Double Page Spread Research: NME

This double page spread on Lily Allan comes from NME magazine. The heading used is effective in relating to an Indie audience, as the white font on a black background is bold so instantly draws the audience in. The style of the writing resembles newspaper cuttings, and is very disjointed, which goes with the idea that Lily Allen is misunderstood by general society. This is also a theme that is prevalent in indie culture, so many of the readers would relate.

Lily's outfit also fits in with the house style of the magazine of red, white and black which makes a direct, visible connection between her and the quote. Furthermore check (lumberjack) shirts are commonly worn among indie girls, as they want to show that a shirt isn't just for a man. The point of being 'indie' is to show that you are outside of regular stereotypes, so by lilt wearing this it diectly relates to the target audience.

The text that is used for the interview is quite small so that the readers have to concentrate to read it, so it makes them stop and read it, instead of just flicking through.

Double Page Spread Research: Kerrang

In this double page spread from Kerrang Magazine it is obvious that it is aimed at people interested in rock/indie music. This is from the costume of the artists being quite ecentric, and there poses suggest an element of wildness, strong themes in the rock and indie world. Furthermore the black and white images used show the band in a dressing room. This makes the audience feel an intamacy with the band, as if they have been invited in like a V.I.P, which when reading the interveiw will make them relate to the artist even more because they like they know them.

Red is used in this to frame the pictures and highlight the band members that are responding to the questions. As the article is about them sharing secrets, the red could represent passion, temptation and maybe even blood as they admit things that they have down wrong in the past. This again creates an relationship between the audience and the band, as we have all done things we shouldn't have. Furthermore it cements the idea of 'rockstar rebellion' something that specifically relates to rock/indie music. The black used in the background shows that what they are discussing has been hidden, or that it is literally dark and shameful.

The font used in the heading related to the font that the band use on the album cover for their single 'Dirty Little Secrtes' so that their fans will instantly recognise it. So here the magazine is specifically targeting fans of this band, that bought their album. The word 'Secrets' is an a bold font that is speckled with black so that the audience literally see 'dirty secrets'.

Quotes from the bands members are also extracted and put in bold such 'I was tripping balls'. 'Tripping' is a slang term for being under the influence of drugs, and drug use is common in rock and indie circles. Also using a slang term brings the magazine to the level of the reader, so it is like a conversation.



How has this research influenced my editorial decisions?

From researching these three contents pages, as well as a rage of others, my decision to do an indie/rock magazine has been cemented as I think they make for a more music focused and informative magazine. Furthermore I have come to understand that the contents page is where the readers need to get a feel for the whole magazine, and that the genre favoured suits there taste. Therefore as I want my content page to be organised into categories so that my audience will see a range of information being offered. This is especialy important as I am aiming at young adults that want as much for there money as possible. I am also planing to use images of more than one artist, to make sure that my audience understands that my magazine is focused on the indie genre, and that they will find serveral interesting artists. I may also use an extract from my article on my double page spread, either as a quote or a short explaination to encourge them to read on.

Contents Research: Vibe

This is the contents page is from the Hip-Hop/R&B magazine Vibe. Unlike the two previous Indie/Rock magazines the sole focus of this page is on the image and the artist. Therefore this magazine sends a clear message that what readers will find in this magazine is in depth interviews with some of the most famous Hip-Hop and R&B artists, a lot of photos of 'sexy stars', and some discussion of fashion and merchandise. Therefore showing that this magazine is aimed at people that tend to be concerned more about the actual artist than the music. Which is quite the opposite to any Indie/Rock magazine that I have researched. The image also places a huge importance on the chains around his neck, making this an apirational image representing a desire to be rich and powerful. His tattoo of 'Money is nothing without Respect' shows that respect is a key theme in Hip-Hop magazines.

The font used to descibe the features is very small, this is so that it can give a brief describtion without taking the emphasis away from the centre image. A disadvantage of this is that the audience do not realy get a full idea of what they are going to be reading about in the magazine, and there are no page numbers to direct them straight to these articles. Whereas the two rock magazines made it very clear to prospective readers what they could expect from the whole magazine and how they could quicky find the infprmation they wanted to know.

