AS MEDIA: January 2015

Monday, 26 January 2015

Brandeye's for magazines

In this task I was to fill in the brandeye's for my chosen four magazines, which in this case are MOJO, Q, Mixmag & NME. While looking for the specific criteria, I have performed a research by looking at the magazines online as well as looking at hard copy magazines. In my opinion this has helped me as I have picked out factors which are valuable in the magazines, making them appealing to the customer and persuading the customer to buy them.I intend to put these factors into my own magazine making as I target my magazine to be as professional as possible.

Monday, 19 January 2015

Q Magazine Research

Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were concerned about the music press at the time, therefore they have came up with this magazine. Q was published by EMAP media group in October 1986. At the very start the magazine was standing out against its competition as of its high quality of production and monthly issues. In the early years of the magazine, it was sub-titled "The modern guide to music and more". With world-beating exclusives, definitive album reviews, outstanding production values and an inimitable sense of humor it has shaped the music in UK and beyond. 97% of Q's male, 15-34 years old audience rate it as a quality magazine.

Front Cover:

At the first glance on this magazine we can see the "Q" masthead. In comparison to my previous magazines, this masthead is pretty unique. I consider it to be different than the others as it only consists of a letter and a square background which makes it look like more of a logo. On the other hand is it very classy, eye-catching and simple which presents the brand very clearly to the audience. Due to its short name "Q" is easily remembered in the readers head, which ideally has an effect on the consumption. The masthead is positioned in the top left corner of the magazine which amongst the magazine market is considered as a stereotypical placement of the masthead. Most magazine place their mastheads in this exact position as it causes the brand to be very visible. Again, comparing this exact masthead to other mastheads visible on other magazines we can see that in fact it covers the main image. To us, it shows the vulnerability of the brand itself which reinforces the ideology of promoting the brands name.

On the front cover we can see that a puff piece has been placed flush right, roughly in the middle of the magazine. The puff line has been placed in a circle which makes it look like a sticker. By this it stands out, as the only shapes visible on the page are squares or rectanbles. Additionally the colours used in this puff piece create harmony and work well together in order to present the text. By this the text is easily conveyed to the audience and draws the attention to the 'sticker' presenting exclusive content which is inside the magazine.

In this case the barcode is placed in the top/middle section of the magazine as in comparison to other magazines which I have analysed. The barcode is essential for the magazines as by this they can be legally sold in stores. On this front cover we can see that the barcode has been placed flush left right beneath the masthead. In my opinion it has been placed there by purpose as the masthead drags our attention away from it, therefore we do not notice it.

The main image of the front cover is set that it fills the whole page, bleeding with the margins. In the image we can see Cheryl Cole which later on is even underlined by a main cover line. By the image filling in the whole page it attracts customers as when the magazine is placed on a newstand, it allows to tell the audience the genre of the magazine based on the image. Cheryl Cole is a famous celebrity, which as a result will mean that the circulation of the magazine will be high as the readers know her therefore they will be more persuaded to pick up the magazine. In terms of mise-en-scene on the image, we can see that Cheryl Cole wears a top which presents a large amount of her skin. Additionally her body positioning e.g. ring touching her tounge she is presented in a "sexually appealing way. This may cause this exact issue to have a bigger interest amongst the male audience as they will be attracted by the impression of Cheryl Cole.

The main cover line on this cover states " 3 words... Cheryl Cole ROCKS". The postitioning of the text from "3 words" being the smalles and "ROCKS" being the biggest, has a very positive effect as it gives us a impression of creating tention. Additionally for each part of the main cover line, a different font style has been used. Begging from what looks like a free-hand style font, to a heavy, bold font and finishing in a thin, tall serif font. The part of the cover line which to me was seen as the most important was the text "ROCKS". This is because the font is written in red which continues the style of the masthead, however the kerning used in the word "ROCKS" has made the text spread across the whole width of the page. While reading the cover line we may feel as we are taking steps on to getting into the main points of the story. Furthermore, the colour red could be refering to the main image as we associate red with 'sexual' connotations.

Double Page Spread:

While looking at the double page spread we can see that it has been sorted neatly onto two seperate pages. On the left we can see a image of the subject of the article which takes over the whole page whereas on the right we can see that the page has been dedicated for the article about the subject which in this case is Lady Gaga. This layout is very clear and understandable which presents both graphical and text information in a clean manner. The columns have been separated with a suitable column gutter, allowing for the text to be spread out which increased the clarity of text allowing the reader to flow through the text quicker without any vast problems. The sorting of text into columns have emphasised the amount of written text which makes the article look very detailed at the first glance.

The main image of the double page spread is placed on the left page of the double spread. In my opinion it is one of the CVI's which we can see on the double page spread as of it's size and sexual connotations. In the image we can see a celebrity - Lady Gaga who covers her breasts using her hands. While taking the photograph, Lady Gaga's eyes were pointed straight at the camera which as a result has made it seem as if we as readers, come across a eye contact with the celebrity.

