Preliminary work

For my task I need to do a preliminary piece of work first. For this I am going to design a college magazine for my college. My target audience is the students of the college, with the majority aged between 16-19.

This is a scanned image of my flat plan. I have considered many factors to assure that the magazine appeals to my target audience. For instance, I have used a Bold sans serif font because it is modern, this connotes that is a modern magazine for modern people.
Also, the photograph of my person on the front is slightly covering the title, this suggests that the magazine is well know and the whole title doesn't need to be seen for the magazine to be recognized.
My main sells are in a bigger bolder font that most of the other text on the front. This is because they are the main catch and it makes them stand out, making people take interest in the magazine. Most of my sells have got colored shapes around them. This makes them stand out even more and makes the magazine catch peoples eye.
My magazine is called Sussex Student because it gives the student prestige of their college as it makes the college to be THE college of Sussex.
I have put the date as "weekly" this is becuase the college time table is broken down in to weeks, and therefore the magazines comes out every moday at the start of the week.
Finally, my magazine is free. This is because college magazines aren't normally at the top of students lists of things to buy. So making it free will get more people taking it and more people reading it.

This photo is the one that I have chosen to discard. This is because it is too dark, dull and unclear to be on the front of a college magazine.
















However, I selected another photo which was much better suited for my magazine. This photo is a lot clearer and defines, with a brighter back ground which makes the photo easier to photoshop. Also i chose this photo because it has a good mise-en-scene with a bright blue sky in the back ground. As well as this the angle is good, it is straight on meaning it doesn't looking dominating or intimidating.


Here are some pictues of my finished magazine and contents page.

1. Introduction

I have been asked to make a music magazine from a genre of my choice. I have chosen to do rock as it probably has the biggest market for magazines compared to most other music genres. By producing this magazine I will be furthering and developing my skills that I learnt from doing my preliminary task.

2. Audeince

By looking at http://www.nrs.co.uk/toplinereadership.html (July 08 - June 09) , I can roughly workout the target audeince of these magazines. I took my results from Kerrang july 08 - june 09. I can see that the magazine is read by 239000 people in the socioeconomic group ABC1, 178000 people from C2DE, 378000 people aged 15-44, 39000 people aged 45+. Also it was read by 290000 men, and 127000 women. From this I can workout that the main target audience is men from ABC1 aged between 15-44.
However, these results are very vague and do not give me a specific target audeince.So, by looking at Kerrang and its cotents which contains artist with scruffy black clothes and spiked up hair with metal jewelery. From this i can deduct further that the magazine is aimed at more heavey rockers who are into punk and metal. The Kerrang motto "Life is Loud!" suggest to me that the target audience are people who like to enjoy themselves in more extreme ways than others, such as extreme sports and parties. Also they are people who make themselves different from others, and are individuals, this is reflected in thier type of music.
By looking at http://www.slideshare.net/belair1981/kerrang-readre-profile i can get a more detailed target audeince published by kerrang itself. It says that Kerrnangs readers are aged between 16-24, with 60% of them male, and 40% female. It also states that 58% of Kerrang readers think that it is important to be well dressed,and therefore spend a lot of thier money on fashionable clothes. From this i can work out that they also buy lots of media related goods, such as albums(on average 31 a year). This basically furthers my conclusion that Kerrang readers are young, modern individual that love heavier/punk rock music.

Doing the same for NME in the same time period I can see that 250000 people from the socio-economic ABC1, 137000 people from C2DE, 339000 people aged between 15-44, 39000 pople aged 45+, 296000 men, and 96000 women. From this I can deduct that the target audience is men from ABC1 aged 15-44. I can narrow the age down to late teens/early 20s as the magazine is released on a weekly basis and costs £2.20 a time, so the reader must have alot of disposable income. I have chosen a more detailed age of 15-20 becuase this is the age when the target audeince will most likely have a job, but no bills to pay, so all disposable income. http://www.ipcadvertising.com/resource/fd4e20nlh1xefkowjxdha4xu.pdf
Again, this is also very vague. So, using the link above I have visited IPCMedia.com, to get a more detailed analysis of the target adience for NME. From this i can see that NME's target audience is males (69%), aged around 24 working full time in the ABC1 socioeconomic group. The magazine is quite expensive, costing £3.20, so the target audience must have alot of disposable income to buy it (ABC1). Also it shows that the readers have a great interest in Internet, games and DVDs, with 94% of them using the internet. Also, by looking at the reader profile I can see that somone from the target audience likes to enjoy themselves with things like the internet, gaming, drinking and eating junk food, listening to music, and taking pride in thier clothes and hair.

