SOUND magazine evaluationJessica Dooley

Masthead

ContentThe left

thirdwhat reader’s will see

on the shelf

Barcode

Main image

Skyline

Leadingarticle

Pull quote

Ways in which my Front cover uses, develops or challenges forms and conventions of real media products..

The masthead is vital to all magazines, it informs the customer of the title of the magazine, what sort of magazine they will be purchasing and if bold enough, will be of future reference. It is important for any magazine tocreate a masthead that will appeal to the

specific audience intended andthe specific audience intended, and pre haps marginal, therefore I tried to create a strong masthead for my magazine. I created a masthead thatwas straight to

the point, bold and eye-catching, as well as going with the genre of the magazine, which is for a unisex range of 16-24. As i was aware that I had to keep the title broad and universal, therefore

aimed for a simple but strong masthead, in order to immediately attract readers of a large range..

The main image on a magazine cover is just as vital as the masthead, in attracting the readers and informing them of the magazines genre, and whatwould be featured in the magazine. As my double page spread is on “TheQueens of the music industry” as well as

entitled on the cover as content, Iused photoshop, to show one of the band members on a throne, to visuallyindicate to the reader what the main feature is about, as well as indicatingthe magazine contains humour, of which i also portrayed in the band memb-ers posture/pose. From research i found many magazines use one band member as their main image, which i found just

as effective, and therefore used.

The skyline is important in allowing the reader to have a brief on what your magazine is about. I used a quick, short and catchy slogan based at the top of my

magazine to inform readers immediately on what they are buying and what the magazine specialises in before purchase.

A pull quote allows the reader to have a taste of what the leading article is about with out necessarily having to search through the magazine. I used a pull

quote from my main article on what i thought was the best quote, yet open ended, to entice the reader to want to buy the magazine based on their interest for they

have seen so far from the article.

The left third is important because it is the part of which will be on show, when the magazine is on the shelves/ lay out in a shop. Because it is what the reader will

see first, i made sure my best content/ articles are on the left third, aware that it has to grab the readers attention.

Masthead

Page number references

Images

Content, features and pagereference

Ways in which my Contents uses, develops or challenges forms and conventions of real media products..

The masthead on contents is again important in interesting the specified readers. In order to gain interest, i used a more relaxed tone on my contents mast

head, that indicates a more humorous tone than serious, going with the personality of the magazine as well as relating with the magazines specified audience.

Page number references are important to any magazine contents page as it allows

the reader to easily find what feature they are looking for. I mainly used images to reference the

pages as well as large numbers as well as descriptions at the side, to create a more visually accessible effect to the magazine contents page rather than textual. It also conveys fun and different

attitude.

T

Pull quote

Lead image

Standfirst

Columns

Drop cap

By linePage number

Ways in which my DPS uses, develops or challenges forms and conventions of real media products..

Pull quote is usually a quote from the leading article that gives readers a taste of what the article is all about. I used my pull quote as my title, as from my research i found it was an effective way to

introduce an article. As the pull quote was also my title, it was important that i used an interesting, and eye catching pull quote, that identified the featured band.

Stand first is the journalists way of introducing the reader to an article. It is vital to grab the readers attention in a stand first, in order for the reader to want to carry on through the main article. In order to accomplish this i used humour and a personal point of view that included the readers, and ran

with the magazines genre/ specified representation.

The lead image is important to an article as a visual portrayal of the band. I used only one image, as i found from research it was just as effective as the usual, cluttered image look. I used the same theme as the front cover of ‘Queens’ of the music industry, as well as the fact the theme ran with the article where the band tries to prove their normality. I decided to have my image spread

across the double page spread in order to keep the visual aspect to the page big yet minimalistic. Columns are important to the DPS as the layout keeps the reader interested depending on

what sort of article they are after. I used two columns across the DPS, so it didn’t look like too much

writing, yet a satisfying amount.

Representing social groups:

My magazine represents a younger, ‘whatever’ attitude, and up to date social group, similar to the readers of Q magazine or NME. The artists i use to portray this genre and attract this particular social

group are young, so i tried to capture the band in a powerful, whatever attitude through out, which ran with the entitlement ‘Queen’s of pop’. For example i presented a member of the band on a throne for the magazine cover, using photoshop which ran with the entitlement representing a ‘Queen’. The use of

photoshop also tried to attract a young genre of readers in a different way than most mainstream magazines would using a medium close up of the artist(s), usually without any props. I took the same

attitude with my double page spread, trying to create a humorous effect, as well as portraying the band in an indie/pop like genre, representing to the younger, more relaxed social groups. The use of

stronger, and more younger jargon also creates this social group effect on the magazine.

WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE MY MAGAZINE:

Out of the main magazine companies, Bauer would be the most likely to distribute my magazine.

Firstly because my magazine, was largely inspired by Q magazine, of which BAUER distributes.

Secondly because BAUER media distributes a large range of magazines, from Grazzi, Q and to Heat magazine, that relates to ‘SOUND’ magazines specific

social group as well as reaching out to the older social groups.

SOUND magazine was also largely inspired by NME magazine, of which also hold’s a very similar social group representation. For example NME is first to inform about ‘gigs near you’, which is similar to the new music approach my

magazine tries. I would find it most likely to be that of NME or BAUER to distribute SOUND magazine, due to the fact their magazines, attract similar

social groups.

What audience my magazine appeals to:

From survey research, i was able to find what my particular social group was after in a music magazineas well as discovering the most common age rangeand gender. My magazines genre would consist of

an Indie/hip hop interested audience who are after the new music, as well as the classics. My audience is more

interested in festivals than knowing every wordto the latest main stream top hit.

To keep up with the audiences demand, i included features such as ‘gig’s near you’ to my magazine, and a festival guide. My DPS consisted of introducing a new band, however the article still managed to talk about

the older bands. The main images consisted of a mixture of indie/hip hop , of which also represented the featured band. I used a fashionable approach to the bands photoshoot of which satisfied the survey’s requests as well as keeping a relaxed, humorous tone

throughout.

The way in which my music magazine has been specified

The age range being 16-25 meant i could specify my magazine around a young age group.

An almost even male to female ratio meant i had to keep my magazine unisex.

The most commonly listened to

genre’s on my survey, were indie and hip-

hop, therefore i based my

magazine within a balance

between both genre’s.

100% of my surveys

audience were after a retro/vintag

e style, therefore i

tried to maintain a

vintage look/ tone.

Audience feedbackFrom a survey done in class, i found that my magazine was

over all liked, however, i was asked for different colour choices on the front cover, and a less cluttered look. From my

results i am pleased with the audience feedback, yet appreciate the fact i know how to improve my magazine, to

further preferences.

From technologies i have learnt:

I have learned a lot by using photoshop. I have learnt how to improve pictures, and add props that weren’t in the image before, of which over all made my magazine work with the title and

tone i had given it. I have learned how to add titles and gradients, as well as experimenting

with fonts. I have also learned to use photoshop a lot more efficiently. Social networking sites such as facebook helped me evaluate my process, and websites such as survey monkey

helped me advertise and research what i needed for my magazines social representation.

What i have learnt:

My AS magazine project has taught me many things. Firstly my photoshop skills have improved greatly, from basic, to more

complicated and realistic edits. I have improved on creating a magazine based on an audience feedback rather than my own

preferences as well as learning what i can improve on.

I have found out from research a lot more about magazines, especially with particular interview styles and photoshoots of

which have inspired me and my magazine. My research on interviews has broadened my perception on how interviews can be

styled which improves my learning skills on journalism.

I wish to carry on to A2, in hope i can further improve what i have learnt to change and work on in my AS studies.

Thank you.