First draft of my double page spread

Here is my flat plan and first layout draft of my double page spread. As you can see there is alot going on and the main focus is on festivals and my music artist. By having this plan i can rely on it and look back on it and it will help with the build of my article. I want my double page spread to be informative but interesting at the same time and to help festival newbies with the basic of what to do at festivals. I also believe my article is relevant due to the fact that festival season is approaching quickly and most people would have already booked there tickets. By creating this double page spread now it will be appealing to more people and sticks to the music magazine theme by including my music artist consistently throughout.

Here is my first draft in creating my double page spread, i will be creating it on photoshop and my title is clear and big at the top of the page. I have experimented with what colours i should have the background but also sticking to my colour scheme and i asked some people within my target audience and put the information in a bar chart.

This is the bar chart i have created showing audience feedback on what colours they would prefer to see on my double page spread. I asked 10 people and from my chart you can see that a huge 80 per cent preferred White font with a Black background in comparsion to the other way round. My original idea was to use this but i then changed my mind, but now after recieving audience feedback i have decided to go back to my original idea and stick to the White font, with a black background.

This is the next stage of my double page spread, I have followed my flat plan and placed all the text and the image according to my original plan. I need to include Leon Connellys passage at the bottom and gain some audience feedback to improve and make the double page spread more professional and suitable for my target audience.

This is my finished double page spread before feedback, all the text is revelant and relates back to the festival topic but has an input from my artist, the heading is bold and big and the text is detailed with a quote from himself which is shown in many music magazines that i am inspired by and they have helped me to create my magazine.

This is a double page spread from NME and indie band Arctic Monkeys are featuring, which are similar to my artist Leon Connelly so looking at what there articles look like will help me to improve my double page spread and make it more realistic and professional. The color scheme is similar to mine and a quote has also been used with 'Alex Turner's' name underneath, which is what i have done on my double page spread with Leon Connellys name underneath aswell.

Here is some feedback from a girl in my class, she had a look at my double page spread and has suggested some improvements for my article her age also fits the 'stereotypical target audience member' so her response will help me greatly. Also what will make the layout better and what is already good about it. Getting feedback will make a huge impact on the outcome of my finished media products.

This is my final draft of my double page spread, I have taken into consideration feedback and the overall appearance of the article and have made the following changes.

Added page numbers to make the article look more realistic and professional along with the title of my music magazine next to them. This was changed due to feedback I received and changes a group of target audience members requested and I believe it has improved my double page spread. I have also included another photograph of my music artist as I was inspired by my research and how similar music magazines to mine include 2 or more images of the featuring music artist. I also changed the font, and made certain text larger as i wanted the quote in particular to stand out as thats a common convention that many double page spreads include.

First draft of my contents page

 

 

This is my flat plan for my contents page, i have though about where to put each feature and when i produce and make my first draft it will hopefully come out how i want it to. By doing a flat plan it makes it easier when making my contents page because i will know what im doing and where i need to place everything. I now have to create and make the real thing.

 

 

 

This my first draft of my Contents page, the next thing i will need to do is to gain audience feedback in order to improve my contents page further.

First draft of front cover

This is my flat plan for my front cover, it gives me an idea of how to create my music magazine cover and where everything needs to go. Instead of thinking on the stop i have a plan that i can keep looking back to, i will follow the flat plan and if im not happy or i get bad feedback i will then make the apprioriate changes.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my first draft of my music magazine front cover, i will get audience feedback in order to improve my cover and make it look more professional, i also want to know what my target consumers want to see.  

Automatically i can personally already see changes that i need to make. The title ' Intact' is too small and i havent included a price which is a vital element so i can sell my magazine! I want to change the size and font of some of the text and will experiment with placing it differently around my artist.

After getting some feedback from class mates and my nextdoor neighbour i made some vital changes that im hoping has improved my magazine for the better. I made the Title 'Intact' much bigger so it really stands out at the top and is clear and easy to see. I included a price at the bottom of the magazine as i previously didnt put one in. I moved the sub headings around and made a new one to fill up the space a bit more and draw more consumers in and removed the image of my 2nd music artist as i decided to include that on the contents page rather then the front cover like many other indie magazines do.