The article on the right page of the double page spread has used a simple serif font throughout all of the columns. To me it suggests that in this case it is not about how attractive the text looks, but who the text is about which again it is about Lady Gaga. By the simple font being used for the article, it can suggest to us that a more mature audience is targeted by the Q magazine as they pay more attention to the quality and amount of text rather than its presentation. Additionally, we can see that a drop cap has been placed in the article. This plays the role of a sign where the article stars as the large font attracts our eye. Lastly, on top of the article we can see a huge letter "L" being overlayed in red. This suggests the name of the celebrity as it is the first letter of her stage name - Lady. In my opinion, this is very effective as it is considered as a CVI on the page, because our eye is attracted by this to the article. The red colour has been specifically used to overlay the letter as it creates a strong cotrast against the negative space behind the article text, however it additionally continues the Q masthead image and the sexual connotations.

A sub-heading has been placed in the top right hand corner of the page which is used as a chapter indicatior. This suggests to the audience what content the page will contain as when they are flicking through the pages the first thing they see is the top right corner of the page. By the wide kerning between the letters the simple phrase "Lady Gaga" has been emphasised to show her value to the magazine. Additionally the phrase has been seperated into two fonts. "Lady" has been written in a font which depicts more female characteristics whereas "GAGA" has been written in a capital, serif font.

Contents Page:

At the very top of the page we can see a header which is a thick line which passes through the width of the page. The line has been filled in with black, for the white "CONTENT" text to stand out. Additionally, on the left of the text we can see a Q masthead being implemented into the line. This has created a contrast against the rest of the black line which shows the importance of the "Q" brand and their content. This heading follows the red/white/black colour scheme of the Q brand. Furthermore, this "line" could count as a leader in terms of presenting the issue number and date of the magazine as by the black background, this specific information is excluded from the rest of the page.

On the left of the magazine page we can see that a column has been created in order to show what content can be found throughout the magazine. We can see that the column has been sorted into two sections which are: Features and Every Month. The features section shows us the content which is specific to this specific issue of the magazine, whereas the Every Month section show the content which is visible in each monthly issue of Q magazine. The "Every month" heading has been underlined by a red background to show that it is a part of the "Q" image. As an addon we can see that there has been a selected section within the Features column, which is called "Women in music". This section has been dedicated for women and its content is emphasised by a different coloured background. The font used for the text in the columns is very straight forward and follows the red and black colour scheme making the text easy to read and find on the page.

The main image which we can see on the page is on the right hand side right beneath the header. In the image we can see Adele, a female singer. By Adele being in the image, it directly links onto the "women in music" section withing the features, which tells us that this issue of magazine has been dedicated to females in the music industry. Her posture and face expression is very mature and she makes eye contact with the camera. As a result of that we as readers gain a positive image in our head about the person. On the other hand, by the image being a close up we are not shown any other content different than her emotion-less face. By this we as readers are intrigued onto finding out what the article says about her as we cannot make out any key areas from the image.

Furthermore, Q has a review section which is positioned at the bottom right hand corner. Other magazines which I have analysed also contained a review section however they were blended in with the rest of the content index. Q has made sure that the reader focuses on the review section, by excluding it from the rest of the features and placing it in a separate section. This is a very effective method to show content as it dominates over other features and we can see that it uses the same header as "CONTENTS" which shows that Q as a magazine pays a lot of attention to this section. By separating the reviews from the rest of the features it makes it easier for readers to find this section and look directly into what it contains.

MOJO Magazine Research

Mojo is a monthly magazine which provides its audience with a dose of world class journalism and iconic photography. The magazine is seen by people as "obsessed with music". The convent visible in the magazine varies from classic and modern rock, folk, soul, country to reggare, electronic and experimental. This means that anyone with a music interest will find something for them in this magazine. This makes the magazine versatile. Mojo provides is a valued and trusted brand by its "hand-made" experience in the mass market environment. As a brand extension Mojo uses social media websites such as Facebook or Twitter. Additionally it has its own website. The target audience for Mojo are males of 45-54 years old.

Front Cover:

The masthead is presented at the top of the page which is placed across the width of the page. By its simple font, the title can be easily seen and read by the audience which improves its clarity. In comparison to other magazines the masthead is brought to the foreground as it is not hidden by the silhouette of the person in the image. This could mean that Mojo is not a famous music magazine brand therefore they have to present their brand in the best way possible, in comparison to other magazines such as Mixmag where the masthead is partly interrupted by the person. A factor which I found similar to other magazines in terms of the masthead is that all of the magazines which I have already looked at, have filled in their masthead with a plain colour. This is beneficial for them as the title creates clear contrast with the background, exploding it to the front which catches our eye. The masthead does not contain a background colour (its transparent), which allows the editor to place the title in a aesthetically pleasing manner. Which in this case is in front of the persons head. As a result of this, the title drags our attention towards the person as well as the name of the brand.

