Storyboard

Flat plans

Front cover

Contents page

Double page spread

Risk assessment

What to consider when planning my photo shoot.

My production plan

Q deconstruction

Editorial profiles

Editorial profiles are the short letter at the beginning of a magazine. Depending on the category of the magazine, the writing style and content can vary. I have researched the editorial profiles in music magazines and they change with different genres and target audiences. I have written a first draft of the editorial profile I will feature in my magazine;

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of Download magazine. This is a new music magazine brought to you by people who wanted a brand new, affordable, epic magazine completely dedicated to punk rock music. We've got features on all your favourite bands such as All Time Low and their new album, You Me At Six and their Wembley stint, and the best up and coming band from homeland UK; Running From Lions.
Enjoy,
Editor - Amber

Audience profile

This is Freya; she is 16 years old and enjoys listening to punk rock bands such as All Time Low and We Are The In Crowd. She regularly buys Kerrang! and Rock Sound as she likes the bands they feature. In her spare time Freya likes going to concerts with her friends, taking photos and shopping in shops like Blue Banana and Glamour Kills. She is looking for a new music magazine as she feels that the ones she reads at the moment don't have enough variety; she is always looking out for and discovering up and coming bands.

Band thoughts

American band Paramore

For my music magazine I have put together a band to photograph and feature. I took inspiration from punk rock bands such as We Are The In Crowd, Paramore and Tonight Alive, all of which have a female lead singer.

Australian band Tonight Alive

My band consists of 5 members; Sarah, lead singer, Ed, lead guitarist, Ben, guitarist, Jack, bass player and Miles, drummer. I am planning to dress them in clothes that are seen as "punk rock style" such as checkered shirts, simple t-shirts, skinny jeans and shoes like Vans or Converse.

I am planning to photograph them in or near the woods or a field. A lot of punk rock bands have photo shoots or music videos shot in woods, so it fits in with the style of this genre. Also, as they are featured as an "up and coming band from Devon, UK" woods and fields are associated with Devon and the countryside.

Paramore's forest themed video

Technicals...

Models: Sarah Hunt, Ed Hunt, Jack Lane, Ben Windley and Miles Cullimore. Aged 15 - 16.

Camera height/angle/distance: 

Front cover; Full length shot of band, angled up from the ground to look through trees and give a sense of power and popularity. 

Contents; Straight on shot of the band looking at the camera, more relaxed than front cover shot.

Double page spread; Mid shot of band looking happy and pleased, angled straight on.

Location:

Front cover; Standing in front of trees/woods

Contents; Sitting on steps in woods

Double page spread; Standing in front of woods

Mise en scene: Costume of skinny jeans, shirts, band T-shirts and Converse shoes, all of which are associated with punk rock style. Drummer to be holding drum sticks in some shots to indicate his role in the band. 

Connotation:

Front cover; featured as a band from Devon and trees and woods are associated with Devon. Standing in front to look like they are in control or own the woods.

Contents; Sitting on steps to show their relaxed and easy going personalities. Angled so that the lead singer is sitting at the front and the drummer is at the back, as the lead singer is usually seen as the main part of a band.

Double page spread; Standing outside of the woods in an open area to show how they have nothing to hide, which is reflected in the interview they give.

Contingency: I have at least 2 people who can sub in if 1 of my models can't come to the photo shoot for any reason. If the weather is bad we can either reschedule for a later date, but if it will be too late I will take the photos inside against a plain background and use Photoshop to edit the background in. 

Magazine name

I asked 25 people which name they think is better for a punk rock magazine; 52% said 'Download', 12% said 'Punk Wave' and 36% said 'Uprising". 

Download; I like the name 'Download' for a music magazine as this is a word already associated with music. The only concern I have is that there is a music festival called 'Download' so people may think it is related to that. However, Download festival features punk rock bands so people will already assume the magazine is something to do with the punk rock music genre.

Punk Wave; I thought this was a good name as it immediately tells the reader what genre the magazine will feature. I originally thought of 'New Wave', but 'Punk Wave' actually implies that it is about punk music whereas 'New Wave' could be about anything.

Uprising; My final option was inspired by the band Muse, as they are incredibly influential in the world of rock music. 'Uprising' also sounds very different and forceful, and original punk music back in the 70's was well known for going against everything that was current and setting new trends.

