OCR Media Studies – AS Level

Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media

Planning & Research

Name: Imani Ayimba-GoldingCandidate Number: 1012Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number:64135

Set Brief - Print

Music Magazine – Production

Preliminary Task Progression and Planning & Research

Section 1) – Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task Progression– EvidenceFront CoverStep-by-step

1. I created a gradient background and I added the masthead with a drop shadow.2. I created a shape at the top of the page and added the web address, the logo,

the date and the price.3. Then I used the quick selection tool to cut Louise out of the background and

placed heron the page. I also added the strapline.4. I then added the main headline.5. Next I added the sublines and placed them around the main image. I also added

the issue number.6. To add detail I then placed pictures, a puff promotion, the barcode and an

‘exclusive’ box.7. Then I added more pictures and another subline.8. Finally I added social media icons to the barcode and the final subline.

Preliminary Task Progression– EvidenceContents PageStep-by-step

1. I created the title and dragged the shape from the front cover onto the contents page.

2. I then added the logo, the date, issue and name of the magazine.3. Next I added shapes to break the page and the editorial title 4. I then added the feature pictures and placed them 5. Next I added the feature headlines 6. I then added the features with their sublines.7. Next I added pictures to go with the features8. Finally I added the editorial which included the content the picture the

editorials information and signature.

Section 2) – Log Book

Music Magazine – Genre research

Top of the Pops Billboard NME- article from the guardian Billboard

Established Magazine for my ResearchMasthead

Main image- bold, drawing in the audience.

Main headline- used a pull quote to give the audience a taster of what the interview outlines

Barcode/price/date/issue

Cover lines- outlines what's coming up in the magazine

Promotional- by highlighting the anniversary it draws attention to the issue

Strapline – The verbal code “discover” connotes that the magazine gives you something to explore.

Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needsThe general target audience for Q magazine is mostly young adults especially males who are interested in alternative music and purchasing CDs/albums. The statistics also show that 83.8% of the readers are 15-44 years of age (Hartley's seven subjectivities). This shows Q’s ability to make the magazine appeal to a wide range of ages and social groups. This particular issue however shows that the target audience may be a wider group of people. The Q readership profile states that 71.8% of readers are in the A B and C1 profiles. Katz – e.g. ‘inform and educate’ (Katz); MASLOW – ‘social climbers’; ‘explorers’. This would appeal to social climbers as people that are into this genre of music strive to be like the people they look up to in society, in this situation the artists in the magazine. People seek someone to represent themselves in a media, for example associating themselves artists and connecting with their perspective.

What is the USP of this magazine?I think that the USP is the fact that this issue of the Q magazine is a collectors issue therefore targets a specific audience. The people who are regular readers of this magazine would be more tempted to buy this particular issue.

http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/uploads/q.pdf

Publisher research

Q was founded in 1986 by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were dismayed by by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology. Q was first published by the EMAP media group in October 1986.

Q is published by Bauer Media, a media company that manages a portfolio if magazines, digital products, radio and television stations in local markets across the world.The magazine mainly focuses on up coming rock and roll artists, however occasionally features other genres. Readers are mainly young adults who can afford to buy the magazine each month.Q magazine has around 339,000 readers and 48,353 copies were distributed between January and July 2014.Most of the readers rate Q magazine very highly and in research it outperforms competitors on things like best interviews and award winning photography.

Conventions of a Music Magazine

Main image- focal point of the front cover. Stance of the artist suggests power

Logo- gives brand recognisability, but also the change in the original colour shows artist originality.

Cover lines- advertises other articles that feature in the magazine.

Main Heading- bold so catches readers eye. Use of the artists name draws attention to the magazine. The colour pink links in with the logo.

Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs

The target audience of Billboard magazine ranges from 16 year olds to young adult's around the age of 25. This is because it provides the reader with the latest updates of the charts but also a variety of music from other genres, especially Hip Hop and RnB. Advertising behaviorist models of human behavior Audiences are active in choosing media for their own ‘gratifications’ (pleasure) Links to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Developed by Blumler & Katz Main reasons for using media: Personal Identity – to define who we are (sometimes called self-surveillance) Information Entertainment – includes escape, distraction Social Interaction – to help us socialize with like-minded people. In most magazines the main image and sell-line/anchor text in the left hand third use Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory by placing a celebrity who is a popular role model for the target audience of teenage girls as the main focus of the magazine. The target audience is likely to have identify with the celebrity and her gender. pull quote emphasizes individuality (as a trend setter) which emphasizes use as a role model that the target demographic is likely to want to 'use' to make decisions for their own fashion choices.

What is the USP of this magazine?From the research completed into this media product, I think the Unique Selling Point of the magazine is that it features many different genres of music, this appeals to a wider range of people therefore increasing sales and profits.

Publisher researchBillboard is the world's most influential music media brand reaching key executives and tastemakers in and around the music business through Billboard MagazineBillboard is edited By Danyel Smith and is owned by the company Prometheus Global Media.

Billboard is headquartered in New York with bureaus in Los Angeles and Miami, and has editorial correspondents in major cities around the world. It has served the entertainment business since 1894.

Billboard maintains several internationally recognized record charts, which track the most popular songs and albums across several categories on a weekly basis.