EVALUATION.

 In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My product uses conventions of real media products in many ways. For example, firstly there is a masterhead at the top of the page. I have used a photo as my background linking to a story within the magazine. 

I have also stuck to a colour scheme of black and white, with the colours coming from the pictures. The reason I have done this is because I feel it looks young but sophisticated. 

The reason I chose this particular photo for my background, is because it is a bright photo, although her dress is black and white, her hair is red so it makes a nice contrast with the rest of the colour scheme. It is also a particular pose that is popular for magazines. 

It is clear that the magazine is a music magazine by the title “VOICE”. The reason I chose this title is because I think it is simple but also interesting. My magazine is about all types of music, aiming more for a younger teenage audience to link in with my inspiration “We Love Pop” 

I have included a strap line to make my cover look more professional and believable. 

Although I haven’t done cover lines, the reason is because my photo makes a big impact on the reader, and with cover lines I didn’t want it to look too busy and tacky. My photo would be of a well known singer so the audience would know straight away what my magazine was about.

One of the photos I have included shows a guitar, so my audience would see this and know it was a music magazine. 

My cover CHALLENGES the conventions of a music magazine because it is simple. Normally you would find many photos, cover lines and different colours for a young music magazine but I wanted to be different and choose a different route. 

My cover also develops the conventions of a music magazine because I have placed a photo of a girl with a guitar, and the title shows it’s clearly about music. 

CONTENTS PAGE.

In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

It has been thematically organised into “Inside this issue” “exclusive” “take a peak” “volume” and “extras”. These different categories are common of a magazine and make it look more professional, it also makes it easier to read.

The page numbers are bigger than the rest of the writing so readers can access the page easily. 

There is a montage of images of different people and ages appropriate to the target audience.

My contents CHALLENGES the conventions of a real music magazine because there would normally be an editors note, and I haven’t included this. 

I have used a montage of pictures, whereas normally there might just be one main image. 

My contents DEVELOPS the conventions of a real magazine because I have a continuity of colour. The grey and red. I chose a grey background with red writing. The reason I have done this is because I wanted the red to stand out, and the grey enables the red writing to do so. 

In one of the pictures, it is the same model from the photo on my front cover. Displaying a continuity throughout my magazine. 

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD.

In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My double page spread develops the conventions of a real music magazine, because I have used a sub title underneath the main title, explaining a little bit more about the magazine. 

There is information about the artist at the end of the article. 

I have used a quotation from the article which normally occurs in a magazine double page spread. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

All of my photos, show young teenage girls. I have done this so that my audience know the social group at which my magazine is aimed at and enables the audience to relate to it.

I have also chose teenage colours such as red, black and white. These colours could also symbolise the Rock And Roll genre, but due to the words and photos I have used it is clear that my magazine isn’t a rock magazine. 

Although it is a teenage magazine, I have aimed it at higher class group, due to the colours and simplicity of my magazine and because there is more writing than there is photos. 

I think it represents my social group well because in all of the photos the models are smiling and look positive. 

On my double page spread the model is looking directly into the camera, and looks very confident which puts across a good image for my music magazine .

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I think IPC Media could distribute my music magazine because it is a multinational company, which means they would have the skills to ensure that my magazine would be successful in the music magazine industry. 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience for my media product would be upper class teenage girls. Between the ages of 16-19 due to the layout, colour scheme, and topics within my magazine.

How did you attract/address your audience?

On my front cover I places a box displaying things within the magazine, such as “Advice, Posters and Gossip” to ensure the audience would be attracted to my magazine and want to read it. 

The main image of the girl looking away from the camera, dressed unique and not mainstream, shows femininity and will attract female audiences. 

The informal font I have chose for my title and cover line makes the audience feel comfortable. The language used is also informal and at a friendly tone.

The two images placed on the front cover are of posters that would be within the magazine, and they would make the audience want to buy it. 

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt many things from the process of constructing this product. 

I have learnt how to use InDesign and Photoshop. 

