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This is another double page spread of a magazine which features my favorite band The Arctic Monkeys.

 

Here the main image is at the top and it spreads across both pages, displaying the dominance of the arctic monkeys as the main feature in this page. The background appears to be a typical British estate which might be giving some context to the article. The band members are also in direct mode of address which is another typical convention

 

The band is blocked so that one member is stood at the front, ho is also the only one folding his arms and wearing sunglasses demonstrating that he is the leader.

 

The headline is quite small, possibly because the image speaks for itself. It is also white which allows it to stand out amongst the black in the image. The font used is quite serious and professional, so it links to the image of the band.

 

The text appears at the bottom and links to the image above it. The text is quite simplistic, black text over a white background and it is structured like a typical magazine article.

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This is a double page spread of a rock music magazine featuring Kasabian.

 

On the left we see that the page is dominated by an image of the band members which is a typical convention who are casually strolling through a street and a low camera angle is used making them look more powerful as a famous band.

 

 There is also blocking in the image which establishes who the leader of the band is.

 

The colors used are fairly bland, grey white and of course a lot of black especially in the clothing which then links to the black headline and the text but there is also some green which gives the page a bit of life.

 

The leader is also wearing a red flower, which in combination with the blocking makes him distinctly separate from the other band members.

 

The heading is in a big bold and professional font, another typical convention, and this spreads across both pages emphasizing kasabian as the main feature.

 

A secondary image is also used which links to the text around it and there is a quote box overlapping part of it once again to show that they link. This text also stands out because of its colors and draws the reader's attention to the secondary image.

 

Finally the text is structured like a typical magazine article like most others with a quote at the start that acts as an introduction to the rest of the text. 

 

 

 

 

drafting and planning, school cover pt.3

This is the complete version of the draft of my school magazine front cover.

 

To finalize the cover I added more typical yet vital conventions. First I added a main cover line which is my name because I am the main cover star on the magazine and this instantly tells the readers who is the main feature because this cover line is the biggest, boldest and it overlaps the image.

 

I then put in anchorage text, which entices the readers to read the main article because its an introduction to the main story, it tells them what its about but doesn't give away any details so they are intrigued to find out more and therefore they read the main article.

 

For both of these I used a font called 'freshman' which complies with the idea of a new student starting a new stage of his educational career. I also used red and white for this text because this complies with the color scheme of the masthead and of course the school itself.

 

After this I implemented two more cover lines and I made these distinctly separate by using white boxes. This makes them look like sub-headings so the readers read what's in the boxes first and so they instantly find out the rest of the content inside the magazine. If they are interested by the sub heading they'll read what's underneath which gives a little more information, but again this acts like an introduction so the readers want to find out more details about the story and therefore go to read the main article. These boxes also compliment the masthead which is also in red and outlined by a white box.

drafting and planning, school cover pt.2

Here I implement a masthead that I created, which is in a big and formal font because the school is a professional place and it instantly tells the readers what magazine this is. This also complies with the left-third rule as when it is sacked readers can see the beginning of the masthead and recognize the magazine instantly.

I altered the medium close up so that it overlaps the masthead. This is a typical convention that I've noticed in magazines I have analysed and I've used it here to communicate that the main cover star is the most important thing on the front cover because they are the main feature within the magazine.

I also added two more typical conventions, a standard barcode and the dateline at the top which are much less important than the masthead and the text (which I implement later) which is why they are black and smaller.

drafting and planning, school cover pt.1

This is the drafting of a magazine front cover for the preliminary task using what I have learnt from my magazine analysis and previous drafting (NME front cover).

I started with two basic images, I used an image of the school entrance for the background, which tells the readers that the magazine is focused on the school and complies with the theme which I bring in later about entering a new school beginning.

The second image is the medium close up of me trying to present myself as a typical sixth form student which is important because the main cover line, which I introduce later, refers to me as a new sixth form student and that is what the main feature is all about.

The size of the image takes up nearly half the page which communicates to the readers instantly who the main cover star is and that the magazine is focused on him.

