Analysis of preliminary task - front cover

Overall I think that my preliminary task was a success. I found the task fun and enjoyable and as it wasn't my final piece i found it easier to experiment and try out concepts and new ideas.
My front cover was a long shot of a student walking down a corridor, the title is large, black letters in a smart/ neat font. The entire background is the picture so the text has to be bright and bold to stand out. The subtitles showing other articles are organized below the main topic title with small pictures showing parts of them.

The photo is quite airy so this makes the text colour sceme (White and Red) look brighter than it actually is. Because the photo is looking down a corridor with the modle is in the foreground it gives the photo depth and adds space to the page.

Textual analysis front cover 04 - Q

The cover of "Q" magazine is dramatic, it's an entire body view where muse is smashing up the title with a guitar. This evokes drama and anger. The background is a big blue room which is dramatic and theatrical therefore exaggerating the pose and entire cover.

The clothes the model is wearing, smart trousers and a soldier jacket makes him appear more dramatic and look more impressive and smart. However the way he is wearing it looks like hes a rebel which is backed up by his pose

The text is small and along the side of the image so that the model completely stands out. The text along the side is in a slightly fancy font but is easy to read as it is bright against the grey background in white, red and black.

The banner at the top says "The UK's greatest music magazine" which is a bias statement to promote the magazine and give it some identity against other music magazines. 

contents page trial and error v1.0

Without photographs the contents page seems a bit too detailed. The organization and texture i am happy with though. The colour scheme matches the title page which i like. Also there is a large piece of white space like in most front covers.

contents page construction

This is the early stages of my page, i have the basic shapes, colours and text so far.

Final Front Cover

This is my final front cover, overall i'm really please with the bold colour scheme, the Fonts, the cover article's and my artists persona. I think all the hard work put in paid off and i've ended up with a professional front cover.

Pier review 02, final front cover colour schemes

I've decided on my final front cover design, i just need help deciding what colour sceme!!! Please help

Front cover trail and improvement v1.0

To start off i put in the masthead and the title of the artist.

The after putting in the title i decided to play around with the title and colour schemes.

The completed layouts were then changed as well.

Contents page 02 - Textual analysis - The Source 02

Contents page 02 - Textual analysis - The Source

Contents page 01 - Textual analysis - Vibe

Peer review - front cover designs

I've made 3 types of front cover so far and i'm stuck on which one to choose, here are the three designs;

I've asked for feedback from peers :)

Textual analysis front cover 03 - rolling stone

The front cover of Rolling stone magazine is very raw in rerms of the feeling it evokes. The model (Robert Downey Jr.) is facing the camera, he is wearing an orange jumper with the hood up. It is very simple and plain which makes it look like he's going through a rough time and cannot afford or be able to wear nicer clothes.

His chest hair is on display and his beard is roughly shaved backing up his hard done by appearance. His facial expression is a small frown backing up the feeling of him having a severe experience. The title says "through hell and back with Robert Downey Jr." which is very bold making the audience take a step back almost in surprise.

The text is quite hard to read in terms of it's style but the colours help against the orange background.

Questionnaire analysis

I gathered results from my questionnaire, i tried collecting answers from a variety of people to make the results have a greater perspective of the general view rater than a specific part of society. Looking at question one and two i see that the majority of people questioned were female (58%) and aged between 16-20 (83%).

Looking at question three and four i see that Music subscription is relatively low (75% don't subscribe at all). Questions five and six show that the colour sceme isn't that important aslong as it isn't bright pinks and yellows etc because the percentage (33%). Question seven and eight suggest that an interview with a nig names star such as Will Smith would be best for my double page spread article as 50% thought this was most appealing to them.

Questions nine and ten suggest that women and other ethnic backgrounds are not included enough (92%) although there is an underlying reason for this. The audience said that the cover should be bold, clean, clear and iconic. 

Textual analysis - Front cover 02 - The source

This front cover of "The source" magazine is very bold. Like most covers of this genre, the model takes up most of the page. The title is in white across the top which is clear and neat.

The artist has a bright red leather jacket which evokes his attitude that he portrays through his music which is of him not caring what other people think of him and standing up for what he believes in.

The words are neatly arranged around the model, they are easy top read as they are in a clean font and a whiter colour sceme. the model is positioned on a motor bike saluting at the camera. This further backs up his persona and attitude.