By looking at the target audeince of kerrang and NME I can figure out who my magazines target audience will be. I will be aiming my magazine at a highbrid audience of the two. It will have the heavey and punk rock of Kerrang, whilst presenting lighter sub-genres of rock like NME. They will be the type of person who likes to lead an extreme lifestyle. It will be aimed at people in the socioeconomic groups ABC1, who will have a full time job, and therefor more disposable income. They will be between the age of 16-24, and mainly male. A stereotypical reader will like to: wear black clothes, have peircing, watch DVDs, play games consoles, take pride in thier hair, play or like a musical instrument, spend thier disposable income on fashionable clothes and hairstyles.

3. Analysis of existing magazines

Kerrang
My interpretation of the title “Kerrang” is that it is supposed to represent the clash of a symbol on a drum kit. Seeing as drum kits are involved in almost every rock group, this would make sense for a rock magazine.
The font used for the title is a bold modern sans serif, this is because it is a modern rock music magazine, and therefore the title must connote this. The title has a smashed glass effect to it. This effect gives the magazine and the rock genre a rebellious representation.
Furthermore, the cover is predominately black. This is the main colour associated with rock as it is also the main colour in many of the rock fans fashion. The title is in black whilst most of the other text is in white; this makes the title stand out and draws attention to the magazine. There isn’t much colour used in the magazine as it is basically all black and white. This is typical of the rock genre as black and white are the two main colours associated with the genre and style of the followers.
The language used in Kerrang is quite formal; all of the phrases and sentences are like this because it is a serious rock magazine. There are many other rock magazines out there; however, Kerarng is one of most established and well known magazines, its formality is a reason for this. Also this cover quotes from band members on the front, in this case “it’s ok to hate us”. This gives the magazine a personal feel to the reader and makes them fell involved. Another aspect of the language is that it assumes knowledge on the subject. It mentions Fall out Boy’s new album. You are only going to understand this if you know of their new album. So this connotes that the magazine is for regular buyers and not just one offs.
I would say that the Kerrangs target audience falls between B and C2, mainly based around middle class people who have an interest in modern rock music, mainly aged within 16-30. I say this because Kerrang’s type of music caters for this age group.
The image is common of rock magazines; there is a picture of a group on the front, which happens to be My Chemical Romance. This group are all standing in a line, looking straight into the camera, this makes the reader feel as if the group are looking at them, enticing the reader into buying the magazine. Also all of the members are wearing black clothes, with pale white faces. This matches the black title and white background and gives a rock feel.
One of the main sell on the cover is the “My Chemical Romance reader’s poll special”. It appeals to the reader because my chemical romance are a famous rock band and therefore the reader will want to buy the magazine to read more about them. Also at the top of the page, there is an “Exclusive” with Fall Out Boy and their new album. Again, this will make the readers want to buy this magazine it is the only place they can find this article.
Also, the magazine denotes a barcode, date, and price all in a white box in the corner. This is in the bottom corner as it isn’t that important in selling this type of magazine.

Kerrang content page shows many pictures of thier artists that are going to be features within the magazine. The reason that they show alot of the artists on the contents page is to entice the reader, making them want to read on and buy the magazine. This is becuase the artists are the most important aspect of the magazine and they are the main reason that the fans buy the magazine.
Also on the Kerrang contents page, all of the pictures are linked to one of the articles at the side. This is so that you can see what articles are inside aswell as read what articles are inside. This is very important for Kerrangs target audeince (16-24) as this age group tends to be very lazy and including pictures to back up the text will mean that they know what is inside.
Another aspect of Kerrangs content page is the advertisement in the bottom left corner that is promoting a subscription to the magazine. The reason this is on the contents page is becuase the reader spends quite alot of time lookin at the contents page, and therefore they are more likely to see the advert and subscribe.

Kerrangs double page spread contains alot of black connoting rebelion, and also lots of red connoting danger. These two connotations are very relevant to kerrangs target audeince who like to rebel and live dangerously.
Also on Kerrangs double page spread there is a news section, updating all of the kerrang readers of the latest rock music news. The reason kerrang have done this is becuase their audeince like to keep up to date with the current affairs of the artist. This is important as the rock music industry is always changing and n ew artist are becoming big every day. A news page connotes the magazine as contempary and modern; it will also mean that the fans can keep upto date.

