to consider the following;

·         Style of writing

·         Use of slang

·         Is it writing formal or informal?

·         The quality of what is being written

·         Is it humorous or serious

Therefore, due to my previous research (questionnaire) I now know that an exciting look is more appealing, due to the fact that my target audience are youths. However, I believe that slang wouldn’t be suitable, since my target audience are students; however some of them are younger and may not be familiar to this specific language used. Although, it suggests that I may also be using formal language, because since this is a school’s magazine it is important to make the magazine look appropriate and not get carried away, by making it look as if it was a simple teen’s magazine. Also, in order to grab their attention, I have to consider if it should be humorous or more serious. Therefore, I have come to a conclusion and decided that teenagers don’t like to take life seriously just yet, but what they don’t realise is that school is just as important, in order to achieve their goals that they are aiming for. This visibly illustrates that I should be using both methods, because the students wouldn’t bother opening the magazine if the front cover would have a serious look that would portray schools misery. Therefore, I chose to use a fun look in order to make the students read the magazine and get something new out of it, in order to make them take the first step towards their career.

Also, what I have considered to be important is that the use of images also attracts many readers’ attention, and not only youths. However, teen’s would like to see on a school magazine something exciting, that would make them look inside the magazine and read all about it. Therefore, this would make the magazine look appealing for my target audience – students.

Answers to my questionnaire;

Answers to my questionnaire

After I have collected my questionnaire, I have recognised some significant parts within a school magazine front cover. Due to my questionnaire, I have considered some ways to attract my target audience; this was due to the fact that for my first question, majority answered;

“5, ever since that is the first thing the reader would see, if you don’t have a front cover that draws the attention of your reader, then they will not bother to open it.”

This clearly portrays that a front cover is the most significant establishment of a magazine. Therefore, the front cover has to look appealing and attractive, in order to draw readers’ attention. For example, the font and the colour of the writing have to match with the main image that might be used within a front cover of a school magazine.

Also, another important question that I have picked out, was the forth question – “Do you prefer more formal approach or exciting look within school magazine  give reasons, for your answer.” I thought this question is very significant, due to the fact that it gives me a clear image of what students would like to see within a front cover of a school magazine. Therefore, as I questioned this, it suggests that school has been stereotyped as boring and not exciting, therefore, my magazine would attract my target audience if it had an ‘’enthusiastic’’ representation . So, if I chose to make my front cover ‘formal’ it would stereotype my school as boring and dull.

Although, mean whilst the pupils answered the following question, they still considered that formality is as important as an ‘exciting’ image given for the chosen school, for the reason that school is a step to a better life and is taken seriously. This could be done, by using methods like competitions to make students take part in different activities and learn something vital too.

In addition, as you can see I have collected my research through using a questionnaire. This helped me to relate to other people perspectives and how they feel about a front cover. This gave me an idea how my front cover should be perceived.