With InDesign I learnt how to make a magazine cover, from scratch, something I was nervous about as I have never done anything like that before. I learnt how to place photos, text, different colours, backgrounds and more. 

When learning how to use photoshop, I learnt how to crop images, editing the photos I had added, adding different texts and images, and including shapes. 

I have also learnt what looks good. I realised that you don’t have to place everything on one page for it to look good. 

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt that the magazine cover must include certain things. Such as a strap line. 

I have learnt that you cannot use a wide range of different colours on one page, and different text fonts, as it does not look professional and would make it difficult for the reader to read. So I have been able to use colours and text more effectively with a neutral background. 

Screen shot Front Page.

This is a screen shot of my final front page. As you can see from my previous shots I have experimented and developed my ideas and they have been through a changing process.
I decided to use this photo as she is dressed in up to date clothes, and represents a positive image of teenagers.
I called my magazine VOICE because I wanted to keep it simple, and get straight to the point, so looking at my front cover you know straight away that it is going to be a music magazine.
I chose to use white writing on my front cover because the background is black and I think that the white writing contrasts well and is able to stand out and will be read easily for the audience.
I have placed two photographs underneath the title. One photo shows a guitar, so this again, shows the audience what my magazine is going to be about. The other photo shows a young teenager smiling, to give a positive feel to my magazine and make the audience aware that my magazine will be happy and entertaining.
When designing my layout for my front cover, I wasn't entirely sure which theme to take. After many development processes I knew I wanted a dark background. So when taking the photos of my model, I placed her in front of a black curtain to ensure I got the best layout possible. I believe that this has worked well because it enabled me to place anything over the top, as long as it linked in with the theme.
I also made sure my model wore suitable clothes, but especially clothes that stand out to ensure my audience would be hooked into my front cover, and make them want to open it to see what is inside.
I am pleased with my front cover and feel that it has worked well, and am proud of it.

Screen shots.

Here are two screen shots of my final pieces for my Double Page Spread, and my Contents Page. I like how these have turned out because you can see clear evidence of development and experimentation.

For my Double Page Spread, I knew the layout I wanted to achieve, so I made sure the photographs I took enabled me to succeed with this. I linked the colours together; red, black and white as I thought they contrasted well together and it is easy to read. I think it looks professional as it isn't too busy, but it is subtle.

For my contents page I still wanted to go with a similar theme of the red writing, but wanted to have an interesting background. I chose grey because it is a neutral colour, and it allows the red writing to stand out and be read easily. I added some photographs to make the page more enjoyable. The reason that I haven't gone over the top with my pages, is because I wanted my magazine to be up-market and although I was inspired by We Love Pop, my audience is of an older teenage age group.

Screen shots.

Here are the screen shots of my letters I tried to create. As you can see the first one was done with the drawing tool on photoshop. I wasn't sure on how to create a large letter so I did an experiment first.

The second one I used text, and just changed the size and font to make it stand out more.

Screen Shots.

This is a screen shot of my final magazine idea. As you can see i've used many different skills to achieve this look. I have sent three photos backwards for the background, used photos and different fonts. However, I don't like this as I think it looks like there is too many words on there, so I am going to take some photos and add some more photos to it. I love the colours, and the idea of the bright colours with black and white photos.

The reason there is the letter A in the background is because the magazine is called Aspire, so I wanted to link that in with the contents page.

Screen Shots.

These are screen shots of the completed number I wanted to place onto my magazine. I began on photoshop, making a box, filling it with colour, then placing the number four in, changing the size and font and then changing the blending options to "Inner shadow", "Bevel and Emboss" and "Satin". I then placed it onto the area of my contents page I wanted it to go and am happy with the result.

Screen Shots.

These are screen shots of the skills I am using to create my contents page.
The first one is an experiment I did with photoshop. I wanted to create a more interesting number for my contents, and used this software on Photoshop.
The second one is showing how i created my own colour for my number boxes and how I did it.

First Draft Of Completed Double Page Spread.