We can see that the page is flooded with features and headlines which to us are presented by sharp, red, retro-looking font. Red is a colour which we associate with warnings and danger, therefore by the use of red we see the cover lines as a valuable information which draw our attention. The captions of the coverlines which are placed underneath the bold red text are written using a white font. This works very well with the red as it creates contrast against text and the background of the persons jacket. Addittionally the white colour of the text works well against other white details visible on the cover such as the masthead or parts of the background.

In this issue of MOJO we are presented a sell line at the very top, left of the page listing "FREE CD!". This can be widely seen on other various music magazines such as NME. By this sell line being placed at the very top of the page our attention is drawn to it by the masthead. Additionally the sell line has been placed as the audience mainly scans the magazines cover from top to bottom therefore it is one of the first things we see. If the audience notices this it would persuade them to purchase the magazine as they will be satisfied because they gain a object back from the magazine in the price they pay. This is the ideology of the audience as they will prefer to purchase a product which will give them back something in return rather than paying just for the hard copy without gaining anything back from it. Further down the magazine, we can see a second example of the sell line convention which in this case is just the word "FREE". This time it is larger and bolder, placed against a red background. This suits the colour scheme of the cover line as well as emphasing the "FREE" as the contrast draws the readers attention.

The main image of the front cover consists of Paul Weller wearing a smart suit and looking straight at the camera. In comparison to other magazines, the compositon within the image is kept very simple however it is very effective. By Paul Weller looking straight into the camera it makes the reader think as if the character is interacting with them,drawing the readers attention. The effect which the image has been treated with has made the skin of Paul Weller look very unhuman, as if he was drawn onto the page. This is very unique, as I have not seen it on other magazines before. By the effect on Paul Weller his skin has gained sharp contrasts epsecially around his eyes, cheeks and forehead. As a result of this his face is brighter attracting our eye sight and making the face stay in our mind as it is very unusual. The mise-en-scene on the image such as Paul Weller's suit or tie reflect his celebrity status as well as his straight-up posture showing his pride. Additionally, as the audience we can reflect that the magazine is of a higher standard as it contains such faces like Weller.

Double Page Spread:

Here we can see the double page spread of the MOJO magazine. The double page spread has been allocated over two pages. It has been allocated that the information has been placed on the left page whereas the image has been spread across the second page. To us the overall theme of the double page spread is very sentimental, emotional and dull because of its brownish tone. The image represents Paul Weller in his earlier years which with the brownish tone could present their memories and feelings about the past. The setting visible in the image presents Paul Weller by himself conveying loneliness. Overall this image presents a dramatic surrounding which to some may be a relfection against the past or to some it could show the process of aging of Paul Weller.

The headline which is presented on the left hand side says "Talking about my generation". With my research I found that this headline is a part of the lyrics which is in the song "My Generation". To a audience which has followed Paul Weller for a number of years they could clearly see the link between the headline and the lyrics of the song. The font which has been used for "Talking about my generation" has been chosen to speak for the emotions which the text is to present. As we can see, the "Talking about my generation" text has been written in a seperate font type to emphasise this quote from the lyrics. The font which has been used is considered as Serif as it contains small lines tailing from the edges of the letters. This gives the text a effect of royalty or class. Additionally we can see that "My" has been written in even a bigger size to refer the quote to Paul Weller himself, as the article is about him. In comparison to the text which has been used for further article, the title stands out as of its size. The font used for the article is very simple which I could count as Sans. Lastly, in the article we can see that a drop cap has been used to introduce us to the article. The font style used for the drop cap is the same as the font used to type the headline quote. As of this we as readers recognise it first, before the rest of the article which allows us to spot where the article starts. This makes the writing on the page clearer.

The object which stands out on this double page spread is the coloured badge. As of it being in colour, it is easily seen on the page as its surrounding is faded using a single tone overlay. A similar badge can be seen on the front cover of the magazine right behind the silhouette of Paul Weller, therefore we can see that MOJO creates a corporate image within its magazine pages by the use of repeating objects. In my opinion, the badge has been placed there by purpose as MOJO has intented to signify to the reader that this is a exclusive and worth reading article. By including the badge on this exact page it is used to draw the audiences attention as the colour stands out againts the one tone background.

Contents page:

When the page is turned onto the contents page the first thing which attracts our eye is the main image which in this case is a full body shot of a Pink Floyd artist. The image has been taken with the camera high above the person which makes it a high angle photograph. The lighting has been focused on the artists face which makes the image very clear and focused. By this position of the artist it makes us feel bigger than him, as we seem as if we are looking down at him which builds up our self esteem. On the other hand, by this high angle shot the person has a strong eye contact with the camera which as a result makes the reader seem as if he is interacting with him.