I asked some girls in the year below for some feedback on my front cover, ' It looks very professional' ' The image stands out and is a very good shot' ' The colour scheme looks slick and makes the cover look more like a real music magazine' and ' Experiment with the text and move it around to see if it creates a different

Photos from my first shoot

 

This is a potential image of my music artist that i am considering using for the front cover, the brick wall in the background gives an edgy feel to the image and would also be easy to place text on top of without it being hard to read or see. The brick background also emphasises his stern facial expression and looks professional as theres no distractions or imperfections distracting consumers from my music artist, the attention is fully focused on him. The clothing also represents his steriotypical genre as 'Indie' as he is dressed in a baggy jumper and is engaging with audience members staight away as he is looking straight into the camera. My music artist also looks himself and he is fully regonisable to consumers and isnt dressed up or hard to see. Its important to represent your artist and make them noticable straight away. As my music artist is staring into the camera and i believe thats very important for a front cover of a magazine to have, as he is catching the attention of target audience members as females will be attracted to that and males will want to be like that.

 

 

Here is another image i could consider using for the front of my music magazine. Theres a bit more going on in the background but there is still the bricks on show. The trees add a bit more colour into the photo and could be edited to look a different colour or a bit more edgy to attract more attention. My music artist is also staring straight into the camera again which grabs consumers attention as he looks confident and this will stand out. He is wearing a different oversized blue velvet jumper which is currently in fashion at the moment and sticks to his unique style that some boys may be interested and may interpret in there own way. I want my music artist to be an inspiration and for young people to be able to relate to him; thats why i believe the festival front cover with his advice aswell would be very helpful and vital for young adults going to festivals without a clue. In this image there may be to much going on in the background which could take distraction away from my music artist, this is something i will have to consider if choosing this as my front cover image.

 

This is an image that would need cropping and editing, if i was to use it. The background is very detailed with more colours going on and the brick and nature theme still running through. This image shows consumers the whole of my music artist and what he is wearing, this will be appealing to fans as they will want to know the latest of what he is wearing and his style. He is still looking straight into the camera even though he is far away which shows his confidence but contrasts with him looking small and vunerable infront of the huge trees in the background. If i was to use this image it would be on the double page spread when he is talking to target audience members about festivals and tips on how to keep safe. This could show him in a different more sensitive light and this image would support that theme as he isnt up close to the camera but sitting relaxed looking up.

 

This image is slightly different as my music artist is looking to the side and smiling instead of the previous stern look straight into the camera. This would be a fun relaxed image to use on the contents page or the double page spread as its not so serious and shows a more fun side to my music artist. The background is still the same as the previous photos as I have shot them in the same location which keeps the continuality flowing throughout my images.

 

 

This image is also of my artist looking to the side, I could also use this on my contents page. I believe this image has a professional feel to it as his body language is very stylized and he is sitting in a certain position to create an atmospheric feel and looks as if he is looking into the distance. This is more serious compared to the previous and includes the background and my artists full body in the photo. His fashion is still consistent and the same as the other images, I believe that the clothes he wears are vital to stick to his own image and to influence his fans. I would need to crop and re size the image and could possibly use it on my contents page to inform readers of what page to go on to see his article.

 

 

 

This is another long shot that i captured with my music artist, i am not fond of this image as it looks to posed and he is standing awkwardly and it doesnt look like an image that would appear in a music magazine. You would most likely see this type of photo in a clothing magazine or an advertisment for clothes. It doesnt look like any music magazines covers i have researched so i will not consider using this image in my music magazine.

 

 

When taking this photograph i thought that the hammock would work nicely and it would be a good location to take the photo in. But now i can see the shots taken i am not to keen on the outcome. My artist is to far away and there is to much going on in the background which draws attention away from him. This could work in my double page spread or contents page but doesnt have alot of meaning behind it and you cant see his facial expressions. His body language is mutual and i dont feel like i will be using this shot in my magazine.