 

 

drafting and planning, NME cover

This is a draft of an NME magazine front cover that I created in lesson. It includes many of the typical conventions that I have analyzed in my research like a masthead, barcode, cover star, cover lines, anchorage text, the date and the NME selling line.

I also used what I have learnt in my research by selecting an appropriate font and an appropriate color scheme that complies with the style of an nme magazine.

I chose a font called 'keep calm' which reflects its simple but serious appearance and this complies with most of the fonts in the magazine covers I have analyzed as well as the image of Reznor who appears calm but also serious and of course it relates to the anchorage text 'keep calm - he's back for more'.

All of the text I implemented was either black, red or white because this complies with the NME colour scheme established by it's masthead. These colours have connotations of danger and are generally dark and serious colours and so these comply with both the serious facial expression of Reznor and his black attire as well as the serious style of NME. This is typical of most serious, mainstream music magazines as most cover stars try and portray a dangerous and intimidating image 

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In this contents page there are multiple images which are sized to their importance, 'take that' are on the front cover so their image is the largest implying their article is the most important and the one most people will want to read about whilst the rest are mixed. This suggests they're not as important but they help support the main article in conveying a sense that there is a lot of content within the magazine. Each image is accompanied by a number which instantly communicates to the readers where they have to turn to read about each feature without them having to read anything making it as simple as possible.

 

The main image of take that Is the same as the one on the front cover but at a different angle so that they aren't in direct mode of address. This loss of interaction between the reader and the band could imply that to read about the band and re-connect to them then they must turn to the page where the article is because that's where they truly are.

 

Surrounding the images on the sides of the contents page are sub headings sectioned off into more manageable chunks of information making it easier for the readers. These different sub headings are made distinct by the thin red lines acting as dividers so its clear to the readers which section is which. Each sub heading is also marked by a number, similar to the images, which once again allows for quick and easy navigation to what the reader wants to read about in the magazine.

 

Overall the approach on the design of this cotents page is very basic shown by the fact that there are simple divided sub headings and clear images which aren't over crowded by text, there are no pugs, screamers or puffs to distract the readers which ultimately creates a clear and simplistic page purely made for its purpose to navigate the readers though the magazine.

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The combined images of two of the 'oasis' band members are centered in the middle of the page and take up the most space, this demonstrates to the reader that this is the most important of all the articles/ features on the contents page which inclines the readers to read about them further on in the magazine.

The main cover line '...oasis kicked off their world tour' appears incomplete as there is no further information about the tour and therefore provokes curiosity from the readers as they become interested in finding out the details of this main feature and why its more important than the rest, instantly hooking them in to read more. The readers are then given temporary satisfaction at a paragraph below this cover line but ends in an ellipses which once again leaves the readers lingering for more enticing them to surpass the contents page to read the real article.

On the right hand side of the page are some sub headings which can easily be identified by the reader because the font is bigger and highlighted by its white color in contrast to its black background. This gives the readers easy navigation to the section of magazine they are most interested in as each sub heading is clear and separate.

 On the left hand side of the page is a long list of bands stretching down the whole side of the page. This list gives the reader an insight into the variety of bands they can expect to read about and tells them exactly where to go to find them, whether it be one of their favorite bands or one they have never heard of and are therefore interested in. The list has a red background which compliments the house style of the contents page, which is the use of the colors, red and black, which helps create consistency of style and defines the magazine company 'NME'.

This house style is somewhat broken by the yellow colored text in the pug at the bottom of the page and this is done for effect because it sticks out amongst the rest of the text and the reader's attention is drawn to it. This is done because its advertising a subscription to this magazine which is vital for the company and the text says 'subscribe today save 33%' which is an imperative and an appealing offer which persuades and entices the reader to subscribe.

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This is a 'Q' magazine front cover which carries many typical magazine conventions.

 The main cover line is 'Kasabian' which is in a bold and professional all white font centered in the middle of the page. Because of this the text immediately communicates to the readers that this band are important and are the main feature within the magazine.