 However the text used for the 'Content' heading is bold, and arranged in a unique way. This is to instantly explain that this page is going to give an idea of what this magazine is about, and it is unlike any other kind of music magazine.

The logo on this page is relativly small., this is again to ensure that full focus is on the artist in the image. It also tells the readers that the magazine doesn't give itself much importance, but only wants them to concentrate on the stars that are featured.

Overall this contents page gives its target audience an impression that this magazine is fully focused on the artists that it features and that they can expect to find a lot of discussion about wealth and success. As these are themes that are evident in hop-hop music it will appeal to people that enjoy this genre of music.

Contents Research: NME

This contents page for the Indie/Rock magazine NME shares several similarities in the formatting with that of Q magazine. The house style is similar using black, red and white lettering, this shows that these colours are conventional in indie/rock magazines as they are bold but simple.

However in NME the logo is the biggest peice of text on the page, this is so that the reader has a constant reminder that they can only get these articles in NME. Therefore cementing the brand and creating a sense of exclusivity.

Another formatting technique that the two magazines have in common is that the artcles have been grouped into clear categories. This means that audience can quickly find the sections of the magazine that most interest them. Furthermore it shows the variety that the magazine offers, it doesn't just show interviews it also givs news and reviews and information on live shows. It is important for this magazine to display a variety right on the contents page, as this is the page that determines a purchase. If it doesn't appear to offer a lot of interesting information the consumer will put it back.

This magazine gives an extensive band index spanning the whole left side of the page, which Q magazine does not give. This is a great technique of showing that the magazine features a wide range of indie/rock artists, and will draw in the target audience of listeners of indie/rock music as they can instantly identify there favorite bands.

The use of a short article on the well known indie band Kasabian gives the audience an insight into what they can expect in the rest of the magazine, making them want to read on. Plus it uses a famous artist to directly appeal to and construct its target audience, as it alines itself with the fans of this band, sending a clear message about the genre it favours. To add the image used creates a feeling among the readers of being involved in the music. This is from the fact that it is taken from the midst of the audience at the gig, looking up at the band. With this image the magazine tells it's readers that they are getting the chance to experience gigs first hand without needing to buy a ticket themselves. They are being offered exclusive information, something that anyone interested in live indie music would throughly appreciate.

Furthermore a big percentage of the page is devoted to giving information on subscriptions. This is because the magazine publishers want people to become frequent readers so they can sell copies all year round. To make this seem appealing they have offered a discount of £45 which seems to the readers like a generous amount. They have also provided examples of other magazine covers to show what subscribers can expect. They have also made it very easy to opt into, simply by call or online this is so that people can start recieving their magazines as soon as possible.

Lastly the magazine makes good use of signs and signifiers to encouge people to read on. The use of a big red arrow, instantly signifies to general society  'go this way' or 'what you want is in this direction' so when its placed in a music magazine it tells readers that information they will find useful can be found with in the magazine. Therefore making them want to buy the magazine to read on and find out more.

In conclusion of the two indie magazine contents pages that I have looked at, I prefer the formatting of NME. This is due to the fact that it encapsulates several features of the entire magazine clearly and effectivly on this page. The audience can take one look at this and see that a wide range of information is available and that it focuses solely on indie/rock music. This research has given me some positive ideas on how I would like to present the contents page of my own magazine However I will continue to research so that I can have a broad understanding of what makes an effective contents page.

