Double Page Spread Of Music Magazine - LIIAR Analysis

The media language used is consistent throughout the magazine as NME want to attract the same type of audience. They will do this my using the same type of camera framings, style of writing and the same colour schemes to maintain NME's house style. The use of pull quotes on this article suggests the article is solely based on one member of the band and gives an indication of what will be featured in the article. As the pull quote "THE BRAIN IS A FRAGILE ORGAN. MINE'S MORE FRAGILE THEN MOST." is used in white it contrasts with the dark image and as some of the text is larger then others, the use of the words fragile repeated suggests that the singer is vulnerable and fragile still after suffering the breakdown. 

By the use of having a long shot of the front man of the band, Passion Pit it gives the impression that the article is solely about one member of the band. As the article is based around the mental breakdown that Michael Angelakos suffered, by featuring him without the band it suggests that he was dealing with the breakdown on his own. The use of dark purples surrounding him relates back to his breakdown that he suffered suggesting that it was a dark moment in his life. In the image used, there is no eye contact made between the front man and the audience, giving the ideology that he was truly alone with his breakdown or that he is ashamed that he suffered from it. As he is wearing a casual purple shirt and jeans it suggest that the front man is just a normal person like the audience so that will make him more relatable to them. 

The only institution used on the double page spread would be of the large rectangular purple gradient box that says "Dark Side Of The Sun" this is because it features other bands/artists with similar pop songs which have a dark outlook on them which relates it back to this article. 

The target audience for this particular article is for people who enjoy Passion Pit's music, people who have suffered with a mental breakdown or know people who have because this will relate to them more. 

The representation of this article will be the same throughout the magazine as NME have wanted to appeal to the same audience to keep in with this particular style of the magazine. This particular article is focusing on the mental breakdown of Passion Pits front man so he has been represented in a way which suggests to the reader that he was vulnerable and fragile but now he has overcome his breakdown to tell his story. 

Front Cover Music Magazine LIIAR Analysis

On the front cover of the magazine, the main image that has been used is a long shot of a well known front woman of the band, Florence and the Machine. The use of this type of framing, draws the audiences attention to the microphone in her hand clearly showing that she is performing to a crowd- relates it to the fact that it is a music magazine. As it also is a live shot it makes it clear that she is performing which will appeal to the reader if they attended the festival or have a particular interest in the band. The main coverline of the magazine and matches the masthead which is larger then any of the other text on the front cover (convention of a magazine).  The use of the words "Flo's T Party" as the main coverline is a play on words as the festival that she is performing at is T In The Park and implies that it was a effortless performance from her.  As Florence is wearing a black dress the main yellow coverline contrasts well making it stand out more. Also helping to link it to the rest of the coverlines. As the issue is reviewing the overall festival of 2012 three images on the left side have been used to show the reader what else is in the magazine. The use of the large red circle with the words "Heroes Special Inside" contrasts with the rest of the magazine as it is red making it stand out from the rest of the magazine. By using the underlined words "Heroes Special Inside" it tells the target audience that it is a unmissable edition which they should read. At the bottom of the front cover it features the Barcode with the date and pricing at the top which is a typical convention of a magazine. 

The name of the magazine is NME, which stands for New Musical Express. This gives the impression that the magazine delivers new music and updates to the reader within every issue. The use of the word "Express" implies it is delivered quickly meaning that with every issue, new information about music or bands will be updated within the magazine. This relates to this particular music magazine as in this issue, the magazine is reviewing the overall T In The Park festival. As in the main image, Florence is photographed level next to the NME masthead it gives the audience the idea that the magazine rated her performance very highly as it gives the impression that she is worth enough to be positioned next to the NME title.

The target audience for this magazine would be teenagers or young adults and who enjoy the rock/indie  genre. The use of the images on the front cover would probably appeal more to the female target audience with the help of the bright yellow/red colours used but would also appeal to the male audience as the images are more male based. 

The use of the main image connotates a typical festival as the front woman is singing to the audience which would appeal to festival goers. Many of the readers may be able to relate to the main image if they attended T In The Park and saw Florence and The Machines performance or enjoy the bands music. As Florence appears to be in a dress it represents the idea that performing at this particular festival is an important event for the band.  

Common Conventions Of A Double Page Spread In My Chosen Genre

On all three of these music magazines, the main image of the band/artist covers at least one page of the double page spread. Also some of the text is often dragged over the page allowing the pages to relate to one another. There is a continuous colour scheme on the pages which helps the two pages relate together so that the audience is aware that the article is a double pages spread. The pull quotes are typically highlighted and larger then the rest of the text on the pages to allow the reader to understand what the artist is saying within the article. The article itself, is usually written in columns helping it to be clearer to read for the audience. Another convention on the double page spreads, is that there is often an introduction to the article which usually tells the reader what will be talked about in the article or information about the band. 