The main image combines well with the text because they appear important and powerful as they take up the whole of the magazine and the anchorage text 'they're on fire' relates to the image of the flaming guitar. This impresses and intimidates the readers which is aided by the two band members being in direct mode of address looking threatening showing that like most other rock bands they are a serious, menacing and rebellious band.

Blocking is also another typical convention and is used effectively here because the man standing in front appears to be the leader and therfore appears more powerful, however the one in the back despite being in the background, is menacingly holding out a flaming guitar showing that he is just as important and powerful as well, further intimidating the readers.

There are also two secondary images aligned with the main image, which is another typical convention because they are smaller images suggesting they aren't as important as the main feature but can be just as interesting and advertise the magazine's variety of content.

This is advertised further with the puff '101 hottest things in music now' which suggests there is a lot to read about and all of it is modern suggested with 'now' and 'hottest' which also ties in with the semantic field of fire, overall making the magazine appear more dangerous which is appealing to indie rock music fans



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This is a smaller magazine company called 'rock sound' and their front covers also have typical music magazine conventions.

Firstly their main image is a mid shot of the band 'Muse', they are all in direct mode of address to the readers with serious facial expressions and 2 of them have their arms folded which is serious body language. This creates a typical image for a rock band who want to appear serious and rebellious.

Secondly the main cover line instantly tells the reader who is the main feature in the magazine and its yellow because it sticks out over the black t-shirts of the band members and it combines well with the green masthead and bright lighting in the image. These together help create a bright and appealing cover whilst also suggesting that this band are inspirational, like their name 'muse'. It makes them almost god-like because of the bright lighting and yellow text associated with heaven and maybe holiness.


Thirdly there is a skyline pug advertising a 'free CD' which is used as an addition to the magazine to entice the reader to buy it. This company also has a selling line 'new music first' which suggests that unlike other music magazines this one wont bring readers popular bands that are already heard of and well known, but instead new bands with new music which is appealing to those rock music fans who want to read about something new.

Finally there are multiple cover lines of 'new' rock bands that readers will be interested in reading about and puffs on the right which advertise special features within the magazine that are unique and potentially exclusive to this magazine which attracts more interest at knowing there is a variety of content inside the magazine, ultimately persuading people to buy the magazine.

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This is another NME magazine cover featuring Brandon from the indie rock band 'The Killers' who are the main cover line. This immediately communicates to potential buyers who is the main feature in the magazine and the anchorage text explains in more detail about what they can expect to read about, which is band member Brandon and his personal life which would be a very interesting read to 'killers' fans. This combines well with the main imagery of Brandon because each of the three images represents him in his 'personality crisis' and people will buy the magazine to find out more. Also the center image of Brandon is in direct mode of address and this stimulates interaction between him and the potential buyers enticing them to read it.

people may also be inclined to buy this magazine because of the other cover lines which label other popular bands so there is variety and something for everyone to read about in this magazine even if you aren't a massive 'killers' fan.

 There is also a skyline about the magazines 'preview special' next to a couple of  screamers. These both advertise the magazine's '15-page guide' which could be seen as a pug because its a separate feature to the magazine and appears to be a bonus along with the main feature and the other cover lines which further entices the reader to buy it, especially since its about 'the world's greatest rock festival' which most indie rock fans will be interested in.

Finally the colours used to advertise 'the killers' is basic white and the lighting in the imagery is bright so everything is clear to the readers and this colour connotes innocence, the image Brandon is trying to go for possibly instead of a menacing rebellious image like most other rock bands.



drafting and planning

In one of my media studies lessons we learnt how to analyze magazine covers in detail and these are just some of the notes that I made. I'm going to use what I have learnt when I come to analyze magazines related to my favorite genre of music and also when I need to create a school magazine cover of my own for the preliminary task so I know what to include on the cover and what effect it will have.

drafting and planning, preliminary task

This is a 'medium close up' shot of me in typical college/ school student attire. I will be using this image as part of my preliminary task to create a school magazine cover.

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This is a 'Q' magazine cover featuring 'Coldplay' who are another rock band that I like.

