I have constructed a questionnaire that will help me decide what to include in my magazine. These are the questions I came up with;
I will be handing these out this week ad collating the data soon
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Masthead Name Ideas
Because I want to do a rock magazine, I need a name that has the right sort of edge to it.
My intial idea was 'Rock Mag' but we can all agree that that is plain and boring. Then is progressed to 'The New Sound' but TNS just sounded like a disease to me, and didn't sound like a title that would sell on a magazine stand. My next idea was 'Rock Noise' which I thought had that edge I needed and would seem like an authentic selling magazine.
However, it sounded too much like 'Rock Sound' so I have decided to use 'NOISE' as my final masthead for my coursework piece.
My intial idea was 'Rock Mag' but we can all agree that that is plain and boring. Then is progressed to 'The New Sound' but TNS just sounded like a disease to me, and didn't sound like a title that would sell on a magazine stand. My next idea was 'Rock Noise' which I thought had that edge I needed and would seem like an authentic selling magazine.
However, it sounded too much like 'Rock Sound' so I have decided to use 'NOISE' as my final masthead for my coursework piece.
My Music Magazine Investigations
I have been looking at the types of double-page spreads that are featured in magazines. I have come up with a list of 10 types that cover all articles I have seen in music magazines;
I have decided that my genre will be a rock magazine like KERRANG! or Rock Sound, because that is the type of music I am interested in and therefore I know what i would expect to see in a rock magazine.
The main image on my front cover will be a studio picture, because I think that gig pictures look better inside the magazine.
I haven't decided on an article yet for my double-page spread, but I have narrowed it down to two. It will either be an Artist Feature or an Artist Interview. I think that either will be the best type of article for me to write, because they are the articles i enjoy reading in magazines, and therefore I should be more successful when it comes to writing it. Also, I will be able to encorporate more studio styled pictures into it.
- Album reviews (one main feature/new releases)
- Artist interviews
- News features (music related)
- Artist features
- Double-paged adverts
- Non-Music news features
- Q & A's
- Live music reviews
- Mail (fan mail)
- Editorials
I have decided that my genre will be a rock magazine like KERRANG! or Rock Sound, because that is the type of music I am interested in and therefore I know what i would expect to see in a rock magazine.
The main image on my front cover will be a studio picture, because I think that gig pictures look better inside the magazine.
I haven't decided on an article yet for my double-page spread, but I have narrowed it down to two. It will either be an Artist Feature or an Artist Interview. I think that either will be the best type of article for me to write, because they are the articles i enjoy reading in magazines, and therefore I should be more successful when it comes to writing it. Also, I will be able to encorporate more studio styled pictures into it.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Remake/Remodel - KERRANG! mag
For this magazine, I have taken KERRANG!'s themes and encorporated them into a magazine that I have made using my own headlines and photography for the main image.
For the main image, I wanted the model to have a Courtney Love meets Kate Moss look of, 'I'm too cool to care'. Jessie has achieved this buy looking at the camera as if to say 'Yeah, and what?', and leaning forward. In looking at the camera, direct address is created which entices a reader to buy the magazine. Her scruffy hair, black eyeliner and black clothing at to this Rock sheek look, that really works on the cover of K!. She is also the main feature of the magazine and therefore matches the ethos of this issue. I have used high-key lighting to emphasize how glamorous she is.
For the main coverline, I have decided to have it cutting through the main image, because the model is a new rock singer, and it means I could put a name to the face straight away. I used her name as a main part to the title, and then did a puff underneath to say what the article is about.
I haven't conventionally done other coverlines, because when i looked at the last K! mag i bought, they had the cover lines at the very bottom of the page. I have used this idea, and on the red strip at the bottom I have put in some other articles about more bands that would feature in this magazine.
On the right hand side, I have chosen to use a pug. The pug offers bands that played at the 'Warped Tour'. I literally took the 1st 4 bands that popped into my head that match the genre of K! mag. I inserted the pictures into publisher, resized them, added a border, then grouped them together. I also added in titles for each photo. I put 'FREE' in the largest font because that is what the audience will see, and will be attracted by to buy the magazine.
