Change of Masthead

Upon starting to create my magazine front cover, I came across a problem with my masthead. As it had come from a picture, it looked grainy when enlarged, and had a white line around the edge that was difficult to get rid of. As well as this, the black colour didn't go very well with my front cover, as it almost blended into it, and was not particularly visible. Below is a screenshot of how it looked.

 This is not the look that I wanted to achieve with my magazine, as I wanted a clean, clear look. As it didn't reflect my original idea for my magazine, I decided to change it, to a masthead that was still neutral, however a lighter colour in order to be more obvious.

A screenshot of my new masthead is shown below:

This masthead better reflects the orginal image I had in mind of my magazine, as it looks simple and neutral, yet it is stands out. I also added a drop-shadow in order to make it stand out even further, and make the magazine generally more enticing for the reader.

Planning the Interview- Feature Article

 

Feature Article Planning

 

The article will start with a breif introduction, telling the reader a short bit about the brand new artist 'Lola Roberts', and how overnight she sprang into the music industry. It will introduce her to the reader, so that they can get a feel of the tone for the rest of the article.

 

I will then have an interview, in which I will ask the following questions, and also write in the answers from Lola...

 

What was the first song you ever wrote & what inspired it?

What got you into music to start with? How old were you?

If you could pick any band to be in at any point in time, what would it be?

Have you always enjoyed music?

How does it feel being in the spotlight so suddenly? Weirdest thing about it?

Do you play any instruments?

Something for the readers…. Do you have any hidden talents?

If you hadn’t gotten into singing, what would you be doing?

What is your current favourite song, not by you?!

Your new album ‘raindrops on roses’, is all amazing! But what is your favourite song from it, and why?

Do you have any loves other than music?

Finally, I will end the article with a breif conclusion, saying things like 'I'm sad my time with Lola is over, but I have a feeling that Lyrics will be speaking to her again soon'. This will end the article on a note that will make the readers want to read on and therefore would get them to keep buying the magazine.

The article will be generally very laid back, in order to keep people engaged when reading it, yet it will be informative, so that it is interesting enough for people to buy the next issue.

Photoshop Practice

Practice Photoshop Pictures

Below shows some before and after example pictures that I found on the internet, the before being how it was originally, and the after being after I photo shopped it. I did this so that when it comes to doing this with my magazine, I will be more familiar with the software, and it will overall make it look more professional. 

                                                    Before                                     After

I have done things such as change the colour levels, to bring out the red in hair, change the contrast to put focus on the main part of the image, use the blur tool to take focus away from the background of an image, and use the burn tool to bring out the dark colours on a guitar.

Feature Article- Mock Up (Drawn)

Feature Article Mock Up

Below is a very rough version of my feature article, it contains two main pictures currently that I may add to when creating my final version. It only shows the very basic elements that I want in my final feature article, however it gives me a good idea of the design and layout. Below I have explained some of my choices for these elements.

In this mock up, I have decided to include one large picture of Lola Roberts, and I have used one small one, however will probably use more than this in the final version, to make it look a bit more eye-catching. The photos will be photo shopped to bring out the colour and make them really stand out. The large photo will show a very country-like background, and will be the main focus of the page, however I have decided to also use a fair amount of text, so that it looks balanced, and not too full of photos, or of text.

I have put the title 'Lyrics' in the top left of the double page spread, so that it isn't the main focus, I will add text onto the end of it that says 'meets... Lola Roberts', so that it tells the reader what the article is about. I don't want this text to be too obvious, as the pictures are supposed to be the main focus of the page, however I still want it to be informative, and easy for the reader to see and read. 

For the text, I have put an introduction paragraph that will explain a bit about Lola, and set the tone of the whole article. After which, I will have a Q&A with Lola,  asking about her new album, what it is like to suddenly be famous, about her writing her own songs, and what inspired her first one. I will also put a conclusion at the end, with a similar tone to the introduction that will address the reader, and make them feel a part of the interview. 