This is my first draft of a complete double page spread. However, I am still waiting to take some photos so I have not been able to include photographs. I wanted to have a title with a quote as well. I also wanted to use two areas of my page as I think there is a lot of small writing for the reader to read, so I thought that by using two boxes it breaks up the page and is much easier on the eyes.

I like how my pages have turned out, but they will look much better with photographs and when colour is added.

Music Magazin Contents Page- Draft 1.

This is the first draft of my contents page. I decided I wanted to make my magazine quirky and fun, so I chose a bold font, and a bright colour. However, these colours and fonts may change with the experimentation process.

I like how my contents page looks so far, and I have included a big title, the issue number, the date, the page number and four different boxes with different pages and stories in.

Magazine Article Screen Shots.

These are the screen shots of my article places on a magazine draft. The top one is the text without any changes. In the bottom one I changed the font because I wanted to make it look more interesting and easy to read. 

I enjoyed writing my article because we were able to make up anything, as long as it relates to music. Next week I will add pictures, and the title and other details. 

Magazine Article.

You know them songs that get stuck in your head all day long? When you’re washing up and you find yourself humming to a tune you heard 8 hours before on the radio? That would be the sweet music from the lyrical genius Zoey Southwell.

The mysterious soul singer is new on the scene and she’s certainly come around with a bang! Her music ranges from all ages, she mixes pop with soul, rhythm and blues and rap. Zoey has featured with the likes of Jay Sean, Drake, Ellie Goulding and Rhianna. She is signed by world famous record company Universal Music, along with labels such as Lady GaGa, LMFAO and Mary J. Blige.

Stealing Zoey away from her busy lifestyle at her penthouse apartment in Essex for only a strict half hour we managed to get lots of juicy information from her, including tour dates, album releases and new videos. We also get the full scoop on her relationship with Lil Wayne.

Hello Zoey, this is a lovely place! You’ve come a long way from Croydon. This lifestyle must have taken some getting used to.

-Yes (she chuckles) coming from somewhere like Croydon I thought I was on a one-way ticket to working in Asda. It’s just a totally different lifestyle.

We can only imagine how it must feel to be able to order champagne on ice whenever you want! What’s the best part of being a celebrity?

-(Laughing) haha that one never gets old! The best part of doing what I do is knowing that I’m giving something back to my family through my music, and knowing that I’m making them proud. Also, the free shoes aren’t too bad either!

Free shoes?! Some girls only dream! So what is your music going to be about in the upcoming future?

-Trust me I did dream! My music is going to represent everything I stand for and believe in. It’s going to have meaning, obviously because I write my own music each song will be very personal to me and my experiences. I’ve written some real heartbreakers on this album.

Ooooo we’re intrigued! Heartbreakers? Who could ever be silly enough to break your heart?!

-(Laughing) haha every little girl has their heart broken at some point in their life, it’s how you deal with it that defines you and closes that part of your life.  Relationships end and people move on, that’s life. The album really focuses on moving on, and closing things. It gives it away from the title “Where’s My Heart” which by the way is out at the end of this month! It’s available on iTunes now.

Speaking of relationships, can you give us some juicy gossip on you and Lil Wayne?  Are we hearing wedding bells?

-(Laughing) hahah me and Wayne are friends! We’ve been out for lunch, and shopping a couple of times. He’s been like my big brother in this business, advising me on who’s who, and being like a mentor. We’re not dating.

-I’m sure that will disappoint some of our fans! Is there any hope for the future between you two?

-I never say never, but not right now no. I’m dedicated to my music at the moment. Nothing else!

Ok ok we won’t say anymore! So, you’ve been featured in a few songs with big artists recently. Who was the best one to work with?

-I know I’m so lucky and truly blessed to be able to work with such incredible and successful people. None of them were the best because they’re all amazing! But meeting Drake has been one of my dreams since I was about seventeen years old! (Laughing) They were all fantastic and I’d love to work with them again. They are all extremely talented.

In your new video with drake, there are a few love scenes. Was it hard remaining professional with someone you’ve had a teenage crush on? (Laughing)

-(Laughs) hahaha no not at all, I’m very business minded and know that if I’m not professional companies and artists wont want to use me. You’ve got to remain level headed in this industry.

