Contents Page Analysis 5

Contents Page from NME Magazine

This contents page to me looks more like something you would find in a newspaper. Yes it has subheading and has 2 images in (even though one is a subscription to the magazine) but its not appealing to me at all. I don't like how bold everything is but maybe its just my personal opinion as NME isn't the music magazine I would choose to buy. Also if I though of the Arctic monkeys I wouldn't picture that image in my head I would think of them being more lively so I don't think the image represents them very well. Its probable that many people love this magazine for the reasons I'm not a fan of it. However for my magazine for it to fit the right genre and target audience I will not be taking anything and putting it into my magazine. However I have found out what I don't really like as much and what I don't find appealing.

Contents Page- Billboard

I only like that it has a pop of colour(which most magazines do) also it is set out in a particular way but I will not be using it in my magazine. 

Kate.

Contents Page Analysis 4

Contents Page From Billboard Magazine

I really like this contents page as you can tell its a contents page at a glance. It is really clear to follow and is really neat and tidy. This is because it has subheadings and is split into 3 sections. One section has what's going on on line, one is the contents of the magazine(this is the biggest section) and then as this is a  music magazine it has a No.1 hits list (what music is popular in the charts). I really like this as its relevant to what music is about and it keeps things up to date. Even if the music isn't in the genre of the magazine it is still in as they just want to inform the reader about what is the most popular. Also this page has 3 smaller images as well as the main image. These help show more of what's in the magazine and will make the reader want to read more. I think this contents page looks professional and mature but with the bring splash of colour it really catches your eye.

Contents Page- Billboard

I really like the layout of this magazine and I think as a whole this works extremely well and I would like my contents page to be as well put together as this one is.

Kate

Contents Page Analysis 3

Contents Page from Top Of The Pops Magazine

The thing that interests me a lot about this contents page is the image of the front cover on it. This shows how many stories they put on the front cover to draw the audience in. Also this shows that it doesn't say on the front which page the stories are on which I think is very strange as its taking up more space by having to  put it on the inside. I think this layout makes it look less like a contents page and I don't like it that much. However again this magazine has put its contents page into different sections so it's easier to find thing. So if they wanted to find something about celebrities they would look under celebs and gossip. This is much easier that having a long list. Also this shows off all the different things that are in the magazine. The headings are Posters, We <3 boys, Celebs and Gossip, We <3 shopping, All about you and Wins & offers. These heading show me that there isn't actually a lot of facts in this magazine and it is aimed at a young audience as there will be a lot of quizzes and freebies included.

Contents Page- Top of the Pops

I do like how neat this magazine is despite the image of the front cover with the arrows coming off it. I like how they have put the headings. Also there is more that one image used which I will be trying to do in my magazine, However I will  make sure it is suitable for my audience. I will not be putting freebies in my magazine as it is childish and not suitable.

Kate

Contents Page Analysis 2

Contents Page from MOJO Magazine

I think this contents is a little unconventional as you can see the whole of the artist and that's the only image on the page. Usually there is more that one image to show what else is inside the magazine. If it wasn't for the writing taking up nearly half of the page it may look a little like a front cover. This high angle image makes it seem as if he is leaning out of the page and he is becoming closer to us. 

Contents Page- MOJO

I think this is unusual for a contents to have a quote from a article, but it's a very good way of making people want to read more. I also really like how organised this is even if its not even as the text seems to fit around the image it looks very good. 

Kate

Contents Page Analysis 1

Contents Page from Q Magazine

This contents page has a couple images on which are conventional for contents pages, usually they have a couple images on. Also the left hand third is being used for text to show what page has what information on it(features). It also has sections for every month and a section for reviews. I like how the main image is the artists which were on the front cover and at the bottom of both images it shows you what pages they are on. This is so you don't have to look down the contents list it is with the image as it is easier to see and more convenient for the reader. 

Contents Page- Q

I love how neat and easy to read this contents is and I will try and translate this to my contents page if I can. I will defiantly use more than one image in my contents like this one as I think it makes it more interesting and more like a contents page rather than a cover.

Kate

Double Page Spread Overview

NME and Billboard

These two are my favourite spreads out of the ones I analysed. Although both of these are from NME I still think they match the pop/chart music theme I will be creating. They are very good at sticking with conventions and they make it clear they know what they are doing, the spreads look professional and its always eye catching. 

Nicki Minaj- Double Page spread, NME

Florence- Double Page Spread, NME

Beyonce- Double Page Spread, Billboard

Although I love Billboards covers I'm not a massive fan of the spread I looked at compared to NME so I will be using both for inspiration. I will make sure they match the theme I want to create in my magazine though as I don't want to use an idea that I liked if it doesn't match as it will make it look terrible. 