Overall, I have tried to make it look simplistic, yet professional, this will draw the reader's attention, because it is easy to look at and read by not being too overcrowded, yet still being informative and colourful through the pictures. 

Photoshoot Ideas

Photoshoot Plan

Below, I have created a more in depth plan of what I will do for my photoshoot. It includes what props I will use, the location of my photoshoot, why I have chosen the model I did, and it also includes a mood board of makeup, clothes and hair ideas.

Front Cover:

On my front cover, the picture will take up most, if not all of the page, the image of the artist will be of her outside, looking relaxed and  comfortable. I will put writing over some of the picture, so I need to make sure that there is space to do this.

I will also photograph a set of other people to be my extra band that is on the front page, as well as a small picture of myself for the 'Editor's Note!'


Contents Page:

On the contents page, I will have very few photos, I will have a photo of Lola Roberts, which will be a different one than is on the front cover, as well as a photo of a guitar for the competition. The photo of Lola Roberts will be of her inside, looking very natural, as though she doesn't even know she is being photographed.


Feature Article:

As my feature article will take up two pages, I will have a few different pictures of Lola Roberts that will either be in the centre of the double page spread, or they will take up the whole space, and I will put text over them. There will be a variety of different pictures of her on the feature article, which I will photoshop to bring out maximum colour, and make it look very eye catching.

Props:
- Guitar
- Flower Headband

My props are minimal, so that none of the pictures are too overcrowded, and it shows the artist's style, and keeps it simple.


Location:

The location of my photoshoot will be in a village called brightwalton, it has lots of fields and cottages, which is the type of rural setting I want my model to be pitured in. A small area from brightwalton is pictured to the right, which shows some of the cottages, where I may take my model, as it represents her style well, being very rural, yet pretty.



Why did I choose Charlotte to be 'Lola Roberts?':
I chose Charlotte to be my model, because she is the right sort of age, and has the right look to be a singer. She looks young and has a type of look that can be easily styled to look how I want her too. She has blonde hair, which is what I imagined Lola Roberts to have, and overall she fits the part very well.

Makeup and Hair ideas:
This mood board is half makeup, and half hair ideas for what Charlotte will look like when being photographed, I want her makeup to look very  natural, but still elegant, and her hair to be curly, yet slightly messy to give it a rough look.

Clothing Ideas:
This mood board shows clothing and shoe ideas. I want her clothing to be feminine and girly, however with a slight edge with the converse and a leather jacket. This will bring across well the personality of my artist by combining the two styles.

Contents Page- Mock Up (Drawn)

Contents Page Mock Up

Below is a drawn mock up of my contents page, it is currently very rough. This mock up shows the main parts that will come across in my final contents page, and below I have explained some of my choices for these elements.

I have chosen to make the word 'Contents', fairly large so that it is obvious what the purpose of the page is. On my final contents page I would like the word 'Lyrics' to be slightly smaller, so as to make the 'Contents' more obvious. I am not sure yet of the colours of this contents page, but I am thinking of 'Contents' either being blue, red, or perhaps a deep purple. 

I have chosen to make the image of the feature artist large, and to use a different picture than is on the front cover, because it will make the reader think that there is more to see of this artist, and that the article will perhaps have even more pictures, and more information than they were expecting. The page number in the bottom right of this picture will also be large, because it will ensure that the reader knows what page to go to. I will ensure that all page numbers are distinct and clear for the reader, so that they know where to go if looking for a particular article, and will make it easier to read in general. 

I have included a section with other 'New Artists', because I feel that it will get the reader wanting to know what new things are happening, wanting to keep updated, and be the first to know about new artists and new releases. As well as this, I have included existing artists, that most people know of, such as 'The Script', or 'Katy Perry', because it feels slightly familiar to the readers, and that they do already know of at least some of the artists they are reading about. 