Your duet with Drake has now made it into the top ten! How does that feel?

-It feels like I’m on cloud nine all the time. To be able to get into my car, turn the radio on and hear my music blaring through the speakers still freaks me out, but I love it at the same time. It’s even weirder seeing myself on television!

We know you’ve got a few tours coming up, you’re touring round the UK first right?

-Yes, I’m touring round the UK going to London, Bristol, Brighton, Liverpool, Scotland, Wales, Manchester and Newcastle. It’s only a 32 day tour, which is relatively short for a country tour but I’ve never experienced tour life before so I have no idea what to expect!  We’re spending 4 nights in each city and living on a bus, with one bathroom sounds interesting (Laughing)

Do you have any supporting acts playing at your tour?

-(Giggling and smiling) You’ll have to wait and see!

Okay Zoey it’s been brilliant talking to you, good luck with your tour and heartbreaker album! We’ll be hoping to see a lot more of you!

Music Magazine Screen Shots and Evaluation.

Today we started making our own double page spread for our music magazine. We began by opening the software InDesign and laid out two blank pages. We then added columns, photos and text boxes. We had to make sure the sizes were correct, the text stood out and that our margins were in the right places. 

We were then told to highlight our columns and "Fill Placeholder With Text". This copied random text into our columns just so we could experiment with the text and practice on changing the size of our margins, making sure the text wasn't overflowing, changing the font and size, and making sure the text didn't hyphenate. 

We then had to add a small photo into our text, and make it fit how we thought looked best.

Above are some screen shots I have done to show my process of thought and experimentation. 

I think I have made a lot of progress today and throughout this experiment I have learnt new skills I will be able to put across when coming to my final outcome of my music magazine. 

Music Magazine- We Love Pop.

Music Magazine.

We Love Pop.

I have decided to research the new music magazine out called We Love Pop. The magazine will target a core audience of 13-15 year olds with in-depth interviews with pop stars, behind-the-scenes exclusives, photos and a "high-end cover gift" designed to appeal to a savvy teen audience.

Egmont saw a gap in the market after another pop music magazine “Smash Hits” ended in 2006. Smash Hits had a similar target audience to the audience of We Love Pop so therefore when Smash Hit’s was closed, there was a gap to fill for the good of this age group. We Love Pop has circulation figures of around 115,000 and it is becoming popular with teenagers. Whether or not the circulation figures are going to rise or fall we don't know, but with the figures being at such a high rate it gives the impression that they will rise.

The typical content of We Love Pop are articles on bands and artists, interviews, features on film, technology, film and beauty.

‘We Love Pop’ is edited by Malcolm Mackenzie, the former music editor of News International’s defunct free newspaper thelondonpaper, and will launch with a print run of 200,000.

The marketing campaign will include point-of-sale activity with retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and WH Smith Travel, advertising on London buses and digital activity on Stardoll, Sugarscape and Vevo.com.

The digital campaign was devised by digital agency Hello World and the outdoor ads were created and bought in house.

The accompanying website (www.welovepopmag.co.uk) will include a rolling news blog, Twitter and Facebook integration and dedicated YouTube channel featuring clips, behind-the-scenes footage, pictures, competitions and downloads.

Advertisers that feature in the first issue of the 68-page magazine include musical label Universal, for its new girl band Wonderland, and online clothing site BooHooSister.com, while boyband The Wanted are advertising on the website.

Mackenzie said: "Pop music and following the antics of pop stars has always been a fundamental part of growing up, but it has seen a real resurgence in the past couple of years.

"With pop domination of the charts, and a host of TV shows like Glee and X Factor feeding the buzz, we believe the time is right to bring the pop world to life for a new generation of teens."

We Love Pop is published by Egmont Publishing. This publishing company publishes children's magazines and children’s books.

