Reflections

Front Page

From analysing 5 different music magazine front covers I was able to pick up on features/conventions that were used throughout. I chose 3 magazines that have similar styles and 2 that are different from them, this was because I realised that I needed to vary the style I wanted as I may not be able to that specific style  for my own magazine. Three are genre specific and how I want mine to look.

 Whilst analysing those covers I noticed that the band was always positioned central to the page, taking up most of it and staring straight at the reader, giving the artist power and authority. The mise-en-scene of the main image helps set the mood and shows the genre of the magazine; NME magazine with a band on it gives away that it will be covering bands and more indie/rock music than r&b.

The masthead is also generally behind the main image on the cover but they still stand out because they are in a large and bold font in which they need to be because this section of the magazine is what will be seen when they are in a newsstand.

The main cover line is always placed in front and spread across the band which draws in the attention and always relates to the main image which is usually the important/main topic of the magazine. Also the size of the text for the main cover line is normally much larger than the rest of the text on the page and in a different colour.

The cover lines around the rest of the front cover are there to give the reader an idea of what they can expect to find in the magazine and they are normally placed around the edges of the page, not over the main image. On the genre of magazines I’ve analysed, the cover lines tend to be call outs; a quote from the band, which in a way is a teaser and will intrigue the reader. Another thing used to attract readers attention is the use of buzz words like exclusive as it makes them think that this magazine is the only one covering the story, it’s an exclusive!

Another thing that is featured on every magazine, not just music ones is the barcode, date and price which gives the reader a tiny bit of information which they may want to know; how much it is and whether they are buying the latest issue.

The magazine tends to stick with around 3 main colours which are used regularly, making it the house style/theme. The colours used all go well together and with the images on the page.

Overall, from analysing front covers of magazines has helped me to identify key features that I know I need to include when I produce mine and certain conventions that help the magazine represent a genre. It’s given me some inspiration as to what mine could possibly look like and what I shouldn’t and should include on it to make it as believable as possible.  

Contents Page

I chose to analyse similar styled contents pages because I like the way they are laid out and how they reflect the magazine.  The main thing I got out of analysing them is that it gave me ideas what mine can look like and what things are always included.

I noticed that the list of page numbers and what’s on the page are set out in columns, some divided up with ‘regulars’ and ‘features’ and some just in a general list. The description given after the page number tells the reader a little about what they can expect on the page which gives them the opportunity to both flick straight through and find that page or whether they want to skip it because they’re not all that interested. On a few of the contents pages I analysed the page number was in a different colour and was a bigger size than the information given about the page.

Images are used on contents pages in which they have the corresponding page number normally in the corner of the image.  These images are teasers which help make the reader want to read on.

Either the magazine name contents or in this issue are used as the title of the contents page. When the magazine name is used it helps reinforce the brand. It’s placed at the top of the page and is in big, bold font that’s stands out and is what will probably be read first.

Like front covers, contents pages also follow a colour theme and stick to 2 or three consistent colours. With NME, the colours used on the contents page are the same as the colours in the logo which again reinforce the brand and enhance the reader’s recognition of it.

Double Page Spread 

A few conventions and key things used on double page spreads stood out to me whilst analysing them, for example most of them start the text of the body copy with a drop capital which indicates to the reader where the article starts, the body copy is usually split into 3 or more columns which tend to be equal, there’s an on-going colour theme and the title of the page is very big in comparison to the rest of the text on the page.

Main images can take up the whole of 1 out of 2 of the pages which the reader has the opportunity to use a poster. The image is usually the first or second thing the reader looks at in relation to the eye flow.  Under the image there is normally a standfirst which encourages the reader even more because it gives them a brief outline of the article.

Pull Quotes are also a feature that I’ve noticed to be used often on dps. In a way, these kind of sell the article before the reader has read it as it interests them, making them want to read the article.  To make them even more eye catching, they are normally in a different colour to the text in the body copy and much bigger too, making pull quotes even more effective.

The title of a double page spread has to be very eye catching and bold because it’s one of the first thing that reader will see and will either make them want to read the article or skip it, so I think for it to be successful it has to be interesting and catchy.

Other little things that are often used are the photographer’s and writers credits in small text somewhere on the page either at the bottom or top. The language that is used isn’t too formal as its trying to reflect and capture the artists as much as possible and with the genre it’s supposed to be more chilled out and fun helping the reader relax rather than making it serious.

From these analysis’s, I think that I will follow what most music magazine do and use a whole page for an image  and have the text on the other page because to me not only does it looks nice but it also gives the reader more, as in being able to use the image as a poster. From analysing the front page, contents page and double page spreads I know what I should include and what conventions and key features go into a magazine.

Audience Research

By asking my potential target audience to fill out a questionnaire helped me to understand more about what they are looking for or what they prefer to be in magazines. I was able to conclude what price they are most willing to pay in which I can now accordingly price my magazine to. I also know that they like to keep up to date with the latest news and gossip of the music scene and that they would like to read articles about bands/artists on double page spreads rather than competitions.  Taking all responses into account gave me a clear picture of what my magazine should contain in order to appeal to my target audience and to effectively give them what they want.

Using findyourtribe.co.uk narrowed down and pin pointed my target audience by categorizing them into 4 main tribes; indie kids, indie scenesters, hipsters and trendies. The definition of these tribes told me what kinds of people they are, for example indie scenesters love to be ahead of the game, up to date, like hipsters do and aren’t much into mainstream and don’t care about listening to their own style of music.  The tribes and the questionnaire results reinforce the genre of magazine I want to do and show the results I need in order to make it. From this I went on to make a small mood board in which I wanted to reflect and represent my target audience and magazine. The audience research showed me more specifically and in depth what things my target audience are looking for in a magazine and what will encourage them to come back. It also allowed me to focus on what I need to do to accommodate to the expectations of my target audience.