Kate.

Double Page spread Analysis 5

Selena Gomez- Top Of The Pops, Double Page Spread

This spread is from a Young targeted magazine. Selena is covering most of the spread and the heading is "How To Get My Life". This shows that it is for a young audience as to them all famous people are perfect and there life is what they want. They don't see the truth, that its difficult and not at all what they expect. This is because they are told that it is all perfect and not what the reality is. That's why young magazines are always showing how to look/be like celebrities. "Selena says... Style Secrets, She's bursting with confidence, Sel's Secret".  Compared to older magazine audiences which are interested in what hard hitting stories there are about celebs. The big pink shapes attracts a female audience which is what it is aimed for. There is still three columns however they are split into different sections. This spread looks very busy as there are a lot of different shapes in the spaces to fill the page to attract younger readers. 

Selena Gomez- Double Page Spread, Top Of The Pops

For my spread the only thing I'm going to take from this is the black and white theme with bright colour however other magazines have also done this. 

Kate

Double Page spread Analysis 4

Nicki Minaj- Double Page Spread, NME

I really love this double page spread and I'm not entirely sure why.  It uses 5 columns not 3 and Nicki Minaj is partly covering the centre line and it has a pink background. Although it does have a heading, subheading , a quote and a drop capital which are conventions usually used. Minaj is framed by the text and is nearly central which shows her importance. The fact her lipstick matches her name shows that there is a link (It is the same person) in case someone didn't know who she was. Also she stands out because she is dressed in very interesting pattern which stand out from the one tone background. Also the background is pink which shows that she is a "girly" artist which would attract females to want to read this article.

As this article is from NME it isn't used to using such pop artists. I think that is why they have made it obvious its a different genre by making it so bold. I really love how bright this spread is however sometimes bright colours can cause the audience to decrease in age as adults aren't as attracted to that sort of spread. I would like to try and incorporate the bright aspect but just maybe not to this scale.

Nicki Minaj- Double Page spread, NME

Double Page spread Analysis 3

Beyonce - Double page Spread, Billboard

This cover has an image that slightly overlaps the centre line which is very conventional. The rest of the spread has a purple/pink background which means there is a white font which makes the text stand out more. Also the heading is entirely in the top third and the text is in the bottom 2 thirds and to the left hand side. This would suggest that there is a lot of text, however  there is only 2 columns used which is unconventional.

The image is a close up where they would usually do more of a mid to long shot so you see more of the artist and feel like you are learning more about them whereas this article looks more intense and that bright colour put you off a bit. This close up also allows us to see the make-up very close up which shows that she cares about her appearance and it is professionally done. The word "Fierce" is shown through the make up and her facial expression which links to Beyonces alter ego "Sasha Fierce" This isn't my favourite spread as I don't like the colour difference between the pink/purple and the grey rectangle the image is on. I find it looks a bit amateurish and I personally prefer one solid colour. Not a lot of conventions have been used in this cover and I personally don't like it as much as some other ones I am analysing.

Beyonce- Double page Spread, Billboard

Kate

Double Page spread Analysis 2

Florence - Double page spread, NME

This double page spread follows a lot of conventions. It also uses the rule of thirds excellently. The top line is in line with her chest and she is entirely on the left hand third. The middle third is empty except the start of the heading . The final third is full of text. Also the 4 centre points are placed well, 2 are on her, 1 is at the start of the heading and 1 is on the drop capital. This is very clever as these are the points where people subconsciously look, having the text starts there will make people read the article more as you are drawn to read it. Especially with a drop capital as it is very eye catching. The image goes over the middle line however it doesn't take up the full page. It is written in 3 columns , has a heading a sub heading and a drop capital. I really like this cover as the image is bold and it looks neat as the background it white. I personally prefer covers like this one where the image has been taken on a plain background rather than having a bright background. I find it looks more professional and appealing, However there are some exceptions which will be revealed in later posts. 

Florence- Double Page Spread, NME

i think for my double page spread I will look closely at the rule of thirds and make sure the centre 4 points are benefiting my double page spread.

Kate

Double Page spread Analysis 1

Lady Gaga - Q Double Page Spread

Normally double page spreads have an image that covers more than one page. It can go over the middle line but it shouldn't take up both pages. This magazine has decided just to use one side for the image which is unconventional. However it could simply be because there is a lot of text. This ext has been put into three columns and is in a serif font which seems more sophisticated.   Also the drop capital "L" is filling the whole page and is red to match the magazines theme(Q). Also as it is a L it draws attention to Lady Gaga. There are also two other drop capitals which are being used to start paragraphs throughout the article. The image of her is quite typical. She isn't wearing anything except a necklace of chains which is unusual for anyone except her as she is known for her outrages fashion sense. The image has been put into a grey scale which makes the image look a bit older that it actually is. Also I think this image is being used to attract males to read the article as she appears to have a slight seductive look on her face, this would get the males attention and maybe they would read the article. Also females would want to read it as they may like her music and they may not think anything of the image as it is usual .