On the magazine cover we see colour, happy faces and simple text. There is more images than there is text on the cover, because it is directed at quite a young audience, it is more easy on the eyes. The use of bright colours will attract people to buy this magazine, and the images of happy, smiling celebrities will also intrigue a buyer. The lack of capital letters in cover lines looks relaxed and informal and makes the magazine seem a lot more welcoming. Supplementary images of star, beauty and fashion lure the audience in and pull quotes add a personal feel and an exclusivity as the audience get to know things about their idols. 

We Love Pop aims itself more at a young female audience, with it’s use of girly pictures, stories and free gifts. It appeals to a young female audience by using content such as boyband pull out posters, free girly gifts with the magazine, and bright colours on the front cover. 

The simple, bright cover attracts a young audience because it looks interesting and fun. This is an important element for a successful magazine. 

Their visual style is very bright and colourful, with pictures of celebrities, bubble writing headlines, and bright colours to draw the readers attention in. We Love Pop, have taken into consideration that because it is aimed at such a young audience, the reader; take for example a twelve year old girl; will automatically look at the bold colours, and the main picture on the front. It is vital to include strong imagery and key words because this is what the buyer will see first. From what I know about the media, I know that all of these key elements have been used to connect to the audience. 

Musical interests and favorites include people such as One Direction, Cher Lloyd, Tulisa from N-Dubz and Rihanna. It is important who is placed on the front cover, as they will be a major influence for the reader. So for example, if a celebrity that was always getting into trouble was on the front that wouldn’t set a good example for the young audience reading the magazine. 

The launch price of the magazine was only £1 which for the young target audience with pocket money is inviting and very cheap. However, now the price is at what it was meant to be which is £2.99 which is still manageable for this age group.

There are a lot of females of similar and just older ages used on the covers which can support that the audience is female as the music stars are there to be admired and used for aspiration from the young girls. The celebrities on the front cover will have to be credible

The magazine comes within a plastic packaging, due to the fact that you win something free every  time you buy a magazine. This is another way the publishers of We Love Pop have decided to market their magazine into getting readership, and attracting the audience. 

Egmont Publishing are the publishers for We Love Pop. Egmont Magazines is the UK's second largest children's magazine publisher. They are passionate about children, and are a leading publisher of children’s magazines so they pay particular attention to their readers, whether they’re three-year-olds learning to enjoy their first magazine, or trend-conscious 12-year-olds. 

Egmont was started more than 130 years ago, on 15th May 1878 in Copenhagen. Egmont had developed into the media house it is today and a leading provider of entertainment in Scandinavia with operations in over 21 countries. 

They regularly test their magazines in research sessions with children and their parents, to make sure that their magazines are the best and most engaging titles in the industry. And they firmly believe that by enjoying their magazines, children of all ages are developing vital life skills – in reading, puzzle-solving, and interacting with others.

Many of their magazines star famous brands such as Disney characters, Barbie, and Thomas The Tank Engine and Dora the Explorer. They also publish their own titles for older children, Toxic and Go Girl. They are part of the Egmont Group, a publishing and media organization with activities in 30 countries worldwide.

The children’s magazine market is the 3rd biggest magazine category in the UK by volume, behind women’s weeklies and TV listing magazines. They sell over 12 million magazines every year, and publish over a dozen market leading magazines for children 3-12, both under licence and their own brand. Egmont publishing work with some of the biggest brands in the world including Disney Princess, Barbie and Power Rangers. They dominate the primary girls’ magazine market with over 30% share of the market. They are an online publisher now too with the launch of two websites for kids- www.toxicmag.co.uk for boys 7-12 and www.gogirlmag.co.uk for girls 7-11. 

Last year alone, Egmont Publishing commissioned over 20 research projects and spent time with over 550 children. They spoke first hand to 200 parents and had 5,500 responses to readers survey’s. This shows that they spend a lot of time and money on research in schools, focus groups and reader surveys. It also highlights how they strive for “Unrivalled Consumer Knowledge” and greater insights into their users and choosers. 

We Love Pop isn’t a children’s magazine however, it is aimed at a young teen audience so I found it suprising to find out that it’s publisher specilises with children’s magazines.  