In comparison to other contents pages which I have looked at, MOJO has not named this page "Contents" however it has used the same masthead as it has used for the front cover. As a result of that we are easily presented what magazine this content page refers to without even seeing the front cover. Same as on the front cover the "MOJO" text on the contents page has been filled with a one tone, solid colour which in this case is black. By the use of this colour it is easily seen on the page giving a overall retro impression as of the colour combination between the text and background. Underneath the "MOJO" overline we can spot a leader. Leader is a piece of information that is seperated from the rest of the magazine by either lines or dots. This allows the audience to easily acknowledge the date and issue number of this exact magazine. This benefits the reader as it informs him/her what period of time the magazine is from. On the other hand, to us it is a significant information as it presents to us how successful the magazine is.

On the contents page we can see that the cover line has been seperated from the rest of the features using two delicate lines which match the gold colour scheme, making it a second example of a leader on this page. By the leader this information is underlined showing to us its importance and again showing to us that it is a vulnerable article. The last thing that we can see on this page is the pull out quote which is allocated on the bottom of the page. The pull out quote is written in a different font. As a result, the quote is emphasised on the page as it looks very "odd" in comparison to other text which could lead to the reader being more interested in the text, encouraging him to read it.

Friday, 16 January 2015

Mixmag Magazine research

Mixmag is a British elecrtonic dance and clubbing magazine, which has its headquarters in London. The magazine which has been launched in 1982 covers the newest dance events, hottest music and club night reviews. When first issued, Mixmag was in a newsletter format however when house music began, the editor and DJ Dave Seaman turned the magazine to a DJ's magazine covering a variety of dance music, introducing the magazine to a club culture. Mixmag was then later sold to EMAP ( mid 1990s), and nextly bought by Development Hell. The magazine's target audience are 12-24 year old males and females with clubbing interests. The ideology of this magazine which makes it rather different than other magazines on the market, is that it focuses on one genre of music making the magazine very specific. Therefore it can be used as a guide by the audience which trusts the magazine.

Front Cover:

The first thing that our eye catches is the bold masthead 'MIXMAG'. The font used for this specific title is very curvy and looks modern, which reflects the genre the magazine is about. In comparison to other magazines as for example New Musical Express, the title of this magazine is spread across the width of the page and presents the full brand name, not an acronym. As a result of this, the title can be easily read from a far distance when the magazine is on a newstand in the shop which catches our attention. Additionally the factor which makes the masthead rather attractive is its simplicity in form and colour. The title does not contain any fancy graphics however it only presents the name in solid white colour. By this the title creates contrasts against the other visible images or text on the front cover. However I have noticed one similarity which is used in a variety of magazines, not only music magazines, which is the masthead being covered up by an image. This is used because the magazine is well known and does not need its full name to be shown in order for the customer to recognize it, so they prefer to make the person or object in the main image stand out by overlaying it.

The main cover line in this instance has been placed in the middle of the canvas in what looks like a rectangular graphic shape. The font used for this has been specifially chosen to be sharp and squared to make the text stand out, however the black fill of the graphic shape has brought the text even further onto the foreground as of the contrast these two objects create. The text 'SUB FOCUS' is the name of a famous electronic music producer which is pretty famous in United Kingdom. The text has been placed underneath the image of Sub Focus himself, which automatically connotates to us that it he is the main focus of this issue. Looking at the rest of cover lines we can see that they are spread around the page whether flush left or flush right. This has been done by purpose not to affect the image by having any text over it, leaving it as clear as possible for the audience to see. We can see that similar to the main cover line, the cover lines at the sides have a similar black background. This makes them look very abstract which reflects the modern audience and music type, but additionally present the text clearer as again the contrast is very strong against the bright text. On the other hand, we can see that towards the bottom right corner of the magazine we have a second type of information which is more interesting/important for the audience. This is easily seen as the information is showed by a thin, lower case letters or by the information having a white background with black text inside it and additionally labelled as 'PLUS'.

Same as on the NME magazine which I have analysed earlier we can see that the barcode has been placed in the exact same place, however in this case it has been positioned horizontally. Barcode is needed on each issue of magazine as by this it can be scanned onto the database of the shop. It is a essential detail that the magazine has to contain, otherwise the sale of this magazine would not function properly. Additionally the barcode contains key information about the magazine such as the date or price.

Apart from the masthead which is very visible, we can see a header right on top of it stating " The Worlds Biggest Dance Music And Clubbing Magazine". By the header being positioned on top of the masthead we as readers automatically spot it when looking at the title of the magazine. The language used in the header is very persuasive, which as a result persuades the audience to buy it as to them the magazine is seen as value for money. Additionally, by the header describing the magazine in such way we as an audience view the magazine as prestigious which again could lead to a higher consumption.

