Our task, was to create a front cover, contents page and double page spread for a brand new music magazine. I researched different music magazines to get an idea of different conventions and house styles for my magazine. We were told that our front cover must have original images on it. So I had to decide what style of magazine I wanted and the genre of my magazine. The double page spread and contents also had to have original images, and continuity through out my magazine.
To get an Idea for my magazine, I researched 3 front covers, double page spreads, and contents pages, analysed them and posted them on my blog. I had to analyse things such as the house style, and the conventions of the magazine. Each magazine I analysed had continuity, such as the magazine ‘NME’ uses the colours black and red and white through out their magazine, and this is what I was aiming for, they also have the same font through out the magazine to create continuity, and also the main feature on their front page was on their double page spread, this also shows continuity. The magazines I chose to analyse all had similar conventions and had a similar house style, which inspired me to do my magazine in a similar way to those I analysed.
I think that my music magazine has developed conventions and forms of a real media product, for example, the name of my magazine is ‘Down low D’ I think that this is like a real media product because its like a pun that a real media product would use. The title ‘Down Low D’ is shown in block capitals apart from the ‘D’ at the end which is in a different font, and looks like it is falling off, this is so it can be seen as ‘Down Low’ as in young and hip ‘in with the crowd’ or it can be seen as ‘Download’ for downloading music. I think this is a good name for my title and I think it is like what a real music product would use. Also next to the name of the magazine, there are two arrows pointing down, this is also like what a real media product would use, they are bold red arrows and they are pointing down, to also go with the title which could be read as ‘Down Low’. Also on my front cover, there is a cover story which reads “Glastonbury Line-Up” This is something that would be used on a real music product, because it draws the reader in because they’re curious to see who’s in the line-up. Also I have put on my front cover a cover story that says ‘Win tickets to Leeds Fest’ This would be used be a real music product because they would want to draw people in and make people enter the competition. On my front cover is a list of famous bands and it says that they are all in exclusive interview, this is like what a real music product would use because they would want to draw the reader in to the magazine, the reader is interested to know what they’re getting interviewed about, so there for they will purchase the magazine. On my contents page, I have put a picture of my main image as the same girl on my front page, this is similar to what a real media product would do because they like to keep continuity through out their magazine, also I have kept the font the same and the title the same, this is also what a real media product would do because its continuity again. Also on my contents page I have included the pictures of the bands that I named on the front page, not only does this show continuity through out the magazine, but it lets the reader see what will be included in the magazine, which is what a real media product would do. My double page spread is based on the artist which is on my front cover, which creates continuity which is what a real media product. Also it is a mean feature on the contents which is continuity. The double page spread is an interview of the girl who is on the front cover, this is continuity, which is what a real media product would do.
My music magazine represents a teenager, young and hip social group. Having a young artist on the cover helps represent this social group because the main artist is a teenager, which attracts teenagers. Also the cover story are aimed at teenagers, such as the Glastonbury line up, the majority of people who attend that festival are teenagers, so it will attract teenagers, also the cover story mentioning bands in interview, are more of a young genre of music, this attracts teenagers too. The name of the magazine also attracts young people, because its young and hip, by ‘Down Low’ it means in with the crowd, which most teenagers are. Also the title can be read as ‘Download’, which most teenagers these days downloads their music, so this attracts teenagers. Also a cover story mentions being able to win tickets to a festival, which attracts teenagers, because they like to enter competitions, and they also like to go to festivals.
I think that Kerrang, would distribute my magazine, because Kerrang sell the same type of music genre as what my magazine has, also that institution also aims their magazine at the same social group I am aiming mine at.
The audience for my magazine are people whom are young and like rock/indie type of music, I attracted them by putting indie bands on the front cover, and going with a font and colour that would go with the rock/indie lifestyle. Also including festival tickets, which have live rock/indie music attracts my audience, because they would like to see a festival with music they like. Also because a young artist is in an interview, and she is explaining how she made it, this attracts young people to the magazine, because lots of young people want to be in the music world, they read it to see how they might be able to make it.
For audience feed back, I asked ten random individuals what they thought to my magazine, I was very happy with their responses, and took their criticism. One person said “on the front cover, I could understand the title properly, because its cluttered”, I took this comment into consideration, and I am now going to move the arrows I have down slightly, so it is more understandable what is going on. Another said “The picture in between her legs doesn’t look like it should be there”, I also took this comment into consideration and I am not going to remove that picture and replace it with a cover story. One person quoted “The double page spread is to spacey” I took this into consideration and I am will give the double page spread more content and make it look better. And another said “There isn’t enough content on the contents page”, I have accepted this and I am going to re-arrange my contents page to give it more content and to make it look more interesting, another comment was “There isn’t a website”, so I will add a website to my front cover, to make it look more realistic.
I have learnt that to make a product like a music magazine, it is not easy. And I have learnt that a lot of effort and time goes into making these. To make a magazine, you need professional programmes and patience to make an music magazine.
Looking back, I think I have learnt a great deal. I have learnt a lot about the types of institutions and the publishers. I have also learnt that it is not easy to produce a music magazine and make it look like a real media product that would be sold.