This double page spread from We Love Pop shows a large picture of Cher Lloyd, big enough to cut out which is also indicated by the scissor lines going down the side of the page. She is showing excitement and fun, to make the reader feel happy to be reading this article. She is also looking directly at the reader to make them feel connected and close to the celebrity. The pull quote is eye catching and show’s sarcasm and indicated that the article is going to be funny. It could also show the stars feelings about being made to feel like a bad person, which goes deeper into the article and allows us as an audience to relate to her, so therefore it is an engaging article. This is used because it is supposed to make the readers want to read on and find out what the article is about and the use of bright pink shows how the article is going to be quirky and funny. 

 Music Magazine.

KERRANG!

One music magazine I have decided to research is Kerrang! Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music, published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. Named after the onomatopoeic word that derives from the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar. Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts. In the early 2000’s it became the best-selling British music newspaper.

Kerrang! is aimed at a niche audience that listen to the music and bands that are shown in the magazine, which are mainly rock/metal. This is also shown by the images and fonts used that seem more violent and aggressive, this is the kind of image that is associated with that genre of music. 

Kerrang!'s popularity rose again with the hiring of editor Paul Rees circa 2000 when the nu metal genre, featuring bands like Limp Bizkit and Slipknot were becoming more popular. Rees went on to edit Q magazine and Ashley Bird took over as editor from 2003 to 2005. However the magazine's sales went quickly into decline in 2003 and Paul Brannigan took over as editor in May 2005.

With the emergence of emo and metalcore, Kerrang! began to heavily feature this musical trend. However, the revamp was not welcomed by all readers and many complaints were received about Kerrang!'s sudden emphasis on emo and metalcore music. Brannigan took the magazine into its most commercially successful period with a record ever ABC for the title of 80,186 copies. It's circulation figure is 43,033. These figures are rising due to the popularity of Kerrang. Another reason for the current rise in circulation is due to the loyalty from readers. 

Kerrang! aims itself more at a male audience and appeals to them by using content such as hard rock and metal iconic male bands on the front cover pulling angry faces or violent expressions. Female readers are targeted by the use of male bands on free pull out posters and feature interviews. 


The edgy, underground and individualstic style appears to rock readers and draws them in, this is a crucial element of any successful magazine.


It is also essential to include key words on the front cover that will attract a greater audience; three words in particular are believed to have the greatest effect- free, win and sex. If all of these words appear on the cover of any magazine it is more likely to increase sales. Kerrang! uses at least two of these words on every issue. 

Their visual style is very black and dark, along with the occasional colour to draw the audience’s attention. Which again highlights what kind of magazine they are and what music they promote. When attracting audiences, it is vital to include lots of strong imagery and key words on the front cover of the magazine as this is what any buyer will see first. Kerrang! uses a significant colour pallet, the main colours are white, black, yellow, red and green. These enable the magazine to be eye-catching and it allows certain cover lines to stand out. These basic colours are continued throughout the 70 pages creating a dark and moody ambiance. From the information I have gathered about the media I am aware that the publishers of Kerrang make sure all of these elements are involved when designing the front cover because it allows connection to the audience. 

Kerrang! pride themselves as the UK’s premier multi-platform music destination ‘bringing the best in rock online, on the radio, on TV and in print’ and it is clear that they use many successful methods in order to attract their key demographic audiences. If they are to sustain their title as the worlds biggest selling weekly rock magazine they will  need to continue developing their publication. With technology, society and the music industry constantly changing it is vital to keep improving. 

Strategies such as the use of graphics, colours, font sizes, anchorage text, advertisements and imagery can prove successful in capturing these fresh ideas. If the magazine allows itself to become monotonous or out of touch with it’s target audience it poses the rick of losing readership and more importantly revenue. 

This is a double page spread from Kerrang! and as you can see it portrays colours such as black, white and red, which helps to highlight a gothic theme. Another reason these colours might have been used is because they are the colours assosicated with Rock and Roll. This is more likely to attract males rather than females due to the emotion and expression on the pictures, and because of the dark colours. The background of this double spread looks dull, but it is this was purposly so it blends in with the rest of the theme. The red highlights specific things that Kerrang! want the audience to notice first, whilst the white is used to make the text clear against the black background. 