The centre of visual interest on the front cover of this magazine is definitely the main image. It is set to bleed with the margins, filling up the whole page. As a result of that we are not presented any negative space, which makes the magazine look more attractive and professional. The effect which has been applied to the image makes it look like as if it has been lit up by multiple-colour lights which reflects the image of clubbing which the magazine is based on. Additionally, the image is very bright which can be linked to the lights dance clubs use which reminds us about the dance setting. On the other hand, the person in the image which is Sub Focus himself, has his head positioned in a way that makes him look as if he is looking down at the main cover line saying his name. This shows us that he is aware of his stage name being know worldwide.

Double Page Spread:

The first thing which catches our attention on this double page spread are the 5 images. Each image represents a party setting. On three of the images we can see people smiling, dancing or even making peace hand gestures which symbolizes to us that they are having fun and ejoying themselves. As a result, we as a audience think positively about clubbing and think that it is a good option to choose. The image on the far bottom right presents a POV image which shows a closeup of a young adult dancing. By the image being taken form a point of view perspective, it makes us seem as if we are there on the dancefloor when looking at the image which makes us more interacted with the magazine. Furthermore, this image is slightly blurry which signifies to us that the person is still in motion when the image was taken. Concluding, I think that the biggest picture on the left is the CVI on the double page spread as of its size. As an addon we can see that all of the images have a callout written on each of them, presenting the quote of one of the people who were present in that exact party.

The overall layout of the double page spread is very well thought out. The level of text and images is balanced making the double page spread more interesting for the audience. The colum gutter between the columns gives them a suitable level of space which allows the reader for easy reading. Additionally the sans serif text is very simple allow the reader for fluent and error-less reading. By the text being black against a white background it creates a very high contrast which again allows for easy reading as the colours work well together.

The header "The Big 3" which introduces us to the page is written in a fancy font style which follows the style of the font used for the masthead of the magazine. The header is additionally placed against a black background and is surrounded by a thick white outline. By this, the header stands out on the page in front of the images and text making us spot it and acknowledge what it is about. Other than the "The Big 3" text we have additional text underneath stating "The best parties of the last month". This is considered as the caption as it explains to us what the title means. Bringing out the "The Big 3" text we can see that it can be backed up by the three big images which appear on the double page spread showing the best three parties of the last month.

Subheadings visible on this page such as "Party Maison" or "Scouse house" have been written in a bold font which is easily seen against the simple background. By this the titles are emphasised and therefore brought to the front against the other text on the page. Additionally by their side we can see retro-looking numbers which number the nightclubs from 1 to 3 in terms of their rating. By this retro font Mixmag adds onto the party theme the magazine is about and additionally refer to the time when this music genre was started. Right above the subheading we have the address of the clubs written in small text however it has been highlighted using a yellow colour. Yellow has not been used anywhere else on the page, therefore it makes the small text very easily seen. As a result the reader can acknowledge where this club is placed and might record it for his own personal use.

A exclusive feature which I have not seen in any other magazine other than this is the "Need to know" column. This column presents to us the key information about the club or about a tour. This benefits the reader as he/she is told the latest facts around the specific genre or is told beneficial information about the venue he/she is reading about. Pink colour has been used to make this column stand out on the page, to be exact its heading has been filled in with pink. Pink represents energy therefore it relates to the energetic dance music, however by pink being used it attracts the target audience as the information is bright and eye-catching.

Contents Page:

When we as a reader skip to the content page, the first thing that catches his sight is the main image on the page. The image represents a woman dancing in a nightclub, wearing a bikini top which represents her in a flirtatious way. By this, the magazine can gain a higher consumption from the male audience as they will be automatically attracted to the content presented by her. The woman is very clear in the image however we can see that the background is rather blurred which combined with her dancing body language tells us that she is having fun, reinforcing the idea of enjoying the time spent in a night club. At the bottom of the image, we can see a rather large page number being placed in solid white colour. The page number tells us that the content which is presented by the image can be found on page 109. Furthermore, if we have a closer look we can see a callout being placed under the page number. This explains to us what type of content can be found on the page. This benefits the reader as by this they are easily presented what the magazine consists of and skip to the page which interests them.

On the top right hand side of the main image we can spot the title of the page. It has been placed there by purpose as by it being at the top it creates a introduction to the page. When turning the page the first thing we see is the top right corner of the page underneath, therefore this information is presented to us in the first place telling us that this is the contents page that we are looking at. The text "Contents" has been surrounded by a black box. A similar use of a black box can be seen on the double page spread of the magazine, meaning that the magazine carries a consistent corporate image throughout its pages for the audience to remember their style. Also "Content" has been written in yellow filled text which coming back to the double page spread was only used for marking out valuable content. This means that by the use of the yellow, Mixmag has told the readers that the content their magazine consists of is very valuable and they want to show it by emphasising it.

On the bottom of the content page we have a section dedicated to "Your Free CD". It can be clearly seen that it has been selected out of the canvas as it has been divided from the rest using a thick black line. The text "Your Free CD" has been placed in the yellow section of the line which again reflects its importance to the magazine same as the content. The columns below the line talk about the CD you gain with the magazine as well as presenting the track listed one by one. A free sample has been a favourite amongst various music magazines. By this the audience is more likely to purchase the magazine as they feel that they not only pay for the magazine but they gain back something from it, which improves their self esteem.

