1. B321 Coursework Georgia Humphrey Candidate number: 9094 Sponne School Centre number: 27258

2. Success Criteria For Magazines By looking at other examples of students magazines covers and contents pages I was able to recognise the basic criteria for magazines and identify the positive and negative points about them. From this I have managed to create my own success criteria from my research: Consistent Font Colour Scheme House Style Genre/topic Background image with a clear focus and related topic to the magazine Secondary images Date Masthead Advertisements Issue Number Price Specific Target Audience Competitions Barcode Subtitles Facts/Statistics Presentation Small descriptions of contents/features Quotations/interviews Structure 3. For the house style of this magazine you can see that the magazine has stayed very consistent. This is because they always keep the logo in the top left hand corner in the same colours red and white. These colours are very eye-catching so they will catch the readers eye straight away as well as being appealing and contrasting colours so they complement that magazine and make it look more sophisticated. As well as this the colours have no set genre making this magazine more appealing to both sexes. For the main article of the magazine Q uses a header at the top right hand side of the page to draw your attention straight towards it. It tells you of how Florence welch, the main image, feels 'so alone'. This draws the reader in as they want to find out more and shows the other side of being famous and how it may not always be so glamorous. The main image of this magazine is Florence Welch a singer out of an indie rock band. Her facial expression is not very inviting and she looks quite insecure and naive, which connects with the article written about her as the article is slightly solemn and they want her to appear in the same honest sort of way. However she is looking directly at the camera which makes her look like she is yearning for guidance. This then makes the reader feel more involved with the magazine and also want to help her so she doesnt feel alone anymore like the article says. As well as this her body language also shows a similar view as they have brought her hands up around her face to make her quite closed and shy like she has been hurt and doesnt want to be hurt again. It is almost as if she is protecting herself and feels uncomfortable opening up about how she really feels. Which then makes the interview even more interesting to the reader as it may be an exclusive interview and she may not opening up and express herself again, making it a must read to the reader. Magazines also use a lot of extra headings to attract the audience further. The more interesting the headline the bigger and bolder the font it has to attract the readers eye to it first. This means that have more of a chance of the reader buying the magazine and it isnt all based on the main feature of the magazine or the artist on the front cover. The main target audience for this music magazine is for the older generation such as people in their 30's and 40's who still want to be up to date with music but in a more sophisticated way. You can see this because in other magazines such as Kerrang they comment on what the artist is wearing and how to get their 'look' rather than just focusing on interviewing the artist and information about their music. However, it can also appeal to the younger audience range as it does still include promotional gifts and other interesting features which will appeal to more than the intentional target audience. 4. For this music magazine the costumes are usually quite extravagant and smart as the musician is usually playing at a concert. This makes the reader think they are rich and sophisticated as well as gives a better impression to the audience then wearing a t shirt and baggy jeans. As well as this it connects to the target audience much better as the older generation are more likely to buy this magazine as the main people are dressed in a much older grown up fashion. All 3 people on the front cover of this magazine have a very comfortable looking smile which shows confidence in themselves and appeals more to the reader connecting with them and making them feel more involved with whats going on in the magazine. The shot type for this cover page is a medium shot type as it only shows their shoulders and their head with a simple plain background. This means that all the focus is on the image and what they're doing rather than whats going on in the background. As well as this it makes the magazine look less crowded and messy so even though there is an overlapping of 3 different images it still has that sophisticated classy look. Their faces are made up with a medium makeup to give them the glamorous look but not make them look cheap or tarty. This works well with the magazines target audience as the older generation when going out will wear more make up then on a daily visit to the supermarket. Whereas the younger generation wear a lot of makeup most of the time like most celebritys. They have chosen to use props in this magazine like most magazine covers of theirs as it shows the audience straight away what the main article is about, so when they are in a rush, they know exactly what the magazine's main feature is. 5. For the costume of this magazine they have gone for a much more casual relaxed look which very much contrasts with the magazine classical fm. You can see this because the main image is of Kelly Clarkson in a basic white t-shirt with a print on the front. This shows that the celebrity wasnt as worried about what she was wearing and gives the audience the impression that the magazine is much more relaxed feel which