Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 


The magazine industry is a very lucrative business spanning worldwide. The increase in technology and the decrease in printing costs has allowed this expansion to happen rapidly despite circulation figures showing a general negative trend in the last year. On the other hand,  the rock sector was up '16.3 per cent in the between July-December compared with an increase of 22.6 per cent in the first six months'. This is largely down to the ABC new production of free magazines: The Stool Pigeon, Properganda and DIY Magazine. `

Despite the highest magazine circulated being a free magazine, productions from Bauer Consumer Media appear to be the highest selling with Mojo and Q magazines placed inside the top 3 circualted magazines in the country. These compared to Kerrang! could suggest that as these two magazines are more generic in terms of their content, that the 'niche' markets do not consume as highly as is a smaller target audience as Kerrang! is marketed to a heavier rock social group.Q and Mojo are generally more alternative featuring bands such as The Libertines and Kasabian stereotypically. Kerrang! tends to focus more on darker material such as 'Sonisphere festival'. My point being that these Bauer magazines are more 'indie' and less 'rebellious'. New Musical Express or NME can be heavily associated with Q and Mojo with its alternative angle. These are all magazines mentioned that are paid for but in comparison Q and Mojo are both monthly magazines therefore will be a lot more comprehensive and detailed as opposed to the weekly magazines like Kerrang! and NME. Subscriptions would be easier to monitor and buying 12 magazines a year instead of 52 (weekly subscription) for a consumer can be seen as more economical and a better read. This must all be taken into account.

I did not want my magazine to fit into this 'niche' market so I researched the more generic and indie magazines mentioned above. I was inspired by the design and noted the similarities in content/design/advertising. For a start, the colours red, white and yellow are prominant. Red resembles danger, urgency and excitement. Yellow is calming but also draws the reader's attention and 'alerts' them much like a road sign. White is a clean colour and goes with anything in a smart yet sterile fashion. Black is the counterpart to white as it provides a complete contrast and again a clean affect. I wanted my magazine to follow the same colour themes as these are already existing products so I am being influenced by sources around me.

The mastheads are very important as they are the core corporate identity of the magazine and this is what people buy for - the name. This separates itself from the other competitors and gives the magazine its individuality. 'Q' is taken from the word 'cue' which is a musical term. This can be referenced to titles such as 'Kerrang!'. This I felt was imaginative and relevant to the musical theme. It also rolls of the tongue nicely is is once syllable. 'NME' is simply an abbreviation of New Musical Express. Although it is more simple, the three syllables of the letters N. M. E. are punchy and emphatic. It also sounds like 'enemy' which flows clearly with the N and the M as well as the M and E blending over the top of one another. After looking up musically specified themes 'XLR' appeared which is a cable coming from an amplifier. The three syllables taken from inspiration of the 'NME' and musical meaning association by 'Kerrang!' and 'Q'. The mastheads needed to also be reflected in my magazine and the reoccurring red theme again made sense. By sectioning off my masthead of boxing it, it immediately distances itself from the rest of the front page and gets dominance as well as preference.

The clothing I chose was going along the lines of casual yet stylish. The front of music magazines usually show the artists personality which can be seen in their clothes - musicians are not the smartest people and a relaxed look can make them appear more down to earth.On the front page I used a green and blue checked shirt from 'Cheap Monday' and a standard white tee from 'All Saints' on my model. The opened shirt and rolled up sleeves again resemble this laid back and comfortable look as well as this stereotypical indie look. The contrast between the dark shades in the shirt are emboldened by the white tee and clean background. With the red, black and grey themes, the colours all blend evenly together and the model looks very presentable amongst the variation of colours. On the contents I chose to continue with this effortless but stylish approach. This model is wearing a 'Ralph Lauren Jeans' Hoody and a 'Topman' deep neck grey tee. It was very important not to conduct a summer look as this was a January edition. Finally, on the double page spread the same model from the front page is in a different set of clothes. The maroon trench coat shows the time of year which is also emphasised by the snow surrounding him. The addition of the 'Fred Perry' long sleeve polo gives a retro feel as the peak of the interest in this brand was in the 80s period - coincidentally towards the end of the fashion revolutions over a thirty year period. The Detroit snapback hat is simply again to show this casual look but also appeal to the fashion conscious younger members of the audience like all the clothes - but mainly the hat as it is currently at the height of fashion for young males in society. The fashion sense also indicates the genre of music and the angle of the magazine. The look of the models was important as they had to be young to appeal to the target audience so they can be related to essentially and also looked the part - portraying the alternative characters that would be buying the magazine subsequently.