I have decided to call my magazine 'Download'.

Front cover, contents and double page spread analysis

This issue of Rock Sound is very different to it's usual look. The colour scheme used yellow, sky blue and hot pink which is very unusual for this magazine as they focus on the rock and alternative genre and these colours are seen as very pop-like and girly. They use the same colours used for Top Of The Pops magazine even though this magazine is usually aimed at older teens who like rock music. This is because the main bad featured on the cover, All Time Low are seen as the more "poppy" side of punk rock music. By using bright, colourful titles and headings they are fitting in with the theme of All Time Low and the pop side of rock. The masthead is bright pink, which is very different to it's usual colour, and it is both in front and behind the sign one of the band members is holding up, giving it a 3D look.

The sign is on cardboard; rather than using an expensive looking sign to reflect the fame of the band, they have used something that looks cheap and simple. This might connote the band's history; they recently dropped the label they were signed to and set out to make their next album independently and unsigned. The lead singer is the most prominent figure, whilst his band members stand behind him; all of them are looking at the camera with enthusiastic facial expressions.

The magazine cover is crowded and filled with article headlines and pictures of bands; by naming a lot of bands they will appeal to more people. The cover is bright and eye catching, ensuring it will stand out next to all the other music magazines on the market.

The magazine comes with 2 free CDs, one being a mix of new singles of the month and one being a new EP by a band that the magazine is promoting. Whereas Top Of The Pops gave away some cheap make up that wasn't exactly great quality and nothing to do with the magazine, Rock Sound are giving away music; which, as I found out with my questionnaire, is very popular with customers.

Inside, the pages feel thick and more expensive than other magazines such as Top Of The Pops or Kerrang!. The contents page features another posed, studio set picture of the main band, All Time Low. There is a lot of pictures and names of bands, as well as an editorial profile with a picture of the editor holding up signs saying "DON'T PANIC..." and "PANIC!!" to reference All Time Low's new album Don't Panic. The main colours used are red, yellow and black, which are a lot less "poppy" and more like Rock Sound's usual theme. The page numbers are split into sections of "The Noise" (main music aritcles), band articles, reviews and "new bands you need to hear". This makes it seem more organised and easy to see exactly what you want. The picture of All Time Low takes up 50% of the page, making it clear that the main article is about them.

The main article starts with a double page picture of the band, All Time Low. The photo is posed but they aren't looking at the camera; they are looking at each other and seem like they are arguing or shouting at each other. The title is "Destination... anywhere but here!" and underneath it says "All Time Low have been through hell and now their destiny is in their own hands. The only question is... is that a good idea?!" The picture is meant to be implying that they're not agreeing with each other or doing a good job.

The lead singer isn't at the front of the picture, but he is in the middle, therefore the one drawing the most attention. 

The article has a lot of pictures of the band members, together and individually. As a fan of the band, I was interested by the columns of the more personal pictures of the band on the right and would probably buy this magazine just for this interview. The magazine added funny captions and jokes to the pictures, which is very much like the band members' personalities. The magazine creators are obviously very familiar with the band as they know what they're like, and in the interview they talk about how they interviewed them 18 months ago. The language isn't very formal; it is friendly and comfortable with the band. 

The main colours used are sky blue, hot pink and white, similar to the colour scheme on the front page. Everything is very randomly placed at odd angles, rather than laying everything out clearly. As the band is a pop-punk band, their music isn't seen as the classiest, most elegant style, therefore showing why their article is quite random. 

The interview is written in a simple font that is easy to read, with some quotes placed in a larger, different font in the middle of the page. These give the gist of the interview and will tell the reader whether or not they will be interested in it.

In conclusion, Rock Sound have created a fun, colourful magazine that, whilst being slightly different to their usual appearance, have stuck with the theme of rock music. It has given me a lot of ideas and tips for making my punk-rock magazine cover.

Magazine analysis - Top Of The Pops

This magazine is very crowded and colourful. The main colours used are light blue, neon pink and white, therefore leading us to assume it is aimed at young teens and, more specifically, girls. There are 13 artists featured on the front cover and over half of them are boy bands or males; as this is aimed at young teenage girls this is a good selling point as they will want to read about these boys. 

