Feedback

Example of the questionnaire

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Af4bVkmSsWxZZGZmOWtuYnJfMDh2ajZtamRz&hl=en

from the questionnaires I have found out that in general people seem to like the magazine and it tends to appeal to them although there are some things that need improving such as the types of photos that can be contained in the magazine with the articles. (images of the band at concerts for the double page spread).

There were a lot of positive comments about the articles on the front of the magazine looking as though they could be interesting and comments about the main image on the front cover drawing the reader to look at the inside article about the band Mixture.

The choices I made for the typefaces seem to have been the right choice however some people didn't like them as they felt that they didn't match the pop theme, on the other hand some of the people that filled out the questionnaires said that the main typeface Poptastic was fun and fits in with the pop feel to the magazine.

People generally gave the contents page good comments about that it is clear and easy to understand and read although it was felt by some that the lack of background colour made the pages look a little bare and it could have done with some colour to make it look better. this could be applied to all the pages other than the front cover. this would have made the overall magazine look much better and given it more lively feel.

A general feel that the main double page spread article was easy to connect to and layed out clearly and in a way that is easy to read, however in places it tends to be less conective to the reader.

This pie chart illustrates the proportions of people that liked the magazine compared to the amount that disliked it.

Evaluation of finished magazine

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_4bVkmSsWxZOWIxNzhhOGYtMjU3YS00Y2Y0LWEyMDktODZhOWNiNWUzY2Y0&hl=en

The new media publication is similar to existing publications such as the Top Of The Pops magazine that is shown because the masthead is at the top of the page and is big and bold so that it stands out. The main image is large with the text that goes with the image bold next to it. It sticks to a limited colour scheme of oranges and yellows. The people in the image have eye contact with the viewer.

However it is different from the magazine because it doesn't have lots of images on the front it has more text to tell the reader of what is inside the magazine. The image takes up the whole of the page rather than part of the page. The Top Of The Pops magazine is a lot busier than the new publication.

It should appeal to the target audience as the people in the image are young and it will hopefully attract the younger readers as well as older. As Top Of The Pops have done they have used some of the cast of High School Musical to attract the younger readers and also the slightly older too. The tone used in the magazine is also informal and friendly so that the readers can engage with the articles.

The contents page uses the same font as the front cover to link the two and to show they are the same magazine. There is a lot of white space in the background compared to existing publications such as Mizz magazine which has a lot going on on the page and the page is quite busy. There are also no blocks of coloured background like there is in the Mizz magazine.

Compared to the existing publication shown Top Of The Pops magazines my new publication there is a lot of White space and there aren't as many pictures as in the existing publication where the whole page is covered with images and captions. There is more text, but the text is split into little groups to make it easier for the reader to get into.

Evaluation on powerpoint

http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B_4bVkmSsWxZM2UxNzQ4OTYtMDMzOS00OWJhLWE2MzEtYjg1MWE2ODAwNWIw&hl=en

Planning and Evaluation of the article

MY ARTICLE

Dolly and Owen say.......
Tell us about the album called?
Dolly: The album is called Mixed up! And is released on the 2nd January.
What was the inspiration for the album?
Dolly: Owen wrote the music when he was young and the lyrics came form my teenage years.
We started performing in Owens garage and when Owen dad got fed up with it we started playing in the pub down the road, we played there for a few years and that brought us to here.


How did you two meet?
Owen: we both went to the same primary school and ended up meeting again at college. Dolly and I both did a music course and then decided to start the band.
When will the band be touring and who is your support?
Dolly; we start our tour in London on 15th February 2010, we are going to be touring with Joe Longbroke and little miss stardust. We meet them at the Christmas awards and immediately hit it off. They are a great bunch of people.
Owen; we cant wait to start the tour!!
What sorts of things do you ask for at gigs?
Dolly; mainly fluffy toys and chocolate
Owen; we also ask for mini cakes and balloons.

You are quite close...
Dolly: Owens like my brother, we spend so much time together and we have a laugh.
Owen: the band is stronger because of the chemistry between us. We known each other so long it feels like we are related.
Tell us one fact about yourself...
Owen: my fav food is ketchup on toast.
Dolly: when I was younger i wanted to like Ellie Jones and be a pop star and now i am.



The colours tell the reader of which person is talking so that it makes it easier for the readers to see which of the band member has said what.


The general questioning of "Dolly" and "Owen" tells the reader general information about the band and their habits and the sorts of things the band do after gigs.


The tone of the article is informal and uses some colloquial language that shows the band as they are. some of the things in the article are put in to add comedy to the article. The article gives the readers the information about their upcoming tour and the album.


