Research: Music Magazine Covers

Kerrang! 

Kerrang! is a rock/heavy metal music magazine that is released every fortnight. It appeals to it's target audience as the colour scheme and font carries conventions of rock music such as vandalism, chaos and rebellion. Also, the masthead 'Kerrang!' follows the magazine's theme as it is use of onomatopoeia and was created to remind you of the strum of an electric guitar. Further more, a rebellious action is shown in the placing of the main feature. The singer is placed in the middle but the rule of thirds is broken, and also his head covers the masthead. There is also rules on this cover that have bee followed though, such as the left third and multiple cover lines. I also chose a cover from kerrang with a femal artist because i'm thinking of using a female, she too is looking down the camera. 

Hammer

Hammer magazine, like Kerrang!, also dedicates itself to rock music, however it's genre is specified in the rock sub genre heavy metal. It's colour scheme is similar, bright and eye catching, and the masthead 'Hammer' is, like Kerrang!, use of phonology as the sound of a hammer reminds you of loud crashes. Which some may say rock music sounds like, and the word 'metal' holds connotations of sharpness. Furthermore there is also a singer, but he is centered in this magazine, covering some of the masthead.

NME
NME is a magazine that covers a less specific range of music, they cover rock, indie and popular music. On this cover, the rule of thirds is being broken. There is a left third, full of coverlines and a puff/plug. The colour scheme is brighter and a little lighter to the eye, it is also quite contrasting, perhaps conveying the fact that the magazine talks about multiple musical genres.

Research: Two Possible Target Audiences

Research: Conventionial Buzzwords Of Music Genres

ROCK          - Guitar (Electric), Loud, Chaos, Drums, Mosh Pit                
JAZZ            - Trumpet, Saxophone, Calmness
POP              - Mainstream, Dance routines, Fun
INDIE           - Guitar (Electric/Acoustic), Individual/Alternative
FOLK           - Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Tambourines, Fun, Calm
HIP HOP      - Fast, Mainstream, Break Dance, African Origin 
REGGAE      - Jamaica, Calm, Relaxed, Classic Drum
CLASSICAL - Piano, Calm, Slow
DANCE         - Strobe Light, Fast, Technological, Robotic

Research: Current Popular Music Magazines

Here are some letters posted to the publisher websites from the editors of Kerrang!, Q and NME. These texts will help me find out about existing products on the market, to conclude on a style that will be appropriate, successful and necessary in today's music media industry. 

            In the year 2000, the rock magazine Kerrang! won the title of best selling British music magazine and is published by Bauer Media. This letter provides evidence that the rock genre covers a wide audience, as a consequent of multiple sub genres of rock that all interlink. 'Each issue will include a balance of bands,' this proves that Kerrang! is a magazine that needs to cover a variety of bands to fulfill the need of their diverse target audience. 

Kerrang! is released weekly at the price of £2.20 (conventionally, this varies with special issues)

In the months of June 2013, Kerrang! reached a readership of 345,000

Q is a monthly released magazine in the UK, but is globally known. Q has was one of the first music magazines to be released monthly, stressing the importance of high quality photography and style was in contribution to the overall product. It covers mainly popular mainstream music. 

Q readership in 2013 hit 377,000 at the price of £3.99 

Beaur Media is a useful site in researching existing music media products, and gives me good insight onto how to produce a successful product. Their tag line is 'we think popular,' this reassures me that if I made a magazine similar to one of their texts, it would be for a valid market. 

NME is magazine that again contrasts Kerrang! and Q, it's extremely popular and specifies it's target audience as 16 -24. The fundamental success of NME came because of it's coverage of both pop and rock grand genres, it therefore serves the needs of a wide spectrum of target audience. It is the eldest text in the three examples given, originating as a music newspaper in 1952.

Research: Music Genre Mindmap

Mind mapped different music genres to see which type of magazine i may want to create.

Evaluation: Reflection on Student Magazine

   Reflecting on my work completed for the student magazine, i feel pleased with the outcomes. I think that the magazine cover looks presentable as it follows basic conventions of real magazines, such as the biggest text on the page being the masthead and multiple cover lines suitable to the content of the magazine and it's genre.  I think that the cover could have been improved as I could have used a clear main cover line, and also having more time to enhance the over all presentation.
   Looking back I believe that Photoshop may have been a better device to achieve a professional look to the cover, so I'll think about using it for the music magazine task. I was pleased with the contents page as it was only a rough draft, if i were ever to complete it I would think about the background and add in either colour or a photo for more visual variety. Furthermore, I would  add outlines to the fonts and some pictures, but this again is a tool I would have to use on Photoshop.
   I decided to stick to 3 main colours on the contents page, which all contrasted but weren't too harsh on the eye. These colours were also used on the front cover, so there was a clear connection between the two pieces, I liked this aspect of my work and will keep it in mind for the next project.
   I believe the magazine looks like an legitimate college magazine. The model is wearing basic make up and clothing, this was to make sure that there would not be any aspect of the picture that would distract the reader from the cover lines and information featured on the front. Also, Darcy is carrying books and smiling so she looks both happy and like a 'typical student.'

Production: Contents Page

1st draft

Final contents 

Production: Using In Design

I used the type tool, shape, colour and different fonts. I also used 'file' and 'place' to add images.