This magazine cover is different to the likes of an 'NME' magazine as the image of the featured band doesn't fill the page but still most of it. Around the main image of 'Coldplay' are other features that can be found within the magazine so buyers automatically see the content that is being offered within the magazine with 'Coldplay' being the main attraction.

The image of the band is very serious as they are all stood upright and are aligned staring at the readers. This is so that the band can comply with typical rock band conventions which involves a serious and almost menacing image which reflects their serious music.

The text is aligned so that 'Coldplay' is in the middle as though they are the center piece and it is bigger and the color yellow to distinguish the difference between the name of the band and the common text which demonstrates the importance and popularity of the band. It also jumps out to the potential buyers as it stands out from the rest of the text and in combination with the large image it immediately demonstrates what band is the main feature in the magazine.

The text above it 'world exclusive' persuades the target audience, which is people who are fans of rock music, that this magazine offers something 'exclusive' and therefore something different and revealing about a major band which immediately gets them interested.

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This is an NME magazine front cover which features 'the arctic monkeys', my favorite band.

The image of the 4 members of the band fills the page and the group 'leader' is partially blocking the 'NME' masthead which demonstrates their importance and power as a famous band which is supported by the sub heading 'are you ready for us then' which shows their power and popularity.

This front cover is also very intimidating as each band member is pulling a serious and almost sinister facial expression which could suggest that they are becoming more serious as a band, more cocky and confident or feel more superior and powerful to everyone else. This is particularly emphasized by 'the leader' of the band Alex Turner who is wearing a black jacket and concealing himself with black sunglasses which communicates a dangerous and intimidating character to the readers.

The idea of an intimidating approach is further supported with the text which is bight red. This catches the eye of potential buyers but also the color red carries connotations of danger and warning as though the arctic monkeys are to be feared therefore conforming with an intimidating approach.

The heading 'Arctic Monkeys' is big and is in a serious professional font which demonstrates the kind of image that they are trying to create which is that they are now a big and professional band just like the font.



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http://www.indierockcafe.com/
This is a link to a website dedicated to indie rock music. it provides information and links to the best new indie rock music and bands.

Its called the indie rock café since café suggests a social and place of togetherness particularly for indie rock music fans and new bands.

Its home page is crammed with links and a list of many different indie rock bands and songs, this gives the website visitors plenty to explore and it feels like a sort of home for them since all these songs and bands are together on one page.

Its layout is basic and colors are plain since its a neutral website for multiple bands and songs.

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http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
This is the link to one of my favorite band's website, the Arctic Monkeys

I think arctic monkeys are my favorite band because they have a personality and have meaningful lyrics with simple yet addictive continuous beats with the use of guitars and drums.

 None of their music is 'artificial' as none of it is computer made so it gives it a realistic down to earth feel with proper instruments and singing.

I like their website because it has a simplistic template and design, it feels easy to navigate and the text is clear and readable.

This is probably because of the use of black and white which are the primary colors for arctic monkeys as an indie rock band and theses colors comply with a serious and down to earth style of most indie rock bands.

target audience, preliminary task

I have now completed and collected in my questionnaires for a school magazine, here is what it looks like :

From the questionnaires I achieved fairly even results for most questions. I can conclude that all but 2 wanted the magazine to be aimed at the students rather than the parents and most would rather see quizzes and competitions in the magazine but not school records and individual achievements.

 

 All agreed on the color scheme being the same as the school colors and the majority would like to see sports events and updates in the magazine more than any other form of information.

 

However I had a mixed response from a couple of questions, one being about the school's history, some said they would like to learn about it but some said they didn't.

 

 Also some said in a question they would prefer to read about staff and students but these were matched by others who said they would prefer to read about just students and not the staff.

 

In conclusion the results created a fair idea about what should be put into a school magazine since most responses were in agreement with each other.

 

 

 

magazine image

As a small preliminary task i used microsoft publisher to crop and create a basic image for a magazine cover, unfortunately i dislike it:

My first post

I am a sixth form student called Stephen, Steve for short, I am looking forward to progressing and developing through my AS Media Studies course. I decided to take up this course because I thoroughly enjoyed GCSE Media and wanted to take the step up to A Level.