Magazine Reader Profiles

Rolling Stone

Gender:-
Men: 66.1%
Women: 34.8%

Age:-
14-17: 18.5%
18-24: 30.4%
25-34: 25.3%
35-49: 18.5%
50+ : 7.3%


Work Status:-
Full-Time: 40.2%
Part-Time: 25.7%
Unemployed: 34.1%

NME

Gender:-
Male: 70%
Female: 30%

Age:-
On Average- 25

Main Reader Groups:-
Young Socialites & First Time Earners.

It seems that this specific genre of magazines is dominated by males in their early twenties. This could be to do with the amount of men featured in these types of magazines and their representations and features which appeal to males more than they do females.

Magazine Basics

You need to come up with a name for your magazine. Ideally it should be short and snappy and should also grab the attention of your target audience. Try to brainstorm more than one title and then pick the best one.

*The Chemistry
*High Voltage
*Amped
*Chain Reaction

You also need to come up with a rough cover price for your magazine. Who will be able to afford it? What quality of printing/paper will you be aiming for?

*I will be aiming for mid quality printing and paper, or at least as well as I could get for my price. My price will be about £2.50, within the average range for magazines of this genre which publish weekly. This will be so that the young socialites can afford it.

How often will your magazine be released? Why?

*The magazine will be released weekly so that the news will be relevant and up-to-date. This also means part of my advertising can focus upon being the 'music weekly' and being first with the new news.

Target Audience

You need to define a focus in terms of your target audience- your magazine will not be able to appeal to everyone!

What is your main target audience going to be? What does your target audience want/expect from it's music genre and it's music publications?

*The target audience I am aiming for will be young socialites. They will expect plenty of reviews of gigs and listing for gigs too as these are important things for them. They will also be looking for interviews with well known artists and groups which are engaging enough to maintain their interest. In addition they will also want a low cover price as they will most likley be students who cannot afford more than a couple of pounds for a magazine.

How are you going to appeal to this particular target audience, particularly in terms of initial advertising about your magazine?

*Use a mix of a dark background and brighter text with a reconisable masthead to inkeep with the usual expectations of a magazine splash.
*I will also feature artists names within the coverlines as this will gain audience focus upon my magazine as opposed to another brand.

Remeber that your magazine is going to be profitable, so you need to consider the possibility of selling advertising space to potential advertisers- what will attract them to your audience (i.e. how will you sell your audience?)

* Young socialites will want to see CD adverts, tour advertisements and clothing as these will appeal to them. I would sell this to a potential advertiser with the fact the audiences interests lie with their product of service and they are more likely to spend a majority of their money on these things.

Now try to imagine that you are a potential customer (i.e. a member of your target audience.) What do you want from a music publication of your chosen genre?

*Features about up-to-date and relevant artists and bands.
*Posters of popular bands.
*The latest, relevant and up-to-date news.
*Exclusive stories and news that isn't everywhere else.
*Plenty of gig adverts of popular and genre relevant bands.
* Humourous and/or interesting articles, interviews and features to sustain interest and entertainment throughout.

Music Genre

Music Genre

What is the chosen music genre, which your magazine will focus upon?

Rock/ alternative

What are the key feautres of this genre (i.e. what are the main cultural and musical elements of this genre that give it its own individual appeal- how does this genre represent itself?) To answer this you can look at images of artists features in magazines/CD covers/ videos/ websites etc.: images of fans features in any magazines etc.: and also other areas such as song lyrics.

* The artist/s featured in the main feauture are always on the cover.
*Advertises other featured artists as coverlines.
*The colour scheme is usually dark backgrounds of some description paired with brighter and bolder text.
*The magazines usually are male dominated.
*The main image usually follows some of the conventions of other magazines imagery. (I.e. having the eyes being the main focus.)

What magazines, currently in publication, cover this genre?

*KERRANG!
*NME
*Q
*Rolling stone
*Metal Hammer
*Rock Sound

What features do they have in their magazineand how do these features tie in with their target audience's expectations of representation?

*Album reviews of the music genre. This implies to the audience that the magazine is completely about music itself.
*The main interview is always with an artist from the genre which fits the audience's expectations.
* Gig listings and reviews are always included in every issue. These relate to the target audience's expectations and main perogative as far as leisure time goes.
* Rumours and new news about bands and artists in the genre.
* Givaways usually featureing CD's, merchandise, clothing, tickets or occasionally instruments usually related to a specific band.

