Improving my model's appearance.

In order to make the image appropriate for my front cover I;
-Used the spot removal tool to remove all of my model's blemishes.
-Made a copy of the model without her blemishes and called it 'skin'.
-Used the quick selection tool to highlight all of the skin and then deleted the background so that only the skin was visible on the layer.
-Made 2 copies of just her skin.
-On the first skin, used Gaussian blur on 10 pixels to blur the skin.
-Used the same blur technique and pixels on the second copy of skin.
-Darkened the first copy of skin using blending options.
-Lightened the second copy using the same tool.
-Turned the background back on and used the eraser tool to carefully erase the lips, teeth and eyes - this way they were in focus while the rest of her skin remained blurred.
-With the two copies of skin on I selected the adjustments-levels tool and altered the levels until her skin owned a soft, appropriate glow.
-After merging all of the layers, I used the overlay tool to add to the glow.
This then made my model's skin look flawless and looked much more suitable for a music magazine front cover.-I then used the paint brush tool - colour white -  to paint carefully over my models teeth and then adjusted the opacity of the colour.
This then made my model's teeth appear much whiter and a lot more appropriate for my front cover.

Fourth draft.

Third draft.

Draft two feedback.

Possible improvements;
-Make the masthead/slogan stand out more.
-Add bar code and date etc.
-Make the heading slightly bigger.

Second draft.

Draft one feedback.

Suggestions to improve this draft;
-Make the masthead larger.
-Make the background more patterned.
-Add something extra - another colour or shape.

First draft.

Taken images for my front cover.

Front cover images. on Prezi

Rough idea of front cover (mock up)

Sketch ideas of front page/contents page/double page spread

Rough ideas of front page/contents and double page spread

Defining a price for my magazine

I would have to ensure my music magazine is of a reasonably cheap price due to my target audience being teenagers; they are likely not going to be able to afford a magazine that is published every week at £3.50 for example. I would like my magazine to be published monthly, which is likely to increase the price slightly, but it will make the audience more likely to be able to afford it; they will not have to fork out a few pounds every week to pay for the magazine for example. Also, my magazine will be more likely to contain a greater, more “juicier” content as the magazine will be thicker (which I am hoping will be a good selling point).
NME, a competing magazine, is a weekly magazine costing £2.20. Personally, I feel this is a reasonable price for a weekly magazine, but considering the target audience, I think it could be considered slightly expensive (target audience is also teenagers). I would have to make sure that my price is justifiable; being a similarly-aimed music magazine, so I would have to make sure it is not too expensive or too cheap in comparison.
This being said, I feel that £3.00 is a reasonable price for my monthly magazine. It is not a lot higher than the NME price (although that is a weekly magazine) so I don’t think it is too expensive for teenagers to be able to afford every month, but it would also ensure reasonable printing quality (the magazine would not look cheap with this price).

Target audience!

GoAnimate.com: Target audience of music magazine by Louises0013465

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

SPIN magazine LIIAR analysis - Front page/Contents page/Double page spread

Front cover
L- Image of artists cover the majority of the page, both making eye contact to the audience (making a connection to buy).
Large skyline covers the width of the top of the page – “The best of 2010”; gives information to the audience as well as selling the popularity.
Logo/brand name is very large, covers up part of the image – extremely noticeable, easy for the audience to see.
The cover lines are written in capital letters and bold font at the right hand side of the page – shows the audience what artists will be featured inside the magazine, may make them pick up and buy.
The caption of the artist’s name is also written in bold and capital font beneath the image – makes it clear who they are and may attract the audience to the magazine from afar. (Most of the font on the cover is written in capitals and bold font; suggests urgency, makes the writing noticeable from a shop shelf for example.
Colour of the logo/brand name (bright red) also may symbolise urgency, makes the cover bright and easily noticeable – the only part of colour on the cover, the rest exists of mainly black and white (minus the colour of artist’s hair and clothes).
Contents page
-Image of artist(s) dominates the entire page, a medium shot- showing both of their bodies. Both making eye contact to the audience (making a connection in this way) as well as being entirely in black and white; this may make the brand name/logo stand out a lot more than if the image was also in colour. The purpose of this seems to be to make the logo/brand name more easily recognisable.
Page numbers on the left hand side of the page beside the image, along with sub-headings of what will be featured in the magazine (entirely white in colour, is clear against the grey back ground, leaving the logo/brand name to be the only feature containing colour on this page (again making it more noticeable).
Logo in the top left hand corner (audience normally read left to right; this is the first things they will see – as well as the fact that it contains the only amount of sheer colour).
Date is evident at the top – conventional, shows the audience that the issue is up to date, recent and reliable.
Quotation of the artist (those in the image) evident in the top left hand corner – adds a personal touch to the page, gives the audience a little insight into what their article will be written about; possibly making them want to read on.
Small box in the bottom left hand corner containing what is “on the cover” – possibly the photograph credit which may suggest the image on the contents page relates to the front page in this issue (could be the storyline etc.)
Double page spread
-Medium close-up image of the artists covering the entire of the left page and part of the right. Very dominant, the first thing that the audience will notice. Black and white image, (in similar clothes to what they were featured in on the front cover except the colour cannot be seen) it may link with their name; “The Black Keys” – as if the image resembles a piano, links the artists cleverly with their name and title of article.
Masthead of the artist’s name at the top of the right hand page – easily noticeable (printed in capital letters, black font against white background may again resemble this idea of a piano).
Subtitle gives the audience a bit more information about the artists or what may be contained inside their article – possibly intriguing the audience, describing them as “distinctive” and having a “break out year”.
Small strap containing text above the masthead, stating they are the “artist of the year”. This may make the audience want to read – may want to know why they are the artist of the year; what makes them so popular, why so many people enjoy their music etc.