relates much more closely to the younger target audience and makes them connect with the magazine more. The facial expression is also very calm and peaceful as the Kelly Clarkson is just wearing a simple smile and looking directly at the camera. This shows she is very confident in herself and makes the magazine more appealing to the reader as she is giving you an encouraging smile to read it. The shot is a medium shot with the head and shoulders being the only part of her body in the picture. This means that the full attention is on her and not what she is doing or what she is wearing. However she is not facing the shot straight on, she is turned to the side looking over her shoulder to the camera so it leads your eye in more and makes the picture look less staged to support the relaxed feel of the magazine even more. The makeup for this image is very basic and simple giving her that natural look that compliments the magazine and her own attitude. You can see this because someone like Lady Gaga for example wears a lot more makeup to show her crazy and outrageous attitude unlike Kelly Clarkson. For the hair of this image they have gone for a loose wavy natural bed hair look that most girls hate. This makes her unique and individual and show that she is comfortable and doesnt For this magazine cover there is no use of props. 6. The costume for this magazine cover is black jeans and no shirt. This shows a more careless, confident and reckless look to the other magazines I have previously looked at. This is because the genre of music is totally different so therefore the image has to be very unique and rock/punk like. As well as this, having his shirt off shows the tattoos covering his chest and arms. The facial expression also supports this view as the main image is of Chester Bennington screaming or shouting very loudly. This shows that he is a not a quiet and peaceful person like other artists but instead a much louder life of the party sort of guy which relates back again to the music genre of this magazine. For the body language of this magazine they have chosen a very rare pose. This is because the subject is stood normally with the camera being a medium shot however his hands are behind his head and his back is slightly arched over. This would usually make the magazine look unbalanced however they have added a larch heading in the middle to lower half of the cover making image more balanced. This body language also leads the eye in well so your eye is straight away lead to him, the main subject and the main article of the magazine. For this cover image they have chosen to decorate Bennington with jewellery such as earrings, a necklace and a sweatband. This makes him look very individual and recognisable as most men dont wear jewellery as they are not as confident and wouldn't pull it off as well in the same way. However, Chester Bennington still has a slight nerdy and normal look to him as in the image he is wearing thick framed glasses which makes us think that he is quite smart and still young. 7. For the contents page of Q magazine you can see that they have a very similar layout to Mixmag. This is because they both have images on the right hand side and the text on the left in a long column. This is very typical of music magazines as they have the images alongside the magazine to connect to the features and draw you in. As well as make it easier to read as each magazine will keep to their layout so the reader knows how to navigate around the page. However the layouts are slightly different as on Q magazine they like to overlay images and twist them so the layout is much more relaxed and casual but still professional. When looking at Mixmag you can see that they use more than the usual number of fonts. This is because they want to draw attention to different parts of the magazine therefore they have use different colors and fonts to do this. You can see this because on the subtitles of the features they have used a different color and font which is more serif and curly where as the actual features themselves are in a dark bold sans serif font. This works well as it sections up the text and makes it easier to read and navigate your way around the page. For the branding of this magazine Mixmag has decided to put their name at the top left hand corner of the page in a tiny white font above the title of the contents page. This is good because it subtly reminds the reader who the magazine is. As well as this they have also used it in the bottom right hand corner of the page as they have added in the website. This then reminds the reader again who the magazine is without having a massive title. 8. For the contents page of NME magazine you can see that they have a very unique layout. This is because their page is quite busy with lots of details other than just the usual features and photographs representing these. You can see this because instead of having the images on one side of the contents page they have placed them in the middle. This works well as it means that you are mostly likely to look at these images first and be interested straight away as they are close to the center. As well as this they have also use another feature that is unique to them which is the band index. This is interesting as not only does NME show you the features involved in the magazine but also what bands are being featured. Another feature that makes them different from the others is their use of only one picture to draw the audience in as both Q and Mixmag have used at least three or four images to draw the reader in. I dont think this is such a good idea as it means if the reader isn't interested by the main feature then they might just put the magazine down and not buy it. Another