Why do magazines do such research? How does it help the magazine?

Magazines do research into their readers to create an understanding of who readers their magazine (the main consumer). It helps the magazine keep up to date with who/ what are the latest artists/ styles their main consumer is most interested in. They gain an understanding of their readers by issuing surveys which gathers information from each audience type, they gain aspects of everyday life for the consumer and what keeps them most interested in a magazine. It also gives the magazine areas to reach out too, so they can gain a mass audience instead of aiming at one group. Doing this research for magazines helps them push their magazine to the new and latest trends. It also allows them to keep the magazines conventions the same but keep update with consistent readers. 

Research helps the magazine gain aspects into the age, location, gender, and the class of the reader. This elements functionally make the magazine sell, without gaining aspects into the reader/ target audience themselves the magazine would not know what is best to write stories on or what bands/ singers are the latest trend for their reader. These elements help the magazine keep up to date with the changing generation and gain continuous buyers. Magazines such as NME use research and create a reader profile;

This a reader profile from NME in 2010. this states key facts and information about the reader of the magazine. There is a greater significant amount of males (74%) which read the magazine compared to the mere (26%) of females who read NME. The median age of the people who read NME is 23 years of age, this can signify the stories and contents is most fitting for this age group. It also shows along the top of the reader profile what elements NME have in their magazine for example; alcohol, hair products, iPod and fashion this gives aspects of who NME's target audience is.  Almost half of the NME consumers are students (42%) which shows majority of consumers are students around the age 23. This information gives NME aspects to research, consequently researching things a 23 year old student would most enjoy to read. The reader profile survey also looks at aspects of technology. From looking at how influential a readers mobile is, NME can create elements which interact and create opportunities for the magazine by using a mobile phone.  The also look at the music a reader most enjoys, NME being a music magazine this element is a greatly helpful to give information for what bands and singers would mostly appeal to the reader or the mass audience. 

These elements give NME/ all magazines a great insight into their audience and gives them aspects to add to their magazine and what stories will sell the greater amount of magazine and appeal to continual readers. 

Here I have created my own reader profile for my own magazine, my magazine will be based around Indie music aspect. I will aim my magazine at 19 years of age so elements of my magazine will reach this target audience. My magazine will be inexpensive and cheap to buy as the majority of the main consumer will be students. The images along the top of the profile reflect aspects of my audience and what interest them. When creating elements of my magazine my reader profile will be key to understanding my target audience and what type of contents will consequently fit them. I also added contact details for the reader to get in contact. 

Convention Analysis of Existing Music Magazines

Conventional Analysis One;

                                                      Conventional Analysis Two;

                                                      Conventional Analysis Three;

Main Brief

To design a front cover, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, a minimum of four images must be used.

Evaluation

What have you learnt from completing this task?

From completing this task, I have learnt to understand the basic aspects of Photoshop and how to edit my image to the best ability and to put together a magazine using genuine magazine conventions. Also from taking apart college magazines I have learnt the conventions of a magazine and what they mean. For example without the magazine conventions it wouldn’t reflect a magazine concept. Consequently learning to use a camera properly and understanding the basic camera framing have helped me greatly in this task, when taking photographs for my front cover. Without understanding the framings my images wouldn’t of being took in the correct aspect.

How have used technology?

 I used different types of technology, I used Photoshop to edit my front cover photo so it looked professional and fitted my magazine target audience. I also used Word on the computer to piece together my magazine. I used Logo Design Tool on Google to create my masthead. These factors help me make my magazine, without these tools of technology I wouldn’t of been able to make my front cover properly.

What conventions have you used and why?

 I've used conventions such as;

Skyline this gives small information on the magazine for example 'the number one college magazine.'

Masthead is included in my magazine to clearly show the name of my magazine, it is bold and clearly visible to the audience, it would normal be positioned in the same position on each monthly magazine.

Main story is entitled in my magazine front cover to show what is evident in my magazine, It's bold and in a bigger text than my feature stories so it central focus and attracts the target audience to the contents.

The feature stories will help sell my magazine to the audience. It also gives a clear insight to what my magazine is about and what the contents is. 

 I included the main image to show it is a college magazine by using a college student, which fitted my mis-en-scene, this also fits my magazine contents. My model was a student and reflected the college appropriately. 

My barcode and date helps promotes that the magazine is buyable and gives the date it’s printed to show it's a monthly addition.

Lastly, I used a footer to show whom the magazine was made by to give insight into that made the magazine.

 I used these main conventions as these make a magazine look like a magazine, without these conventions my magazine wouldn't sell to my audience and would look boring to the everyday person.

What would you change if you were to do this task again?

If I were to do this task again I would change some aspects. The way my front cover was taken it made the image taller in size and small width wise, this left me with no option but to stretch my image to ensure I could fit my magazine conventions on clearly. This left my image looking disfigured and my model looked blurred and unprofessional. I would take into consideration in the way my images are taken so they look professional for my front cover, I would consequently take different angled photos using a different camera to ensure this problem wouldn't arise again. I would also change the way my main story/feature stories laid out, I personally don't think they are done at the best ability and would create a different layout so it looks professional, they look rushed and not created well . The feature stories aren’t appropriately laid out to sell to my audience. I would change the stories also, so they fit a variety of people and the stories would appeal to a greater mass rather than one focal group. Consequently, would change the feel of the whole magazine, it feels childish and inappropriate for my target audience I was trying to reach the colour scheme reflects the magazine for more of a teenager aspect rather than young adult. Also to make itaesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Making the Front Cover

Here is my image I have chosen to use as my front cover,  student is central image and would be suitable for my front cover also has room for my conventions to be added. The Mis-en-scene is everything in which I had planned.