Front page/Contents page
I- It is evident which brand created this magazine due to the brand name/logo being clearly printed (“SPIN”) at the top of the page. The brand’s publisher is not evident on either of these features so it is not possible to know the publisher of these particular features. Also, advertising is not present so it is not clear that “SPIN” magazine is a popular, well-known brand, therefore I cannot estimate the cost of this magazine along with the quality of the pages, although there is a possibility this magazine could be of a cheaper price due to the lack of popularity (or so it seems).
Double page spread
-The brand name/logo is not evident on this double page article so it does not seem clear what the brand of this article is. However, considering where this article will be placed in the magazine (presumably near the centre or quite far in) the brand would not need to be shown as the audience will be aware of what the brand of this magazine is at this point. The publisher of the brand is also not evident on either of these pages.

Front page
I- The idea of this front cover is to get the audience’s attention with the intimate close-up shot of the artist with the easily recognisable bright red colour at the top of the page, attracting their attention. The over-sized glasses of the man behind and the auburn-coloured beard of the man in front adds a “quirky” feel to the magazine – almost giving the genre information to the audience at just a first glance; artist’s choice of clothes often represent the type of music they create and also the audience’s interest in clothes. This may make the magazine easily recognisable as an “alternative” music magazine which may help popularity.
Contents page
-The ideology of this page may be to advertise the artist by placing their image as the back drop of this page, suggesting that the artist may be popular and are good representatives of the magazine (evident that they are also featured on the front cover of this issue, as well as a further inside article with the quotation). They have offered inside information of the magazine (which is the purpose of a contents page) but also making it look interesting by featuring a dominant image of a popular artist. They have carefully ensured the only amount of colour will be evident in the brand name/logo of the magazine – making sure it stands out from the rest of the features on this page, therefore making it obvious who the brand are and possibly making the brand seem more recognisable – audience may link the colour red with their brand for example.
Double page spread
-The idea of this double-paged article I think is to mainly interest people with the extra large, medium-close up of the “artist of the year”, making them want to read the article on the right hand page because of the familiar faces of the popular artist. The publisher has cleverly used symbolism to create the idea that the colour scheme of the entire double-page reflects them as artists (“The Black Keys”), creating a personal, deeper touch to the article. This may suggest the equally deep content of the article, which again may attract the reader.

Front page/Contents page/Double page spread
A- The audience of these three features do not differ from each other. I feel they will be aged 15-24 (largely the teenage audience) mainly because the artists that are featured will be most recognised by the teenage audience. Demographically I feel the audience will mainly exist in the semi-skilled manual workers section. This is because with the image on the front cover (what looks to be an older, more mature artist with the clothes they’re wearing, their hair etc) as well as the smartly dressed artists on the contents page and double page spread, I feel that it may appeal to the “manual worker” part of this group, which I feel relates to the older of the 15-24 aged audience (the majority of teenagers are in full time education so do not have the time to be semi-skilled manual workers, but mainly unskilled – part time jobs which require little skill).
I feel the audience will mainly consist of those who are outer-directed ('belongers' and achievers) for no particular reason except for the belief that the target audience will not belong in the group below; the group driven by needs. I see this to be a basic group, where people are only survivors and 'sustainers', in which I think the target audience for this magazine is not – there may be something more to them, which is why they buy such a magazine. (A music magazine is not something a person may feel they have to buy to survive in society). In Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy Of Needs’ I feel the audience will mainly remain in the “Social” group purely because I feel this magazine is a good one to share with friends etc. (artists clearly listed on the front, free 6 tracks from a particular album) therefore from this they may try and belong to part of a group by sharing this magazine with friends.

Front cover
R- I feel the brand is represented positively using the front cover; the images look professional, the issue looks up-to-date (although an actual date isn’t present) and the music style looks modern. The target audience is represented accurately – the artists they are most likely interested in are listed down the right hand side as cover lines - shows the publisher is accurate when considering the type of artists this particular audience may be interested in which therefore shows accurate representation. There is nothing in particular (nude images etc.) to suggest that the target audience is represented in any negative way here; the artists on the front cover are wearing appropriate, fashionable (if a little quirky) clothing – showing that the target audience although may be teenage, may be mature and a little adult-like (audiences tend to imitate their favourite artists clothing etc.) therefore I feel the front page image is used to represent the target audience.
Contents page

-I feel the “SPIN” brand is represented positively using this page; they have taken the opportunity to make their logo/brand name stand out from the (although extremely dominant) image, making their brand become much more noticeable, therefore successful. The target audience is again represented as positively with this page; the image is artists dressed in smart, conventional clothing – making the target audience come across as mature and almost adult-like (often images of artist are used to represent the target audience because audience’s may often base their appearance or attitude towards their favourite or a popular artist). I feel the audience may also be represented accurately with this page. The artists listed on the left hand side under “features” are known to be very popular, successful artists therefore I think the brand has captured the musical interests of a typical “alternative” teenager excellently.

