Music magazine contents page step-by-step

Within this post, I will be presenting to you the step-by-step process I took in order to create the contents page for my magazine. I created the page in Photoshop and recorded it in Powerpoint. Here is the video:

Music magazine contents page mock-up

In this post, I will include the mockup for my magazine contents page. I created it using Photoshop instead of paper and pencil as I think that it looks far more proffessional and it is easier to make it look good. I created it so it looks like a template which means that at a later stage I can insert the images and information where they need to go. This is the mockup:

Front cover for music magazine - evaluation

To summarise, I believe that the front cover for my music magazine was very sucessful and achieved all of the aims I wanted to meet. After recieving feedback and making some changes, the magazine looked far better as it suited the audience's needs. I particularly like the title for the magazine as it is very masculine and features a very retro design on the side; a skeleton. Additionally, it is big and bold which is important as the buyer will be instantly drawn to the magazine on the shelf as it will be eye catching. The next feature on the front cover is the puff. This is in fact a base drum which has been manipulated (by myself) to look like a shape which is supposed to hold text. I think that this is a very effective feature of the front cover as everything links with the genre rock and doesn't look out of place. The text inside the puff is also very important as it entices the reader to buy the magazine and find out secrets to the rock world. One other thing to mention is all of the conventional features which are to be expected in any magazine. These include: barcode, date, banners and the issue number. As well as the content on the page, I think that the background contrasts well against all of the imagery on the page. I purposly chose a black and white gradient as it looks clean but is also a standard colour found on most magazine types. If I had chosen a block colour like black or red, this would have looked far too bold and dominating and may have made my magazine look more like a poster. Finally, the grey, transparrent boxes which hold the text around the page work very well and look professional. This was a feature which I managed to emulate from my style model. I like these rectangular boxes as they do not dominate the page however the add clarity to the text so that the reader can easily identify what is a tag line and what is part of the image. Here is an image of the front cover:

Feedback for front cover of magazine

Below are some screenshots of the feedback I recieved for the front cover of my music magazine. I did this by using surveymonkey which is an online programme which lets the user create a survey and then publish it accross the internet for feedback. For this specific feedback, I published mine on facebook so that people could click on it and do the survey. I did recieve some feedback however definately not enough. I think that this was because many people couldn't be bothered to click on the link as they thought it was spam. This is why for my next feedback, I don't think that I will use surveymonkey. Here is the feedback:

 
After studying this feedback, there wasn't much to change on my front cover as this particular piece had gave no things to improve on. This however did prove that my front cover worked well and did fit the correct genre as this person could see that was nothin wrong with it. This was also good as it allowed me to reflect and think about the things I had in fact done very well with on the front cover.









This piece of feedback was slightly more critical as it gave me a few things I could improve one. The main one was to fill the dead space at the top right of the page on my front cover. I took this into account and did infact attempt to fill this as I agreed that it did look a bit strange. However after doing this, the cover looked cluttered and too 'in your face'. I reverted the changes and decided that it looked much better with the space at the top. This feedback was helpful though as it made me think about other possible changes I could have made on the front cover.

In depth analysis of my face - front cover

In this post, I will be explaining how I applied various effects to my face so that it looked correct on the front cover of my music magazine. Here is the image:

The first obvious effect I applied to my face is the acryilic paint effect. This was very effective as it gave the image a homemade look and a retro appeal. I also used the lighten tool in order to make the face look more vibrant and eyecatching. At first I didn't really like the look of it as it looked out of place, but after adding all of the features of a front cover, it looked like it was supposed to be there. The second effect I used was on my neck and was the enhanced blur effect. This may seem like an odd effect to use although it worked very well with the paint effect as both effects merged in together. The blur also made the focus on Edge's face so that that was the key area where the reader was looking. Finally, I used the colour replacement tool to enhance the orange colour of my hoody. This made the page as a whole look brighter and more like a magazine cover.