There is also a section on the contents page called 'on the cover', so that if the reader has bought the magazine because of what they saw on the front cover, they will easily be able to find those articles in the magazine, and not have to spend too long looking through to find them. The 'Competition', is there to get the reader interested in buying the magazine more often, and perhaps entering the competition on a weekly basis.  The 'Get In Touch', at the bottom of the page is to do with entering the competition, sending any suggestions they have for the magazine, and generally making them feel involved in the magazine. 

The house style of the magazine, being a soft, indie but professional type look, will be carried on in the contents page, through using neutral colours, and similar, or even the same fonts that were used on the front cover.

Front Page- Mock Up (Drawn)

Front Cover Mock Up

Below is a very rough copy of what my front cover will look like, I have drawn it out, to show the main elements of my front page, and below I have explained some of my choices for these elements.

I have kept my front cover fairly simple, however have still used elements that will entice the reader to look inside the magazine. 

I have chosen to make my magazine £2.99, (as shown above the barcode), because from my questionnaire results, the £2 to £3 bracket was the only bracket that both girls and boys would be willing to pay.

The masthead is quite large, however not so large that it distracts from the main image, it is still bold, and in the top left corner so that it catches the reader's eye, as the top left corner is generally where people look first. It is not overlapped by the image, so that it can still be seen, and that it will get people to remember the brand.

The text under the masthead is small, but the reader's eye will drift to it after looking at the masthead, so it will still be noticed. It is small so that the message the slogan is portraying can be subtle and not too 'in your face'.

The main focus of the front page will be a picture of 'Lola Roberts', the feature artist. The image will be of her in a very rural setting, perhaps with a guitar, and with flowers, and very relaxed, feminine clothing. I have included a quote from her feature article because it makes the reader interested, and makes them feel invested in her, and therefore want to continue reading the magazine. Also, her name will be in large text, so that the name is obvious, and it will be in a very soft, feminine font, such as; 'Lola Roberts', so as to attract the female audience, and not be too overwhelming when looking at the front cover. Rather than the picture only taking up part of the front cover, I am thinking of making it to cover the whole page, and put other text over the top of it.

The articles advertised on the left side of the cover also draw in the reader, giving them snippets of text from the articles, and making them wanting to continue reading them, and to find out more what it is about. I have included a competition as one of the advertisements because it makes people reading the front cover want to get involved. As the competition will be to do with music, e.g. winning a guitar, or tickets to a concert, it will attract the right target audience and even if they buy the magazine initially for the competition, they may continue buying it after that, as it addresses them well, with articles that they would like. 

There is also an advertisement for another artist, as if the reader may not be interested in the feature artist, they will be able to see that there are other artists in the magazine that they would be interested in, making them more likely to buy it. 

The house style of the front cover will be fairly soft colours, and it will generally be a very relaxed yet professional look. 

Final Masthead Planning

For my final masthead font, I have chosen number 1, from my previous post. I chose this font because it can apply to a range of people, male and female, as well as being very simple with a rough edge to it, with it looking as though it's being drawn.
Below is an edited version of it, in which I have removed the background, and added a drop shadow.

Here, the shadow very subtly makes it look very professional, and slightly separates it from the rest of the page, making it obvious, and intriguing. 

I have also experimented with some other colours for my masthead, as I wanted to see what it would look like, however still keeping neutral colours such as grey, so that it wouldn't be too overpowering on my front page.

From this experimenting, I have decided to keep my masthead black, although the other colours do look nice. I have chosen this because I want to keep my magazine looking simple and consistent, and black is a very easy colour to keep using throughout my magazine, that also looks professional. As well as this, I do think that it looks better black than coloured, and it looks very original, as opposed to slightly unprofessional.

Possible Mastheads For My Music Magazine

Possible Mastheads

Below are 6 possible mastheads for my magazine...

There is a variety of looks here, this is because I am not yet entirely sure what I want the masthead to look like, however I am thinking of going with something like numbers 1 or 5.

I like number 1 because it is very simple, yet it also looks different from most other mastheads of music magazines. It looks almost as though it has been drawn, which makes it look rough, and could be related to many things, as it looks slightly retro, yet also looks to do with indie, and could even be used for pop music.