Contents Page Research: Q Magazine

The formatting of this content page from the Indie/Rock Magazine Q has made it easy for the readers to find exactly what they want and quickly. This is due to a variety of techniques such as the use of a house style; simply white, black and red which is in keeping with the recognised magazine logo, and draws attention to the most popular areas of the magazine. Specifically the two headings of 'features' and 'every month' use bold, white, upper case font, against a red background to instantly attract the readers eye to the pages that will most interest them. Futhermore the use of a masthead which includes the logo and the three colours of the house style; clearly states to the audience which magazine they are reading, the date of the information and what they are going to find on the page.It also encourages readers to visit the website for the magzine to recieve more information as the web address is clearly visible at the top of the page. The choice of formatting for this whole page is aimed at making the information as clear and recognisable to the audience as possible. In addition the editor uses a variety of technques such as quotes, famous names, and sharp statements to make all the articles mentioned seem interesting. This is to ensure that when someone picks up the magazine and reads this page, they do not put it down. The publisher wants to sell as many copies as possible so they need to make sure that the whole magazine appeals to the audience not just the front cover and featured artist.

To add the main picture used on this page, of a poplar Indie band 'The Courteeners' shows to anyone reading it that this magazine is specifically targeted at people interested in rock and indie music. It is very important that the target audience is evident in the contents page aswell as the front cover. As someone could be first attracted by the artist on the front cover,but if they look inside the magazine and do not instantly see a representation of their genre of interest, they will not buy the magazine. The actual photograph itself carries several connotations that would entice listeners of Indie music to read on. It is taken from a low angle, making it an aspirational image. Readers looking at this image might consider this band an idol, so may wish to read on and find out how they reached such accliam in the music industry. In addition it is set on an open hill top with the rest of civilisation far below, which could be seen to reprent an escape from everyday life, and a sense of invinsabilty and being on top of the world. Most young follows of indie music use it as an outlet for escape, so this would be an attractive concept. Furthermore as indie is short for 'individual' most readers of this magazine would relate to an image of people who are seperated from the rest of the world.

Overall the formatting techniques used and the use of photography on this contents page ensures that this magazine is organised and clear, and specifically targets an audience that listens to Indie/Rock Music.

Reader Profile

Readers of this magazine are on average young people between the ages of 17-25 from a mixture of backgrounds, with an average disposable income that they are most likely to spend on clothing, gig tickets, going out, phones and food. When they go out they are likely to go to cinemas, malls and resturants such as Nandos or chinese buffets because they are reasonably priced. They are sociable people that spend a lot of their weekends at parties or clubs.Almost 95% use social networking to keep in touch with freinds, the most popular being twitter and facebook. The music that this group of people most enjoy are the indie rock and alternative genres, and they attend live gigs regularly thoughout the year. When they purchase music it is most likely to be albums on CD or Downloads. They don't find technology particularly important, but most have an ipod and an up to date mobile phone with mobile web. This is because they value being able to listen to their music wherever they are, and have constant access to friends and information. Features of a music magazine that they find useful or interesting are gig guides, free or discounted downloads and merchandise, posters and information on up coming artists. Brands they would be interested in are:

Front Cover Costume 2

The other side of the 'Indie' Image is heavily focused on vintage fashion, and respecting the icons of yesteryear. Such as Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles, Madonna...etc, artists that have been hailed as music legends. As artists in the indie genre look up to these people in their music, this is also reflected in their clothing. This is another angle that I can possition my magazine from, to relate to my readers. I have chosen the blazer, as this is normally associated to busniness men/women and by bringing this into a music magazine, inverts that stereotype. The two choices of t-shirts again shows the desire to be included in the music, or respecting great artists from the 80's. The tights are used to soften the image, and keep it femine despite the masculine blazer and brogues. As indie girls want to show that masculine items can apply to them,but want to display a pretty, feminity at the same time. Furthermore, the choice of hairstyle is simple and natural, showing that the indie genre, values natural beuty.