The design on the magazine is mainly images of the band, as they are the main feature. The text only takes up the top half of one of the pages. The images look as though they have been taken at a live gig which intwines with the theme of the rock genre, and it makes the page a lot more exciting and interesting for the reader to see. 

The double page spread talks about a common rock band called My Chemical Romance, often known as MCR. We can see visually the easiest thing to notice is the image of Gerrard Way, because he takes up the whole left hand side of the article. There isn’t a lot of text with this article, which gives us the idea it is more of a visual piece. As we can see, Gerrard Way is the background, and because he takes up most of the page we automatically assume the article is based around him. 

The images of the band members with their eyeliner, long hair and messy clothes indicate what sort of music it is going to be about. All of these things are the kind of image people would link with a typical rock magazine. 

There are many links that exist between music magazines and other media. For example, with any magazine it is important that the style is eye-catching and the theme runs throughout. This affects what happens in a magazine because it suddenly becomes competitive as no magazine wants to be the same as another. 

Another link is the link between what goes into the magazine, and what has been said in the media. For example, with a music magazine there might be an interview with a famous singer or band, but if a similar interview with the same singer or band had already been done on TV or radio, again it becomes competitive because no form of media wants to be the same as another. 

The Process I Went Through To Complete A Front Cover.

At the beginning we were set a brief which said we had to produce a new school/college magazine featuring a photograph of a student in medium close up plus some appropriately laid out text and masthead.  I also had to produce a mock up of the contents page. We began by creating an account on "blogger" where we would post all of out ideas, research and drafts. 


I began to research different college and school magazines. I realised that college magazines have got to look happy and positive, with the picture of the front representing this.Then, with some inspiration I began to have some ideas of my own. I photographed some of my friends, and did some headshots of my friend Zoey. I uploaded some of these pictures onto my blog and decided on the one I wanted to use.


Once I had finished doing my research I began making my own drafts. Whilst creating the front cover for my college magazine I knew what I wanted to be done I just had to work out how I would be able to achieve this. I started with a flat plan design of the layout I wanted, however this quickly changed when I started fiddling around with colours and shapes.

We were told to use the software "InDesign" which I had never used before. Whilst using this I came across some difficulties such as how to send the photo to the back of the page, how to make sure the photo isn't blurry and how to make the title stand out more than anything on the page. All of these issues I had may seem simple to someone else but I had never done something like this before.

However, after working out how to use things in the correct way, I found I began to enjoy the process of making my magazine cover. I researched different magazine's and looked at their covers for inspiration and realised it's a difficult task trying to pick the few but vital things to place on your front cover. You have to take many things into consideration such as, trying to make sure your cover isn't too busy, making sure the colours you have chosen compliment the photo background and the other things you have put on and the size of your font. All of these things are important to making sure your cover is at a high standard and looks professional.

One of the pictures I was going to use was of my friend Sam doing a ballet pose. I wanted to use this picture because I was going to link it with with a cover story, and also because it represented a course at the college. However, due to how I took the photograph there was far too much going on in the background, so I asked Dick if there was any way of getting around this and he explained to me that I could cut out the background of the image and have it as white. I experimented with photoshop, and tried this process. Unfortunately, because of the awkward angle of the photo, this proved far too difficult and I didn't have the time. Eventually I had completed my first cover for my magazine, but I wasn't happy with the final outcome as it wasn't to a high enough standard. I then re-drafted this and ended up with something I was very proud of and thought it was too a high standard and looked professional. 


With my second draft I decided to change the photo, and use one I had taken of Zoey. It was a medium close up, with her looking extremely happy and smiling. When I placed this photo onto my design I realised it worked a lot better than my previous photo. It gave off a positive vibe and feel to my magazine, and showed happiness at college which is the way the college magazines I researched appeared to seem.