Step-by-step presentation of creation of front cover

Within this post, I will show you the steps I did in order to create the front cover for my music magazine. I used Photoshop to create the cover and I made sure that I saved all images used so that I could re-use them if anything went wrong. Here is the step-by-step process:

Step 1: First I applied a suitable gradient for the background of the cover. I did this by chosing a mix of black and white and then fading it from the top.
Step 2: I then imported the title I created previously in Photoshop. This was placed at the top right of the page as it looked appealing and didn't take up the majority of the magazine.
Step 3: Next I 'photoshoped' a guitar in my back and cut around myself so that I could sit in the middle of the page. I also applied a watercolour effect on my face as the original image was far too dark and the quality was fairly poor.
Step 4: Then I created my main tagline. I created a black rectangle and then made it 65% transparrent so that my text had a slight background - this made it easier to read and clearer to see.
Step 5: The next step was to create the bottom banner. This was done with a black rectangle with a silver trim. I then wrote some features which would be included in the magazine and put substantial spaces between them so that they stood out. I wanted to follow a particular colour scheme which is why I kept with the   black appeal.
Step 6: Then I put all of the conventional features of a magazine onto the page. These included the puff (made with an image of a bass drum and red text included), a barcode and a date. These were important as I needed my magazine to look as real as possible.
Step 7: Finally, I created the rest of my taglines and inserted the top banner above the title. The top banner followed the same style as the bottom and the taglines followed the same style as the main tagline. After that, I moved the images and text so that the placement looked correct and that the important features of the magazine were clear and bold.

Facts and figures about magazines in my genre

Within this post, I will be showing you some interesting facts and figures about magazines which are in the same genre as my own. This will enable me to think about how my magazine will be distributed and how succcessful it will be.

Mojo
Genre: Classic rock music

Famous Bands/artists: The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Sex Pistols, Oasis.

First Issue: November 1993

Circulation: 94,617

Frequency: Monthly

Q

Genre: Modern/heavy rock music

Famous Bands/artists: Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Oasis, Elvis Presley

First Issue: October 1986

Circulation: 80,418

Frequency: Monthly

Kerrang!

Genre: Trash/Glam metal

Famous Bands/artists: AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Slipknot

First Issue: June 1981

Circulation: 43,033

Frequency: Weekly

Rolling Stone

Genre: Pop music

Famous Bands/artists: Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon

First Issue: November 1967

Circulation: 1,467,739

Frequency: Bi-Weekly

Photoshoot for magazine cover

Within this blog post, I will include the photos I used for my front cover and a brief explanation for my choices. The photos I included were:

Puff: This is the puff I used for my magazine. It looks fairly simplistic however this was the aim as I didn't want it to outshine the other features of my magazine. The shape itself is actually a base drum with added text inside. I chose this shape as it relates closely with my chosen genre and looks good when included on the magazine front cover. The red text is both clear and eyecatching which is effective as the information it includes is fairly important to the reader.

A picture of me: This is a picture of myself which is actually the exclusive singer (EDGE) on the front of the magazine. I am wearing very casual clothing with a beanie hat so that I look as if I fit the genre. Of course there are some magazines in my chosen genre that use costumes which are very unique although I wanted to follow the conventions closely. Behind me is an electric guitar. I chose to include this as I wanted to give my self an edge (pardon the punn) and look unique. Finally, I am looking above and 'through' the camera. Here I wanted to chalenge the conventional direct mode of address as I think the reader will want to find out what it is I am looking at. (This image was taken with a tripod therfore my composition skills were used in this shoot).

Barcode: This is the usual and required barcode for a magazine. There isn't much to say about this image on my magazine although it is included and is located at the bottom right of the page.

AXEL title: This is the title for my music magazine. I won't go into too much detail about the meaning and it's connotations as I explained these in a previous post. The design in my opinion is very unique as it looks like metal which has been scratched and scuffed while maintaining a shiny effect. The edges are very straight which makes it look sharp and bold, and it is all capitalized so that it 'pops' out of the page and catches the readers attention. As you will see at the tip of the letter 'L', there is a skeleton sitting on the edge. This signifies the genre but also the purpose of the genre. The position of the skeleton is very relaxed and looks almost as if he is in a thinking process. This is what I want my magazine to evoke as I want people to escape from their everyday lives and just think about the things which are happening in the music industry today. Although some readers will not think about this connotation, they will be affected by it as it is included in the most important part on the magazine which they are more than likely to see first.