 

 

 

This shot does not work at all. The sunlight at the top ruins the focus and it looks really cramed in and unprofessional. The shot says nothing about my music artist and looks rushed and tacky. The location isnt ideal and it just looks like a garden fence and doesnt look like a realistic image that would be produced on a magazine cover or inside of it. I will not be using this image at all.

 

 

Here is a mid shot of my music artist infront of a brick wall. I particulary like these shots because they make him look edgy and cool which is what i am trying to show. He is looking straight into the camera which is great because he is connecting with consumers and he is clear and easy to see. The brick wall also doesnt take any focus away from him and is not a distraction. The hands behind his back make him seem relaxed and chilled and would be a good shot to have on my contents page.

 

 

This mid shot is out of focus but shows my music artist pointing and laughing, this could be a fun image to put on my double page spread to show him having a good side and show a less serious side to him. The brick wall is also quite basic and the attention is on him. I will have to take into consideration that the photo is out of focus which is a shame because it shows a lighter side to him compared to stern facial expressions he is pulling in most of the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analysing my Questionnaire results

I handed out 20 of my Questionnaires to my target stereotypical audience, half male, half female to get fair and accurate results. To present my results I will be working out the feedback and making the answers into pie charts so it will be clear and easy to see so I know what my target audience wants to see and what I need to provide.
In order to display my results in a suitable way i am going to create a pie chart for each question to show what the percentages are and how many consumers preferred what answer, it will be a clear way of showing what they are after and what appeals to them. This will form a professional summary of what my target audience wants and what there responses are.

                                                                      Question 1

 

This shows that exactly half of my target audience preferred the title 'Intact', this will take a huge influence when choosing what my magazine should be called. Names like Discovered and Flash were very unpopular so i will be ruling these out as they didnt get many votes and recieved 2 each. I also feel that 'Intact' sounds professional and a realistic indie pop magazine name.

 

Question 2

 

 

Purple, Red and black took the largest percentage of the votes, nearly half which shows it was the most popular choice and was preferred by my target audience compared to Black and Blue and Blue Yellow and White. I will have to have a think about using purple, red and black for the colour scheme as when drafting my front cover in these colours it didnt really work and there was to much going on, i then tried a more basic approach in black and white and it worked much better, i will have to think about what colour scheme will work best for my magazine.

 

 

Question 3

 

 

Most of my target audience voted for 24 pages which is in the middle of all the other number options. i also feel that 16 is to little but 32 to many and i want to provide my consumers with detailed and neccessary pages without having loads of basic pages, i would rather have less. Less is more.

 

 

Question 4

 

 

My target audience overall have choosen a cheaper option of £2.99, i would be happy to produce my music magazine at this price but depending on any competitions or freebies i would give away i would have to take the price into consideration and maybe putting it up to 3.99. I want to keep it as cheap as possible to appeal to a wider audience.

 

Question 5

 

 

This pie chart is quite varied but just by a bit the first time festival tips pushes to the top. I think that this page would reach out and appeal to many festival fans and is important to include for there interest and saftey. I also think a gig competition would stand out compared to other magazines and would attract different consumers attention that wouldnt normally buy my music magazine.

 

Question 6

 

Again my target audience have voted for three, the middle number, i would be happy to include 3 shots of my main music artist as he is going to be the main feature in my magazine. Once i have started to create my magazine that will give me a better idea of how many photos will look suitable.

 

 

Question 7

 

 

Maxwell and Leon Connelly were the names that came out on top and were most liked by my target audience. I will have a test around and see what name suits my music artist best and what looks best on the actual magazine.

 

Question 8

 

 

Four is the amount of competitions my target consumers want to be able to enter within my magazine. I will have to see when making my magazine if that is actually too many because i want my magazine to have other detailed content not just to be able to win competitions.

 

Question 9

 

 

To include a female artist took more then half of the votes, which i think is more then fair as my magazine is for boys and girls and i already have a male artist featuring on the front page so including a female would be fair to level out the genders.