Double page spread

 -Although this seems to be a clever, affective layout of a double-paged article in the way that the publisher has linked it with the artist; I feel the brand has not been represented particularly positively in this feature of their magazine. This is due to the lack of logo/brand name – the audience may not be particularly aware of the brand of this magazine (although it may be obvious due to where this is placed), I feel the brand could have made it more clear who this particular feature belongs to, therefore possibly making their brand more noticeable as it will be sure to stand out on such a black and white article. The target audience looks to be represented positively with this article; the smart, casual dress of the artists, the clever symbolism of the lay out – making them come across as mature and almost intelligent. There are no nude images or inappropriate text etc to suggest any negativity to represent to target audience.

NME magazine LIIAR analysis - Front page/Contents page/Double page spread

                                                   

Front page
L- Large masthead at the top of the page on the left – the first thing the audience may say when looking at the cover (reading left to right) – making it noticeable.
Image of artist (close-up) covering the entire page, making eye contact with the audience – by connecting with them in this way it may give them the urgency to buy.
Strap line on the left hand side – lists famous artists under “the state of music today”; may make the audience want to read on as well as letting the audience know that the magazine is up to date with new artists.
All text on front cover is written in capital letters (Strap line, cover lines, masthead, headline)– adds urgency, makes it easily noticeable and easy to read from a distance – will grab the attention of the audience.
No real colour scheme is present (page is entirely dominated by the image of the artist, all other features on the page are either white or black) – makes the deep red colour of the artist’s hair stand out so much more.
Bar code present in the bottom right hand corner - conventional.
Price is written in the top left hand corner (really small – hardly noticeable).
Contents page
-Large masthead at the top of the page in capital letters – stands out from the page, makes it bold and noticeable. (“This week” suggests it is a weekly magazine)
“Band Index” written in list form, covering the length of the page on the left hand side. May relate to the audience (helpful to know the names of the bands included in the magazine).
Large image in the centre seems to be the focus of the page with a title beneath it – shows it is the main article (and also what page it is on).
Page is dominated by small text (listing what is in this issue along with a band index etc.) hard to read, not affective – audience may lose interest when coming across this page, nothing stands out to them.
The bright red colour from the front page is continued – only part of the text, brand name etc. – may suggest the more important features of this page as they are more noticeable, stand out to the page, therefore reaching out to the audience and can be useful.
Advertisement across the bottom – very conventional, may show the popularity of the brand, companies are willing to invest in advertising.
Date is evident at the top of the page – conventional, shows the magazine is up to date; this may be helpful to the audience.
Double page spread
-Extremely large image (full body of artist) covering the majority of the left page and part of the right – stands out as being the most dominant feature, tells the audience what this article will be about at first glance, very useful and eye catching.
Extremely large background text (“USA”) behind the image, gives the audience a little more insight on what the article may include, links with the red and white stripes in the image.
Masthead at the top of the article (“Got the love”) links perfectly with the artist, being her song lyrics, shows the whole double spread is dedicated to her, almost personalises the article.
The red colour is continued (red stripes in the image) again links with the brand name/logo – keeping a secure colour scheme, linking all three features together (no matter what issue).
Article written entirely on the right page, contains quotations – adds a personal touch from the artist, may make the audience want to read (along with the sub heading, containing a rhetorical question about the artist)
Logo/brand name is evident in the bottom right hand corner – shows the audience the continuity of the brand as well as making it noticeable (brand will literally be at the audience’s finger tips when turning over the page).

Front page/Contents page/Double page spread
I- Evident that the features are provided by the “NME” brand because the name/logo is written clearly on each (top of front and contents, bottom left of double page). The brand publisher is not evident on either of these features but I presume due to the brand being popular (shown through advertising etc.), the pages would be of good quality and the price reasonably expensive. With it being a weekly magazine however, I feel the price may be reduced (needs to be of a reasonable price for the target audience to be able to afford it every week).

Front page
I- I feel the idea of this cover is to simply capture the audience’s attention of this specialised issue by including an over-sized image of the artist. The bright red hair creates much more of a dramatic effect – this paired with the constant use of capital letters in all of the text adds urgency and may make the audience want to pick it up in comparison to another music magazine with a similar audience for example.
The quote “I would never have got through the X Factor auditions” (also in capitals) as a strap line under the image of the artist give the audience a little insight into what the subject of her article may be, further making them want to read on – shocking them into picking the magazine up.
Contents page
-I feel the idea the brand wanted to create with this contents page is to simply make some information come across stronger than others (written in red) to suggest this urgency to read as well as simply displaying the contents of this magazine and what the main article will be about – displayed using a photographic image. I feel the brand used the colour red on its contents page to link it with the red inside the brand name/logo in order to make the audience link importance and urgency with the colour red and their brand name – making their brand easily recognisable. Double page spread
-I feel the idea that the brand has created with this double page article is to make the subject of the article tremendously recognisable by covering a whole page with image and large text – using the artist’s song lyrics to add a personal touch and make it seem as if this double page was created to suit this artist especially. I feel the brand has tried to make the artist come across as a dominant female model (wearing high black, military stilettos and a tight black dress) creating a “wow” affect when opening the page – almost as if you wouldn’t expect this artist to come across so powerful and dominant, therefore making some sort of connection with the audience.