Costume Ideas 1

As part of the planning for my own music magazine, I have been looking at a variety of 'Indie' styles to determine how I am going to represent this genre of music. I have found graphic T-shirts, skinny jeans, converses and bold accessories to be prominant trends among people who like Indie Music. Here I have focused on femine styling, but these trends also apply to men. Therefore when creating my front cover image I have to implement these fashions to accuratly relate to my readers. I have chosen this particular t-shirt as it presents an iconic image of marylin monroe (a recognised symbol of feminity) in a completly unique way. The essence of being Indie, is all about bringing something new and twisting what is recognised. It also demonstrates the importance of outwardly expressing a love of music, from the headphones. The glasses, are bold twist on the geek stereotype, showing that the indie world respects intellgence. I have also considered using a black model, with a similar hairstyle to the one shown. This is because the Indie magazines currently on the market seem to present young, white artists. However for my magazine to truly show an 'idie' individual genre, it should also present a twist on racial stereotypes. The guitar could also be used to relate to a group of people/ genre that is heavily focused on live music.

Copy For School Magazine

Out with the Old, In with the New

So here we are, a new year, a new building and a new start. So far the reaction among students to the move has been fairly negative. Most being concerned about the outdoor common room, longer day and what seems like thousands of stairs. From what I’ve heard the focus seems to be on what used to be. But how about what could be?

These changes offer everyone at this college a chance at a fresh start. There is such a rare opportunity on the plate, here is a building that has little signs of its previous occupants. It is completely ours do with whatever we like. Rather than thinking about what our old campus had to offer us, we should be thinking of how we can put our own unique stamp on this place. We have the power and the potential to transform this run down old building into Negus, a college that really reflects the students that we are.

The process of fund raising to make these ideas a reality would create several occasions for showing off the colleges many talents. From drama and dance productions to fashion shows and gigs. Just imagine the excitement that’s generated by the annual Outburst production but five times over. Furthermore all the money from ticket sales would go directly towards constructing a better place for us study and hang out.

So there you go it seems like moving to ‘crummy’ Wickham Lane isn’t such a dreadful experience after all. Let’s pull together and make this happen! Any suggestions or ideas that your buzzing to share send to the magazine email and we’ll get back to you A.S.A.P

Questionairre

1.) Which age group do you belong to
       A.) 13-16 B.) 17-20 C.) 21-25 D.) 26-30 E.) Over 30

2.) Which Gender are you?
     A.) Male B.) Female

3.) How would you describe your ethnic background?

4.)  What are you most likely to use to hear new music?
       A.) Internet B.) Radio C.) TV Music Channels D.) Other (please specify)

5.) How often do you purchase Music Magazines
      A.) Weekly B.) Fornightly C.) Monthly D.) Every 6 months E.) Yearly F.) Never

6.) If you do not purchase Music Magazines, Why?

7.) How much would you be willing to pay for a Music Magazine
      A.) £1-3 B.) £4-6 C.) £5-10 D.) more than £10

8.) Which Genre of music are you most likely to listen to?
    A.) Rock/Indie  B.) R&B/Hip-Hop C.) Pop D.) Dance E.) Country F.) Other (please specify)

9.) In your spare time which of the following are you most likely to do?
     A.) Listen to music B.) Watch television C.) Read D.) Use internet  E.) Go out F.) Other (please sepcify)

10.) When you go out with freinds where do you mostly go?
     A.) Cinema B.) Club/Party C.) To a mall D.) Relax Indoors E.) Other (please specify)

11.) If you use a social networking site which of the following do you prefer?
    A.) Facebook B.) Twitter C.) Myspace D.) Tumblr E.) Other

12.) If you do not use social networking, why?

13.) How often in a year would you attend a live gig?
       A.) 0-2 times B.) 3-5 times C.) 6-8 D.) 9-11 times E.) more than 11 times

14.) How do you purchase music?
       A.) Download B.) CD's

15.) If you have a phone how much do you top up/contract monthly?
       A.) £5-10 B.) £11-16 C.) £17-22  D.) £23-28 E.) £29-34 F.) More than £35

16.) How important is it that you in keep up to date with new technology?
       A.) Very Important B.) Important C.) Average Importance D.) Unimportant E.) Don't care

17.) Which music magazine are you most likely to buy and why?
     
18.) What would you like to see in a music magazine that isn'y currently available?

How is mode of address used to create a shared identity?