This is an existing article from Top Of The Pops magazine, most of the page is taken up by the image if the Jonas brothers, and the article is mall compared to my article.



The language that is use is informal and allows the readers to connect with what the stars are saying, it has a chatty feel to the article.

The article is split into lots of little sections so that the reader can read them in little chunks and doesn't get board half way through reading it.

A lot of the page is filled with the large titles and the images and the articles are fairly small compare to the page.

the article differs from my article because there is less writing and more pictures and small chunks of writing than in my article that is mainly the text and the pictures separated and not a spread out.

photo editing

Before and After

This image had to be cropped as it had some items in the background that weren't meant to be there.

Before and After

This image had to be cropped as it was slightly too big and the image had some things in the background such as the lamp and the picture that out of place, the image was also lightened as it looked quite dark.

photos

This image is to illustrate to new fashion in pop music, jeans and spotty tops. In this image the model has clearly been told to make eye contact with the camera but to look as though its natural.

These two images are of the couple/band that have split up. in this first image both the people are looking away from the camera, as if they don't know that The pictures are being taken. In the second picture (picture below) both the people are looking at the camera so they have eye contact with the viewer.

The image is a good image although the lighting isn't quite right and the people in the band don't have the right sort of look. The girl in the image looks to grumpy for a pop magazine.

This image will be used on the front cover of the magazine, the white background means that it can easily be put onto the front cover. Both the people in the image have eye contact with the camera and are smiling .

This image is the band backstage chilling out and having a laugh the image is good as neither of the people are looking a the cameras and they are enjoying themselves and are ignoring that people are taking pictures of them. it shows the other sides to the band members.

This image is more that they are playing to the cameras but it is a good image as they are showing the side of their group that less people are likely to see. The backstage images are meant to be that the group show what they are like after gigs and when they are not performing or have to be pop stars, it id of when they can be themselves.

In this one they are looking to at the camera and they are acting for the cameras. This image shows that they group are good friends and they get along well but the setting for the image is quite simple and basic. The plain background makes the viewer think that the dressing rooms are plain and boring.

This picture is a back stage image of the male member of the group, this is more a rehearsed picture but it shows that the band play around backstage after gigs. This is in one of the corridors leading to the dressing rooms.

this image is meant to be in the big room that the group hang out in after in the backstage area, this also shows that the group are good friends and that they mess around all the time. The setting as can be seen is that they have a large TV and sofas as well as a view to outside with a private terrace.

This images is of the female member of the band she is sitting on the stairs that lead up to the backstage areas, this is at the back of the stage,the decor of the image is posh as they were performing in a posh expensive venue and this is why the stairs are carpeted.

This is an image that is similar to the one above it, although this image is slightly out of focus but it has the whole image and is a long to mid shot of the pop star.

This picture is of the male member of the band,The image above this one is more of a rehearsed shot where the person has been told how to sit and look a the camera.

This image is also a relaxed image

I have chosen the first image rather than the other two images as this image shows the band member posing for the camera, the image has been thought about and rehearsed so that it is right for the cameras but also has the idea of the image being relaxed.

These two images are of the female member of the band I think that both these are good as they show the readers the side of the band members that they wouldn't normally see, the band members rehearsing their lines shows that everyone human and that also pop stars have to learn the lyrics even if they wrote the songs themselves. The image has also been taken when the singer isn't looking at the camera so its like shes been caught off guard.

This image is better than the one above as it is more focused on her and the image is lighter than the one above.

fonts

The theme of the magazine is happy, so the fonts that I use have to be happy and reflect the tone of the magazine.

The first font I have chosen is BILLO because it is fun and bubbly, it fits in with the theme of the magazine because its a simple and fun style that will engage with both the younger and older audiences. The bad things about this font are that it could be too girly and the male readers may not be interested in the magazine.

The second font I have chosen is popstar autograph, i have chosen this font because its simple and easy to read, it doesn't fit in with the theme of the magazine as well as the theme above but it still links in with the theme as it has a handwriting style to it like an autograph. The bad things about this font are that its quite thin and it might not stand out.

The third of the font i have chosen is cheri. I have chosen this font as it has a funky, happy feeling to it and it fits in with the theme of the magazine.

The font that I have chosen to use on my magazine is the first one BILLO, this is because it feels happy and funky and fun style that is simple and create the mood that I want for my magazine

flat plans

Planning of what needs to be on the magazine, the name of the magazine, some of the sells and the different articles in the magazine, the mindmaps of the of the conclusions I came to after planning.