What additional features could you put in your magazine to make it stand out and appeal to an audience that is not already being marketed to?

*The use of upcoming, local bands to help the new generation of bands and artists.
*As the rock industry (at least in the well-known areas) seem dominated by male bands and artists. The use of more female input would makle it differential to other magazines of this genre.

NME Cover Analysis

NME, also known as New Music Express, is a popular weekly music magazine which has been published since March 1952. It is owned by IPC Media and has a weekly circulation of 40,948. We can tell this institution is established in the way that part of the masthead is covered by Billie Joe. This is because the masthead is recognisable enough to be noticed without it being prominently in view. The colours of the masthead are traditionally associated with danger but used in the way they are they prove to be a purposely stark contrast with the bright blue background.

The main image is of the artist featured in the main coverline. The image itself is posed to represent the focus of the main article which says ''inside the mind of'' which shown through Billie Joe clasping his head and staring directly into the camera in a shocked manner. His genre of music is prominently showed through the use of a black shirt, which is covered in patches in the stereotypically 'punk rocker' manner and his sleeves are rolled up to purposely reveal his tattoos. The blue background is a contrast to the image, with blue connotations usually being of calm and tranquility whereas the pose of the picture says something different to this with him looking slightly insane.

The main coverline is in bold, white writing which is a contrast to the black of the clothing and is done this way so they are easily read. The language used within this is an excerpt of the interview which is supposedly ''inside the mind of Billie Joe.'' The quote is ''My lyrics come from a really dark place'' with the word dark implying something unhappy and perhaps awful. This is written in such a way to spark the interest of the reader and automatically make them want to read more. The other coverlines are in red with a mixture of white to mirror the masthead and make the color scheme of the front cover only really use red, white and blue. These coverlines are all large enough to be read but not big enough to take attention away from the main focus of the magazine: the main coverline and interview. These coverlines feature names of artists features elsewhere within the magazine which also sparks the readers attention as they are large and well-known names within the music genre.

Across the top of the splash is a banner with the words ''Green Day Exclusive'' which is in an extremely bold, white font to be one of the things the eye is drawn towards. This could also make a difference to who buys the magazine as in some stockists only the top third of the magazine is seen and a banner like this could grab fans of this bands attention without having to see a full cover. The word ''exclusive'' means something never before seen which is sometimes unusual with such a well established band with longevity which gives the reader expectations of what the content of the interview with this band will entail.

The cover price of NME, as shown is £2.30 which hints to me that the targeted audience for the magazine is young students who cannot afford to pay high prices for the magazines they read. This hints to me that the magazine has accommodated this through the use of lower quality printing and paper sources to allow the price to remain fairly low and easily accessible to students who are on lower incomes.

Rolling Stone Cover Analysis

Rolling Stone magazine is liscensed to Wenner Media LLC whom also own editorials such as US Weekly and Men's Journal. The circulation of the magazine is 1.4 million anually and first started in November 1967. The institution is commercial and uses advertisements to aid it in making profits.

The cover has all the conventions of a music magazine, including the image. The masthead is mainly covered by the main image which shows us that it is a well known institution and recognisable in it's style which hasn't seemed to change since it's beginings, making it a trademark of sorts for the magazine.

The main image is a long shot of Lady Gaga which is blended into the pink background. The connotation of pink is femininity. The pose which Lady Gaga is in makes her seem both dominant and untouchable. Paired with the connotations of pink this gives the impression of a strong female figure. However, Lady Gaga's lack of clothes make the cover become dominated by sexual tendancies.

The coverlines are all in white fonts, big enough to be easily read but not big enough to take any attention away from the main image. The main image gives credit to the model: Lady Gaga. The language used within these coverlines is to tease the audience and entice them to buy the magazine and read the article itself. This is achieved by using the names of big celebrities.

Kerrang Magazine Analysis.

Kerrang magazine is licensed to 'Bauer Media.' It's audience is that of a working class background with an interest in rock music. We know this because the cover price is £2.20 which is cheap for a magazine of it's type. We can also tell that the main audience is men by the language used in the coverlines.