I have placed the barcode above the bottom coverlines, as K! aren't too fussy about where they put the barcode. The date and price are just above it.
I used publisher to create this, because I wanted to see if it was better than word. I think the final product definatley looks more proffesional on publisher, and I will use it more in future for tasks like this.
I have used the KERRANG! masthead conventionally at the top of the magazine, because this is part of the house style to K!
For the main image, I wanted the model to have a Courtney Love meets Kate Moss look of, 'I'm too cool to care'. Jessie has achieved this buy looking at the camera as if to say 'Yeah, and what?', and leaning forward. In looking at the camera, direct address is created which entices a reader to buy the magazine. Her scruffy hair, black eyeliner and black clothing at to this Rock sheek look, that really works on the cover of K!. She is also the main feature of the magazine and therefore matches the ethos of this issue. I have used high-key lighting to emphasize how glamorous she is.
For the main coverline, I have decided to have it cutting through the main image, because the model is a new rock singer, and it means I could put a name to the face straight away. I used her name as a main part to the title, and then did a puff underneath to say what the article is about.
I haven't conventionally done other coverlines, because when i looked at the last K! mag i bought, they had the cover lines at the very bottom of the page. I have used this idea, and on the red strip at the bottom I have put in some other articles about more bands that would feature in this magazine.
On the right hand side, I have chosen to use a pug. The pug offers bands that played at the 'Warped Tour'. I literally took the 1st 4 bands that popped into my head that match the genre of K! mag. I inserted the pictures into publisher, resized them, added a border, then grouped them together. I also added in titles for each photo. I put 'FREE' in the largest font because that is what the audience will see, and will be attracted by to buy the magazine.
I have placed the barcode above the bottom coverlines, as K! aren't too fussy about where they put the barcode. The date and price are just above it.
I used publisher to create this, because I wanted to see if it was better than word. I think the final product definatley looks more proffesional on publisher, and I will use it more in future for tasks like this.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Q - front cover
The main image co-incides with the 'title' next to the masthead, as this magazine is about the band 'Muse'. It uses high-key lighting, with a blueish colour as a shadow effect, which is a theme created with the 'blue corner' above 'Muse' and the blue text.
The main coverline is unconventional, and is at the top of the page.
'50 acts you must see' is a pug, which entices the audience into buying this magazine so they can read it.
The barcode is in the bottom left hand corner, which is conventional.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Rock Sound - double paged spread
I chose this double paged spread because isif very different to the other articles I have looked at. Firstly, although featured on the cover page, it is not related to the main images like the KERRANG! and NME double-page spreads. In addition, it is a different style, as it's not questions asked by a journalist, they are questions from fans. This leads us to the subject of the article, which is the Cancer Bats, and their answers to questions sent in by fans.
The text is written in columns, and the uses of bold and italics differentiate questions from answers. The image supports the text too, and the band are holding up pieces of paper with the selected questions written on them.
The vocabulary is quite simple, sometimes vulgar, but humorous and easy to read.
Rock Sound - Contents
Rock Sound magazine have two contents pages; one for main feature, and one for everything else.
Main Features pageA large image is used in the background, which almost makes this look like a second cover page.
Other pictures on the left hand side indicate articles about certain bands. They also have page numbers on the pictures, which are written in the house style of Rock Sound.
On the right we have the other main stories under a heading of 'Main Features'. The titles and page numbers are all within the house style too.
Features page
A note from the editor is on this page, at the top right. These tend to feature in a lot of magazine, so i think i may consider this for my music magazine.
There are more images which support other articles.
The font is all kept within the house style.
Recycled sign at the bottom show's that Rock Sound is doing their bit. It will appeal to the masses and possibly encourage others to recycle too. It gives the message of 'It's cool to care'.
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