 The subject of Bridget March’s article ‘Get on your dancing shoes’ focuses on the new range of footwear at Evans, a well known women’s clothes store. This indicates that the article is aimed at young, female readers. Whereas ‘Fable 3 Gets Serious!’ a short article on Nuts magazine’s website reports on the release of a new video game, indicating that this is aimed at young men. Furthermore Kerrang’s article ‘Bullet For My Valentine bassist leaves north American tour’ shows that this is aimed at rock music fans. All these articles are categorised as news, however the difference in target audience means that what is presented as valuable information is very different. The article aimed at women shows that as women our priorities should be what we look like, whereas the male article shows that gaming and leisure are most important to men. The piece from Kerrang shows that music fans are most concerned with updates on tours and their favourite bands.

The tone of ‘Get on your dancing shoes’ is eager and energetic, as for the use of exclamation marks and short sentences. By creating this tone the writer encourages the readers to feel as eager as her, this develops a sense of likeness between the two, and implies that all women connecting with this article are excited by shoes. Similarly in ‘Fable 3 Gets Serious!’ questions such as ‘You excited?’ are used to create a sense of anticipation among the men reading this article, showing that there is a shared enthusiasm for this new game.

However, in ‘Bullet for my valentine bassist leaves north American tour’ the tone is more matter fact through the use of quotes from the band manger, showing that the information is being taken more seriously. This shows that among the readers there is a shared concern for the band member.

The language used in the female article is conversational as if the writer is a friend. This comes from the use of colloquialisms such as ‘cute’ and ‘sexy’, which are words that relate to femininity, therefore relating to the female audience. Furthermore the writer also uses alliteration ‘strappy sandals’ and ‘lacy leggings’ that again create feminine and sensual images in the mind. Therefore this encourages the readers to feel as if they have a shared confidence and attractiveness.

Likewise, the language employed in the male article is also light hearted and conversational. Slang phrases are frequently used such as ‘cool’ and ‘sexes it up’ which brings the article to the level of the readers, making them feel comfortable as if they are chatting in the pub. Abbreviations like ‘slo mo’ are used to make the reader feel as if they are an insider, as they understand the jargon they feel included in the gaming culture. However unlike the female article, this piece uses the phrase ‘one of the funniest and deepest games a man is likely to play this year’ to directly address the audience. This creates two effects, it makes the game seem exclusive as it’s just for men again encouraging the readers feel like they are a part of something unique; and it develops a joint anticipation among the readers as they imagine it to be better than any other game they have previously played or heard about.

Surprisingly the article for rock fans doesn’t use much slang and colloquialisms, but it does shorten names, instead of Jason James, they call him Jay James. This is to create a sense that the audience know the artist personally. Furthermore, this language is very different from the previous two as instead of addressing the audience as if in conversation, the audience is addressed in a more formal manner, as important information is being given. This shows the article to be aimed at people that take music seriously. 

The pictures and additional media that accompany the articles are also specifically targeted at their audiences. The picture attached to ‘get on your dancing shoes’ features four pairs of slender female legs, two wearing tights and two baring their legs. This image encourages the readers to visit evans and buy their shoes, as the shoes are the main focus, so it appears as if the shoes are what makes these women’s legs so attractive. As the language and tone etc of the article hints that women want to be alluring and good-looking, this image helps to imply how they can achieve this.

To add, the article on the game for men is centred round a video trailer. This is more emotive for the audience than simply a still image or photo of the front cover, as it allows them to see the game in action. Furthermore this leads them to imagining themselves playing the game, which encourages them to want it even more.

Lastly the photo used in the music article is a posed photograph of the band, most likely a well recognised one from a recent photo shoot. This is so the audience can see exactly who the band are that are being discussed. Additionally it could also evoke some sympathy as the image shows the full band, so readers might look at it and imagine how the band would look without Jason James.

Indie Mag Cover

R&B/Hip-Hop Mag Cover

Rock Magazine Cover

School Magazine Contents

School Magazine Front Cover