Kerrang is the leading music weekly with over 60,000 sales a week. This is represented with the masthead where the main image overlaps it in places. This shows us that the institution is known well enough to not have to show the whole masthead.

The masthead itself is in a bold, block font which is easily recognisable. This is made to look cracked, like a sheet of glass which reflects the genre of the magazine.

The tagline of the magazine is in the same space as the masthead. The tagline is effectively placed over the title but differentiated with a different color and font. This sums up the genre of the magazine in the words ''Life is loud'' which is inkeeping with the cracked effect of the masthead which now gives the ideology that it could be broken through overly loud music.

The colors used throughout the splash are variations of red and yellow. These convey the idea of sex, danger, violence and destruction which mirrors the main coverline ''Sex, Drugs, Violence.''

The main image of the artist represents the ideology of the band. Each one of them is dressed like a gang member of sorts and made to look rough and fearsome. The front members of the band are also using props in the form of weapons like a gang member would carry. This once again carries on what seems to be an ongoing theme of danger, which is reflected by the coverline ''The world's most dangerous band.''

The other coverlines, also in variants of red and yellow, are all placed to be seen but not take any focus away from the main image. These use the names of well known acts in the rock genre to grab the audiences attention. Beneath the names are then tiny snippet of the feature with them mentioned which entices the audience further.

The banners across the top and bottom of the splash are filled with yet more names of well-known rock artists to rouse the audience even more. The colour yellow is used here as a way of being eyecatching amongst the dark image and masthead.

Music Magazine Conventions.

Music magazines, along with every other genre of magazine, have their own codes and conventions used for their splashes. These are things we take for granted on the cover and are usually always similar, if not the same.

Within the main image of a music magazine there are usually clear similarities. The image is of the person mentioned in the main coverline. Within this shot can be one face or four/five if a band is featured, however they are all focusing on the camera. Another thing sometimes used in music magazine images is the use of instruments or props along with the artist.

The masthead of a music magazine is alike to every other in the way that it appears in the top left hand corner. This can sometimes be covered in part by the main image which shows that the institution is a well recognised one.

The main coverline on a music magazine is mostly the name of the fatured band or artist from the main image. This is usually followed by a smaller coverline often paraphrasing quotes from the interview or article.

The coverlines of the music magazines are usually around the main image but not so much as to detract from it. These coverlines use a lexis of words to do with artists and bands.

Conventions of magazines.

A masthead is a normal occurrence on a magazine splash. These are usually in a specific typeface and very rarely change, especially not with every issue like everything else on the splash. This is because the style and typeface is significant and representative to the magazine and it's institution. The positioning of the mast head doesn't change either, it stays in the top left corner since this is the part usually visible to consumers in a shop.

The main image of the magazine splash is nearly always a shot of a person. These are centred in the middle of the splash but usually form the background of the magazine splash often too. The eyes of the model are usually central to the image and the face is in close up. The style and nature of the shot differs with the genre of the magazine, however, but is made this way to reflect both the institution and audience.

Coverlines are usually distributed around the main image but placed strategically as not to detract from the image. They are usually in smaller but still clear and concise enough to be read easily. The language used within these coverlines reflects the magazine and institution. For example: a fashion magazine would use language within a lexical field of clothes and style. A music magazine would use lexical fields around artists and bands, however, still differing with the genre of music the specific magazine is centred around. Or a women's magazine would usually have shock coverlines to entice their consumers.

Inkeeping with coverlines, there is also usually a main coverline. This has the same features of a usual coverline however, this one is very large, usually taking up about a quarter of the whole splash area. This is in a large and bold font to grab the attention of the consumer. This is usually where the main headline or article is featured as a way to encourage consumers to actually buy the magazine.

A selling line is also seen on most splashes. This is a short and snappy description of the magazine's main selling point. These, like everything else are different for each magazine in terms of language used.

A bar code is also seen on all magazine front covers, and regardless of the institution it is the same, standard bar code used by retailers.

Datelines are used on splashes. These give the month, year or issue number of the magazine, a month in advance though because magazines hit the news-stands the month before the cover date. Datelines are usually displayed with or near the cover-price of the magazine.