feature that isn't very generic is the advertisement they have used on the contents page as NME have decided to use an advertisement about subscribing to the magazine. This is unlike other magazines as they mainly use the magazine for features not advertisement. When looking at NME you can see that they use a minimal amount of fonts. This is good because it doesnt over complicate the page with everything else going on, on it. As well as this they have also kept to the original color scheme and used largest to smallest fonts to show what is most important and what is the least important part of the page. Another choice that the magazine has also made is to copy the style of the title but using it for the subtitles of the features. This works well as it ties the whole page together and keeps with the original format. For the branding of this magazine NME has used their name in the title of the contents page. This makes it quite similar to Mixmag however they have not done it discretely but made it very large and in your face. What also makes It very eye-catching is the fact that they have decided to put it onto a black background making your attention be drawn straight towards it first. Because of this NME doesnt bother to use it again on the page as they have already used in a large font at the top so that the reader wont forget or wonder. 9. For the contents page of mixmag magazine you can see that they have a very similar layout to Q. This is because they both have images on the right hand side and the text on the left in a long column. This is very typical of music magazines as they have the picture as the largest and most eye-catching thing on the page to draw your attention in. AS well as this all three magazine have also included other photos that are the next most important features to the magazine. This means that they can draw in a wider audience and show more features to interest the reader. However there are still some differences as Mixmag likes to keep their pictures very straight and aligned where as Q contents page is a bit more free and easy having images slightly slanted. When looking at Mixmag you can see that they use more than the usual number of fonts. This is because they want to draw attention to different parts of the magazine therefore they have use different colors and fonts to do this. You can see this because on the subtitles of the features they have used a different color and font which is more serif and curly where as the actual features themselves are in a dark bold sans serif font. This works well as it sections up the text and makes it easier to read and navigate your way around the page. For the branding of this magazine Mixmag has decided to put their name at the top left hand corner of the page in a tiny white font above the title of the contents page. This is good because it subtly reminds the reader who the magazine is. As well as this they have also used it in the bottom right hand corner of the page as they have added in the website. This then reminds the reader again who the magazine is without having a massive title. 10. Like other magazines I have analyzed NME only uses one large picture for the double page spread. This shows that theyre trying to portray one purpose to the reader and make it obvious who the artist is. For NMEs double page spread you can see that they have used a maximum three fonts. The first font that captures your attention is the one in quotation marks as it is very unique and in your face. This is quite unusual as all the letters are different sizes and in bold, capital letters on different size black rectangles. This makes the text quite hard to read, however, connects with what the quote is saying as Lily Allen says People think Im an attention seeker and that is exactly what this direct quote is doing, attracting the attention of the reader. The other fonts that are used are quite basic and not very important to the appearance of the article. However, when they mention Lily Allen on the heading the font changes back to the first quote font just in the color red so you link it to her as she is also in red as well as associating it with her original quote. Again, this magazine has used a large letter at the start of the interview in the same font to make it clear where the interview starts and draw the readers attention to it. This is a typical feature of most music magazines For the branding of NME magazine they have chosen to repeat the logo at the bottom right and left hand corner of the page. This is different to the other two magazines I have looked at as they usually only repeat this once or not at all. As well as this the logo is not in the same layout or same size as the cover page. You can see this because the logo is usually in the top left hand corner of the magazine, the same as Q. This is usually done so the main focus is on the article rather than the magazine itself, however, they still reinstate it on every page so you know exactly which magazine you got the information from. NMEs double page spread uses a very typical structure as the image is on the right and the text is in columns on the left. However this is quite different from normal interview as there is usually a page of writing and the image on the opposing page. However for this magazine they have only used 4 small columns of text for the interview on Lily Allen and the quote and image of her to take up the rest of the double page spread. Analysing Double Page Spreads 11. For Qs double page spread they have decided not to use and pull out direct quotes. This is very unusual as these quotes usually pull the reader in if they are not already interested in the interview. However, I think they have done this as having the quotes