 

Question 10

 

 

Even though this question doesnt seem vital for audience members its important for me to know which camera shot would be appealing for my target audience. Mid shot was the most popular and i will take this into consideration when making my front cover.

 

I emailed my Questionnaire to my friend Megan and asked for her feedback and what she thought would work best for my music magazine, she text me back with her opinion of what would look best and how my magazine could reach its full potential. I will definitley be taking her opinion along with the pie charts into consideration when drafting and creating everything within my music magazine.

Creating My Questionnaire

My Magazine Questionnaire

1) What do you think my music magazine should be called?
. Intact
. Premiere
. Flash
. IPM ( Indie Pop Music )
. Twigged
. Discovered

2) What colour scheme would you like to see running through my music magazine?
. Green and Red
. Black and White
. Blue, Yellow and White
. Purple, Red and Black
. Black and Blue

3) How many pages do you want my music magazine to have?
. 16
. 22
. 24
. 30
. 32

4) What do you think is a suitable price for my music magazine?
. 2.50
. 2.99
. 3.25
. 4.00
. 5.99

5) What should my double page spread focus on?
. My main music artist - Interview
. First time festival tips - Music artist advice
. Quiz focused on my main music artist
.  A Gig Competition

6) How many photos of my main music artist should be included throughout?
. 1
. 2
. 3
. 4
. 5

7) What should the name of my music artist be called?
. Leon Connelly
. Dan James
. Ant O'Neill
. Maxwell
. Jay Brown

8) How many competitions should be included in my music magazine?
. 2
. 3
. 4
. 6

9) My music artist featuring on the contents page should be a male/female?
. Male
. Female

10) What shot you would prefer on the front cover?
. Long shot
. Mid shot
. Close up

Choosing my Music Artist

As the magazine i am creating is going to be a indie/pop themed magazine, i need to ensure that i choose an approriate artist that fits that particular genre. Tom Odell is the perfect example as to what i aiming for. A unique singer, that maybe plays an instrument and the type of music is Indie but is in the charts and is well known.
I have choosen to use Laurie as my music artist as he is exactly the image that i am looking for.

 

Here is a mid shot image of my artist, that i am planning to use. This photo is before editing and cropping and I could even consider using this for my magazine.

Laurie is tall and his fashion sense and style relates to the genre of music I have chosen (Indie) and in the other photos have dressed him in oversized jumpers, skinny jeans and loafers as this is a stereotypical 'Indie' dress sense.

Target Audience Moodboard

This was my previous stereotypical audience member, and the mood board I made, this shows a slightly younger teenager with the school image and the innocent sleepover photo, the radio stations and fashion connote the stereotypical teenager and all of these photos described my previous magazine and what type of person would enjoy the articles included. Although some images aren't relevant like the O2 arena and the One million perfume as they are quite random and the O2 is just a venue and the perfume isn't significant to every teenage girl but is just an example, for my next mood board I will ensure that all my images have relevance and relate highly to the my stereotypical consumer.

Instead of combining my mood boards for boys and girls I have decided to create two separate ones to really show the comparisons and differences that each genre have. As boys and girls will both stereotypically be interested in my music magazine so by taking into consideration what males and females like I can include certain features and articles that will appeal to them.

This Mood board is a perfect example of what girls that read my magazine would be interested in, the age of girls has increased slightly compared to my previous magazine and I have showed this by adding 'Kiss and Capital FM' in the younger mood board and in my current one adding ' reading festival' as they will be at the age where festivals appeal to them. The sleepover image connotes an older girl as they have slightly more revealing Pj's on and are posing more provocatively compared to the innocent pose above.

The cinema image shows that they like to go out and socialise so competitions involving days out would appeal to them and attract there attention. Fashion is vital for most teens along with makeup as girls like to look there best for when they go out to parties and clubs. If I had to describe the type of girl that would stereotypical read my magazine it would be, Interested in music and festivals, going out having fun and looking good. I feel like my mood board shows this.