I like number 5 because this was the kind of look I originally had in mind, it looks very indie, and looks quite girly and feminine, it is also very simple like the first font, however it may be slightly too feminine, as I do want my magazine to appeal to both genders, although it would be very good for the magazine I have in mind, as long as i make the rest of the magazine to appeal to females.

I want my masthead to be black because it is a simple colour, that will not take too much attention from the front cover, yet it will be bold enough to attract the reader's attention.

Final Magazine Name

Final Magazine Name



I have chosen 'Lyrics' as my final magazine name, as Lyrics are in all songs, and therefore apply to all music genres I will write about. It is a slightly different name, so it would draw the reader's attention, but it still sounds relaxed, and fits in well with the rest of the music magazines. The name makes it clear what this magazine is about, and so the reader will buy the magazine for a specific reason, wanting to read about music, 'Lyrics' fulfills this purpose well, and will intrigue reader, which is why I have chosen it to be my magazine name.

Slogan:
The slogan that I am going to use for my magazine is 'the heart of music', this is because lyrics are essential to music, they are what differentiate songs and make people want to listen. The slogan suggests that the magazine will tell you about all kinds of music, as well as being essential, and important in the world of music in general.

Audience Research- Questionnaire Results

1.What is your favourite music genre?

2. How often would you want a music magazine to be published?

3. What would you prefer the tone of the magazine to be?

4. How much are you willing to pay for a music magazine?

5. What interests you reading a magazine?

6. What articles would you like to read about in a music magazine?

Magazine Name Ideas & Connotations

Name Ideas for my Music Magazine

Below is a mind map of some ideas I came up with to name my magazine, I have written connotations for some of them, that I would be more likely to use as the final name for my magazine.

Feature Article Artist Planning

Artist Planning

Artist Name: Lola Roberts

My artist will be a solo artist, she will be a new artist just becoming famous, practising some of her songs, and learning about the business, attending events that she isn't used to, and generally getting used to the industry. She has a very individual style, and always looks very girly, but with her own twist on it.
She is doing the interview for publicity, promoting her first album, after only releasing singles prior to that. Her music is country-esque, and very original, she is a young, and very laid back person.

Hoe will she be presented in my magazine?

Below is a mood board, capturing elements that I want to try to include when photographing my music artist...

From this mood board, I was trying to get across a very natural, casual, country looking style, that combines girly clothing and feminine makeup, with laid back shoes like converse, guitars, and very individual jewellery, I woud like her hair to look girly and casual, fitting with the rest of her image, so it would be curly, however slightly messy,these are things that contrast with each other, however represent her style well. 

Why is she doing the interview?

She is doing the interview as an up-and-coming artist, promoting herself, and introducing a new style into the music industry. As part of my magazine focuses on finding new artists, she is someone who we will have noticed, and asked to interview. She has had some publicity before, however she is hoping that being in my magazine will help her get started, and give her the publicity that she really needs. She is in the process of launching her first album, after some singles she has launched that became very popular very quickly. 

Location of the shoot...

In order to bring out the artist's personality, I would like to do the photo shoot outdoors, in a field, or somewhere that looks very raw, and very natural. However, at the time of the shoot, as it may be cold, the appearance of the location might not be what I imagined, and therefore I would do the shoot inside, and simply use props to bring out her personality and image. If I have it inside, I would do the shoot in lots of different rooms of a house, in order to have a variety of images, and show her as a calm, homely person, that the readers can relate to. My ideal is to do the shoot outside, as it will show the country side of her personality, and at the same time show her as a very laid back, natural person.