may make the interview look more like a gossip magazine rather than a music magazine and give a more unprofessional and childish feel to the magazine making it look like it is targeting a younger audience. Surprisingly Q only uses one large image for the double page spread of their magazine. This means that they are trying to portray one purpose to the reader and not confuse the reader by having lots of different images showing and representing different ideas that dont link with the interview. Q uses around two to three different fonts for this article. The first one is used to attract your attention straight away to the title of the artist so you know exactly who the article is about. However, instead of just using one bold font for the artists name they have chosen to use two different ones. They have done this because the editor wants to imply that there are two sides to lady gaga therefore they have used two fonts. You can see this because the first word, Lady, is written in a very stylistic font in lower case letters using serif to create a more sophisticated and elegant approach to her character . Whereas Gaga is written in bold upper case letters to grab your attention and show her opposite more unique side which is quite in your face. This side of her character is the supported more thoroughly by the picture on the left showing her more outrageous and wild side. The other text is for the main interview and is all of a similar size. However they have tried to mix it up a bit and try not to confuse the reader as much by putting the start of new paragraphs with a larger starting letter as well as adding a large red letter L as the backdrop of the right page to break up the writing a bit and draw your attention in again as it is quite in your face relating to her and her personality. For the branding of this magazine Q has chosen to put their logo at the bottom right hand corner of the page. This is not the same as the set house style of the cover & contents page of the magazine as they usually have it in the right top hand corner. This has been done so the branding doesnt take the attention away from the interview and is used to gently remind you of the magazine you are reading For the double page spread Q uses a very simple but effective technique by having the picture of the artist interviewed on the left hand side and have the interview written on the right. This means that straight away the reader knows exactly who the interview is about and entices the reader into what the interview is about. However, they have used an interesting feature that is unique to this magazine. You can see this because they have chosen to put the columns of text over a large letter L in red. This means that this automatically attracts the readers attention and breaks up the text a little more so that the reader doesnt just see a page of writing and not want to read the magazine. 12. In comparison to other magazines Billboard uses a lot more imagery for the double page spreads as they have the typical large picture of the artist but they also include a smaller image of him in his day to day life to break up the text and make the interview seem more relaxed. You can see this because having all the images taken in the studio wouldnt relate to the audience as well and make the interview seem fake and unrealistic. As well as this the magazine is also quite unique compared to the other two magazines I have analyzed as the main picture of the artist Justin Bieber is a full body shot rather than being a close head and shoulders shot. This could suggest that he is comfortable and at ease in this interview as his pose (swinging on a chair) shows that he is quite relaxed and still slightly young and childish. Billboard uses a lot more fonts than the other two magazines I have looked at. This is quite unique as most magazines go with two or three fonts where as Billboard has chosen to use about five different fonts but still gives of the professional look. For the branding of this magazine Billboard has chosen not to use their logo on the double page spread of the magazine. This is surprising as most magazines like to reinstate the logo though the main features of it so the audience always knows which magazine it is in the back of their subconscious. For the double page spread of Billboard magazine you can see that they have their layout a little differently to Q. This is because they have the image on the right hand side rather than the left and pull a direct quote from the interview to use as the title and draw people into the magazine whereas the two other magazines I have analyzed haven't used this for their magazine. However, this is still a very typical layout as the image is on one side and then the text, in columns, is on the other. It is very rare that in a magazine the text overlaps the image. Although it is similar to most magazine structures it still has some differences and individual qualities as they have included more than one picture and have used a question and answer format for the interview. This is an individual feature because most magazines combine the question and answers to make a full non stop and start interview. I think this idea works well to break u the text and make it easier for the audience to read, however, I think it gives the magazine a less professional look therefore in my own magazine I dont think I will use this layout. For Qs double page spread they have decided not to use and pull out direct quotes. This is very unusual as these quotes usually pull the reader in if they are not already interested in the interview. However, I think they have done this as having the quotes may make the interview look more like a gossip magazine rather than a music magazine and give a more unprofessional and childish feel to the magazine making it look like it is targeting a younger audience. 