 

This is my mood board that I have created to express the stereotypical boy that would be interested in my magazine. Like the girls, boys are also interested in festivals, so it is clear that as its the beginning of festival season as well I need to make sure that I include articles featuring around this as it will appeal to both genres. Boys in my age range 'stereo typically' like to look good,  and have a good time, just like girls. The muscle photo and gym connotes that boys like to look good and keep fit and the girls makeup and clothes show that they also like to look good. The party, DJ and pub are there to portray the scenes of where boys like to have a good time. These mood boards are a good reference to give me inspiration for what articles to include in my magazine, they also both describe my stereo typical audience members very well.

What Ethos will my magazine have?

I want my magazine to be appealing to a wide range of different consumers. I want it to be a fun musical sensation filled with information and events and to be unique compared to other music magazines. My aim is for readers to recognise the cover, logo and font and know straight away what it is and for it to stand out compared to other magazines.
I plan to make it unique by creating a distinctive logo and a name that represents my magazines music intentions well.
The language used will be informal, chatty and casual that many teenagers will be able to relate to and enjoy reading. I want them to be positive when reading my magazine and chat to there friends about the articles within it, including competitions to win tickets to gigs or festivals, that is what will get groups of friends talking.
A good example of an article that I would include would be tips for First festival timers; vital information that they need to know but may be embarrassed to ask about. Articles like that will appeal to my target audience but is also good for there own welfare and safety. Although I want my magazine to be fun I also will include music artists in my magazine and they will dominant the main double page spreads. Competitions and Giveaways are also eye catching and stand out to consumers as they will want to get involved and have a chance of winning.

Researching a Final Contents Page

 

 

This is a contents page from a Yoga and Health magazine and although i will be creating a music magazine contents page, its important to notice and be inspired by the typical conventions and aware of how to make my own one sucessful.

This particular contents page, straight away the colours stand out to me, which is important for this genre as its all about excerise and taking everything in. Blue and Water are pure colours and represent water and air in science, these relate to health and yoga and these colours are used throughout the whole page and dominant the headings and text. Magazines should follow through consistently with the colour scheme in order to make it look professional and visually appealing, to many colours will distract the consumers from the actual content.  By researching contents pages it has made me more and more aware of how important the colours and layout is. The layout of this page is quite spaced out informative. The page numbers have been included like the others and a heading underneath to briefly explain what the page will consist of so the readers can easily find what there looking for, again from my research I believe that including some sort of title or heading is important and professional and will enhance the look of my contents page.
There are also relevant images included that relate to the magazine and the content. Different Yoga positions are placed around the page which will appeal and attract readers attention as they will want to know how to do it and what Yoga can do for you. I would ensure that I have relevant images on my contents page so it will compliment the text and also add some appeal and interest into the following pages. The Title is big and blue and stands out immediately, its the first things readers see and is straight to the point and says what the magazine is. I aim to create my magazine title relevant to my music genre so it represents the articles and interviews that will appear in my magazine. It also sticks to the blue and white colour scheme that is appearing on the page.
The details at the side include who the magazine was published and edited by and the address of the company. I would prefer to add these details at the back of the magazine or on the last page as these are not vital information that a consumer would want to see and takes up a lot of space on the page. Although I do believe this information is important making it smaller or on a different page would provide me with more space to include photos and text to attract consumers attention.

Researching Double Page Spreads

Double Page Spreads are the main feature in a magazine. A popular music artist will be the main focus in different issues of music magazine and they will have there own double page in the magazine talking about a new album, song or even relationship. There interviewers will try to get as much information out of the music artist as possible to appeal to consumers and attract there attention about the latest gossip from there favourite star. The artists that feature in many double page spreads are in the news, popular with fans or in the charts right now because the magazine company wants to sell as many copies as possible so they need to interview a popular and fresh music artist.