The magazine uses a fashion themed hook which is very appealing to girls. Even though it is a music magazine they incorporate other themes such as fashion, tv programmes, real life stories and competitions. By doing this they are appealing to a wider audience; although it was still be a young generation. 

The magazine costs £2.99 and the cheap price is reflected in the flimsy, paper pages and waxy front cover. As it is for younger teens the producers will know that a cheap magazine is more likely to sell rather than a thick, glossy expensive one.

The style of writing is very informal and humorous. The interviews are laid back and casual and the magazine uses lots of captions and quotes that are informal and funny. Again, this will appeal to young teen girls. 

The magazine came with a free gift, as it usually does. This issue came with some make-up, confirming that it is aimed at girls. the fact that it needed a free gift to sell it shows us that this magazine obviously isn't very popular by itself.  

Questionnaire

I asked around 30 people to take part in my questionnaire to find out more about the target market.

I already knew I wanted to aim my magazine at older teens so these are the majority of people I asked. I did however ask some younger teens and young adults to give me a variety of views.

The majority of magazines bought were music or gossip magazines. However, 30% of people said they don't read magazines as they prefer to find it out online.

Pop and alternative were the most popular genres of music, while the only other genre mentioned was rock.

The people who said 'no' said they would rather find the information or pictures online rather than spending money on a magazine. This might mean I need a good hook to make sure people would want to spend money on my magazine.

40% of the people I asked said they would like to see posters or interviews with the band - 20% want some kind of gift such as a demo CD.

In conclusion, alternative was the most popular genre for older teens. I should include posters and interviews of the band to make sure my magazine will be popular among potential consumers.

Magazine analysis - Rock Sound

Rock Sound is a British rock music magazine. It aims to be more "underground" and less mainstream, whilst still covering more well known bands. It is also sold in the United States, Canada and Australia.

There isn't much text on this cover; the main story is about Paramore and includes intriguing hooks like "10 page special" and "awesome stickers and exclusive posters". The other tag stories are about the bands featured in the magazine, and above the masthead there are pictures of the posters featured in the magazine. The hook is a chance to win the opportunity of your band opening for "BMTH". "BMTH" are the initials for the band Bring Me The Horizon - as they use the abbreviated version they obviously feel that the people who read Rock Sound will know what "BMTH" stands for.

Instead of putting the names of stories they have inside the magazine on the cover, they have just named over 20 bands that are featured in it. This is so they will appeal to a wider audience; if they mention someone's favourite band that person is likely to want to buy the magazine. They also use abbreviating for popular bands You Me At Six - YM@6 - and Kids In Glass Houses - KIGH. This, again, connotes that they are well known enough to be recognised by just their initials.

The font used for "The future revealed... Paramore" and "Epic preview" is not used again at all throughout the magazine; except for the main Paramore story and interview, where it is used heavily. This might show that only they are "special" enough to have this font, which is not usually used for this magazine.

This magazine is aimed at older teens; they use adult language such as swear words and things that may be inappropriate for younger people, to directly appeal to their target audience.

The mast head, tag line and list of bands at the bottom is green, which matches Hayley Williams' eye colour. The main cover line, sub cover line and hook title are yellow, matching her eye shadow. The green contrasts with her orange hair, making her stand out. This magazine is aimed at older teens, probably 15 and up, as you can tell by the way they don't use younger, childish colours. All the colours are the same strong tone, to make sure the magazine is noticed.

The main image is a photo of the band Paramore. It covers nearly all of the front cover, and Hayley, the lead singer, is placed in front of the masthead, connoting that she is an important person. However, one of her band members, Jeremy Davis, bassist, is placed behind the masthead. This gives us the idea that he is less important; Paramore are very famous in the world of punk rock music, and Hayley Williams, with her flaming red hair, is very iconic. She is very well known which is why she is the main focus and a lot more prominent than the rest of the band. The photo is posed and set up. Hayley is very clear and colourful whereas the rest of the band are all wearing similar colours and are slightly out of focus, making sure that she will be noticed.

Popular magazines

There are over 3000 magazines being sold in the magazine, and over 400 of these are music magazines. I researched which magazines are the most popular to help me decide which genre to focus on when making my music magazine. 