13. Planning the photo shoot From my research I can see that the most popular feedback choice for the genre of music for my magazine is pop. Therefore I have been looking at magazines such as Billboard, Blender and Q to see how they present the artist/band. From this I can see that most of them have the artist in the middle with a plain coloured background so the main attention is on the artist rather than what they are standing in front of. So, because of this I have decided to go for a plain cream background and the artist stood top body with a straight on camera shot. For the shot types of my magazine I have decided to go for a lot of varieties in different poses but mainly straight on with the camera to make the artist look more confident and happy to be in the lime light. As well as that I have also decided that I want the artists hands in the photo either with them on their hips or plumping up their hair to make the cover more interesting to the audience. Another feature that came up in my survey that was very popular was having an orange, black and white colour scheme which means that the magazine will look much more professional unlike magazines such as We love pop which are targeted at a much younger audience. For the artist herself I have decided she should be wearing a dress/shorts and a top in either black or white with an added coat (fur?) to show the time of year of the issue. For the accessories of my artist I have decided she should be wearing a lot of rings at different lengths on her fingers and a necklace or two in a bronzed gold to compliment the colour scheme of the magazine. When thinking about the hairstyle of my artist I have decided to go for a more casual look with the artist having natural loose curls that frame her face. This is because this hairstyle is very in at the minute and is used by a lot of magazines as well as giving her hair a gentle effortless look. As well as this I have also been thinking about the makeup of the artist and how I want to present her therefore I have chosen for her to have smoky eyes, blusher and either nude, red or rosy pink lipstick and gloss to make her look made up like most artists but still look sophisticated rather than cheap. However, if I choose to have a closer up shot of just the artists face I think I would change the colour of the eye shadow so it complements the colour scheme of the magazine. I could do this by using blue eye shadow that will contrast with the colour scheme (orange) as they are opposite colours on a complementary wheel. For the props on the cover photo I have decided that the artist might be wearing sunglasses in the middle of her nose holding the side of the glasses and looking over the top. However, if I did this I would need a slightly higher view point on the artist which would change the shot of the artist I have chosen above. 14. Photo shoot 15. Editing 16. Initial idea 17. Final Products 18. Questions 19. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? 20. Bauer Media Group Bauer Media Group is a multinational media company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany which operates in 16 countries worldwide. The company was founded in 1875 Worldwide circulation of Bauer Media Group's magazine titles amounts to 38 million magazines a week. Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europes largest privately owned publishing Group. The Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations. Bauer Media joined the Bauer Media Group in January 2008 following purchase of Emap plcs consumer and specialist magazines, radio, TV, online and digital businesses. Collectively, the Group employs some 6,400 people. Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK-based media Group consisting of many companies collected around two main divisions Magazines and Radio - widely recognised and rewarded as being industry innovators. Our magazine heritage stretches back to 1953 with the launch of Angling Times and the acquisition in 1956 of Motor Cycle News, both still iconic brands within our portfolio. Today, Bauer Media spans over 80 influential brand names covering a diverse range of interests. In 2011 the Bauer Media Group generated EUR 2 billion in sales. 21. When looking for media institutions to distribute my magazine I decided to use the most well known companies such as Bauer and IPC Media. This is because they are the most successful institutions distributing millions of copies a week. Both of these institutions would be equally as good as Bauer is massive institution that operates in 16 countries worldwide. As well as this Bauer also already distributes magazines already around my audiences age range so I know that my magazine would be very popular. You can see this because Bauer distributes music magazines; Kerrang, Q and Mojo. However, this could be seen as a disadvantage as it means that my magazine would be fighting along with three other magazines who all have a similar target audience and are all very popular. Although saying this, these magazines target mainly the male audience by having mainly male artist on the front cover whereas my magazine generally targets the female audience more therefore it wouldnt be effected as much by the age of the target audience as I am also mainly targeting the opposite sex to the three other magazines. This would then make Bauer much more equal selling both magazines targeting the male and female audience. 22. Who would be the audience for your media product? 23. How did you attract/ address your audience? 24. Looking back at your Preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?