NME (New Musical Express)
I think that “New Musical” Express connotes how the magazine is up to date with all of the new music, and “Express” suggesting that it brings you all the latest Music news quickly.
The font used on NME’s title is a bold, sans serif font with 2 different coloured lines bordering it. This is to make it stand out and catch the reader’s eye. Also the title is in a bright red, which is linked with rock, but not as heavy rock as Kerrang (black). This enables the reader to determine whether the magazine is for them.
NME’s colour uses have some similarities with Kerrang in the way that they both use black and white a lot. NME has a white background to connote that it is a neutral rock magazine and doesn’t specify in any rock sub-genres. There is also a lot of red within the text, this contrasts the white and black background making the text standout and easy to read. However, NME’s cover is still predominantly black and white, these 2 colours signify rock, and will help the target reader associate themselves with the magazine.
The language in NME is mostly formal on the front cover. However it offers a less formal register as well, with colloquial phrases such as “Ding! Ding! Round 2”. This creates a relaxed atmosphere and connotes that the magazines is an easy, laid back read. This is important because the NME is supposed to be a leisure magazine that is read for enjoyment. Also, most of the text on the front cover involves names of artists, band, or music related people. This is because music is revolves around its bands, artists and related people. Without them there would be no music. A lot of the time people buy the magazine to read stories about the bands or people that they admire. As well as this, NME uses rhetorical questions like “Petty. Odd?” This entices the reader to buy the magazine and read more.
From looking at the cover I would say that NME has a very wide target audience. I say this because there are many signifiers that make me believe that the magazine caters for many types of rock, and not just one sub-genre. For example NME covers artists from “The Rolling Stones” to “Amy Winehouse.” From this I would say that NME readers are males, aged anywhere between 15-50 in the socio-economic groups B, C1 and C2.
The image on the front of NME represents the magazine. It shows a picture of 2 famous artist from the 60’s, Alex Turner and Miles Kane. This connotes that the magazine is in touch with music from the past as well as new music. Having an image that shows this means the magazine appeals to a wider audience. The 2 figures on the front are dressed in long black coats which are typical to the style of rock. Many of the readers will have similar styles clothes and therefore they can relate to the magazine. Also the figures have “mop” like haircuts which where the thing to have in the 60’s if you where into rock n roll. Older readers may want to buy the magazine for the memories.
On NME’s front cover there is a bright red masthead that stands out and emphasises the text on it. In this case it is emphasising the “studio news”, showing that the magazine is up to date with the music current affairs.
Also, another key feature on NME’s cover is its main sells. One of them is “Tom Clarke vs. Faris Rotter”. This presents a competition between 2 groups/ artists, and is a microcosm of the music industry where there is a lot of competition between artists to be the best.
The cover denotes a barcode, date, price, and website in a small white box in the corner. Similar to kerrang, this is because these aren’t that important in selling the magazine. However, the website is in a bigger red font, this is to make it stand out so people visit the website aswell.

4. Flat Plans

My flat plans







To assure that i had a guidline for making my magazine on indesgn I drew up some flat plans to help me condense all of my ideas into the magazine itself. I created 2 front covers so that I had a choice in the one that i wanted. This also meant that I could take bits from one and integrate it with the other.
For my front cover, I chose to go with the first one. This is becuase I felt it had more conventions of magazine design than the second. For example the title on the one I chose was better suited to my target audience. This is becuase it was bolder, which connotes how my audience stand out from the crowd.




One aspect of my rejected front cover that I will include on my chosen front cover is the small image that accompanies one of the sells. After analysing Kerrang, which is from a similar genre I can see that it uses this convention within its front cover aswell. This is becuase it offers diversity to the reader as they not only read about what is inside, but they can see what is inside aswell.




Nearly all of the text that I have used on my front page is astist names. I have done this becuase it is the artists within the magazine that make the audience want to buy the magazine. Especialy with my target audeince (see aueince) where they are very commited to the artists and are often loyal to certain groups. It is this love of the artists in rock music that means kerrang also do the same, seing as the artists are what make up the magazine, they advertise them heavily on the front cover.




On my double page spread, I have decided to have "black news". The reason I have chosen a news page is becuase the music industry is always changing. My target audience like to keep in touch with what is going on with the rock music current affairs, seeing as music is a very big topic in thier everyday lives. The fact that my magazine has a news page connotes to my audeince that it is modern and up to date. Kerrang also has its double page spread as a news page.