The overall layout is pretty simple however it is very effective. The magazine is sorted into sections which makes it very easily understandable not only by its target audience, but by anyone who picks up the magazine. The large amount of negative space makes the content page very simple and plain which allows the text to be easily seen, improving its clarity. In my opinion the editors of the magazine have done this by purpose, making the magazine look very professional and well thought out.

Lastly, we can see the index of the features which can be found on the page which is positioned flush right on the page. The subheadings of each topic are written in a bigger, bold font whereas their description is written beneath them in a thin, slightly smaller font. By this we are attracted by the subheading and then the topic is explained to us via the caption. The page numbers are written in the same font that has been used for "Contents" title. Its style is pretty curvy giving them a slight retro look which as well represent the funky mood which can be found in the night clubs. However, the main purpose of this font being used is to achieve a clear understanding from the audience as to where the content is placed.

Thursday, 15 January 2015

NME Magazine Research

NME is a weekly magazine which is published since March 1952. New Musical Express started as a newspaper and gradually moved towards a magazine format during the 80's. Its largely associated with rock, alternative and indie music. Inside the magazine we can find reviews, guides, discussions and recent news based around the magazines music interests.

Front Cover:

The short masthead which in this case is 'NME' is the largest text which is visible on the page. By the masthead being a short, three lettered acronym instead of its full name 'New Musical Express' it causes the name to be remembered in the audiences head, as well as not covering a lot of the magazines canvas allowing for other content to be spread out. By its heavy looking font in a bright colour which stands out against a simple background, the masthead draws the audiences attention. Additionally the positioning of the masthead in this example is very common in other music magazines which are available on the market. By the masthead being located in the top left corner of the magazine, it makes us as readers see it first as we initially look at the top of magazines at the first glance. Therefore when we see this, we automatically can determine what content the magazine will contain by only looking at the masthead. On the other hand we can see that a small part of the 'NME' acronym is covered by Mark Ronson's head. This has been done by purpose as now that the magazine is popular they don't need to present their name in order for their audience to recognise them, however they present the person in its full view as he is the main image of the issue.

The barcode can be seen on the bottom right corner of the magazine. This is because the barcode is not essential to us as the readers, however it is needed to be there for sale purposes. The barcode includes key information about the magazines such as its price or the date. The text around the barcode explaining these information is written in a small font, not to take away the attention from the overall front cover.

The centre of visual interest in this magazine is definately the image of Mark Ronson. The image has been set up to bleed with one side of the page. By it being relatively large, taking up a significant amount of the page it causes the image to speak for the magazine. Mark Ronson is well known in the music industry therefore in this case he is used to represent the 'music market'. Additionally by him holding a prop which is a musical instrument, it reinforces the idea of the 'music market'. On the other hand by the simple, fading background behind Ronson's silhouette, the person is brought forward as no details catch our attention making the magazine relatively clear to understand.

At the top of the page we can see a banner has been placed. From the first glance at the magazine the banner is very odd-looking, as it has a solid black background. This has been deliberately used to create contrast with the magazines background and draw our attention. In the banner we can see that from left to right, there is a variety of fonts used. Bold, fuzzy or thin. This wide variety appeals to different people therefore if it suits the persons liking it will automatically drag their attention and cause them to be interested in what the banner contains. In my opinion the main purpose of the banner at the top is to play a role of the magazines advert. This is because when the magazine is placed on a news stand in a shop we can only see the top part of the magazine therefore when the reader spots that the 'advert' contains interesting content he will go for it and purchase it.

Throughout the magazine we come across two types of cover lines. We can easily differentiate between them and their purposes, and why they have been constructed in such a way. There are cover lines which have a bold black text which is followed by a comment in a thinner black text, whereas the second types of cover lines have a similar bold font to the masthead and the main cover line of the magazine and use the same colour which links them to the masthead and the main cover line. The cover lines which use a similar image to the masthead etc. talk about the content which Mark Ronson is included in as. however the cover lines which use all black text talk about secondary information which can be found in the magazine. Additionally, at the very bottom of the magazines canvas we come across a cover line. This cover line contains text which presents the artists which are featured in this specific issue of the magazine. By its simplistic look, with a white bold font the cover line creates a contrast as it is easily seen against Ronson's clothing.

Double page spread:

The first thing we see while looking at the double page spread of the NME magazine is the image of the female sitting down on what looks like a object covered in a flag of United States. The image is relatively large, covering a single page of the double page spread which introduces us to the article. By its size we as readers are presented how important that person is, in comparison to the article which is very small. Second of all, by the image being so big it shows to us that the person is famous and recognisable. This reflects how prestigious the magazine is as they feature people who are on a 'celebrity' level. Although the image continues over both pages, we pay more attention to the left page as it contains the silhouette of the person. This creates a suitable background for the article on the second page. I consider this image to be a picture boost as it promotes to us the feature which in this case is the article.