Front page/Contents page/Double page spread
A- I feel the target audience of these three main features of this magazine will be aged 15-24 mainly because I feel this is the main age group that will recognise the image of the artist, therefore being the most interested in the story and wanting to read. Demographically, I feel these features will be mainly aimed at those in the semi-skilled manual workers section of the National Readership Survey entirely because I feel that this is the section in which (stereotypically) most teenagers will belong to – they are not yet higher than simply manual workers in the world of work.
I feel this audience will consist of those who are outer-directed mainly because (stereotypically) I feel this group of teenagers may feel they are “belongers” because I feel they are confident in who they are – therefore enjoy music, not because it is present in the charts, but because they personally enjoy it, therefore feeling confident with what interests them and who they are as people.
In Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ I feel the target audience will be those in the ‘Esteem’ section. This means those who have admiration of others and have a high self-esteem (confident within themselves).

Front page
R- The brand is represented positively because of the affective close-up shot of the artist, along with the clever layout of the page – making the cover much more noticeable and effective.
I don’t think the target audience will be represented either positively or negatively with this front cover – there is nothing in particular to represent them negatively (bad language, nude images etc) or particularly positively. However, I feel the brand may come across as stereotypical towards the audience with the quote about the X Factor – presuming that all of the target audience are interested in the show.
Contents page
-The brand may be represented positively with the clever linking of colour with the colour of the logo/brand name, making the audience recognise them both as a link, therefore making the brand easily recognisable. However, I don’t feel that the target audience is represented either positively or negatively with this contents page; there is nothing that stands out to me as representing the audience in a specific way.
Double page spread
-The brand may be represented positively with this double-paged article, however not specifically. There are no inappropriate images or use of text so I don’t feel the brand or the target audience will be represented negatively. However, the clear colour choice may make the brand come across positively along with the clever use of text and lay out style – making the audience able to relate to the brand and the purpose of this article much more easily.

Q magazine LIIAR analysis - Front page/Contents page/Double page spread

Front page
L- Contains the logo in top left hand corner – very noticeable (bright, contrasting colours)
Huge banner headline in the centre of the page – covers the width of the page, capital letters – very easy to read.
Image is also in the centre of the page – Image of artist (Lily Allen) half naked with two large black tigers at her feet – outrageous, unusual image – captures the audience extremely easily, a selling point, could add difference to other music magazines.
Clear colour scheme (red, blue, black, white) – majority of the text (headline, cover lines, splash) and image is black and white – makes the remaining, small snippets of text become much more noticeable as well as the logo – makes it more clear who is the provider (advertising).
Bar code noticeable in the bottom right hand corner - conventional.
Skyline (although along the bottom of the page) with the features of the magazine as well as a splash containing “The 25 greatest Rock movies”– gives the audience a “heads up” possibly attracting them to buy.
Not a lot of text shown on the cover but parts of what is visible contains snippets of song lyrics (“I am a Tiger!”) – relates to the audience and the purpose of the magazine (to advertise artists/bands/music).
Evident that all text is written in capital letters – adds some sort of urgency to the cover, almost like there’s an urgency to read. Makes the content much more noticeable if it were on a magazine shelf – almost shouts to the audience.
Contents page 
-Logo is still visible in the top left hand corner, easily noticeable – almost the first thing that the reader may see (reading from left to right).
Large masthead at the top of the page containing the number of the issue also - easily noticeable (capitals again showing urgency)
Image of artist dominates the page, almost covers it entirely. Artist making eye contact with the audience – drawing them in.
Colour scheme is still evident and very clear – image is similar to that on the front page regarding colour; image contains dull, mundane colours, making the logo and the text (being in colour) stand out so much more.
Page numbers and strap lines on the left hand side are very clear. Although text is included, the page isn’t overloaded with text – image is still by far the more dominant feature.
 Double page spread
-Logo still evident, this time in the bottom right hand corner – reader will physically touch it when they turn over the page; very noticeable.
Artist image covering the entire left page, leaving the article to exist entirely on the right.
Image of artist extremely large, showing the artist “Lady Gaga” to be partly nude – a similar characteristic of the image on the front cover. This may add appeal and can be used as a shock tactic to the audience.
Again the image contains no colour, leaving the article on the right hand page to stand out a lot more, along with the logo. (Making the company a lot more recognisable).
Colour scheme is still clearly evident – Large red “L” dominates the right hand page, covering the length of the page, but making the article still easily readable. This adds a personal touch to the article, linking in with the artist’s name. This makes it seem as if the whole double page spread has been designed for this particular artist.
Artist name is visible at the top of the right hand page above the article as almost a headline– makes it clear what the article is about (if the image wasn’t enough) but is not tremendously large – makes the “L” on the page stand out as being the more dominant characteristic of the page.

Front page/Contents page/Double page spread
I- Evident that the magazine is provided by the brand Q because of the clear, large logo in the top left hand corner. The Producer of this brand is not evident on either of these three pieces.
The brand is well known and popular, so I would assume that the pages would be of good quality, and it to be reasonably expensive – but the price and quality of pages are not evident on the cover.