The flat plan for the front page will look something like this; the front page will have a large masthead that reads "POPTASTIC" with the tag line "pop the bubble" underneath. there will be a large image that has the two members of Mixture, they will be looking straight at the camera and smiling, this is to create a happy and friendly appeal to the magazine.

The main sells are the exclusive interview With the band Mixture. Also the "10 new styles in pop", "hot new gossip, the latest pop dramas", "celebrity best buys of last year", "xmas number one" and "up coming bands" these sells are meant to make the readers wan to find out what the rest of the articles say. The date of the issue, issue number, barcode, price, and magazine website all feature on the font page so that the reader can clearly see them.

The contents page is filled with a lot of the article details like the page numbers the articles are on. there will be a welcome message from the editor and a picture of the editor on the left hand side at the top. Underneath there will be some pictures from articles and the pages numbers they are on labeled on the images. In the bottom left hand corner there is a section that tells the reader that they can win tickets to see the singer Natalie, I have used this as when a reader sees the "Win" word they are drawn to it to see what they can win.

The main part of the contents is down the right hand side of the page, the magazine is split into 5 sections, these being; celebrity, fashion, music, you and extras. these will be colour coded to make it easier for the reader to find the section in the magazine they want to. beneath the contents section is the contact information for the magazine such as the fax, address and the telephone number. In the bottom right hand corner there is a page number.

The double page spread has on the left hand page 3 large images of the group Mixture, these images will be or the band at different times, they will have captions underneath that say a fact about the band or where the picture was taken. The subheading "Mix it up!" is a play on the band name.Around the images there will be the exclusive interview with Mixture.
On the right hand page there will be a large image of the band at an intimate gig that will have a caption under it. Beneath that on the bottom of the page there is a subheading "back stage" in this section of the page there will be 4 small images of the band from after a gig, in the dressing rooms and an image of when one winner went to meet Mixture. in the bottom right hand corner there is a page number.

analysis of an existing magazines double page spread

This is a double page spread from Top of the pops magazine.


On the right hand side of right hand page there is a large image of some of the members of the Pussycat dolls and a large title that reads "Dolls Drama!" that's written in pink and bold so that the reader is drawn to the images around it and then reads the article. beneath the large pink title there is some smaller images of some of the other members of the Pussycat Dolls. There is a mixture of large images and smaller ones. The article is highlighted in yellow boxes and each picture has speech bubbles that the magazine have made up things that they think the pop star would be saying or thinking. some of these are a micky take of the stars.


On the left hand page there is an image of David Beckham and Zac Effron together with the subheading of "men utd" this is a play on words. the article underneath is in a purple box to make it stand out against the other articles on the page. the last article on the left hand page is about Eastenders, this shows that the magazine is keeping up to date with the current television programs that young people will be into.

The articles are easily split up into little chunks, that are in different colours so that they can be told apart and the articles don't all run into one. The language used on the double page spread is quite informal and is used to identify with the target audience, the writers have used language that people in today's society would use.

This double page spread is a busy page with a lot if colours and images, there isn't much text but this is done so that they reader doesn't get bored and stop reading the articles, then they may think that it was a waste of money and not buy it again.

analysis of existing magazine contents page

This the contents page from a mizz magazine.The first thing to notice about the contents page is that its completely covered and there are no spaces left blank, there is a lot of information on the page.

In the top left hand side there is a welcome message from the editor, it tells the reader a bit about what they have in the magazine and the pages that they can find the articles on. the words "welcome" are written larger in the top left of the page and the they are in pink and a sort of handwriting kind of font, underneath this there are some images and page numbers that the interviews and articles are on to make it easier if the reader wants to read a specific article. And under that in smaller print is the name of the photographer.

The actual contents information is on the right hand side and is split into 6 categories ; Celeb, real life, style, fun, you and plus. this is so that the readers an find the pages they want quickly and easily. they are also colour coded that correspond with the page numbers on the bottom of the pages. this makes it easier for the reader.

At the bottom of the page on the right hand side there is a box that has information about a company creating awareness for dyslexia. there are telling the readers about it so that they can get their support, magazines often have a charity or organisation linked to the magazine that they help to create awareness for or raise money for.

The last section on the contents page is the red column on the right, this has the contact details of he magazine such as the address and the telephone numbers, fax numbers etc in case a reader needs to get in contact with the magazine.and all the names of the editors and the writers for the magazines, these are like the credits for the magazine.

The fonts on the contents page are San serif and easy to read, the information is split into little sections so that its easier for the reader to take in and they don't get bored when reading it.

analysis of exixting magazines covers

This is the may 05 issue of Smash Hits, the masthead is large at the top of the page and is in the two colours that it is remembered by; yellow and white. The magazines target audience is young teens and people who are interested in pop music.