Q- Lady Gaga

I like this double page spread however I think it is not grabbing the attention of the older teenagers as it is quite text heavy.

Kate

Front Cover Over View

Overall Analysis

The covers I am inspired my the most are these 2. I think they fit the target audience and genre I am aiming for very well. I love how elegant Perry looks and how bold and eye catching Gaga's looks. I don't know how these will link together as they are very different, but I want to see if I cant link them some how even if its a small element from one. 

Kate

Front Cover Analysis 5

Billboard -Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith

These two covers are definitely targeting a 20+ age range as they are more sophisticated.

The title Billboard is vertical which gives a biggest focus on the artist. However does this give the covers more of a poster look?

Billboard- Ed Sheeran

For Ed Sheerans cover they have done something so people will know its him. Besides his music Sheeran is known for is Ginger hair and blue eyes. So for this cover they have put a shadow on his face but they have left it so you can still see his blue eyes. Also the blue background helps make them stand out more. Also they have put a red light behind him so he is outlined with red. This really emphasises his hair. There are a couple side stories mentioned along the bottom of the cover which does keep the cover looking very neat. However as they are quite small would people be drawn to read them?  I like this cover but I think it is a bit dark and it wouldn't catch my eye so I wont be taking anything from it.

Billboard- Sam Smith

Sam Smith hasn't been around as long as Ed Sheeran but has taken everyone by surprise. I would say these artists are equally as known and as talented as they have different styles. This front cover is showing how Smith has a very serious side to him but with the splash of colour he's still got that fun less serious side to him as well. However this cover also shows that they don't need to try and convince people to buy the magazine with other stories, they will buy the magazine based on that one artist. This is shown as there is only one article mentioned on the front cover. There isn't any little side pictures or stories it is entirely based upon the artist. Indeed some people may love that concept however I think that it makes it look more like a poster than a cover as you don't get to find out anything else that inside the magazine.


Kate

Front Cover Analysis 4

Q front cover analysis 

The way in which the magazine has done this front cover is very clever. They would usually have all of the text horizontal. However they are linking it to the main story "Witchcraft, Heroin, Bullying and Me" by putting the text on an angle. This makes it seem like witch craft and it draws your eye to the cover. If this was on a shelf it would catch our eye because it is unusual for Q magazine. Also the way in which the text is tilted towards his face makes you look at him as he is the most important thing on the cover. The diagonal lines (travel lines) make you look at certain parts of the cover. It is also interesting how they haven't changed the logo Q. They have kept it the same as usual. I think this makes the cover look more traditional to Q as it makes it stand out more. Since everything else is slightly off now(on an angle) it makes the other things stand out more. I like how it is something different and it shows that Q are willing to switch things up a bit.

Again this cover sticks with a grey black and white colour theme however there is a use of yellow and pink. This is done to make it more eye catching and makes it stand out more.

Q Magazine

Kate

Front cover Analysis 3

Billboard

Along with analysis 2 I really like this cover. Lady Gaga is the artist on this cover and as she has purple hair they have used that through out the rest of the cover. The image has a plain grey background which makes your focus go to the artist.They have also gone for a grey black and white theme, which is very mature and gives the impression it has an older audience. Also lady gaga is known for having some very wild outfits however she is wearing a more mature jacket to seem like she has become more grown up for this magazine and perhaps this is a sign for the audience that is a more grown up one. However as this is still aimed at older teen plus Lady Gaga is still appropriate for the cover. Also as she is a bold artist they have used a Sans-serif font as it makes everything bolder.

Although there is a lot more text on this cover compared to the Katy Perry one, it still looks very neat and organised which I like a lot. It makes the cover look finished where as if the text is all over the place it looks unfinished and messy and I wouldn't want to read it. 

Billboard- Lady Gaga

Kate

Front Cover Analysis 2

Katy Perry

This cover is very similar to what I am wanting to aim to create. It targets a mainly female audience however some males would also be attracted to this cover. This is because Katy Perry is very well known and a lot of woman and younger girls look up to her and see her as a role model. Also she is very attractive woman so males would also like the cover. This front cover is very pretty and any female would aspire to be as delicate as she is being in the featured photo. It is a more sophisticated cover as it looks very neat and tidy. This is because the image is the main feature. Then it is the text saying Katy and then Billboard. The rest of the writing is quite small in comparison and is in the top right hand corner and its not all over the place. The image takes up the whole page and the colours blue and green are more masculine however the soft tone to them and the pinks and oranges bring the attention back to a females attention.