Front page
I- The idea of this particular front cover is to shock the audience with the nudity of the famous artist along with what look like live tigers at her feet.
The capital letters visible on the entire page link with the shocking image – it reaches out to the audience in the same way that the main image does.
It’s almost this idea that “sex sells”, with the banner headline “SEXY BEAST” (also in capitals) next to her image, it could draw the audience in on what they think they are going to find behind the cover.
Contents page
-The idea of this contents page is by covering the entire page with a medium-close up shot of a famous artist, sternly making eye contact with the reader, it captures their attention and may make them want to read more about this particular artist – this is the first thing they will see when opening the magazine, so it could be used as a shock tactic. It is a stern, serious image so the audience may feel obliged to read on.
Double page spread
-The idea of this double page spread is to make it very clear to the audience what artist this article is based upon, as well as creating a “raunchy” feel (due to the nude image) possibly making the readers want to read on – they may be interested in why the artist has been “stripped back” in such a way.
I feel the article has been made very personalised to suit the artist, making it seem as if Q magazine have especially created this page, just for the artist. It gives it a professional appeal as they have made both of the pages link in such a way (nude image of artist although being shocking, may create a naked, natural affect of the artist which may reflect in the article – the artist has similarly been “stripped” back in the article – making the audience want to read).

Front page/Contents page/Double page spread
A- It is clear that all three features are aimed at an audience aged between 15-24 both male and female (I don’t feel there are specific male or female attractions – although there is a half naked female artist, I don’t think it will attract the male audience entirely – the female audience will also find it shocking enough to read). I feel it will attract this aged audience because I feel this age group will be the most familiar with this artist so will be most attracted to reading about Lily Allen and her “Wicked, wicked ways...” (Front cover for example)
Demographically, I feel these features will be mainly aimed at those in the semi-skilled manual workers section of the National Readership Survey entirely because I feel that this is the section in which (stereotypically) most teenagers will belong to – they are not yet higher than simply manual workers in the world of work.
I feel this audience will be those who are inner-directed because I feel that although they will feel confident in the music they like and who they are, they are societally conscious so that is why they may feel the nude image shocking – more chance of them buying to read more.
In Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy Of Needs’ I feel this cover will be mainly aimed at those in the ‘Social’ section (being music-obsessed teenagers). This is because I feel due to them being teenagers; they may feel the need to belong to part of a group. This may also be a selling point – by buying this magazine they may be able to share it with their friends etc, helping them socially in this respect.

Front page
R- The magazine brand and the target audience can be represented both positively and negatively with this front cover. The brand is represented positively because of the obvious “juicy”, readable content inside (through the exciting use of text and image) but may also be seen as a negative brand because of the obvious “raunchy” material (it may be looked down upon by the older audience, for example) In the same way, the target audience may be represented negatively because of the image of Lily Allen – this idea that teenagers are young, naive and are entirely interested in the basis of sex; therefore the image could give the expected audience a bad representation. However, the audience can be represented positively through this also; the outrageous image may suggest the exciting, modern interest of a young adult.
Contents page
The contents page would not represent the magazine or the target audience majorly differently from the front cover, except that without an image of a half naked artist, it may represent both a bit more positively – however, I don’t feel either the magazine or target audience can be represented in a particular way from this contents page.
 Double page spread
I feel the double page article based on “Lady Gaga” may represent the magazine brand partly negatively – the raunchy image may be seen by some people as inappropriate and unnecessary. However the brand can also be represented positively because of the obvious “juicy” content inside the article, displayed through the choice of image and the layout of both the pages.
The target audience can be represented negatively due to the nude image of the artist. This particular target audience can be often stereotyped to being naive – in which this image may play on this, creating a negative view on who this issue is aimed at.

Genre ideas

Ideas for music genre on Prezi

Front Page/Contents page/Double-page spread LIIAR analysis

L- Very large Masthead – needs to be short, dominant, and memorable.
Main image should cover the majority of the page – medium close up to capture the face and shoulders only. Model making eye contact with the audience, face clearly seen (draw the audience in).
Bright colour scheme, clear house-style of two easily matched, recognisable colours.
Thumbnail images to illustrate other articles or artists (letting  the audience in on what is further in the magazine, or new upcoming artists, making them want to buy).
Price and bar code (price would have to be pretty reasonable to suit the target audience, but magazine would still have to be of good quality – so a price would have to suit both.)
Teasing contents along the bottom (teasing the audience on what will further be contained inside the magazine, possibly making them want to buy).
Competitions and free gifts – attracting them to this magazine rather than another magazine of a similar or the same genre.
Contents page
Bold, clear page numbers - need to be easy to read.
Short, snappy lines to illustrate what will be contained inside the magazine - much more thumbnail images in comparison to the front page to illustrate this also.
Double page spread
Large image(s) to cover the majority of the page(s)
A lot more text - an article perhaps.
Same colour scheme needs to continue throughout the whole of the contents/double-page spread, to match the front cover.
Quotations may be made bigger/bolder
Shapes/art etc may be contained across the double pages - make it look enticing and may link it together with the article.

I- Magazine could be created by an existing publisher which would have a similar genre or audience to mine – e.g. Mojo’s publisher; Bauer media.
Would be helpful as Mojo magazine has a very similar target audience (alternative teens) so would almost go arm-in-arm with my magazine (may attract the audience to my magazine when heard about Mojo – would link slightly with the artists included etc).

