Self Evaluation 1

Self Evaluation 1

This self evaluation is to show the progress I made with my front cover whilst trialing different mastheads.

Front Page Drafts

Front Page Drafts

Draft 1

I think the main image is suitable for the front cover because  the subject is looking indirectly at the camera and the background is neutral and not to busy, making it easy for text to be written over the top. The masthead is in a dark blue of a similar shade to the subjects dress, meaning they are in the colour scheme. However, the masthead doesn't stand out because of this, so to improve, I would use a different, maybe a neon colour, instead. I also think that the stencilled font makes the masthead stand out less, and for further improvement would use a more solid font.

Draft 2

This is the second draft. The changes that have been made includes the bright, neon pink colour for the masthead. It makes it stand out more than in the first draft because there is nothing else in the image of this colour and it also compliments the pink guitar. The font has also changed and is more solidified. The style, 'Chalkduster' also matches with the rough texture of the brick wall. It also fills the top bar of the front cover more effectively than in draft 1, again due to the font style.

Photography Shooting Script

Music Magazine Proposal

Music Magazine Proposal

This magazine is primarily aimed at 13-15 year old girls. In this issue, the main story is about a young Taylor Swift who is trying to break into the music industry, and has recently posted her new single on You Tube, and has already received over half a billion hits. The main image is going to show her innocence through the lack of make up and the bold outfits show her quirky personality. The letters that are written on her pink guitar show a time when she was just learning how to play. There would also be a top 20 dresses ad which would be advertised on the front page, accompanied by images of some dresses that are spread out. There is also a quiz, and a variety of other stories such as Top 10 Pop Fans and Top 10 Cringe Moments, both in 2013. The fonts that I shall be using are Apple Casual, Chalkduster, Hobo Std, Princetown LET and Tekton Pro. A combination of Hobo Std and Princetown LET will be used for the masthead, which is 'Delirium', and has connotations of words such as ecstasy and raving, which would reflect the teenagers emotions when listening to pop music. The masthead would be in an electric blue. The coverline would be written in Chalkduster to make it stand out more. Hobo Std wold be used for the smaller titles that will be in the left third. The remaining fonts will serve as the small print or quotes that accompany some titles. Other colours include orange, pink, white, black and yellow, as these colours were commonly used in research and previous covers that I've seen. 

Music Magazine Planning

Initial Ideas

Flatplan for the Front Cover

Draft Fonts for Masthead

On the left are mastheads that are only written in one of the five fonts that I have shortlisted to use on my front cover. The first and last one are a little plain on their own, and would not make the masthead stand out when it is on the shelves. The other three are bolder and are slightly more interesting and different. The mastheads on the right are mixtures of the fonts, and I've also experimented with tilting the letters to see what effect this would have. My current decision is that the second one down on the right would make a suitable masthead because both fonts are bold, and the 'D' stands out more. 

Test Photography

 This image shows how diagonal lines can be used to focus on the main subject. The perpendicular angle of the guitar to the subject draws attention to her.

This image shows the rules of thirds, as the subjects face is in the right hand side of the image and is about 2/3 up the page.

The impression of looking up at the subject suggests how she is rising to fame and moving on from the 'bedroom' stage. It also shows how confident she is in what she is doing.

Photography Techniques

Photography Techniques

The Rule of Thirds

• Based on the the fact that the human eye is naturally drawn to a point about 2/3 up a page
• The rule suggests the photo will be more pleasing to the eye if the focal points are located around one of the intersection points.

Diagonal Lines

• Draw the eye of the viewer through the photography
• Create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and often give images depth by suggesting perspective
• Add a sense of action and a dynamic look and feel

Band/Artist Photography

How can the rule of third be applied to this image?

The two people in the background are in line with the top third intersection points.

Pop Music Target Audience Task 2

Questionnaire

For this second task, and to get a more in-depth opinion from my target audience, I created a questionnaire to which 10 people responded too and these are the results:

All of the following participants read music magazines on a weekly to monthly basis.