Billboard- Katy Perry

Kate

Front Cover Analysis 1

Top Of The Pops

Even though I want my magazine to have a pop theme to it, I don't want it to have a younger audience like Top of the Pops do. There magazine covers are aimed to attract a young female audience. This is because they have bright colourful covers filled with lots of information and sometimes a free gift inside. 

Top of the Pops - Little Mix

Front covers with female artists or "stars" as it would be put are used for young girls to look up to. They want to know everything about little mix (on this magazine cover) so they will buy the magazine to find out what big secret they don't know about. The word secret is the piece of text that stands out the most on this cover and it is because children will assume they don't know what it is.
The main image on the cover is of Little Mix as they are a popular girl band and a lot of young girls would buy this magazine based on that. However they have also put on smaller images around the sides of page of young boy bands as they know young girls love them sorts of acts. 

There is a lot of stories that link to what's inside the magazine on the front cover to make the target audience more interested in what's inside.

Top of the Pops - One Direction

For male artists they are portrayed as heart throbs. There will be lots of pictures of them as they are popular for their music and for their looks. However it is the same as above. There is a large use of smaller pictures to entice the audience into wanting to know more about what is inside the magazine.

Kate

Rita Ora Magazine

Rita Ora Double Page Spread

We created a mock magazine with text from Wikipedia and an on line image and we were creating what we though looked good as a double page spread. As this was before we learnt about codes and conventions it was all guess work I decided to use Rita Ora as the artist for this article.

My magazine double spread

I put the image to the left hand side as I wanted her to be facing the text. This is so it would subconsciously make the reader want to read the text. I tried to make the colour scheme of the spread pink as it would match her dress. This in turn makes the page look more professional as it links together and it is more appealing to look at. As Rita Ora has a two different personalities/dress sense (girly and a more bold side), I decided to add both of these to this article by making her name have a black border and Sans-serif font. This makes it stand out as it is the biggest part of the spread and it is the boldest. Then I added the girly side by using a pink dress and theme. It is important to make sure there is a theme as if it was a bright green font it wouldn't look as appealing to read as it doesn't match anything and is irrelevant to the artist. I added a Quote as well as it is a convention that is nearly always used. I found this quite difficult however I wanted to do it as it makes it look professional.

Kate

My Magazine Theme

Q and Billboard

The magazines that I am getting inspiration from are Q and Billboard. These magazines have a different range of artists however they tend to be music/artists that are in the charts. A lot of the artists included are pop artists but it has a older audience, these magazines have the audience of late teenagers and young adults. This is because Q and Billboard's products are very informative and they have real information in them and interviews with the artists unlike some other pop magazines.

Billboard examples-

Billboard - Miley Cyrus

Billboard -Taylor Swift

Q examples-

Q - Florence

Q - Jessie J

I really like these covers as they catch your eye and have one main image that is of the artist. I will use this when I create my magazine. I will also stick with a colour theme of black and white with maybe one other colour (for the text).

Kate

School Magazine

Preliminary task- School Magazine

Before we got started with the music magazine we had to create a school magazine. This was so we understood what we needed to do and it was a simple pass or fail test. We had a week to create it using Photoshop and InDesign. Firstly we looked at the codes and conventions of a school magazine  and we thought about how we were going to create it on our own. Below is my final front cover and contents page. When we took photos for the front cover we had to make sure it was from the chest up. However my photo goes down to the stomach and therefore if I were to redo this task I would make sure it was more of a close up as this is more like a mid shot.

My School Magazine- Front Cover

The thing I found most difficult was the school logo. As we have to take all the images ourselves we had to print off the logo, photograph it, upload it, photoshop it and then put it on the magazine. However I am so pleased that I took the time to do it because I think it looks so much better with it on.

My School Magazine- Contents page

Also when I created the contents page some of the images were portrait and some where landscape which makes it look unprofessional. However I am still extremely proud of what I created and I cant wait to create my music magazine.

Kate

My Music Magazine

AS Media Magazine

Hello, welcome to my AS media blog. This is where I will be showing the process of creating my own music magazine.
Today I have been looking at codes and conventions of magazines. A code is a system of signs, which create meaning. For example an image of someone smiling shows the code of happiness.
Conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing something. For example the placement of images and bar codes.  

I will be updating my blog regularly so keep an eye out for my updates.

Kate