Photograph ideas...
I want the photos to look very natural, not as though they are posed, and perhaps slightly so that they are humorous. As she is only just starting as an artist, she will still be very similar to people actually reading the magazine, so in the photos, she should come across as herself, pose as she feels she should, and therefore be even more relatable to the readers. Her makeup is going to be very natural, neutral colours, so that she doesn't look 'fake'. Her clothing will be very girly, and pretty, she will be wearing a skirt, a headband with flowers on it, combined with casual shoes, as shown above in my mood board. For props, she will have things like a guitar,and flowers. For her facial expressions in the pictures, they will be slightly humorous, not too formal, but not too posed, in order to stay in theme with the rest of the picture, and her personal style.

Other artists...
As I will need other artists to put on my contents page, I need to plan them; I will need some bands so that they can differentiate from the artist used on the front cover, the bands will be from different genres, so that there is a variety, to represent that the magazine includes a variety of artists. I will also use some names of existing famous artists, that would attract the reader's attention. I don't want my contents page to be overcrowded, so I will probably include around 10 artists on it.

Front Cover Analysis- NME Magazine

NME Front Cover Analysis

 



Mast Head:
The Mast Head of this magazine is very bold. 'NME' is in block capitals, making it stand out, it is also obstructing the main image, showing that they want their brand identity to be clear, and stand out to anyone who may want to buy the magazine.
As well as this, the colour of it is red, which is a very bold, loud colour. Red is usually a colour associated with anger or danger, this means that the type of person who they are aiming the magazine at is someone young, daring, or someone who likes music that is loud, and perhaps very unique. Although it is obstructing the main image, there is also some text obstructing the corner of the Mast Head, which is a quote from one of the band members on the front colour, this tells the reader about the bands they are using, that they fit in well with, or are perhaps even louder and more individual than their magazine.

Straplines/Slogans:
The fact that there is no real strapline on this front cover, shows how much they are focusing on this particular band 'Haim', NME is choosing not to follow this convention in magzines, perhaps they are trying to be different, and to stand out from other music magazines. As a strapline would normally be a line of text promoting the magazine, or promoting an 'exclusive' event inside the magazine, by not using this, they are instead using text that promotes the band on the front cover through the use of 'Haim, Get the Picture?'


Pictures:
The only image on this front cover is of the band 'Haim' that they are focusing on in this particular issue of 'NME'. The picture very much draws the reader in, which is what it is supposed to do, it is large, taking up most of the front cover, and the picture of the band members are of all of them looking directly at the camera, making eye contact with the reader. There is a slight difference in that the centre band member, is holding a camera, as though taking a picture. Because she is pointing it at the camera taking a picture of her, it gives the effect that she is taking a picture of the reader, making them feel included, and further drawn in. This motion of taking a picture is then further enhanced by the text 'Get the Picture?', addressing the reader, and being associated with the camera in the main picture.


Sell Lines & Puffs:
As this magazine cover is so simplistic, there isnt really anything used as a sell line, or any conventional puffs, however there are things used that are similar. For example, the band names around the outside of the page are being used as sell lines, selling the bands to the reader and promoting what is inside. Puffs used on this front cover are the quotes from the band members, thhey are showing small bits of information from the article inside, and drawing the reader in, they are very small but effective, instantly giving the reader an idea of what the band is like and making them feel connected to them and want to read the article.

Readership Profile- Music Magazine

 

Readership Profile

 
Name: Jessica

 

Age: 17

 

Lifestyle: She is a student, studying her second year of A-Levels, doing Media, English, and ICT. She has a part-time job on the weekends, working in a high street clothes shop, she has a low income as the job is only part time, however earns a good amount for someone of her age.
 

Personality: She enjoys things that a typical teenager would, such as socialising with friends, shopping, going to parties, and enjoys some sports as a hobby. She likes listening to music, and going to festivalos, she likes lots of genres, however dislikes genres like rock or heavy metal.

 

Disposable Income: Any disposable income she has, is usually spent on clothes, activities such as going to the cinema, and buying magazines, and buying some music on itunes.
 

Relatable Brands: Brands relatable to her would be high street brand like topshop or new look, and some companies like itunes, would also be relatable to her.
 