The text colour sceme is white and red, this helps stand out against the picture background.

Questionnaire

This is to help me with my research to see what makes a music magazine of my genre successful and what i can incorporate in my magazine:

Preliminary Work - Final contents page

After various concepts i decided to use this design as the contents page for my college magazine;

Textual Analysis Front cover 01

To create the best front cover for my magazine i will need to analyse 5 existing magazine covers and use the best bits from each to connect with the taget market. This cover of Vibe magazine is a simple but expressive layout, the colour sceme has a blank background with black and red text surrounding the model (Eminem).

The model is dressed in a black tank top which is kind of dark and angry, his arms are crossed which suggests he commands respect and there is no nonsense to his personality at this time. All of his tattoos are on show which evokes a kind of pride. In other words he isn't hiding anything which goes with the theme of the article where he "comes clean", displaying almost everything.

Eminem is clean shaven and his hair is tidy, this makes the audience think he's sorted everything out. Like he's emerging from the shadows of his past, the text of drugs is translucent, fading away from him. He is wearing a crucifix, perhaps showing his faith in himself to get through his rough period.

The red text captures the readers attention and makes them think of blood which realtes to drug usage by Eminem. Nothing really overlaps, all the texts are in their own section on the page and everything is neat and tidy like the models hair.

Preliminary development - contents page

The trouble with the contents page is that it doesn't have a set layout, so finding the right one for a specific magazine can be difficult and time consuming. I've began playing around with photoshop and the structure of this page as shown here:

Preliminary work - College magazine front cover

I kept my original layout but edited the text type and colour along  with image size, I tried to make the title similar to other magazines which have a sort of clean spacious layout whilst keeping the emphasis on the model.

Mood board 02 - Inspiration

This other mood board i have done is for any extra inspiration which is not specifically the artist, clothing and colours are the main themes i have found inspiration from.

Preliminary develpment

Started my preliminary task of making a college magazine cover! I was experimenting with photoshop and i found the curves setting for some pictures very useful with the brightness lines of the main photo. Making the title and strap line more visible. I'm still getting to grips even with some basics of the programme, it's pretty fun anyway and i hope that by the end of this preliminary task i should be experienced enough :)

Mood board 1 - Artists

The main focus in hip hop music is the artist and their stories, so helping me with inspiration i have created this mood board with a number of big named artists. This helps me see what kind of images
are portrayed in R&B magazines or in media in general.

Introduction and aims

I have decided to showcase the R&B and Hip Hop genre for my music magazine coursework. The demographic for the magazine like most magazines of its type will be between the ages of 15-25. Obviously there will be leeway but a 10-year age group I personally think is ideal for capturing the entire audience. The target market is young men, generally African American but trying to reach out to other ethnicities and age groups as well.

To find inspiration for my magazine I have researched a variety of music genres, I have concluded that R&B and Hip-hop is the magazine type that I will be going for. It is a very specific genre especially towards its target audience, I will be focusing like most magazines on a specific artist and probably have the front cover made up predominantly of 1 photo. Considering the target audience will be in the C.2, D and E class of socio economics this will mean that the topics will seem very relatable and interesting.

The model I plan to use will resemble artists like Eminem; because of race the iconic front cover shot will have to be photo shopped and bold to emphasize the importance and equality especially in music. Clothing will have to be basic, stereotypical of performers from breadline backgrounds. One particular theme I will try to include throughout the magazine is the emphasis on grass roots and the American dream, which although has floors will still provide inspiration for the target market.

The contents page and double page spread of my music magazine will be influenced by magazines like “Vibe” and “The Source”, they will be bold, regimented but still artistic in their own, hip hop kind of way. I want the magazine to not just cater for the majority of R&B listeners. I want it to reach out to the alternative audience such as females and whites and Asians. Overall, using the skills I have acquired in the first few lessons. My aim is to make my magazine as engaging and exiting as existing bestsellers. 

My mind map on the Genre of R&B and Hip hop

Music Genre Mindmap

Production Schedule

Just created this blog for media studies, all my coursework will be put on here so when my work is set i will post it up. I have to make a front cover, a contents page and a double page spread for 50% of the AS grade in this subject :D It should be pretty hard work, but fun at the same time. I have a few random ideas already and are looking forward to getting on with the work :D