HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?Evaluation Question 5

Initial ideas and decisions

Ideas Decisions Make audiences achieve something or become

convinced to gain from the magazine, tempting audiences to buy the magazine not just for the physical content/articles etc.

Gig/ festival competitions – audiences feel they are achieving/looking forward to something because of the magazine of their main hobby, music/live music.

Relation to target audience’s daily lives, this being education e.g. school and university due to their age and need for support.

Use articles involving artist’s past. These artists would be individuals they look up to so they will want to take advice and learn about their history.

Consistently ensure a range of style and care for appearance due to teenagers/young adults prioritising clothing choices and their personal representation/fitting into a set style.

Photoshoot with high levels of fashion and clothing co ordination, linking to the conventional shops ‘indie’ audiences would shop in e.g. vintage/alternative.

Have an interesting house style that will make it stand out from other magazine competitors, as audiences want to see individuality and distinctiveness.

Colour scheme is unique yet sophisticated, such as blacks and greys contrasted with pastel colours.

Focus on music facts and exclusive information as this was a key trend in my research from music fans.

I ensured I had a list of bands and gigs to show that learning about music is the key focus. I had personal information in the interview however most was music related.

Photoshoot

Costume = denim jacket, beanie, skinny jeans – modern trends and carefully chosen matches of clothing items. Importance in fashion and visual representation.

Costume = all black – audiences look for mystery and edge, such as

clothing colour being heavy in black. Represents nightlife which is

important to younger generations.

Props – guitar on back – Idea of travelling with

music, focus on music being a part of them – this

passion is admired by music fans.

Will’s shoot

Group shoot

Composition and framing– Will is always in the centre of the composition with surrounding nature filling the rest of the frame. This is important in attracting the audience as it gives a sense of relaxation and reality.

Composition and framing– The band are in an urban, arty setting with each member being collectively central in the frame, no matter the shot size or object number. This is conventional in band shoots, allowing audiences to recognise them as one item, and the urban setup makes younger audiences feel youthful and directed as it is casual and may appear rebellious.

Anchorage– The natural setting with the branches and

greenery can connote peacefulness,

representing the comforting topic he

discusses as an idea of success, ensuring

the audiences are feeling positive whilst

reading.

Mode of address – An indie genre is represented in this shoot: the light colours, the relaxed posture and the casual atmosphere connote this.

Mode of address – This photoshoot connotes more of an alternative genre due to the dark contrasts of

background and costume. The general atmosphere however is happy and enthusiastic due to the happy or

occasionally comical facial expressions, making the audience feel as though they are almost friends with

the models used.

Inspiration used

Photoshoot

Alfie’s shoot

Gig shoot

Costume = two outfits: grey hoodie, white vest– alternative genre represented, supports other bands showing musical appreciation, the black and white clothes match the colour scheme of the article, showing organisation. Fashionable, desirable.

Composition and framing– The shots always have the model central in the frame, featuring mostly long shots or mid-long shots. This allows audiences to see the entire figure and representation of the artist.

Mode of address – This shoot has aspects of the alternative genre due to the clothing choices and

aspects such as long hair, the acoustic guitar can connote the indie/calm genre, similarly to the

mode of address in the article used from this

shoot. The two locations suggest clarity and

mental clarity.

Anchorage – The message is shown to have depth of musical talent and ambition, the fact that a guitar is used suggests the constant passion of making music for fans to enjoy.

Costume = denim unique shirt, glasses, messy hair – promotes individuality and expression within fashion – my chosen target audience will aspire to have this.

Composition and framing– Low angles were used with these shots, so audiences will look up to the musician and feel ambitious and purposeful. They are just below eye-level, and within a central frame, so this is a subtle detail.

Anchorage– From this shoot, audiences can see the

common theme of performance and appreciation of music, as

well as the connotations of individuality and expression in

regards to music – this will attract audiences as they will

aspire to have this as a part of their lives.

Mode of address – This shoot presents the nightlife atmosphere and the social aspect of the music genre, in an edgy way, due to the brick wall and dark setting.

Inspiration used

Colour scheme and layoutThe colour scheme is unique and challenges conventions due to the lack of flash colour, allowing audiences to feel unique when purchasing this unique, ‘diverging’ from the trends. The blacks ensure it stands out to audiences however the pastels allow relaxation and may also ensure female or feminine audiences will be intrigued.