To start my research of magazines, I asked a few people which magazines they read. Out of the people who read music magazines, all were from the rock/alternative genre. 

I then looked at music magazines specifically and what genres and sub-genres there are.

I used a tally chart to find out what people's favourite genres were, and which genres they'd be interested in buying a magazine in. 

I then looked into the sub-genres of rock, the genre with the most tallies. I asked the people who answered "rock" to answer which sub-genre they are most interested in.

I have chosen punk-rock as the main genre for my music magazine; as well as it having the most votes it is also my favourite genre and I feel the most comfortable working with it. 

Prelim exercise

Using DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/college magazing, featuring a photograph of a student in a medium close-up  plus some appropriately laid out text and a masthead.

This is my prelim tast. My magazine is called Student Life and focuses on the Sixth form centre here at King's. I chose to have 2 people in the shot to show the socialising side and to have one of the girls holding a mug of tea as it's a common thing for sixth formers to have.

I used the rule of thirds to make their eyes and mug stand out. I also laid everything out in a Z formation; you read across the title and find out it's a student magazine; then down across to see smiling people and the subtitles on the left; then look across the bottom to see the pictures of the new facilities. I took the photo at eye level so it feels more personal, like the girls are looking at you specifically.

The title is blue, to match the colour of one of the girl's jeans, while the subtitles are red, to tie in with the second girl's t-shirt. However, I also used red and blue because they are very contrasting and stand out well, which will draw the attention of the target audience to it. I used a large masthead to catch peoples' eyes and make them notice my front cover. For this, I used a font that is quite arty so it would appeal to creative people. I composed this page so the main focus is in the middle and the text runs down the left hand side.

Choosing which photograph to use

Editing the colours

Adding titles

Saving!

Advert analysis

In this advert we can see an outstretched arm being held up by metal brackets, holding a camera. There is a small logo in the top left hand corner, and underneath the camera it says “introducing the anti-handshake E-620”.

Who the arm belongs to is quite enigmatic; you can’t tell how old the person is, only that it is not a child or elderly person’s arm so the advert is probably appealing to middle/youngish aged people. The gender of the person is not specified; as although it looks like a woman’s arm as it’s quite dainty and small, if the advert creators wanted it to be known that it was a woman they could have had nail polish on the nails or even had the nails cut into less of a generalised shape. Rather than appealing to one gender they’re saying that both men and women can use this camera. The skin colour of the person is white, and I don’t think there’s a deep meaning in this, just that this is the colour of the majority of the population. Most people see someone with black skin as someone who stands out and is different, even if they’re not discriminating against them they will still notice them; so rather than having a dark skinned arm which will stand out and maybe make people question why about it, they have used a general skin colour. 

There is no indication of the social class, except maybe someone who can afford cameras like these. There is no clothing shown which ties in with that fact that we can’t tell what social class the person belongs in. We can’t even see what facial expression the person has; usually advert creators will make people look very happy and pleased with whatever they’re doing which makes you feel like if you buy the product you will feel the same. However, the camera lens reminds me of an eye, and as it’s looking directly at us it makes it feel more targeted and personal, even though it’s just a camera looking at us. 

The posture of the arm is rigid and stretched. It is being held in this position by thick, metal brackets stretching around the arm, which are restraining it and keeping it in this position, to signify the anti-handshake effect to stop pictures blurring that this camera has. The hand is grasping a camera and has a finger on the shutter, as if it is ready to take a picture. The camera looks unbalanced and uneven, as though you wouldn’t be able to hold it like that and take a photo, but the metal brackets are completely supporting the arm. 

The advert could have included other people, maybe showing their arms too or lots of people using the camera, but I think the simple image works well at getting the message across. In my opinion, it connotes that you don’t need a team of professionals to take a good picture, you don’t even need more than one arm; with this camera you can easily take one.

This advert just uses a simple camera shot, normal lighting and a plain background. The light source is obviously coming from in front and slightly to the left as we can see the shadows behind the arm and camera, and all of it is in focus and clear, down to the detailed writing on the camera lens. I think this advert is quite open and simple, there isn’t necessarily a denotative meaning to it or many semiotics, it’s just clear and simple; much like taking a clear, focused picture with this camera. 