5. Fonts

For my magazine I obtained all of my font off of www.dafont.com. The reason I used this website is becuase it offers thousands of different font that are more proffesional looking then the standard fonts on adobe indesign.

Font 1



I have chosen this font as I feel that it is very relevant to my magazine. It is bold and black, and also looks faded and worn. The fact that it in't a perfect font connotes how my target audeince arn't perfect citizens, and how they like to lead extrmem lifestyles. Otehr magazines from similar genres also use fonts like this, eg Kerrang.


Font 2



I think that this font is well suites to my magazine and target audience as it has a graffiti effect to it. Graffiti is seen as art among the rock audeince and therefore this font connotes that the magazine sees graffiti as art too, agreeing with the audeince. Again, kerrang also use a graffiti like font for thier motto.



Font 3



I also feel that this is a good font becuase it has the effect of messy, splattered paint. This connotes the "careless" attitude that many of my target audeince will have, not caring if they look a bit scruffy or their room/house is a bit untidy. I think that this font also has the look of worn leather which is highly fashionable among my target audeince. This will mean that the audeince see the magazine as a modern and "trendy" magazine.


Font 4



I chose this font specifically to be the title of my double page spread article. The reason for this is becuase it is a serif font, and therefore has resembelance of the old newspaper headings which makes it really well suited to the heading of the articles on "black news". NME uses a similar serif font for thier double page spread news article.



Font 5



This is a font that I considered using within my magazine, but due to my own reasons and feedback from others I decided not to. One reason why I thought that this font wasnt appropriate for my magazine is becuase I felt that it looked outdated and resembled rock music from a few decades ago. This is no good as my magazine is a contempary rock magazine that is for a modern young audeince. Also i noticed that magazines from similar genres such as Kerrang and NME dont use any fonts that resemble this one.
Other feedback about this font that I recieved meant that i decided not to use it.

Feedback: Letters not clearly defined, looks old, serif font isnt modern, doesnt suit genre of magazine.

6. Photos

My photos
Many of my photos where taken at a freinds gig so I feel that they suite my magazine very well, and will appeal to my target audience as they are of an actual rock concert.


Photo 1



This photo is taken in black and white as it is to go on the front cover of my magazine. The reason that I have chosen for it to be in black and white is so that it matches the black and white theme on the front cover. Also, black and white connotes class and shows that my magazine is a quality magazine which is important if it is going to compete with other well known magazines of the same genre, such as Kerrang. This photo also has a guitar that is framed under the legs of the model. This puts extra emphasis on the guitar which is a very important signifier of rock.
Also, the model is standing in a very heroic, statue-like stance which connotes that the artists are legends. This then relates to the target audience and how they look up to thier artists that they follow.
Lastly, this photo's mise-en-scene denotes lots of rock music related items such as guitars, amps, drums, stage, musicians. All of these create the atmosphere of a gig and put the reader right in the center of the action.

Photo 2



I chose the model in this photo to be looking at the camera so that the readers feels as if the photo is looking at them, which makes them feel that they are envolved in the magazine.
Also the model in the photo is a representation of my target audeince; letting the readers know who the magazine is aimed at (young males that like a variety of rock music). This important again as it connotes that the magazine is for them which makes them feel as if they now have to buy it.
Another point about this photo is that it envolves a drum kit. This connotes to my audeince that the magazine offers variety and covers every aspect of rock. This will give my magazine abigger audeince as it will apeal to more people.

Photos 3,4,5





These photos will all be on my contents page. The reason I have chosen them to all be on my contents page is becuase they are all from the same gig. This tells the audience that the this gig is the main story of the magazine, giving them a sneek preview to what the big exclusive story is about. Also i have chosen these images becuasr they all have differnet shot types. One is a long shot, one is a mid shot and the other a clse up. This important as I am going to be including them on my contents page it is crucial that I have variety to keep the reader interested.

Photo 6



This is a photo that I made from 2 photos on photoshop. which I will explain how in my "Photo editing" blog. The reason I chose to have this photo composed of a CD and a Limewire symbol is becuase it symbolises the on going battle between record companies and limewire. It Also represents the divide within my audience; those who buy legitimate music, and those who download illigally off of programs such as Limewire. This photo represents how Limewire is damaging the rock music genre and its industry. Hopefully the photo will persuade my audeince that download illigally to start buying music legit, which is very important for the rock genre as many new and upcoming bands are on indie labels that require the money from record sales to survive and become big.