In the poses I tried to achieve something different. On the front page I wanted a serious yet confident posture. By gazing into the camera, the intensity of the stare draws in and connects with the audience making it more personal. This is shown across the music industry in general with most mid shots and the model facing the camera. The contents allowed me to have a bit more freedom. I told the model to appear cheeky which conveys a warm friendly atmosphere at the introduction of the magazine - reiterating the importance of reflecting the person's personality. The market is littered also with arrogant and over-confident artists such as Liam Gallagher which is very entertaining and gives an unexpected edge. My model across the double page I wanted the audience to perceive him as this sort of image. As you read the feature itself this arrogance is developed further and made more prominent. The addition of the guitar simply shows his love for music and appears never away from it. The champagne bottle connotes success and also gives the audience the idea of his partying side. Props like these can also be seen in current material in the market.

Throughout the 3 pieces i recognized the importance of continuity in house style and its consistency. I continued with the clean and simple red, white, black and grey theme as the magazine progressed. The layout is generally rather simple as well. It follows a basic structure which can be seen in 'NME' for example. For example in my double page spread I did a short introduction followed by a description in the lead up to the main interview. For example a feature on Tinie Tempah reads "Slouched across his sofa with a bottle of water in one hand and an egg butty in the other, the Tinie Tempah we meet on a rainy afternoon in Greenwich isn't the one we'd been expecting". This can be related strongly to my opening statement on the Teddy Flint feature. The interviewer also must be friendly and casual as if it was two friends having a catchup. I tried to show this with questions like, " What's the latest on the dames? You seem to have always have a good looking girl on your arm..." The casual language adds a relaxed atmosphere along with the scene set by the introduction of the feature. Pull quotes also show important summaries of the double page spread and are almost appear in every feature. "I wanna be a proper British Icon. I'm up to the task". The frequent colloquial language makes the interview seem far less robotic and interesting for the reader. This also appeals to the target audience who are not buying this magazine for it's intellectual conversations but for it's gossip and latest news. It ultimately makes light reading. I echoed this with "I genuinely think that Teddy Flint is better than The Fighting Bulls hands down. No word of a fucking lie". It highlights the emotion and passion of the person in question. It is the real deal. 

The topic content is based on the alternative rock genre - meaning that all the artists fitted into the band such as Ben Howard and Bon Iver. This is an obvious statement. I also tried to add a creative twist on the subjects. For example 'Holiday Hangover' can be associated to the Christmas break that has just happened before the release of the magazine - making it relevant. This can be compared to 'First Noel', a play on he Christmas theme and the cross reference with Noel Gallagher. These little touches give the magazine character.

The contents was the simplest part for me. I simply recognized that the column technique made the words far easier to identify. Then from here they could be then put into sections for the reader to see what they want to read organised effectively. I was inspired by an 'NME' issue which listed the artists chronologically underneath each other. There was only one image which I think can be viewed as positive as the reader focuses most heavily on this. This can be recognized in my contents page with the Jimmy Daniels feature.The font is easy to read and simple much like the consistent house style. This remains the same throughout. I also saw a letter from the editor from 'Kerrang!' in each issue which I thought was a personal and considerate piece. I created one also to relate to this much like the subscription option. This is a frequent appearance in all magazines as they have to promote their business. The yellow background alerts the reader and is then pulled in further by     the attraction of 25% off.