Music Magazine - Photo shoot plan front cover

For my music magazine front cover, I must plan a photoshoot before taking the pictures. To do this, I will create a simple yet effective bullet point list which will guide through the creation of my front cover.

• A long shot - captures all 5 members of the band.
• All will be wearing hoodies apart from the middle man who will have his hood down.
• White background contrasted with the black clothing will be effective.
• Drums and instruments in background.
• Setting will be in a studio with a white, fresh background.

A style model for my music magazine

In the creation of my music magazine, I have had to think about the specific codes and conventions which would be applicable the a magzine in the genre I have chosen. To fully benefit from this and make my magazine look as professional as possible, I have used the magazine "mixmag - isuue March 2012". I have chosen this as my style model as I think that it not only fits my genre, but it also looks very unique. I haven't decided to emulate all the features shown on the magazine as this would take away the originality of my own, however there are specific features I am inspired by. Here is an image of my style model:

As you can see, the cover of this magazine is fairly simple, however this is effective as it is clear and very easy to read. In terms of the writing and font on the cover, I am going to emualte the style in which this magazine follows. My front cover image is fairly colourful which makes it difficult to insert text as it is unclear. If I do what the magazine does with the text (put it on a blackground and juxtapose the colours) then I believe that my magazine will look effective and professional. Similarly, I really like the composition of the text around the sides of the magazine. This would work well with my own as the border of my magazine is very clean and simple. The conventions (barcode, title, main image etc.) are not surprising for this magazine alhtough I do think that the top tagline (THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DANCE MUSIC AND CLUBBING MAGAZINE) looks bold and eyecatching. From research, I know that many magazines put important or interesting informaton and the top of their magazine as this is usually the first thing the buyer can see. Sometimes this aspect even entices the buyer to purchase the magazine. The final thing I think would work very well with my magazine is the puff near the topp of the page. In a way, I think that this would be a little too simple for my magazine which is why I think using an instrumental shape would be far more appealing and bolder.

To conclude, I believe that this is a very good style model for my magazine because it includes all of the relevant features and my target audience would really be attracted to the style of the magazine.

Music magazine front covermock-up

Within this post, I will be presenting you with the mock-up for my music magazine front cover. I created this in Photoshop as I believe that it is easier to create, and any mistakes and I can just redo. Here is the mock-up:

Some key features and techniques for the creation of my magazine

Magazine features and techniques

·         Purpose of a magazine is to entice the reader – majority of time is spent looking at the magazine front cover.

·         The features of a front cover are called conventions.

·         Title displayed at the top – because it is the first person the reader sees – “top to bottom”.

·         Name chosen carefully to give you an indication to what the magazine is about.

·         Font should be unique and styled to the magazines genre.

·         Masthead – the name if the magazine at the top of the page. This is the first thing which people look at. Font and colour are very important for the mast head.

·         Tagline – this goes near the masthead and is sometimes attached to this.

·         Central image – most important part. The subject will be relevant to the magazines audience and purpose.

·         Connotation – ideas which aren’t given directly. Interpretation is usually needed.

·         Denotation - obvious meaning of a symbol/image.

The importance of synergy in a magazine

Synergy - The interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects

- the synergy between artist and record company

Synergy is very important in magazines as it gives the magazine a style and a unique look. Synergy is the factor which allows the reader to match a particular brand to a specific page. This can be shown in a number of different and effective ways. They could be: colours, fonts, images, logos, layout, discourse structure, repetition of certain words, gradients and references to other features in the magazine.

After looking at some examples of music magazines during a media lesson, I now know that some magazines follow similar patterns in order to follow a pattern and create a strong synergy. Here is an example of a magazine I found on the Internet:



As you will see, the colours in this magazine follow a similar style: red. black and yellow. This colour scheme is shown on both the front cover and the contents page which is a good link, as the reader does not feel as if they have started reading an entirely new magazine.

Another example of synergy between the front cover and the contents page is the font. The same font is used almost all the time in this magazine which is good as it makes the magazine clear and easy to read. Additionally, it allows the magazine to maintain its unique style and stay original.