Model credit for the main image is only sometimes given on a splash. This depends on both the genre of the magazine and also whom the model is. If the model is a famous celebrity, for example Bill Kaulitz or Eminem, then his name would be given on the cover either in the main cover line or a smaller cover line, however if the model is merely an average woman (as seen on many women's magazines such as Take A Break or Bella) then model credit isn't usually given.

LIIAR

Language - this is the key language used in media. (Terminology.)

Instituion - this is the company who produce the media. How are they portrayed?

Ideology - these are ideas shown through the magazine.

Audience - this is the consumers of the magazine. How are they represented?

Representation - these are connotations of the magazine's focus shown through the full splash.

Main Task Brief

The main task is the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you - minmum of four images.

Evaluation

For the preliminary task for the foundation portfolio in media the brief specified the production of a college magazine splash. This was accompanied by research into existing college magazine splashes and their conventions as well as mock ups of both the front cover and a contents page as well.

Firstly I had to research into existing college splashes. This involved recognising the codes and conventions carried throughout each choice. It was clear to me from the beginning that the main image played an important focus on the splash as a whole. The representation of the main images model was of critical importance. Each main image I looked at had the same aura: calm and enjoyable. This was reflecting the ideology of the college to the audience – something which I had to do. The next thing which became apparent was the language used in the coverlines. This was brief enough to give insight but vague enough to entice the reader. I also very quickly realized the type of coverlines I would have to use – I would have to showcase the students and colleges strong points upon the front cover as, again, this draws in the audience.

I had already specified the genre in which my magazine would appear. Next I had to allocate my target audience. Since this magazine splash was for a college magazine the age group would target mainly 16-19 year olds. My target audience would also be of mixed genders and social classes. This means I would have to create a universal magazine to stretch to acknowledge each segment of my market. These would all affect my decisions as I made my magazine splash.

To start the production of the splash itself I first had to organize myself a set, model and props. For this I decided upon a light, bright space with a neutral cream backdrop. I felt this highlighted the model well and also represented the classroom environment. Next came the props. These came in the form of a table with a notebook and my model holding a pen. Again, this was representative of the working college environment. In the medium close up of the model I posed her looking directly at the camera with a hint of a smile. However, the way she is posed also gives the impression she has just quickly looked up from her work for the shot. The ideology and symbolism behind this is to sell the college lifestyle of working hard. This is altering the mindset of the consumer making them think: ‘I have to go there,’ after seeing the students and atmosphere.

After taking the image I then had to edit it. Upon doing this I realized there were certain areas of the picture I wanted to crop out of shot, such as the unnecessary background. Then I sharpened the image to define the models features before accenting the highlights in a brighter light and making the shadows darker. This was to try and imitate the really bright strip lights in a college classroom. This tampered with the representation shown in the image: she was no longer sat near a cream wall but instead it created the atmosphere of a classroom. Next I faded the edges slightly to blend it with the background of the splash for stylistic purposes.

Next I moved onto appropriately laying out my masthead. This was done in a new layer using a bold text in a stylistic and recognisable font. This was changed in colour to stand out amongst the background it was placed upon but also fit in with the purple and white color scheme, the same one as used by the college. I then added a sell line directly below the masthead. This, too, was in the chosen colour scheme carried throughout of white and purple. And whilst it is still readable it is unobtrusive on the masthead since it is in a smaller font.

I then moved on to the main cover line. This was layered across the bottom third of the main image and in a large and bold text. This diverts the attention to the words. The colour scheme used here is once more adhering to the overall colour scheme of the splash.

Once I had the main sell line and masthead in place I moved onto the finer details. The dateline was layered below the masthead in small but legible font in white. This was to detract attention from it and let the focus be on the rest of the page. The rest of the coverlines are true to the usual connotations of splash coverlines whereby they give enough information to tease but not enough to give everything away, this makes the target consumer more interested. My coverlines are as in a mid-sized bold black font which is easily readable. These are staggered down the edge of my model in my picture. This is usually where the coverlines are seen on existing magazines.

Throughout the process of producing my college magazine I encountered a couple of minor problems. The first one I had was with the image on the splash. I couldn’t get the contrast right after altering the high and low lights at first however, after a few attempts with different settings I resolved this. I also had trouble with the masthead/ sell lines and getting them to fit the colour scheme but still contrast with the image they are layered on enough for them to be visible. However, after experimenting with different colour combinations and line thicknesses and such I overcame this and the headings were visible.