 



Music Magazine- Initial Ideas

 

Initial Ideas

 

 

 Above I have come up with 3 initial ideas for my music magazine, I have put a star next to Idea 2, as this is the one I have chosen to do.
I chose Idea 2, because I wanted a magazine that would appeal to more of a variety of people, and as both Ideas 1 & 3 were targeted at a niche audience, I thought they would not be suitable.
 





Feature Article Analysis 2- We Love Pop Magazine

We Love Pop Feature Article Analysis

Layout and Connotations:

The layout of this feature page is very colourful, it links to the front cover as the house style is the same throughout the magazine. It looks similar to the front cover in that it looks slightly un-organised, with the pictures overlapping, and the text over the top of them at an angle. There is a consistent colour scheme on this article of yellows and blues, which would appeal to both boys and girls, however the music artists that are mentioned appeal much more to young girls, e.g. One Direction, Cher Lloyd, and Little Mix. 

The connotations of this  are that it looks similar to a scrapbook page, with the look of everything being stuck over eachother, and the slanted text as though it has been glued onto the images, creating scrapbooks is something widely associated with young girls, and therefore reinforces their target audience.

Purpose:

As this article contains lots of different music artists, it's purpose is not to promote any particular artist, but to inform the reader of what happened at the most recent 'teens choice awards'. However it is done in a very informal, almost gossip-type manner, as shown through the use of words such as 'Miley Cyrus had competition'. 

Presentation:

The way these artists are presented is as though they are the subject of gossip, this suits the magazine's target audience, because gossiping and talking about the latest things that have happened in music, is something that young teenage girls do a lot, and are largely associated with. The intention of this article was to show these artists as being laid back, as it shows their social side rather than their business side, rather than showing them releasing albums, and living up to an image that the press have given them, it shows them having fun, and being how they would normally.

Tone & Mode of Address:

The tone of the article of very excitable, use of words such as 'hilarious', makes the reader excited to know what they are talking about, and interested in the article. The mode of address is directly addressing the reader, it says 'you', as though they are directly speaking to the reader and having a conversation with them.

Length and Design:

The length of the text used in the article is very short in comparison to most articles, it is simply one paragraph in the middle of the double page spread, which does draw the reader's attention as it is in the middle, however by it being so short, suggests that it is not the main focus of the page. The images supports the text as they are all very laid back, and by using the same colours as borders of the pictures that are used in the title and in the drop cap of the text, makes it all tie in together. 

Feature Article Analysis 1- Top of the Pops Magazine

Top of the Pops Feature Article Analysis

Layout:
The feature article links to the front cover through the use of pictures, and it's general house style. On the feature article the main picture is a very large picture of Jessie J. This is the same on the front cover, as she is the featured artist in this issue of the magazine. The house style is very girly, using butterflies and font that looks very feminine, in order to appeal to girls. As well as this using neutral colours, mainly orange and yellows, this relates it to the front cover because orange is the colour of the title of the magazine. The overall design of the magazine also uses these colours as well as greens, which are also used in the feature article.

Connotations:
The main connotation of this article is nature, it makes you think of the outdoors, and a natural, rural environment. It makes you think this because of the colours used, mainly greens and oranges, as associated with tree leaves, grass, and many aspects of nature, as well as this, the picture is outdoors, showing even more that it is much to do with nature. As the main point being put across by this article is of natural beauty, being modelled by a singer, this shows that it's purpose is being fulfilled, as well as using a well known singer to be the face of this article, wearing no makeup and being a 'barefaced beauty', this creates a role-model for young girls who may be reading the magazine.

Artist's Image & Purpose:
The article supports Jessie J's style, as it is generally very laid back and calm, for example, her use of words such as 'I'll have to fit in a shopping trip', and 'baggy sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt', show her character as being very calm and relaxed, not trying to play up to any particular public image. Also she talks about the shaving of her hair, how it changed her, making her feel more free, and how her new album 'shows the foundation of the woman I'm going to be forever'. This tells us that she's going through a change, and is trying to create a new, laid back image that can be used as a role-model for young girls.
The purpose of this article is to show Jessie J as becoming a new person, going through an image change after shaving her head, as well as promoting her new album.