From these results, I have concluded that the majority, 80%, mainly listen to pop music, which implies that, for my target audience, pop music is the first choice, making a pop music magazine relevant, as it has a market to be sold too. The most important aspect of a music magazine, according to this sample group, is the gossip section, followed by interviews and reviews. In my magazine, there is a gossip section and review of the latest dress fashions, as well as and interview with a rising star, making it fit the expectations of this particular sample group. The high expectation of gossip could be explained by the dominance of females who answered this questionnaire, as 60% of the recipients were females. The pie chart also shows that the majority of people who answered my questionnaire were within my target age group of 12 upwards.

Pop Music Target Audience Part 1

Pop Music Target Audience

Pop music fans cover thousands of people on a global scale. Capital FM released an article earlier this year titled 'Best Music Fans of 2013', which collected the top ten fan bases on the planet for pop artists.

1. Directioners (One Direction)
2. Soldiers (Cheryl Cole)
3. TWFanmily (The Wanted)
4. Mus Army (Olly Murs)
5. Beliebers (Justin Beiber)
6. Alouders (Girls Aloud)
7. JLSters (JLS)
8. Heartbeats (Jessie J)
9. Rihanna Navy (Rihanna)
10. KatyCats (Kary Perry)

Typical pop fans seem to have a strong sense of loyalty to their favourite artists, which leads to the creation of communities of people who sees themselves as the top fans.

Surve

As established in the first research task, there are two main groups of people that pop music magazines aim for. They are the 20's through to 30's and the teenage girl audience. Through this research, I have come to the conclusion that my target audience will be teenagers. This is because myself and all of my friends are teenagers, and it will be easier to get feedback on my work. I also feel I can incorporate my own ideas more so than if I was targeting the older audience because of the use of colour and fonts I plan to use.

Survey of 11-15 Year Olds

Survey Plan

1.  How old are you? 11 and under, 11,12,13,14,15, 15 and over
2. Are you male or female?
3. Do you read pop music magazines?
4. If so , which one/s?
5. Which genre of music do you most listen to? Pop, Rock, Country, Hip Hop, R+B, Soul, Other
6. Who is your favourite artist?
7. What do you expect from a pop music magazine? Gossip, Interviews, Reviews, Freebies, Fashion Tips, Other

Pop Music Magazine Research Task 2

Codes and Conventions of Pop Music Videos

I feel that this research is relevant as it could influence the mood of the final magazine (i.e. colour schemes, fonts, artist used, theme, plugs and puffs).

• Close up of artists
• Fun and innocent
• Normally centred around a plot (e.g. a girl has a crush on a boy), this normally includes a narrative before the song starts
• Dance routines 
• Colourful
• Cheerful location (e.g. party, beach)

Codes and Conventions of Pop Music Artists

This research could affect the colour scheme of the final magazine because it would reflect the mood of the general genre and model I'll be using to be in my main image.

• Artists are clothed in fashionable and mainstream outfits
• The lyrics are normally based on love/relationships and normally relate to teens
• Often themed with bright and bold colours which reflects a positive vibe

Pop Music Magazine Research Task 1

Music Magazine Introduction

Music Magazine Introduction

Music Genres and Sub Genres Mind-map

Connotations of Mastheads

Metal Hammer - Suggests strength and construction.
Kerrang - Implies something different
Downbeat - Suggests relaxation and slow
Busy Signal - Implies the music is busy and has many different aspects and sounds
Billboard - The music is quite communal and public
Vibe - The latest music and that there is a rhythm to it
Beatz - Best music and the genre has rhythm
The Source - It has the latest information and is the main source of information

Define Target Audience

The people that the magazine is aimed to attract.

Audience Profiles

Pop Listeners

The typical wardrobe includes short shorts, sunglasses, sleeveless cardigans and wellington boots, with bracelets, necklaces and other jewellery. The audience is also typically teenage girls who attend concerts and festivals. They also often have certain favourite artists that they specifically support. They all look the same and follow the same trends. e.g. the high socks with wellingtons and shorts, as well as the floral headbands.

Classical Listeners

This image shows the men wearing formal black tie suits whilst the women are wearing elegant, floor length dresses with there hair away from their faces and wearing extravagant necklaces and earrings. The audience also generally consists of middle aged to elderly people. The men all look well groomed and well presented.

Reggae Listeners

The typical reggae fan has dreadlocks and wears Jamaican colours (red, yellow, green and black). Their personality is normally easy going and relaxed.