On both pages of the double page spread we can find a variety of fonts used to present different purposes. The text which mainly grabs our attention is the text which is presented behind the females silhouette which says "USA got the love". The word "USA" has been written in a tough, heavy looking font which presents the power of the country and the influence it has. On the other the phrase "got the love" has been written in a more freehand-looking, delicate font as this is what we associate love with. By this clever use of fonts the feelings we gain from looking at them are associated with the female. She as a celebrity is big and has a large influence same as United States, however she shows love and passion same as the delicate font used to write "got the love". Moving onto the article on the second page we can see two types of fonts used. The first being the same as in the phrase "got the love" which is used to create a drop cap. This is very effective as continues the image of the phrase above additionally introducing the article in a calm manner. Above the article we can find a puff piece which depicts secondary information about the female in the image, making the information stand out of the context. This puff piece has been written in the same font style as the article is, to continue the corporate image. Overall the article is sorted into three columns with suitable column gutters to match the shape of the puff piece.By the use of column gutter the text in the columns is more spread out making it easier to read as the columns do not merge with each other.

Additionally, on the double page spread we can find what looks like a sub-heading. This sub-heading presents the name of the person the article is about. The purpose of the sub-heading is to act like a strap boost, telling us what the article is about, without even glancing at it. On the other hand, by its simple format, "Florence" the strap boost is very delicate which matches the font used on the image covering the double page spread, portraying information to us in a very prestigious manner. The positioning of the strap-boost is very precise, as when the reader is going through the pages one by one or even flicking, he/she can spot the text in the top right corner, which as a result draws their attention to the article.

Contents page:

First of all we can see that the content page has used the same font and colour for the 'NME' acronym in the title as it has been used on the front cover. By this the corporate image is followed through the magazine, additionally making sure the reader acknowledges what magazine he is reading. By using red as the colour of the font on the contents page, it makes these simple three letters stand out against other content visible on the page. On the other hand we can see a link between the front cover of the magazine and the content page as on both pages we can see a a black strip going across the top of the page. In my opinion the idea of the 'banner' was continued to the contents page to create the same effect which in this case is to emphasise the 'NME CONTENTS' and by having the black background it draws our attention to the text.

The small article which is positioned below the main image explains to us what is happening in the above. This is rarely seen on magazines however it is a useful technique to introduce the reader to the topic and get him into reading. I can consider this article to be a buried lede and a kicker, as even by its explanation we as an audience do not fully understand what happened, therefore we are even more interested and want to know the details. This means that by the main point of the story being covered up we are keen to read on. Additionally, the article uses a drop cap which starts of the article. By this our attention is carried all the way from the start of the "Kasabian got romantic in a church" to the beggining the article allowing us to easily flow through the page and read on.

Right beneath the image and the article, we are shown a internal advert of the magazine. This advertisment presents to us the subscription rate and the method to subscribe to the magazine. In this advert NME has used a black background which creates contrast in the same way as the banner does, however they have additionally used yellow text which is not used throughout the front cover or the double page spread making the information stand out. For example if a white background was used for the advert it would not be as effective as it is with the black background. They have included a special offer for the readers as we can see that the advert says "SAVE OVER £45", this is seen by the audience as a 'bargain' therefore they are more likely to subscribe. Even though NME are loosing money as they do not advertise a secondary product , they can benefit from it as more people will subscribe which will gain them profit.

On the right hand side of the content page we can see that the overall information in the magazine has been sorted into various sections beginning from 'NEWS' to 'FEATURES'. This benefits the readers as they can easily spot the section which interests them and look for the content which suits their liking. It is a simple yet effective way of presenting information. To even make the information clearer for the audience, NME has placed special arrows to point out the content which was mentioned on the front cover. As a result, when the reader spots the cover line on the front cover, skips onto the content page and looks for what he is interested in, he/she can easily find the information on what page number the exact content is mentioned on.

Located in the very bottom right corner we have what looks like a subheading which says 'THE UK'S No. 1 GIG GUIDE STARTS p58'. This text can be visible on a arrow which is a bigger version of the arrows which have been used to point out the content which has been mentioned on the front cover. The arrow is in red whereas the text is in white. This makes the arrow stand out on the page as the red has been mainly used on the 'NME' acronym. Additionally by the arrow pointing to the right it signifies to the reader that the content which the arrow mentions can be visible on a page further on in the magazine. By this information is easily transferred to the reader instead of using long sentences of text which are not as attractive, meaning that the reader wont even spot them on the page. This arrow is represented as a strapline as it is similar to a subheading however it is used for marketing purposes.