Presentation of Artist:
The presentation of Jessie J in this article is of her wearing very little makeup, holding a butterfly to appeal to the target audience of the magazine, being young girls. She is wearing minimal makeup to relate to young girls, the motion of her holding out her hand with a butterfly on it, shows the target audience that she cares about nature, as well as making it look visually appealing, and shaping the text around it, making her the main focus. The intention of this article was to show Jessie J as someone for young girls reading the magazine to look up to.

Tone & Mode of Address:
The tone of the article is very friendly and laid back, however the reader is not directly addressed. It has a positive tone, for example 'That's a good thing!' is used, showing how friendly, and positive it is, however by not directly addressing the reader, it is slightly un-engaging, although it does feel as though the reader is being spoken to through the way it is written, keeping them interested.

Length and Design:
The length of the article itself is very short suggesting that the picture is the main focus. The image supports the text because it is talking about being natural and confident, which is shown in the use of outdoors, as well as the butterflies, which are also used around the title.

Contents Page Analysis 2- Kerrang Magazine

Kerrang Contents Page Analysis

Layout and Design:

The magazine's house style links the contents page to the front cover  It uses bright colours, and is generally looks quite un-organised, however in a way that attracts the younger audience through using large pictures, and lots of different colours. One large picture of a singer is made the main focus of the page by it being so large, this suggests that they are using it to attract a particular audience, or to set the tone of the magazine. By the artist in the picture being young, it makes the younger audience relate to it. By making the picture colourful, and by using a picture of the artist that has a very individual look, suggests that they are trying to be unique, and perhaps even slightly random, as a magazine.

Artists Featured:

There are 26 artists featured on the contents page, showing that they are very packed with information, only 3 of them that are being featured using pictures.

Purpose:

When buying the magazine, the contents page takes a key role, the reader may look at the contents page as well as the front cover to decide whether or not to buy the magazine. The purpose of the contents page in a magazine is to inform the reader of what is inside the rest of the magazine, and to help them decide whether they want to buy it, or to help them decide what to read. 

Enticement:

They entice the reader to read the featured articles on the contents page through the pictures they use. The main picture entices the reader to read that article, because of the girl in it looking at the camera, making contact and engaging with the reader. This makes the reader feel engaged with her, and want to learn more about why the picture of her has been used, and more about her story. 

Contents Page Analysis 1 - Q Magazine

Q Contents Page Analysis

Contents pages are designed to inform the reader of what is in the magazine, they make it easier for them to find what they are looking for, and to entice them into specific articles that may be featured in the magazine in that issue.

Here are some examples of how Q does this...

Layout and Design:

The contents page here is linked to the front cover through the house style of the magazine. The main colours are white, black, and red. The look of it is generally very neat, laid out in squared shapes, that fit well together and make both the front cover and the contents page look very organized and professional.

The layout of the contents page consists of several pictures. The largest picture is advertising their feature article, this is the largest to make it the most obvious to the reader, and entice them to read the article. The picture is of a band, who are all looking at the camera, engaging with the reader. As well as this, their name is made obvious, larger and in a different place to the rest of the artist names, making it obvious to the reader that they are featuring this band. Below this is an advertisement for their 'reviews', getting the reader interested, and hoping that it will make them want to continue buying the magazine.

Artists Featured:

There are just 8 artists featured on the contents page, which isn't a lot, however it makes it less overwhelming for the reader than some other magazines where they list many more artists than that. This suggests that Q are trying to not include too much information and keep their readers interested.

Purpose:

The purpose of a contents page is to give the reader an idea of what articles, stories and other information is inside the magazine and what page they can be found on. They make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for, and to advertise to the reader other products and their featured articles. 