I- I intend my magazine to convey a positive view on the “alternative” genre, that having a different opinion to those of other teenagers is a positive thing – being different to others is good.
That this type of music aimed at this particular audience is fresh and funky, it is what is happening right now and can be used as an alternative way to express themselves as an audience.
Although this is not Chart music it is still seen as “fashionable” and up to date, at the same time being different and owning some sort of individuality.

A- Target audience may be anyone who is interested in the “alternative” music genre (or is simply familiar with the artist on the front cover and wants to read more) – can be anyone male/female from the age 16-30. However, I would suggest that my magazine would more specifically be aimed at teenagers – the phrases that may be used for example may be more familiar to them as well as social site references (Facebook, Twitter) that the older audience may not be particularly familiar with (stereotypically), plus they are the most likely to buy these magazines because of their nature to spend more money on leisurely items than on what is needed in comparison to adults and also because they may want to read up on their favourite artists in this genre, discuss it with their friends etc.

R- Would like my magazine as a whole to be represented positively regarding its appearance – looks bold, catchy, funky, new, fresh and easily recognisable (making it clear who it is aimed at, and its purpose)
More specifically, I would like the genre of my magazine to come across as individual; as a genre that stands out as being different from others and that it is a positive thing to be different – an “alternative” listener. I would like it to come across as being up to date and fresh, a fashionable genre without coming across as over-popular Chart music.
I would like my magazine to be presented in a way which my audience find easy to recognise – if they were to take one look at the magazine on the shelf they would be able to specify the genre.
I would like my target audience to also be represented positively using my magazine – young individuals who are not afraid to be different and are confident in being individual by listening to “alternative” music.

Music Magazine BRIEF.

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

LIIAR analysis of my finished products, responding to the audience feedback

L- Both pages contain a large mast head that are bold and catchy (audience liked the font that is used, links with the geek theme, different and individual from other magazines).
Both pages contain large images of the same model, both making eye contact with the audience (audience liked the way the images also included the geek theme with the glasses worn)
Audience liked the bold, clear colour scheme featured on both pages, links with the ‘Wyke’ purple colour.
Audience enjoyed the price that was clearly printed onto the front page, easy to see and affordable for students.
Audience liked the strap lines on both of the pages, grabbing the audience’s attention as well as again including the geek theme.
The other images that were featured on both pages were said to be ‘funky’ by the audience, giving both of the features a fun feel as well as again including the theme. (Space invaders were not copied, but created using Photo shop)
Audience did not think there were enough smaller images on both of the pages, writing on the front page could have been further replaced with images or reduced.
The date of the issue was clearly printed on the front page for the audience to see.

I- Local magazine – make the magazine cheaper therefore more affordable for this particular audience. (Price was liked by audience)
Contained social aspects as well as educational, iTunes information, fashion info, Wyke party info – audience thought this was useful and gave the magazine a larger selling point.

I- Audience thought that with the theme, it gave the magazine more of a fun feel which appealed to them (as I asked for feedback from students) and thought it was a funky idea.
They thought it was good that it contained educational things, such as info on trips and exam times, as well as the social things because it created a balance between the two.
However, they thought that this whole idea could have been confused with the amount of writing on the front page and the lack of images on the contents page to illustrate the inside of the magazine – it could be seen as a more conservative magazine. This being said they thought with the geek theme it was easy to see that this was not the case.

A- Audience thought it was easy to see that this was aimed at a specific student audience (bright colours used, comical lines, space invaders etc)

R- Audience agreed that the students are represented positively in both of these pages. Thought it almost encourages students to be clever because it is “Good to b Geek”, creating this idea that education is good and helpful – which is what I wanted the college to come across as in this magazine, that the students think it is good to learn and enjoy education therefore Wyke is a great place to study. They thought this came across well in both of the pages as well as creating a fun, funky, fresh feel that is clearly student based.

Audience feedback

GoAnimate.com: Audience feedback by Louises0013465

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Website homepage mock up

This is a digital mock up of what my online homepage of my College magazine would look like.
Although this is free, I think people would also like to buy the print version because I feel it is more specific to the student audience; the magazine may contain information that would be useful to them (information about student parties, competitions to take part in etc). The magazine may be more helpful for a student because there are various games to play and with it being a monthly magazine, it will be filled with useful and newly updated information.
However the online version can reach people internationally, and it may attract new students to come to the College. It is easily accessible from home so it may be more beneficial to people in this way, as well as it effectively representing the modernised student.
I researched the Grimsby Institute College magazine online to get some ideas for my homepage and what would work best when considering the layout.

Official finished contents page

Official finished front cover

Contents page - Take two

Looks a lot brighter with a lighter background. Still not enough images

Front page - Take two

Background looks better lighter, 'Geek' stands out a lot more. Too much text for the front page, could do more to ensure it fits into the Geek theme

Contents page - Take one

Background looks too dark, not enough images used to illustrate contents.

Front page - Take one

Checks do not come up clear enough on the background, background looks too dark.

Technical problem

I originally uploaded all of my taken images of both the contents page and the front cover into a Prezi. Later on  in the course, I had to remove these Prezi's off the Prezi website because my account could not hold anymore Prezi presentations. Consequently, the Prezi's containing my taken images are no longer accessible from my Blogger.