From this example, I have learnt that synergy is a very important aspect to consider when creating a magazine as it prevents the design of the pages from looking 'out of place' and amateur

Music Magazine analysis - Video

Here is an interesting link for a video I found on YouTube which analysed a music magazine in depth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCWXB6D2RWI

(This is not my own video however it has been very helpful for the creation of my magazine as it has allowed me to widen my knowlege about some of the key features expected in a music magazine. Additionally, it will enable me to clarify and justify why I did certain things during the creation and development of my music magazine.)

Music magazine change of name

As I stated in a previous post, the original name for my music magazine was to be 'Power Chord'. Although peers and other people thought that this was the best name out of the selection I gave them, I have decided to change the name to AXEL. There are many reasons for this and I think that they justify the choice far more than the last name. Firstly, AXEL sounds very masculine and the capital letters make the word look harsh and loud. Obviously, this is perfect for my magazine which is in the genre of rock. Similarly AXEL is also the part which is located under vehicles. This connotes specialist, raw tools which are effective and successful.
I also think that the name Power Chord is too long for a magazine name and doesn't sound as effective as AXEL. Below is the design for my new magazine name:

  

Analysis of 4 different music magazine covers

In this post, I will show you the work I did last lesson in class. I had to choose 4 different music magazine covers which were in my genre (rock) and analyise them talking about the conventions and different techniques which had been used. This included such things as colour, mise-en-scene, camera shots, tag-lines, puffs, free gifts, position, emotions, expressions and props which had been used. Attached is the document of the four different magazine covers.



Codes and Conventions of a double page spread

When creating a magazine, the codes and conventions must always be fully researched as these are the aspects of a magazine which make it successful. Codes and conventions are seperated into 3 categories
- Technical (camera techniques & shots),
- Symbolic (ie clothing, colours)
- Written and audio (taglines, puffs etc).
There are a varitey of different features in the double page spread which make it interesting and relevant.
A large image - usually shows the band/artist with a direct mode of address. Very appealing.
A quote - from an interview or a direct quote from the band. Sometimes breaks up text.
Include a stand - gives the reader an introduction to the artist and what they do/like.
Text - usually 11pt and is usually arial font. All include a drop cap which shows the reader where to start reading.
Page Number - shows the page number and usually same font as text.
Main image - usually on the right side and sometimes layered to overlap or sit under the text.
Headline - tells the reader what the following article is about. Usually very interesting.
Context - almost always written in informal standard english so that the reader is relaxed.
Colour scheme - follows a similar scheme throughout the magazine but not to powerful as it shouldn't overpower the text/image.

Codes and Conventions of a contents page

When creating a magazine, the codes and conventions must always be fully researched as these are the aspects of a magazine which make it successful. Codes and conventions are seperated into 3 categories
- Technical (camera techniques & shots),
- Symbolic (ie clothing, colours)
- Written and audio (taglines, puffs etc).
There are a varitey of different features on the contents page in the magazine which make it look professional and easy to navigate.
Layout - set in columns, usually 3 or 4.
Main image - either 1 or 2 main images relating to the feature article inside.
Smaller images - these are usually situated around the text so that the page as a whole has an interesting look.
Page Numbers - page numbers are shown next to text and also put on the front of main images.
Top of the page - name of the magazine, issue number/date and word contents.
Editors letter - will sometimes appear on the page although not always.
Image of the front cover - Sometimes shown to give the page a professional appeal however this is not needed.
Colours - should be simple and follow a similar scheme but at the same time bold and interesting. 
Sublines - give extra detail on the sub categories so that the reader is given some more information on the article/page.
Photography - credited for the front cover so that people can get more information on the types of images which are shown.
Number of pages - usually 1 or 2 pages depending on the amount of content inside the magazine.