The main image is of "son of dork" and the main sell of this magazine is that its comparing the two bands "son of dork" and "Mcfly" with the sell of "why Mcfly should be afraid. Very afraid", this makes the viewer want to read the article. another main sell is "Mcfly the weirdest habits you'll ever read" the issue is clearly from the time when "son of dork" and "Mcfly" were very popular and they were being compared and thought to be quite similar.



The main image of "son of dork" has one of the group (James Bourne) and the words beside "James Bournes new band" inferring that its his band and not the whole groups... however the rest of the group are in the background.



The pictures next to this are of Gwen Stefani and the heading to this is "10 incredible celebrity make overs " the use of number to catch the viewers eye and and the images to make the reader want to know more about the celebrity transformations. in today's society people are very celebrity orientated, they interested in how the celebrities live, look and what they do, as people try to copy their styles as well as their lifestyles.



There is also on the left hand side a "win" section, this is written in pink so that the viewer notices it and the rest is written in yellow so that they stand out from the other text on the front page. This is done to attract the reader, they think that they have a chance to win something.


The font styles chosen are bold and simple, they stand out. They main colours that are used are yellows, blacks and whites. a simple colour scheme is used as it is more effective and adds to the simplicity and the design of the front page.
The front cover features a barcode,magazine price (£2.00) and website details.


The bar along the bottom tells the readers what else is in the magazine and and makes the reader want to know hat the magazine is going to say about them.





This is the September 07 issue cover of Top Of The Pops magazine, this is clearly targeted at a young teenage audience as it features some of the cast of high school musical.

The masthead is large at the top with the logo from the TV program Top Of The Pops so that the viewer can identify with it

The main sell is the "you're a STAR" exclusive interview. The front of the magazine is quite busy and eye catching. The main colour scheme seams to be purples.

The BBC are clearly named on the front of the magazine so that the reader is aware of the company who owns the magazine. This also helps to promote other magazines and programs made by the BBC.

They have given the magazine the name "Top Of The Pops" as it follows the TV show that was a music show and very popular in the past. The font that has been chosen was chosen because it will help to promote the sales and it was also a the TV show was big and it is the same font that was used for the TV program. it is also big and bold so that it stands out.

There are the large numbers "56" to catch the viewers eye and make them want to know what there is "56" of, in this case it is "hot buys" this promotes other products and if they are featured in a magazine then young people are more likely to go and buy them to fit in or to be cool.

All four of the models on the front of the magazine have eye contact with the viewer and the pose is friendly and seems as though they are all friends, the magazine has exclusive interviews with the cast (these four characters) from High School Musical, to fans of high school musical or the younger readers this would be interesting and they can identify with.

Another main sell is the "celebrity love secrets exposed" this is because the young teenage population are interested in everything about their favourite celebs as they want to be like them. The magazines get hold of these stories so that young impressionable teenagers buy them and they act this way as they think that what the celebrities do and at like is they way they need to act to be cool or popular.

The front of the magazine features a barcode, the issue number and the time that this magazine is on sale and next to every sell there is the page number that that article is on.

target audience

the website results are

This is a chart from the NRS website, that shows the different age groups that buy different types of magazines and the amounts of them that are bought. This shows that the target audience for my music magazine should be aimed at people aged between 15-44. as the most sales are to people in this age group, with magazine sales reaching the 139000. although sales in other ages groups are still occurring they are nowhere near as high. the sales in the last month for Top Of The Pops magazine reached 169000.This age group would be the best to target a new POP magazine to, the only question being is there room in the market for yet another POP magazine?

The main POP magazines that these young people are buying are things like Top Of The Pops as the younger generations aspire to be like their favourite POP stars and want to find out about them so they can copy their style and they way they act.

The typical profile for a typical reader of a POP magazine would be that they are most likely to be mainstreamers, they go with the flow and don't want to stand out from the crowd, they will usually buy the latest make up, CDs or DVDs just to fit in with those around them. They will probably be in the groups C2D or E, this is shown on the chart as only 62 people from the category ABC1 buy theTop Of The POPs magazines are more people from the category C2D and E. The magazine should be targeted at the younger of the age group as they are the ones that are more likely to buy the magazines.

Introduction

The task is to design and produce a front cover, contents page and double page spread for a new music magazine and to write a blog to outline the planning and evaluate the overall work. The genre I have chosen be will be a pop magazine.
The task is a development on the preliminary task of redesigning the college magazine.
http://mediaaschantallerheasullivan.blogspot.com/