Initial photographs for contents page

Photographs for front page/contents page on Prezi

Contents page (mock up)

Digital mock up (draft) of my magazine front cover

Initial ideas

Initital ideas for my College magazine on Prezi

How often the magazine should be published

GoAnimate.com: How often the magazine should be published. by Louises0013465

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GoAnimate.com: The price of my magazine. by Louises0013465

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The target audience for my magazine

The target audience for my College magazine will be in the age category of 15-24 because they are full time students. In the National Readership Survey of social grades I feel my audience will most likely be in the C2 area. This is because although they are in full time education, I don’t see them existing in a category of any lower than those containing semi-skilled manual workers. Due to the positive-achieving attitude I plan to create in my College magazine, any lower category would not feel the initial aim of the magazine in my opinion. My magazine will be aimed at those who are outer-directed, meaning that they are achievers which I think fits well with the age group and C2 social category (stereotypical). Also, on Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy Of Needs’ I plan to create a magazine that will fulfil every level, meaning that the students it is aimed at will feel the need to succeed and to become what they wish to become in the future.

Market Research - 3rd existing College magazine

L-­ Front page
Large image focusing in the centre of the page – draws attention to it. Movement she is doing may suggest the type of College it is – sport/dance/drama college.
Large mast head at the top of the page also catches our eye and gives the reader a shortened version of the name of the College – may relate to the target audience and what they may call the College in casual conversation (The LC) so automatically tells us it is aimed at the student audience.
No real colour scheme as seen at this point, page is mainly in black and white and the only existing colour is of the image in the centre – makes her stand out a lot more which could also tell us something about who the magazine is aimed at. (students – image is of a student so can easily be related to)
There is a release date in the top right hand corner (Summer 2011) which gives the audience useful information on the reliability of the source.
No price can be seen on the front cover.
Contents page
Colour is still minimal but only colour the reader can see is of the small image (possibly head teacher) in the far left hand corner, of the title of the page (Contents) and some small information at the bottom of the page. The colours are bright and eye catching but do not offer a real colour scheme at this point, only offering the reader a really simplistic view.
A small section of this page has been dedicated to online websites, giving the reader some more useful information as well as suggesting to us who this magazine is aimed at. (possibly younger, more technologically advanced people)

I- Not only does the front page contain the logo of the college (Lewisham College) but there is also a small stamp on the Contents page that tells us that the magazine is ‘Certified Carbon Neutral’. This may suggest that the College has had permission from this company to print this onto their magazine. This may not mean that this magazine is local – which may make it more expensive for the audience to buy. This suggests to me that this magazine is therefore aiming at those who will be able to pay a little more for their College magazine, and are possibly within the upper class market.

I-  I feel that the idea of both the front and contents pages are not only to attract new people to their college with a simplistic and professional appeal but I feel it is mainly to give the students of Lewisham College a bit of insight. The personal letter on the contents page from the head teacher to the students suggests this to me – it is a personal touch to the students wishing them a pleasant summer.

A- The target audience of this student magazine I feel could possibly come under both of the age categories of 15-24 and 24-35 both males and females. I assume this because although this magazine may be directed at 1^st and 2^nd year college students, I feel the professional and simplistic style it has suggests that it could fit very nicely into the 24-35 age category. Both of the pages are not over crowded with images and bright colours which can definitely appeal to a more mature audience I think.
I feel that the highest social category this college magazine may belong to is B because I almost feel that the magazine suggests to an audience that will be interested in taking part in a much higher education because of the way it is set out and how professional this tier of education is portrayed. The fact that it may not be local adds to this because in this ‘professional’ social category the stereotypical way of viewing this may be that the people existing in this group will be able to afford the higher prices a non-local magazine may have. Although it is a student magazine and is obviously aimed at college students, I feel the people belonging to this category may feel drawn to this magazine because of how professional this college has been made to seem from the outside – this I feel is very clever.
I feel the life style group this audience may belong to may be the outer-directed group. I feel this way because of the word ‘achievers’ associated with this group – the magazine seems to be aimed at successful, professional people who are willing to do what they can to achieve. This adds to the positive effect the college magazine is creating for Lewisham College within these two pages.
In Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy Of Needs’ I feel the audience may fit best into the ‘Self actualisation’ section because of their simple ‘need to succeed’ mindset that I feel they possess which adds to the professional image I feel they have achieved.

R- Similarly with both of the previous College magazines I have analysed, I feel this Lewisham College magazine creates a very positive representation of students and student life. The simple way it has been obstructed suggests intelligence and the need to be successful. It also shows education in a slightly different light on the front page with her arms above her head as if in a dance move – suggesting that this College is positively different in the way they teach and how these students become successful.