Front Cover Common Conventions Within The Modern Rock Genre

All of the three magazines I have chosen have coverlines/ images in the left third as this is a convention of a music magazine as when presented in stores, this section of the magazine is what you can only typically see. Kerrang! and Rock Sound have the masthead presented in the centre of the magazine so that it is possible for customers to clearly see the title of the magazine whereas the NME magazine sticks to the left third format. By using a specific colour scheme to each music magazine, it creates unique identity to the magazine - (housestyle) for e.g each of the mastheads colouring on the three magazines match coverlines or anchorage text, helping to connect the band/artist personally to the magazine. The colouring is also bright and eye-catching  linking it with the coverlines appealing to the target audience. On the front covers there is typically a large full page image (featuring a particular band or artist) of one of the main articles featured within the magazine. Typically the bar code is displayed in the bottom right or left corner of the magazine, usually with the price beside it. Another convention of these three music magazines is that the main coverline is larger then the rest of the text and presented either underneath or next to the main image so that the two texts are clearly linked together. 

My Choosen Genre

I have decided to use modern rock music as my genre simply because I enjoy this type of music. I want to base my magazine around modern rock artists that are still currently producing  music rather then those on hiatus.  As I like to hear about new and upcoming bands first, I have also decided to use this idea as the focus for my magazine. I believe that by appealing to this genre of music, I would be able to target a diverse range of people interested in buying the magazine because it will attract readers who listen to modern rock artists currently out and those that are upcoming. 

Several songs from modern rock bands that I enjoy listening to and will use as inspiration for my magazine:
The Killers - Mr Brightside
You Me At Six - No One Does It Better
Deaf Havana - Little White Lies

Brief

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

Final College Magazine Front Cover

Evaluation Of College Magazine Front Cover

On the front cover of the magazine, I have used the main image of a medium shot of a young girl which would present that the target audience is 16+. I have used this type of framing as it draws the audience’s attention to the blue/white contrast of text on the models folder, which is also the same colouring as the masthead and that the girl looks happy and confident, giving the college a positive representation. The use of the blue masthead and the pink cover lines (used as the models scarf is pink) creates a colour scheme for the magazine - using the model as the main focus, connecting the model within the college. By having the image of the girl on a plain background it shows that the girl is the main focal point. 

As I wanted to create a college magazine that would appeal to the students at Wyke College, I specifically aimed students who are solely focused on achieving and always aspiring to be better. This is why I eventually named the magazine "ASPIRE" rather than the initial "College Life" idea. I decided against this as when it came to choosing fonts and sizing of the masthead, it didn't look very appealing as it looked overcrowded. I also wanted the masthead to be quite large as it is a typical convention of a magazine to have the masthead presented in this way. By using the name College Life, it was hard to fit the word Life under College as it covered up half of the models face. As the masthead and the girls’ folder are blue, it gives the connotation of relaxation, calmness and knowledge which links with the name of the magazine. Also by using the blue colouring, it makes the magazine look more gender neutral rather than if I used more pink text and makes the magazines colour design more consistent. 

The overall presented ideology of the magazine is to give a positive impression of the college. The model is smiling on the front cover which signifies that she is working in a hardworking but happy environment and that she enjoys working at college. The use of the models clothing would appeal to the target audience as she is dressed very casual with her coat and scarf which gives the impression that she is relaxed and may be off to attend her next class. For my front cover, I took a couple of photographs - centered around the model looking confident with her college folders which gives the ideology of her being happy tying her nicely in within the main Cover line "Coursework Confident?" I am happy with my main image as it fits in with the conventions of a confident, hardworking student, as the model clearly looks happy and this gives the reader the idea that the colleges aim is to be a positive and hard working environment. The model has been placed in bright lighting to present that college is a positive place to learn but also to show that the audience will have a bright future if they attend the college or read the magazine. 

I positioned the bar code in the bottom right hand corner which is also a convention of different magazines. Although college magazines usually do not have bar codes because they are usually free of charge, I decided to use on as it makes the magazine look more professional and could be sold in general stores or if the college wanted to charge for the college magazine. The magazine would appeal to students as it is named Aspire, which to different students would mean different things such as aspire to be greater or aspire to be successful within college. By using a model which looks to be the same age as a student makes the magazine more relatable to college life and to the reader - this would encourage the reader to read the magazine as the articles featured would appeal more to them.

I have used language such as "Meet the students behind the crew" as at Wyke College we have a student crew which would help the reader relate to the magazine more. I also used different cover lines to appeal to a college student such as "coursework confident" as many students could relate to this article as often they struggle to balance their studies with other coursework subjects. Exclusive interview is in a white text because it stands out more from the magazine and because I wanted to show that I have used a pull quote on the front cover. "College made me succeed" this would appeal to the target audience because it gives the idea that without college you would not succeed which links in with the masthead aspire and with the model looking confident and hand working. I chose to use a selling line which says "Win high street vouches for school supplies and save money with your NUS card" as many students would read the magazine to see how to win as many of them may need to buy new college supplies but not have the money. 

Overall, I think my magazine front cover has several conventions of an actual magazine, if I were to recreate my magazine I would probably use more cover lines to interest the reader as my magazine looks slightly plain and simple. I would also plan my idea more so that I could improve the appearance and concept of my magazine. If I did anything differently it would be the use of my pictures, I would in fact use a higher quality image of my model and use different facial expressions.  