The logo is in the top left hand corner, and if you read this text using the Z theory you will first of all see the logo, then the camera, then the restrained or supported arm, depending how you see it. The background is a bluey grey colour which is very neutral and calming, yet also ties in with the colour of the brackets. 

There isn’t a narrative or even a title. The only indication of what type the camera is comes from the brand on the camera and the tiny writing underneath which tells us the model. The camera is promising clear, focused images, which we know because it says “anti-handshake”, yet even if that wasn’t there you would probably jump to that conclusion because there is no other reason for a hand to be held in tightly by these metal bars. So seeing as it can make us realise what it’s advertising, it gets the message across well.

http://www.adsora.com/files/media/olympus-digital-camera.jpg

~

HELLO.

My name's Amber and I'm an AS media student.

I chose to study media because for most of my life, I've wanted to be involved in films. Not infront of the camera, but behind the scenes making everything come to life. I've always loved watching different films and tv programmes, looking out for the subtle hints and meanings behind different things, and I thought media studies would be useful for my future - I'm working towards Bournemouth University. I'm also studying English language, photography and psychology, which I think are all linked in some way.

I have too many favourite bands. My absolute favourites are: Queen, Paramore, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, We Are The In Crowd, Deaf Havana, The Midnight Beast, fun. and You Me At Six. I also love The Cab, Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy, Kids In Glass Houses, Mayday Parade and 30 Seconds To Mars. Music seems to be a big part of my life. (Punk rock type stuff - I stay well away from the pop charts and the boy bands and the over auto-tuned groups) It's like having lots of families of fans who will cry over new albums and fangirl over band members with me all the time. If there was an AS exam about when this guy's birthday is or when these guys released their second album, I would pass for sure.

This will always be my favourite music video.

Queen - I Want To Break Free (1984)

And concerts. I love everything about concerts; driving hours to get to the city they're playing in, (the furthest I've been is Manchester) queuing all day just to make sure we're at the front of the crowd, (the longest I've queued is 8 hours) the exhilaration and excitement and exhaustion of watching the band, the hopefulness of meeting them afterwards.

All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth

I also have a lot of tv programmes I follow. Most of them are on e4 - comedy/drama type things that are easy to understand and don't need you to think about them. I like the classics, like Friends and the new attempts, like How I Met Your Mother, as well as enjoying a bit of New Girl (Well it's got Zooey Deschanel in - who wouldn't enjoy it?). Oh, and the BBC version of Sherlock. Amazing.



Films. I love films. I love how they can change your mood and make you think and take you out of real life and distract you from everything else for 90 minutes. I'll watch pretty much any type of film - I love comedies, horrors, dramas, mysteries, love stories. Some of my favourite films would have to be Chicago, Black Swan, Edward Scissorhands, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Breakfast At Tiffany's, The Shining, Frozen, Friends With Benefits and Legally Blonde.

Chicago (2002) movie poster

I have many favourite actors, actresses, directors and producers. First of all, anything that Tim Burton directs/produces/writes, I will love it. Similarly, anything Helena Bonham Carter is in. Emma Stone, Mila Kunis and Anna Faris are my all time favourite actresses. Jason Segel and Neil Patrick-Harris are my favourite actors. I also like Russell Brand (not just as an actor, I love him in general) and Johnny Depp. Favourite directors include Woody Allen, Gore Verbinski, Steven Spielberg (of course, who doesn't love or at least admire him?) James Cameron (only for Titanic - I hated Avatar. Waste of 3 hours.) and Peter Jackson.

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter

I read quite a bit. I love Darren Shan, Lemony Snicket, Calvin & Hobbes comics and the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman. I read magazines like Rocksound, NME and Kerrang! when they feature the bands I like.
I seem to spend most of my life on the internet. Mainly on Twitter or YouTube, following people's lives and interests. I also enjoy websites that you can waste hours on such as Taste Of Awesome and Unfriendable. I love Pinterest because everything's so much prettier on there and it gives me inspiration for fancy dinner parties my friends and I like to have every now and again to pretend we're sophisticated. Ditto with StumbleUpon. 

Well, that's me. Sorry if I've bored you.

Goodbye.