Market Research - 2nd existing College magazine

L- Front page
Large mast head showing the title of the magazine – gives clear evidence of the title of the magazine, but without telling us directly what the magazine will be about.
Large drawn/cartoon-like images fill the majority of the front page – are of students, give the audience an idea on who it is aimed at and what the magazine will contain.
Blue, white and yellow colour scheme – bright, bold and eye catching; almost sets a positive, bright feel to the magazine.
Slogan at the bottom of the page (‘the word on the street’) gives a youthful feel (appealing to target audience) as well as persuading the audience to pick up the magazine. Also giving a modern feel to the magazine as the first thing we see.
Website is given clearly in the centre of the page – gives the audience some helpful contact information and adds to this modern feel the front cover is trying to create.
Contents page
A lot more colour is first seen within background images, lettering etc– creates a playful affect and already gives a bright, positive feel to the college (isn’t a mundane 2 colour colour-scheme)
Lots of images of real students – gives the audience an idea of what type of people will attend this college (singularly noting their appearance). Smaller images are also used beside the contents page of smiling people – suggests the emotion that can be felt by the audience if they attend this college, creating a positive view on education as a whole.
Advertisements about the types of courses held at the college are shown – giving the audience quick and easily accessible information as well as possibly attracting them to the college.
Another slogan is now shown with the title ‘GX’ with ‘X marks the spot’. This suggests to me that the ‘X’ in this slogan is referring to the Grimsby Institute – meaning that this is the place where you readers should be.

I- The Grimsby Institute logo is clearly visible on both the title page and contents page, meaning that this magazine has been created by them and is a local magazine.
By being local, it will make this magazine cheaper therefore likely to be more affordable for this particular target audience.

I- The overall idea of both the front page and contents page is that this college is a very modern and student-orientated place to be. It is a place where students will easily feel at home and settle in. The many bright colours suggest this on both pages.
I feel both of these pages may also be created for existing Grimsby Institute students to offer them useful information on the local events and important dates in the college year.
In addition to this I feel the overall look of the contents page is very scattered – suggesting that it is a very busy, ‘happening’ place to be where you will always find things to do, both educationally and socially (illustrated by the many images present)

A- Both the front page and contents page are advertising for males and females in the age group of 15-24.
In the National Readership Survey I feel the lowest group the audience will be part of will be D. This is because I feel it is possible that a part of the audience may be unskilled manual workers because of the stereotypical idea of young youths (which is openly advertised on the front page of the magazine; students wearing casual clothing – this can be portrayed negatively)
I assume that the majority of the target audience will be those who will be inner-directed because I feel that although they are confident about who they are as people, I feel there is a possibility that they are socially conscious – after all they are young adults and are partly bound to be. I feel this idea is portrayed well with some of the images that have been used on the contents page illustrating real life students.
I feel this magazine as a whole may fit best into the ‘Social’ category of Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy Of Needs’ triangle. This is because with the modernised feel the producers are trying to create with the front and contents page alone, I think it lets us step towards the more stereotypical (sometimes negative) views we may have about young people and ‘having the need to belong in part of a group’ may contribute to this, as teenagers are often thought about as their need to fit in being one of the most important things.

R- Similarly to the East Riding College magazine, I feel that students and student life is portrayed very positively within these two pages alone because of the bright colours and fruitful images that are used. I feel that people in the age category I have selected will be able to relate to this magazine more because of the slang that is sometimes used and the way that the pages have been set out.
However, I feel that this magazine can represent young people in a negative way to possibly a slightly different audience. The casual clothing that the young people are pictured wearing can trigger negative stereotypes and the modernised terms that are used may suggest unintelligence. Other than this small point, I feel these two pages represent student life at The Grimsby Institute in a great way.

Market research - 1st existing college magazine

L- Front page.
Large mast head at the top of the page – Student Life.
Large image covering the majority of the page showing a group of students – links with the title of the magazine.
Black and white colour scheme, contrasts against each other, plain and simple but stands out on the page.
Price – the word ‘free’ at the top of the page draws the reader’s attention and is of a suitable price for young adults.
No slogan is used on the front page – is not needed.
Contents page.
Large mast head at the top of the page.
Green is used for the back drop of the contents, first bit of colour we see (no colour on the front page) stands out and makes us read. Black and white colour scheme is still used, links this page with the front page.
Small images are used around the page to illustrate the Contents and show small aspects of student life.

I- College magazine is created for East Riding College.
Logo at the bottom of the front page illustrates this.
A local magazine – making it affordable for the target audience (students)

I- The idea of both the front page and contents page is to attract students (main image that is used and the smaller images used on the contents page) into reading their magazine.
To give people (not students) an insight into college life and make education seem positive – making them want to become a student at East Riding College if not already.
Could also give the students attending East Riding College advice on how to keep up with work and information on what is taking place in the College (art exhibitions, educational trips etc.)

A- Both of the front page and contents page is aimed at males and females within the age group of 15-24.
I feel the audience will mainly exist in the C2 social category. With them being young students, I feel this category is the most appropriate. Even those who are attracted to the idea of college life at East Riding College because of this magazine and are not yet students will too exist in the C2 social category because I assume they will be semi-skilled manual workers.
I assume the group of people the magazine will be directed at those who are outer-directed, meaning achievers and emulators. I make this prediction because with the purpose in mind (advertising education positively), I feel this group of people will be the most interested.
In Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy Of Needs’ I feel the majority of the audience will be in the ‘Esteem’ category because I feel the type of people the magazine is aiming at are confident and respectful of others. Therefore it gives the producers a greater reason to advertise their college to these types of people.

R- I feel that student life is represented very positively in both of these sections of the magazine. This is due to the small images that have been used on the contents page – displaying happy students in the working environment.  On the front page, I feel the main image is not only displaying a positive and alternative way to educate young people but also how social groups can be formed within college – which is again a positive thing. The images overall show how college life is different to the stereotypical school environment which I think will definitely attract a lot of people into joining or creating an interest to their college.