Mockup Of Layout For Contents

Unused Photo 3

This photograph will not be chosen for my front cover because although it is the location of the college it does not represent the whole college (quite a plain scenery and not much colouring) and if i tried to put coverlines on the sides it would make the photograph look quite cluttered and would make it unclear to see properly.

Unused Photo 2

I have decided not to use this photograph because it would not be suitable for a front cover as it does not portray the college as it is quite plain and boring. Also this would not interest the reader because the photograph does not represent college life and readers would not be able to relate to it.

Unused Photo 1

 

This photograph will not be chosen for my final front cover because it is quite cluttered and if I where to put on coverlines to interest the reader it would be quite difficult to see them because there is a mixture of colours and due to the text already covering some of the picture it would not be clear to the reader what exactly was the masthead of the magazine.

Initial Idea

This is my initial idea for the front cover of my college magazine, I have decided to have the masthead in the colour of blue as it is the most dominant colour on the picture (same colour as the folder) which will tie it into magazine. I have decided to not use the purple coloured boxes to feature other coverlines/ pull quotes as this may confuse the reader as to which text to read first and will make the main coverline harder to identify. When deciding on my initial idea I thought by using them it would relate them to the models scarf, however it makes the magazine look over crowded and harder to read. Instead I will choose to just use text to link in with the magazine rather then a large box. 

DTP Initial Idea

Hand Drawn Initial Idea

Example Of Camera Framings- Close Up

Example Of Camera Framings- Medium Close Up

Example Of Camera Framings- Mid Shot

Example Of Camera Framings- Long Shot

Inspiration/Mood Board

College Magazine Contents Page Analysis

The use of the welcome message and title at the top of the page help to direct the audience as to which section they want to find first. As the welcome message is written in black text and highlighted in yellow it draws the audience straight to the message which is used to often thank the audience for reading another issue of the magazine. Also by using the yellow circle against the white background it gives the 

A contents page often has two or more columns to section off different categories within the magazine such as a regular features and a special features column. In a magazine, a regulars section is often used so that regular readers or subscribers can feel a sense of familiarity in the magazine (ensures that the reader will carry on reading the magazine). As the regular section of the magazine is positioned to the left, the reader will want to read that section first.  The special features section is a common convention of a magazine contents page as they let the reader know what is inside the new issue and on what pages they will be able to find it.

The use of images relates the reader back to the front covers articles and shows clearly with page numbers where they can read on about that specific topic. On the contents page it usually includes advertisement from different institutions such as from this contents page it has the 'Recycle' logo on it. This advert will encourage more people to recycle and as these types of adverts usually relate to the type of magazine so as this is a school/college magazine, students are already encouraged to recycle so this advertisement is related to the magazine resulting in an increase of people recycling. 

The pictures used on the contents page seem to contrast with the house style of the magazine to attract the attention of the audience. As the magazine contents page (which will relate to the front cover and the rest of the magazine) seems to have the continuous style of white and blue colouring which gives the magazine its own identity. The third image used, is slightly off centre on the contents page but still catches the audiences attention. The shot appears to be of a medium close up of staff and students smiling at the camera dressed casually. This may represent one of the articles in the magazine or that college life is stress free. Throughout the contents page page numbers are used so that if the reader is looking for a specific feature of the magazine they can easily allocate them. The different colours used for the headings such as red and black may be used to show important features of that particular issue and by using these colours they contrast with the consistent house style of the rest of the magazine. 

College Magazine Front Cover Analysis

On the front cover of the magazine, the main image that has been used is a medium shot of a young girl. The use of this type of framing, draws the audiences attention to the top she is wearing which is also the same colour as the Masthead. The blue colouring of the title headings, matches the girls denim shorts so all together the colours used on the front cover create a colour scheme for the magazine by using the girl as the main focus (connects the model within the college). The girl appears to be in a relaxed position, giving the target audience the idea that the college is stress free and that she is having a good time learning at the college. As the masthead and the girls t-shirt are red, it gives the connotation of enjoyment and as the colour red is quite a statement colour it shows that the girl and college want to make a positive statement.

As this is a magazine for a college, the overall ideology of this magazine is to give a positive impression of the college. On the front cover the model used is smiling which gives the reader the idea that she is working in a happy environment and that she enjoys being at the college. The use of the models clothing would appeal to the target audience as it gives the impression that the model feels relaxed enough to wear casual clothing as this clearly would not be a uniform. They also give the idea that the college is a warm, sunny place which is easy to have fun and relax also appealing to students. As the model is also wearing a red t-shirt stating that she loves her college, it shows that she is happy to represent her college and that she must think highly of it to wear the top so proudly. The magazine would appeal to college students because the name of the magazine is College and because the model in the image appears to be a student. By using a model who looks to be the same age as a student attending the college it allows the reader to relate to them more and would encourage them to read the magazine as the articles featured would appeal to them. The college wants the magazine to show to the target audience that it is a happy, positive working environment which is why they have reinforced this idea with the use of the bright sun filled background. The use of light could represent that the college is a happy place to learn but also that anyone who attends the college will have a bright future.