The main image which is visible on the page represents what looks like a rock band performing on the stage. The image seems as if it has been cropped as we can only see the main singer and the main guitarist. I can tell this as from my research I have found that the band "Kasabian" has 4 members. This cropping has been done by purpose as the magazine editor wanted to make it fit the page. On the other hand. by only showing the two main members of the band the people who know them will recognise them immediately as we consider these people as the pin-up members of the band, which in other words can be the 'faces' of the band. Furthermore, the image has been taken or even cropped to make it seem as it has been taken from a POV of one of the members in the audience. By this when the reader looks at the image he feels as if he is at the concert, making the reader being dragged in and more involved with the magazine.

Saturday, 10 January 2015

Researching media institutions

Kerrang!

Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine which has been first published on 6th of june 1981 as a one-off suplement in the Sounds newspaper. It's unique content about rock music has eventually caused it to become a best-selling British music newspaper in the early 2000s. The target audience of this magazines are mainly 15-24 years old males who have a interest in rock music. Inside the magazine we can find reviews, galleries, interviews and current feeds about rock music. Apart from a magazine and a radio station, Kerrang! additionally owns "Kerrang TV". By this they allow their fans to access their content through a wide variety of platforms.

Mojo

Q

Classic Fm

Classic Fm was a monthly magazine published in United Kingdom . It was a media extension of a British classical commercial radio station. The magazine launched in 1995, under the contract by John Brown Publishing. In 2000 the radio station has cancelled the contract and moved onto Global Limited. Its reviews of classical recordings, information about upcoming festivals, events and information about famous composers made the magazine very successful across its 35 to 50 years old target audience. It was notified that the magazine would cease to publish. Which resulted in the last issue to be released in march 2012.On the other hand the radio still functions which has has a "enthusiasts" audience which are aged 50+.

BBC Music

While going through the magazine we can find articles about new releases, guides of components and reviews. The magazine is dedicated to classical music however sections of jazz and world music can be found across the magazine. BBC Worldwide has first published the magazine in June 1992 however under the licence from BBC Worldwide, Immediate Media Company Limited has been the publisher since 2012. This benefits the BBC as by this they gain profit which can help them fund other platforms which they operate. One detail which made the magazine stand out against other similar, competing magazines is the free CD which is given with each issue.

Mixmag

Friday, 9 January 2015

Researching already existing music magazines

In this section of my research I have looked at already existing music magazines to gain ideas of what I may put forward to use or include in my own music magazine. I have particularly looked at magazines which are successful on today's market. By this I acknowledge what content the magazine should contain to make it up to a high standard. To broaden my knowledge I have looked at magazines which convey different type of music magazines. I benefit from this research as I am inspired from these current magazines which will have a significant effect on my magazine plan.

BBC Music

BBC Music is a monthly magazine, which has been first issued in June 1992. The "world's best-selling classical music magazine" which has been at first published by BBC Worldwide has been taken over Immediate Media Company since 2012. The magazine mainly focuses on classical music however sections about jazz and world music can also be found.

XXL Magazine

XXL Magazine is classified as the new voice of hip-hop generation. The magazine which is published by Townsquare Media which was founded in 1997. XXL focuses on music, style, sports, and politics. All of this content is presented in a sophisticated and respectful way.

Rolling Stone

A magazine which releases 26 issues per year, has been labeled as the best music magazine out on the market. The magazine has been founded by Jann Wenner, its publisher in 1967. The content which is visible in the magazine is music and pop trend based, however contents such as social commentary on recent news, reviews and politics can be seen.

New Musical Express

NME is a weekly magazine which is published since March 1952. New Musical Express started as a newspaper and gradually moved towards a magazine format during the 80's. Its largely associated with rock, alternative and indie music. Inside the magazine we can find reviews, guides, discussions and recent news based around the magazines music interests.

Vibe

Vibe has been founded by producer Quincy Jones. The publications provides us with latest news, music reviews and new music reports. After shutting down the production in 2009 it has been bought by InterMedia Partners. The magazine is mainly targeted at young,urban followers of hip-hop culture.

Complex

Complex is a New York based media network which runs since 2002. It is founded by Marc Ecko and is published monthly by Rich Antoniello the CEO. The magazine consists of two main topics, product guide and lifestyle magazine and is based on pop culture and hip-hop. Additionally in the magazine we can find niche cultures such as street wear, sneaker culture and graphic art .

Billboard

Being the world's premier music publication, Billbard provides us with the latest news, music reviews, new artists and their newest tracks as well as current trends in the music industry. The magazine is owned by Prometheus Global Media and is on the market since 1894. It is distinguished as being among the oldest trade magazines in the world. Billboards Top Charts are the music industrys primary source for weekly album sales and top artists.

Guitar Player

This magazine is very specific in its target audience as it is mainly created for serious guitarists who want to become better at playing and more informed about current guitar music news and trends, especially in terms of artists or guitar gear. The magazine is owned by a company called New Bay Media and has been founded in 1967.