Cover Page Conventions

Price

Date

Barcode

Masthead

Some articles without picture

Large main picture – links to main article

Different font sizes and colours

Pull quotes

Eye-catching introductions

Most pictures of celebrities/artists look happy/relaxed

Questionnaire and Analysis

Questions:


1) Do you often buy music magazines?
2) Do you prefer a thin weekly, medium fortnightly, or thick monthly magazine?
3) Do you think there should be more music magazines that focus only on musicals?
4) What would be your maximum spending on a magazine of this type?
5) What would you like to read in a magazine of this type?
6) What attracts you to a magazine in the first place?
7) Would you prefer to read more about: Television, Films, or live shows?
8) Would you prefer a magazine that has more variety and appeals to a wide audience, or one with a smaller target audience?
9) Where do you buy most of your magazines from?
10) Would you buy every issue of a magazine? Do you think there should be a subscription option?


Example Reply:

Emma: female//16

1)No
2)Thin weekly
3)YES!
4)£1.50
5)About new songs that have come out and musicals that will come out soon :)
6)The brand usually but sometimes what’s on the front
7)Tricky...Films probs
8)Variety
9)A shop :D wherever
10)No i wouldn’t buy every issue

 Questions 4 & 5 cannot be represented in chart form, but I have taken the answers into consideration.

These charts clearly show, according to my intended audience, that the magazine I am going to create should be a medium-sized fortnightly magazine on musicals that caters for a wide audience.  The magazine should have an interesting cover, be stocked in several different places and contain information about many different types of musicals.  The magazine will have a subscription option.

Contents Page Conventions

·         Letter from the/an editor – look at length (word count), mode of address (directed at target audience).  Encourages interaction between audience and magazine.

·         Photos with captions – hooks, tantalising the reader with what is to come.

·         List of contents with page numbers – make sure you are offering the audience value for money.  Larger (different colours/emboldened) font for headings with brief summary below.  All contents should reflect the genre of the magazine.

·         Cohesion – colour/use of recognised logo (often in form of magazine name) in same font style and colour to match the cover.

·         Editorial team – who is involved with production?

·         Headers and footers – include date, web address, issue number, name of magazine.

Proposal

I am going to create a new music magazine that is aimed at anyone with an interest in musicals (on TV, film, or live performances), and a disposable income which means they can spend about £2-£3 on the magazine.  There are lots of different elements to musicals, including the actors and plots, as well as the music itself, so they appeal and relate to a lot of different people, of different ages and backgrounds, and both genders.  This also means that there can be more content to the magazine.  There aren't many well-known magazines that are only about musicals, so the genre becomes the Unique Selling Point.  The magazine can be sold in newsagents, supermarkets, or specialist music shops, because many different types of people have an interest in muscials, so it needs to be available to everybody.  The magazine will include interviews, reviews, tour dates, backstage gossip, competitions, TV Guides, etc.

Preliminary Task and Analysis - Contents Page



The school colours are again evidenced in the word "Contents" at the top of the page, and the navy blue is the only font colour throughout the rest of the page.  There are three pictuers down the side of the page, which correspond to some of the articles in the magazine, and have friendly captions and page references.  The pictures are all of students, and they look happy or excited in all, reinforcing the impression that this is a friendly school, whose top priority is its students.  The list of contents is not too big, and not intimidating, but it shows that a lot of things occur at the school.  The page numbers are not too far separated from the article titles, so it is easy to match them up, and the font is easy to read and simple.

Preliminary Task and Analysis - Cover Page

The picture I used in this front cover links to the main article, at the bottom left-hand side of the page.  The girl looks innocent and happy, and like she is having fun with her game.  The school crest is evidenced in the top right-hand corner of the page, and the colours used in it are also used throughout the cover.  The bubbles containing information on other articles are presented down the right-hand side of the page, and they incorporate the school colours.  Each article bubble is accompanied by a picture, which shows what is going on in the article.  The date and issue number are shown at the top of the page, visible and easy to find, but not intruding on the content of the page.  The name of the magazine shows that it can be an impartial source of information for parents and outsiders, and is reminiscent of a well-thought of newspaper.

Magazine Development

Magazine Name Ideas:

St. John's Gazette - doesn't sound quite right, too long.  "Gazette" sounds too fancy for a school magazine.
The Observer - sees everything, reports back to everyone.  Un-biased name.
The Tie - link between school and parent, play on words (school tie).

I will use "The Observer", as it sounds sophisticated and gives the right impression.


Font Styles:

Front cover and contents page: Arial Black, as it is easy to read and not fussy.
Article title: Chiller, as it gives the article a more sinister feeling, which ties in with the story.
Atricle content: Franklin Gothic Book, as it is easy to read even when the text is small, and looks simple.

Intentions:

This magazine is to inform parents, students and visitors to the school of the latest goings-on, and also to offer advice on other school or work-related issues.  It would be published every month and distributed freely, so there is no need for a price or barcode on the cover.


The double-page spread in my magazine will be an article on bullying, and how to deal with it in and out of school.

Institution Research

IPC Media produces many different magazines for men and women, e.g. More, Look, TV Times, Marie Claire, Rugby World.

http://www.ipcmedia.com/

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene = Everything in the frame

1) Costume - choose: hair, make-up, clothing, etc. of all subjects.

2) Location - consider what image, mood or atmosphere to create.

3) Lighting and colour - should compliment mood etc., e.g. a sense of age - sepia. Vibrant energy - choose primary colours.  Wealth - golds/silvers/yellows should be highlighted. Sinister/macabre - blacks and purples.

4) Props - part of the setting, these must compliment the intention e.g. a delicate china teacup is not suitable for a drug-addled rockstar.

When analysing photographs, or taking them, you must be able to explain the mise-en-scene.