My chosen layout for my front cover is conventional and the structure, e.g. the band consuming the entire page, brings in music fans as the cover page would typically be of famous, heavily enjoyed musicians of the chosen genre. The yellow sticker stands out, further enhancing the reeling of audiences gaining from purchasing the product. The listed features allow audiences to quickly recognise their interests and the fact that there are several features covering entire the page suggests they will have a large amount of content that will keep them interested. Cut out images will be around the page to ensure the idea of fun and informality, a style that younger people appreciate.

The design of my contents page is unconventional in regards to the columned structure. I feel that this choice allowed audiences to navigate easily, and makes use of images consistently, so the audience will be visually pleased and will catch attention. It is unique, so readers will possibly be interested in something newly styled rather than magazines that are all very conventionally similar.

My double page spread was designed to look relaxing and eye-catching. The large, long shot image - covering over three quarters of the page – is of crisp quality and connotes the content in the interview. The text being kept to two columns provides simplicity in reading for audiences and sticks to convention. The quote in the middle allows audiences to get an insight, and further want to continue reading. The title also uses a quote at the bottom of the page, to give a perception of what the magazine is about – it is dramatic and music-based, so music fans will be interested. I kept the page minimal in order to continue the theme of relaxation, to give audiences a break from the stress of reality.

Language used

• Rhetorical questions: allow audiences to question these things themselves and provokes involvement or curiosity.

• Short phrases and lists: straight to the point to reduce stress

• “Guide” “explore”: idea of adventure which is valued in younger people

• Quotations: interest in what the artists have to say rather than editors

• Imperatives: “go to” – idea of urgency so audiences feel as though it is necessary: don’t want to miss out

• “Only”: audiences are short on money so would be interested in something considered cheap

• Imperatives followed by an alliterative list of three: friendly, casual language for younger people

• Exclamatory imperative with direct address – excite readers and make them feel a part of the magazine

• Idea of missing out: younger people want to be a part of something exciting and can’t miss something important

• Alliteration – fun language, informal

“Win” – allow audiences to think they will gain something exciting from the magazine, of their commonly shared hobby, seeing live music. Anticipation to continue buying the magazine for more opportunities.

Artists are listed with a colon and further detail. Minimal yet intriguing.

Language used

In my article, I used various language features:

• My questions were conversational rather than formal, in order to ensure the readers knew it was friendly, giving the illusion that it is more of an insight into the artist’s life rather than a structured, artificial interview.

• The language I used was conventional and involved factual statements, to give the trust that the information is music based, which is what my research has shown my audiences to be looking for.

• My interview did not take place however I ensured that the detail I involved in the answers was full so the audiences were gaining a high insight into the artist’s persona rather than straightforward answers, such as ideas about his first band and gig. The answers were excitable and it was clear that the artist wanted his audiences to know all of the influences in the industry, creating the idea of a bond between the artists and audiences.

• I used a question of “what do you think of Friction?” – this continues the involvement and value of my reader’s opinion which was key in my research.

• I used slang terms such as “jamming” and “rock ‘n’ roll” to show casualness and enjoyment.

Feedback confirming expectations • “Throughout the magazine, the complementary colour

scheme and organised layout made the experience easy to navigate and understand, without having to read too much into the information given. However, I found that perhaps some pages seemed more crowded than others which detracted from an overall house style being accomplished. Overall, I would definitely be attracted to this magazine.

• The models and their appearance also contributed to the attractiveness of the magazine: being a similar age to myself made the content more relatable and I found their overall fashion and style aesthetically pleasing.”

Audience Feedback

Feedback generating of surprise• “I think that the magazine is designed well so that it is

attractive to young people like myself. I would rather it be more alternative to give a firm genre – if someone is more interested in indie over more rock sounding artists, or vice versa, they may not be as tempted to buy the magazine. I would personally be worried from the light colour scheme reducing the fun and edge of the overall theme.”

This feedback is interesting as I tried to fit in both genres to make it widely interesting to a variety of audiences, e.g. both sexes and closely related music genres. However, if I did this magazine again, I may choose to attract one specific audience and ensure that it is completely fitting to them alone which may induce more profit.

Audience feedback