This is a double page spread from a pop magazine featuring Nicki Minaj. Straight away I get a very girly feel as there is pink used on the background, her name, around the text and highlighting headings. Pink is a very dominant colour along with black which connotes a feminine but dangerous feel and that describes Nicki Minaj's personality and attitude, she is fierce and feisty but dresses very feminine and also has her pink lipstick on, along with different coloured wigs which compliment her unique image. I believe that the colours used should relate to the music artist as it will make more sense and create a powerful and relevant feel. Nicki Minaj has purposely been typed in big bold font and is much more louder compared to the rest of the text so it stands out and straight away shows consumers who this article will be about. The image used shows a confident and edgy Nicki with a zebra print leotard and a ring that says 'Icon' on, this connotes her fierce attitude and confidence that she is a role model to others. The image that is used is very important as it represents the music artist and is how they want to be perceived to there fans, or show off a new hair cut/weight loss/ new style or fashion change. I am planning to use a professional/posed photo that will represent him and make him look confident and fashionable to young girls will find him attractive and guys will want to be like him, I need to ensure I make him look like a real music artist by posing realistically and styled and dressed in the correct clothing, for example not in a tracksuit. Nicki looks very much in control and independent which is what many girls aspire to be. Its important for music artists to be role models and for fans to look up to there favourite music artists. The text is Nicki being interviewed about her life and upcoming album, this type of information will be interesting for fans and they will be eager to read about it, I plan to include questions that would realistically be asked and would be interesting to read from a consumers point of view, I will ask questions that I would want to know the answers to. The layout of this article is very eye catching, I personally like the way that Nicki is placed around the text, instead of just next to it. The text is all easy to read and none of it restricted from her being there, it works well and adds an interesting edge to the interview and looks appealing to read. If it looks appealing, consumers will want to read it.





















This is a Lady Gaga interview that was published in a music magazine. 2 main features that stand out to me is the sexual images of Gaga and the huge red L on the other side. The image will be chosen carefully so it relates to the text and the artist themselves, she looks like idol Marilyn Monroe with her hair short and big and her hands covering her breasts, even though its quite an explicit image there is a sense of sophistication about it and that's where I believe the Marilyn Monroe theme came into it. Nothing private in the image is actually on show, with her hands covering her breasts and an exaggerated necklace on top. She is looking straight into the camera with her mouth slightly open which connotes a sexual message and makes her look sexy and naturally beautiful, this will appeal to men as they will find her attractive and women will want to be her. The image is very powerful and represents her as a strong, unique women. The text is placed next to the photo and there is no title other then a huge red L on top of the writing and her name in small at the top. I feel that the big L covers up a lot of the writing and is quite difficult to read, the font is quite small and black which makes it more difficult and the L is distracting as it takes up the whole page. A random large S has also been placed which looks unprofessional and unnecessary. The layout of this article compared to the previous is completely different, although they include the same features they have been created in a different way. I feel that the huge L doesn't work effectively and looks to much and makes the text hard to read, the text is also to small and should be bigger so consumers are not put off by the amount of words and so they can actually see it. The image represents her well and is a professional shoot that is attractive to look at. This double page spread has made me realise how important the photos are that I will use and how I need to capture an effective shot to convey a particular message.

This is a Vaccines double page spread, and this is a band that I will be looking more into as they are the same genre of my music artist that I will be creating. This double page spread is quite basic and is a typical layout that many editors will go for. The colour scheme is clearly blue and black as these two colours are used on the page and are the only colours used, which would most likely mean these colours will run consistently throughout the whole magazine, to emphasis the blue they have added blue shapes around the image to compliment it and make it look more interesting it also enhances the colour scheme and keeps the continulity flowing. By researching this and looking at different double page spreads, it shows how vital neccessary colour schemes are and to flowing them through and keep them revelant. The Vaccines is placed at the top to show consumers immediatley what this article is going to be about and the bold font makes this clear and easy to see. Its important to attract readers attention as soon as possible so they know what they are reading and to make them feel involved straight away. The text has been written in a block and is quite a standard way of placing it compared to the Nicki Minaj article with her placed in with the text. I would want to try and make the text look appealing and interesting instead of just in blocks as it looks like alot of writing and theres no funky layout so it looks quite bland and boring. The image takes up most of the page which will be appealing to fans as they could cut out the photo and use it as a poster, its also a clear, recent image of the band this is something i will definitly be doing this, i am making sure that i use a suitable photo in my double page spread that relates to the text/interview.