College Magazine Cover

This is my finished college magazine cover.

DTP Drafts.

These are the mock ups of both my front cover and contents pages using DTP.

Analysis Part 2.

The masthead of the magazine is in a swirly scripted font which straight away gives the impression that the college is one of a high class and sophistication. The color furthers this with the gold tone making us think of high achievement and sucess.

The main image is a strong one with a relaxed student laid against a pile of books. This promotes another lifestyle of the college. The pile of books shows that hard work will be involved, obviously, but the relaxed posture shows that it's an easy going and fun time too. This promotes an image of the college which entices people to apply there rather than anywhere else.

There is, alike to most institutions, no model credit, but unlike most other publications there is no recognition of her in the coverlines. This makes her anonymous and she could be anyone. This means that you could be in her position. The colors are also representative of this, especially the purple dress the model is wearing which connotates peace and serenity.

The coverline is just ''Class of 2009'' which makes up for the lack of having a dateline on there. This makes me think that the magazine was published at the end of the academic year as a year-book of sorts. The gold is carried over into this in the scheme and the gold makes us believe that the ''Class of 2009'' were high achievers.

Analysis Part 1.

The masthead is in a calm green color and in a recognisable font. Despite the pastel colors the eye is drawn here and the font is bold and easy to read. However the color scheme is matched to the rest of the splash and creates a certain effect of calmness.

The dateline is matched to the masthead in color and in a small font so it doesn't jump straight out at you like the masthead itself does. The date says Winter 2007 which shows me that the color scheme of cool pale greens and whites matches directly with the time of year.

The main image is of a set of twins whom look to be styled to look casual yet stylish. This makes me think that the colour scheme has been built around the main image to create the serene scheme. They are both looking straight at the camera and look warm and inviting. This connotates that all the college students are warm and welcoming and gives the college's reputation a boost. This sells a lifestyle of a good college environment.

There is no defining model credit here which adheres to the usual conventions. However the coverline gives some identity to the still nameless cover stars, just refering to them as 'twins.' The colour of the font is white to be seen clearly against the dark blues and purples of the twins dresses. The part against the white background and skin of the cover stars arm is a bright pink to be differentiated from it.

The coverlines are all in the same font which is small yet readable and bold. The white is a contrast to the dark clothing of the models. Pink is used to seemingly highlight the important words to focus on upon the cover. This would help make the magazine eyecatching to the audience.

Ingredients.

MASTHEAD: The name of the magazine displayed in the typeface in which it is designed. This is the visual branding of the title and is usually done in a unique typeface to be recognisable.

DATELINE: Month and year of the publication, often with the price. Note that a monthly magazine usually hits the news-stands the month before the cover date.

MAIN IMAGE: These are used in a classic way, the face is big enough to make an impact on the news stand, with the model making full eye-contact.

MODEL CREDIT: It is unusual to have such credit on the cover.

COVERLINES: The example uses a lot of cover lines, which are distributed around the main image without detracting from it too much.

MAIN COVER LINE: This is very large: taking up about a quarter of the cover area- and comes in three layers, each with a different color.

LEFT THIRD: In western countries, the left third of the cover is vital for selling the issue in shops where the magazine is not shown full-frontage. The title must be easily recognisable in a display os dozens of competitors. The start of the masthead is important here.

BAR CODE: Standard barcode used by retailers.

SELLING LINE: Short, sharp description of the title's main marketing point. Or perhaps setting out its editorial philosophy.

LIIAR

Language: Specific terminology used to describe media.

Institution: an organization which produces media text.

Ideology: Capitalism, democracy. Ideas about the society and social area. A system of beliefs we all share. Legal and moral values.

Audience: Consumers of media. The institution targets a specific audience.

Representation: RE-Presentation. Reflect our society through media back to the audience. Values. The audience judges. Messages.

AS Media

Brief

Preliminary exercise: using DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/colleg emagazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately kaid-out text and a masthead. Additionally you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate your grasp of DTP.

Main Task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images must be original, produced by you- minimum of four images.