To edit my front cover photograph I used Photoshop, I edited the photo by changing the vibrancy so the image looked bright and gave off a happy feel. I then changed the colour balance to ensure the student had a glow and looked vibrant and stood out. I then blurred the background of the image so the main focus was the student, I then used the sharpen tool to ensure the student wasn't lost amongst the background and also the student wouldn’t be lost when I add my magazine coventions. I also put a hue of purple/pink over the cover, I did this to give a girlie and feminine feel. 

Here is my final front cover which I created on word and photoshop.

I used Word instead of Photoshop to piece together my magazine, as personally I find it easier to use than Photoshop and it's less time consuming to creat my magazine. Although I did use Photoshop for my front image to make it professional.

To start with I imported my image across from my files to Word. I then imported my mast head which i designed on logo on Logo Design Tool on Google. After I positioned my mast head central at the top of my front cover image. I then added my Skyline by using the font type Bauhaus 93, this font type will be used throughout of my front cover to keep it uniformed.

I then proceeded to add the barcode which is from Google, and then added the date in the font Bauhaus 93 again. The next thing I did was added the plug, I used the circle shape off word and added that to the cover. I in filled the circle with purple which fitted my target audience and then added a white outline to make it pop and be eye catching. I similarly added the Footer in the same font and colour as the skyline.

I consequently added the main story by added a text box over the front cover and then wrote the text, I decided to infill the text box light purple the same as the plug. I did this as I feel the main story should somewhat stand out on the cover. I used the Bauhaus 93 font again to write this section. I put the text in white so it stood out on the back ground. To in keep with my colour scheme I used Black/White and Purple. My feature stories are similarly in the font text Bauhaus 93 but are the colour black to match the scheme. I added lines in between the feature stories I did this by using the shape tool on word and put them a pale colour of purple, this helps brake down the stories to ensure they aren't lost in the magazine.

Photos For My Front Cover

Here are the photos I have taken myself for my front cover, nit all of the images are suitable and are not correct for my magazine. 

 I wouldn't use this image as a front cover of my college magazine as its took too far away and the models eyes are shut its not suitable for my magazine.

This shot is taken too far away to clearly see the expression of the model and the surrounding area is too much.

This image would be suitable for my front cover as it reflects what I want my front cover image to be which is a happy student on the college campus. 

This shot is too far away to see the expression on the model clearly and she is lost in the surrounding area.

 I wouldn't use this image as a front cover as the model is not central and not being serious while posing.

This image is one I would suggest using, the image shows the Wyke logo and model looking happy to reflect college life  

This again is an image I would think about using as the model in central and is fitting my mis-en-scene.

The long shot would be another image i would think about using as its a simple profile shot and would work well for my magazine rather than having the Wyke logo across the top,

This shot it too far away but is a low angel and shows the surroundings and the student looking happy to reflect the college and draw readers in.

This image is a close up, I wouldn't use this as a front cover image as its too close for a front cover and you wouldn't see all of the image once all the conventions are added on top. This image however would be good for a secondary image.

Mast Head Designs

I made this mast head by using Logo Design Tool on the internet, I used the colour purple to match my colour scheme of my magazine and also used a font which is easy to understand and eye catching. This would be easy to understand to everyone and helps fit the colour scheme.

This is my favourtie mast head; I used Logo Desing Tool on Google to create this title, the olour once again mayches my colour scheme and is also bold and east to read. Its girlie and simple to attract my target audiance.

I once again used Logo Desing Tool to create this mast head. I wouldn't use this particular font type for my magazine as it is unclear and very childish for my target audiance of 16-19 year olds.

Signifiers/ Semiotics

Semiotics; science of signs

Denotations; signifier what the object means the physical object

Connotations; signified what the object is

From the image above, the connotations are that it is a man with the England flag smeared across his chest; it looks like a well-known footballer (Wayne Rooney). He is very enthusiastic and detonates he may have scored. Another denotation can be that the red flag could be a signifier of blood. It's a medium close up to show his facial expression. The 'Just Do It' tick is also red to signify England.

Location Ideas/ Mis-En-Scene

Mis-en-scene; for my front cover will be an outside shot with the Wyke college logo viable. I will be using props of a work folder, my model with be centre shot holding the folder to signify a college student.

I went round the college and took pictures for a visual idea of some location setting's i can use for my magazine. I've chose some outside and inside options for a variety of different aspects. I've chosen areas which will represent the college also.

Digital/Draft Contents

I've created a digital draft on publisher to give me an insight of what conventions will be placed on my magazine. This helps me to understand how my magazine will look when pieced together.

Digital Drafts; Front Cover

I have created a digital front cover for my magazine on Publisher, this has my ideas of stories/mast head/plug layout. It has the conventions of my magazine also placed on the draft to give me a head start when creating my magazine.