Codes and Conventions of a magazine cover

When creating a magazine, the codes and conventions must always be fully researched as these are the aspects of a magazine which make it successful. Codes and conventions are seperated into 3 categories
- Technical (camera techniques & shots),
- Symbolic (ie clothing, colours)
- Written and audio (taglines, puffs etc).
There are a varitey of different features on the front of the magazine which either make it interesting or appealing.
Feature article - the main article which has the most coverage within the magazine.
Main image - usually a studio photograph which has been edited and made high definition. If the subject is a person, (most likely) then they will probably be giving a direct mode of address.
Masthead - this is a trademark word which will have aunique font so that it is recognisable.Around the sides of the magazine, the issue, date and price are shown (in size 11pt).
Puffs - shapes with text inside of them. These will usually be used to show exclusive offers and limited deals.
Colours are very important for puffs.
Buzz words - (inside and outside of puffs). Examples of these are EXCLUSIVE, FREE, LIMITED and NEW. These are used to grab the readers attention and make them pick up the magazine to see what it consists of.
Barcode - almost always shown in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover.
Coverlines - used to give a preview of the articles inside and can sometimes determine if the person buys the magazine.
A strip - shown at the top which includes the lists of items within the magazine.
The colour - must be effective as a simple colour scheme is usually the best for success.

Music magazine production plan

As well as the publication plan, I must also create a production plan. This is a plan which shows you all of the articles, feature articles, interviews, page numbers and main images which will be within the magazine (front cover, contents page, double page spread). Here is a breakdown of what I want to include in my magazine:

Front cover

·         Main image – me with a guitar

·         Puff – top right

·         Tagline 1 – EDGE is back!

·         Tagline 2 – Our rock secrets...

·         Tagline 3 – Free AXEL poster

·         Tagline 4 – Foo’s dead?

·         Tagline 5 – The Gibson SG

·         Tagline 6 – Rock *Legends*

·         Bottom banner – 30 page exclusive, Metallica interview, Voucher for clothing

·         Top banner – rock legend Edge, the Foo Fighters, Nickelback, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Coldplay

Contents Page

·         Main image – me looking into distance into mountains

·         Contents written in urban font along the top

·         Issue number and date to the right of contents title

·         Image of editor accompanied by text about him and seal of approval

·         21 – A controversial look on the stairway to heaven

·         11 – Exclusive interview

·         29 – Dave Grohl’s secrets

·         05 – Free Hendrix poster

·         80 – This is the happening

·         59 – 1972 rock gig

·         58 – AC/DC Razors Edge

·         08 – B21 ultimate drums

·         79 – The Foo’s life story

·         31 – A new hall of fame

·         33 – Edge’s operation

·         34 – Gibson SG arrival

·         35 – Sony sponsors US

·         54 – Tickets for the exclusivity concert

·         15 – We call the shots

·         17 – How Dave’s mind works

·         41 – The biggest gig you’ve seen

·         28 – Edge's new vehicle

·         88 – Create your own skin

·         06 – Gillette coupon 1976

·         27 – A tutorial on B-notes

·         56 – The D return

·         67 – U2 the A bomb

·         26 – Oasis one of a kind

·         42 – 21 Guns - Greenday

·         18 – Lonely as you single

·         36 – Upcoming G-Neck

·         37 – Why we love jerky

·         38 – Obama speeks rock

·         39 – HR. Recognition
·         Images on the right hand of page with previous articles anchored

·         12 – Beezleboss Badass

·         61 – Rock Werchter 2012

·         93 – Italy - Rock line up

·         74 – Meeting of the Gods

·         23 – Angus Young fire solo

·         07 – The making of Thunder

·         78 – The MONEYTALKS

·         51 – www.acdcrocks.com

·         89 – The end my friend

·         65 – Brian Johnson's voice

·         19 – Unreleased material

·         64 – 30 greatest hits

·         22 – Scott's death (1980)

·         96 – Highway To Hell

·         91 – Military recognition

·         09 – AC/DC - the beginning

·         73 – Their troubles

·         52 – Back in Black

·         51 – Glossy photographs

Double page spread

·         How did it start Edge in terms of your career and popularity?

·         Do you regret the way in which your life has changed?

·         Have you fully recovered from your injuries?
·         How do you think about and write your songs?
·         Who or what are your inspirations and why?
·         What is your favourite guitar?
·         What is your favourite guitar?
·         Where do you shop for your fashion?



·         Why is this your last album?
·          Do you like our magazine?
·          If you could pick your best song what would it be?
·          Are you looking foward to the near future?
·          Finally Are you going to do another tour?