Enticement:

The magazine entices the reader by using pictures and large text to advertise particular features of the magazine. It separates it's feature articles from the other articles by using the large picture, and placing it's page number separately from all the others, this is a persuasive technique because it is showing the reader that this is the article that Q thinks they should be reading, by making it very large and very obvious. 

NME- Readership Profile

 

NME- Readership Profile

 

 



Front Cover Analysis- Q

Title:

This title is very powerful, as it is a single letter, with no implications of what it stands for, this makes it very unusual, also as Q is such an unusual letter, and not commonly used, it stands out from other magazines.

The use of the 'puff'' that states it is 'The World's Greatest Magazine', draws the reader in, although they know it probably isn't true that it isnt the number one magazine in the world, it makes you think that they must be good.

Finally, the title is slightly obscured, however the magazine name is still obvious to the reader. As the letter Q is white, it is bright and obvious, making it still easy to see. Because the title is only slightly obscured, it shows that the magazine feel that they still have to make the name obvious so that the reader will still buy it, and yet they are covering it up to show that they feel secure and that the brand alone will draw in the reader's attention.


Readership:

 This shows that the readership is targeting an older audience, as it is mainly advertising comeback stories. This shows that the stories are about things that their target audiemce will remember from when they were younger, and allow them to feel young again, and as though the magazine is something they will enjoy.

They also use words that imply the target audience is for people more interested in rock music, for example the 'From Rock Star to Murderer' article draws in this type of person, as they want to keep up to date on things they like. Aslo, the use of the words 'music's most dangerous man', makes it more exciting, and makes the reader feel more interested, and want to find out who they are talking about, due to it being so dramatic.
The target audience could be both men and women, as it is so neatly laid out, and uses feminine colours such as red, it makes it appealing to women, however the use of the male band, the slanted words, and some gender neautral colours like yellow, makes it appeal more to men.

Dominant Image:

The shot framing of the band shows them all equal distance away from the camera, none infront of others or particularly standing out from the other members, so it suggests that they are all equal. as well as this they have there arms around eachother, and are laughing and smiling, which shows that they get on, and have a good relationship. Their eyeline is all fairly similar, the picture shows one or two members of the band looking at tthe camera and interacting with the reader, and making a connection, however not all of them, this tells the reader that the band are relatable, yet they don't feel as though they need to make too much effort to make a connection with them, perhaps making them seem even more normal, along with their laid-back body language, it makes the reader feel as though they are just like them. From the image, you can also see that it would appeal to the sllightly older generation, because of the slioghtly old fashioned hair and clothes they are wearing, yet they are not so old fashioned that they don't fit in with the rest of the magazine.



Straplines:

Here, the strapline 'World Exclusive' makes the reader feel as though they are getting something no-one else is. This makes the reader more likely to buy the magazine because they don't want to miss out on the oppurtunity to read something that is 'world exclusive' and that no other magazines anywhere have published.
Similar to this, they used 'plus!' above an adverstisement for one of their articles, in order to make the reader feel as though this is an extra from what they would normally get, and as though they are getting more value for their money.





Freebies, Competitions, and Giveaways:


The freebie in this magazine is a mini magazine that comes with Q, about an old English rock band. The fact that it says 'collector's special', suggests that the readers of the magazine are committed to music, and are 'collectors' of memorabilia and of things to do with music. This says a lot about Q's readership, they are aiming it at people committed to music, and at people who are perhaps older, and would remember this band. they make it more dramatic to entice people, by saying things like 'survivor's stories'. And they also say 'Rare photos' to make the readers think they are getting something that no-one else is.

Mode of Address:
The front cover of the magazine is formal but friendly. The picture of the band smiling and laughing gives it a very friendly look, and makes it look laid back. However at the same time it looks formal, and no humour is particularly used. The grammar and language is very good, making it more sophisticated, and the colours and general layout of the front cover is very neat and consistent, with a clear house style of mainly black and white with a hint of colour, therefore making it appear formal. It does not directly address the reader through the use of words, but through the people in the picture looking the readers in the eye, making them feel connected.