GENRE & FORM RESEARCH

In my Textual Analysis I studied mainly magazines that feature bands/artists of a Rock genre, with the exception of some bands/artists who are currently growing in popularity and are of Pop or other genres. These magazines, Q, Kerrang! And Rolling Stone are my inspiration and the genre will be kept similar to these magazines and so research will consist of bands/artists that have been featured in these magazines or are of a rock genre. I’m more comfortable will analysis a rock genre as it is my favourite music genre myself with the exception of a few pop songs that are my weakness!

ROCK GENRE HISTORY:In the early Sixties veterans of that scene, or disciples of that scene, led to the formation of bands such as The Rolling Stones (which has been featured in at least one of the magazines I have analysed and will be featured in my brief), the Yardbirds and the Animals. The Rolling Stones became "the" sensation in London and went on to record the most successful singles of the era. The Yardbirds were the most experimental of them all, and became the training ground for three of the greatest guitarists ever: Eric Clapton (Insert: Favoured musician, recently went to one of his concerts in Abu Dhabi!), Jeff Beck and Jimi Page. Two blues bands were then born, the Cream and the Led Zeppelin (another favoured musician), that in a few years will revolutionize rock music again.

Liverpool did not have a great underground scene but had a more commercial brand of rock bands. The producer George Martin was instrumental in creating the whole phenomenon, with both Gerry And The Pacemakers and The Beatles (Insert: one of my top favourite bands and featured several times in ‘Q magazine’ annually on Lennon’s Birthday), the band that went on to achieve world-wide success. Rock music as a major business was born.

SPECIFIC TO ANALYSED MAGAZINES & MY MUSIC TASTE (RELEVANT BANDS):

The Rolling Stones, The Kinks (Insert: favoured band and to be a relevant band featured, also been features in ‘Rolling Stone’) and the Who represent the triad of British rock bands of the mid 1960s that would influence entire generations of rock bands for decades. The Who were composing autobiographical songs of the angry and frustrated urban youth. The Rolling Stones were composing autobiographical songs of the decadent punks of the working class. The Kinks were composing realistic vignettes of ordinary life in bourgeois England. The three together provide a complete picture of the time.

Cream and Led Zeppelin upped the ante when they started playing very loud blues. Cream's lengthy solos and Led Zeppelin's fast riffs created the epitome of "hard rock".

RELEVANT BAND RESEARCH/ROCK GENRE HISTORY…

FROM THE BOOKS – TEACHING THE MUSIC PRESS BY CATH DAVIES…

Suggesting rock music in late 90s was considered a more black-dominating genre, this has changed significantly as Kerrang! Now displays evidently a balance of racial identity, this will be brought forward in the design of the magazine.

FORM/GENRE RESEARCH:To produce a music magazine successfully form in very important. By looking back at acquired magazines, Kerrang!, Q and Rolling Stone and what they are all similar of in terms of form. Other music magazines such as NME were looked at to make sure they had similar forms as well.

There is a predominant male readership that comes with the rock genre, and so to be similar in terms of form, the mise-en-scene, iconography, colours and other aspects of a magazine will be kept masculine, ‘aggressive persona’.

Because the rock genre has essential a men of ‘all age’ readership, icons, colours, mise-en-scene, performance etc. will also appeal to all age groups such as using action shots to create a more playful side rather than seriousness of posing to appeal to the younger readership.

ROCK GENRE HISTORY/FORM RESEARCH…

This became an issue in 2005 suggesting women’s presence in the rock genre was not as predominant as it is nowadays, this is supported with bands such as ‘Paramore’ who demonstrate a female singer, bands in the rock genre’s history through research I have discovered lacked a female presence, such bands like The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and even Muse today reinforce this.

Thus in terms of form, like other magazines I will involve female aspects but the magazine will be essentially male-orientated to appease the larger target audience of males, or females will adopt masculine characteristics.

Women are also used in magazines with a significant male readership who give a sexy, seductive performance to ultimately also appeal to males as their favourite bands would, this is demonstrated through the ‘Q’ magazine front cover I analysed with Lily Allen, she is given fierce props and an animalistic impression.

ROCK GENRE HISTORY/FORM RESEARCH…

‘The Kinks in the September 2004 edition’ Relevant band: Has been featured several times in magazines, I will be doing the same.

Those who were young and purchasing ‘Q’ are now shifting into an older bracket, my magazine will features 60s, 70s etc. to keep up with this fact.

Music magazines of a rock genre still celebrate music from older era’s allowing audiences to broaden their music knowledge and embrace it with tributes, photographs and other material, this can contribute is making a successful magazine.

FORM RESEARCH & CONVENTIONS

FORM RESEARCH (WHAT MAY BE DEMONSTRATED IN MY MAG)/CONVENTIONS…A convention of magazines in general music magazine is that the front cover typically displays Large Photo/Image, the image is usually of an exclusive guest/band/singer and the magazine will have detailed articles and double page spreads about that guest.

On most music magazines there is a Masthead, the masthead is the title of the magazine such as ‘Rolling Stone’. The masthead is conventionally nearly always located on the top of the magazine. Most magazines situate the Masthead behind the main photo/image, so it superimposes to connotes the importance of the guests given their dominance over the Masthead. ‘Q’ in this example has broken this convention.

All text on the front page is kept brief with simple language to read, this is because its the front page which you judge of whether to buy the magazine.

The background behind the main image in specifically ‘Q’ magazine are typically left white as to limit distraction, this example does not keep to this convention possibly as its background creates a playful, creative appearance to connote the exclusive bands persona/music type.

Most magazines have second title located on the front cover, it is usually the name of the band/guest with articles within. Barcode placed conventionally at bottom as it has less importance.

FORM RESEARCH (WHAT MAY BE DEMONSTRATED IN MY MAG)/CONVENTIONS…

CompositionFrom a double page spread that previously in the blog was textually analysed, different compositions can be played with using the medium shot image of Tom Morello.

Conventionally an image of one of the band members to be created could be displayed like so:

This medium close-up of an individuals face can create connotations of mystery and appear enigmatic but can also connote one half of a person’s personality is being displayed.

of the images to be taken for each page can be experimented

with conventionally and unconventionally:From this I can learn that by keeping to the conventions of a page layout and thus the composition being designed to be familiar will keep the page please and safe, but to what extent I will keep to these conventions it still negotiable as rock shouldn’t necessarily be connoted as ‘safe’.

From this I can learn that composition is extremely important, combined with lighting and framing (cropping) as it helps in drawing the attention of the audience to what you want to be most significant and important on a page.Page(s) by Lucy Scott-Galloway.

In my magazine as Rock magazine wouldn’t conventionally display pictures connoting ‘safe, but more the opposite as rock music is stereotypically seen as a rebellious, dangerous music, so I may as this paragraph suggests ‘break the rules of composition’.

The composition could be displayed unconventionally as such to connote a playfulness of an individual as the person ‘peaks’ over, also possibly connoting a cheekiness.

Conventionally a medium profile shot could also be used which has been used in several rock genre magazines as it connotes a sense of superiority as it appears as those the person refuses to look at the camera.

Use of white space will be put into consideration, as is Q’s popular magazine the front page usually display much white space by cutting out the background of the person’s photographed, which does give the person’s dominance on the front page as without the background no distraction from the person’s is created.

My magazine will was to feature mainly close ups as the images will want to have the more power presence and power in its relationship with the audience to allow it to have more of an impact, interesting and memorable.