Primary Research Magazine analysis: Kerrang!

 

Primary Research Magazine analysis: Rocksound

 

Primary Research Magazine analysis: The Fly

 

Q4:what have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Q3:How did you attract/ address your audience?

Q2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 

Q1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

 

Contents page Final Design

Using InDesign For My Contents Page

To start with, I created a new document on InDesign. I made sure the page was divided into 4 columns with a 3mm gutter between each column. These would be the boundary's for my text to be placed in. I made sure there was the 11mm boundary around the edge of the columns that would keep the text away from the edge the whole way round. I also created a bleed area, so that if I added colour to the background of my contents page, the colour would go right to the edge and not leave a white rim. 

 

From this I then started to add in the features. I wanted to keep the colours I used on the front page to use also on contents page to show consistency. However I didn't just want a peachy plain background with no other colour visible as I thought this would be too plain. Instead I inserted a rectangle using the shape tool and sized it to make it smaller than the page. I coloured it the same peachy colour as the front page and removed the black boarder, however I still thought this wasn't enough. Instead I rotated it 5 degrees to make it a wonky square for the background. I preferred this as it gave a slightly less formal appearance that was fun and would work well on the back of my text and images.

It then came to writing the date and issue number. From looking at my contents page research it was clear that most magazines put theirs on the right hand side at the top, so to make mine look professional I though I should do the same. I continued to use the Berlin Sans FB Demi font to show consistency in my magazine and not make it too crazy with different fonts. I made sure the writing was place in right orientation, as this way it would just miss the peachy square as the background, which I thought made it stand out more.

 

In most of the magazines I researched, they used their mast head again on the contents page. therefore I decided to insert mine at the top left of the page too. When it was straight on it looked a bit plain so I rotated it -5 degrees to go the opposite way of the background rectangle. I liked the effect this gave and so would put this in front of the main image that would be placed below.

The main image I chose was one I took in the under path of St. Stephens roundabout in Norwich. I liked how they displayed all the upcoming concerts in a messy but exciting way on a well used pin board. I though I could use this image as it would go with my new music article, advertising artists soon to visit Norwich. This was different to the image I was going to use that I featured on  my flat plan because I thought this would have a better story to go with it. I put the image into Photoshop because it didn't look very good as it was. I used the blur tool to blur the edges that would give the pin board more attention. I also used the burn tool to darken the edges to do the same. I then imported the image into a rectangle frame I had put in the place where I wanted the image, and fitted it to shape the box.

I also inserted a small version of the front cover image at the bottom of the page as this was essential on a contents page, which would eventually go with my editorial.

 



After adding the images it came to adding the headings. When I created some of the text for the front cover, I coloured the text white and put black boxes behind them to make them look highlighted and stand out. I though this would be a good thing to carry onto the next page and so I made black boxes for all the text to go on to, using the rectangle shape tool. This way each of the headings would be clear and readers will be able to find the different articles easily with the different categories.
I also put a black rectangle behind the 'Updated' logo as it made it stand out more and grab the readers attention to show its defiantly this magazine their reading.

Now I had all the black boxes I inserted all the different headings. I included all the features I had placed in the strapline (Films, TV, New Music, Jobs) as well as 'Features', 'Regulars', 'on the cover', 'Editorial' and 'Contact Us'. This way the reader can find the specific article they are looking for easily with this arrangement.

 For my articles I used my flat plan and questionnaire analysis. In the features column I continued to talk about the Bastille interview and tickets to their gig. I also used the fresher's week calendar and article as this was quite a main article that the people reading this would benefit a lot. The other two articles were things that I thought were quite important for the first few weeks of term, so that people could have advice on getting started in a new environment. In the Music section, I included an article about Sound and Vision week in Norwich, as it relates to the area and the age group reading this magazine, so they can get involved in events held during the period that might interest them for future careers.  For the film section, I researched what films were on at the moment or coming soon to cinemas. I started to research articles for the TV section too, with an article talking about a new programme on BBC3 and E4s 'Quite Big Thursdays' that are programmes suited at the age group this college magazine is aimed for. With all these articles I used Berlin sans FB Demi as the font, and made the title of each article underlined with font size 16 to stand out. The small description of them was then font size 14  so I could fit more articles into each category. For the article that goes with the main image,  I made the writing white and bigger to stand out against the grey background, with the text right orientated to not overlap with the pin board. I will carry on doing the rest of the articles and editorial in my next lesson as there is quite a few to get through.

After adding all my articles and contact information, it finnaly looked like a proper magazines contents page. im happy howw it was arranged in its columns and how my consistent font usage make it look professional and fun.

Contents page flat plan design

Before I went straight onto In Design I wanted to create a flat plan that would be the basic Idea of what my contents page would look like. By looking at my Contents page research I could get an Idea what were good things to include, such as large images, articles with small descriptions and bold headings for the articles to be divided into. so from looking at these I created this rough plan on paper. I wanted to divide the page into four columns like id seen in my research of magazines contents page, and for my main image to go on the left side spreading over two of them. I made sure I created a 1.5cm typing guidance that would make sure it would go no further than that near the edge of the pages. I also made sure each of the columns were of the same thickness to make it look consistent and professional.

Contents page research

http://www.pinterest.com/theresakuhn4/magazine-contents-page-examples/

To look at different Contents pages I researched many magazines on the high-street. They all displayed different colours, pictures and fonts, yet they all kept to a same layout. It was good to look at all of the different types to give me ideas for my own contents page, that would fit well with the same themes and colours as the front cover.

Front Cover Final Design

Stage 3: Adding articles and features

After creating the mast head on the main image it came to adding the articles and other features to make it look like a proper magazine. I started with a strapline that would summaries the main features or interests of this college magazine. after looking at my Questionnaire analysis I found out that the most popular things people wanted to feature in the magazine were Film, TV, New music and job information. Therefore I listed them just beneath the mast head so they spread equally across the page. I also ended the line with the buzz word 'FREE' in capitals and slightly bigger to make it clear how much the item was, as well as putting it in with the list to show it is one of the many advantages of receiving  this magazine. To write this whole strapline I chose Berlin Sans FB Demi as the font as I thought it looked quite similar to the mast head. I would then make sure this was the font I would use throughout the cover lines.

 

Next I decided to add my main feature onto the magazine. I thought I should choose music as the main feature article as there is so much variety. From looking back at my questionnaire analysis I found out that the main genre of music people I asked listened to was Rock or Indie. therefore I decided to choose a band or solo artist who related to these preferences. As this will be a magazine for City College Norwich, I thought I could relate it even further to this area by choosing an artists that was visiting the UEA or The Waterfront soon. After looking on www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk/ and looking at a few artists, I found out band Bastille were soon to visit the UEA on 10th October 2013. They are a indie rock band that were perfect to feature in the magazine, so I decided the feature article should be about them on their new tour. Also as they are quite a popular band I thought it would be great to see them live. This gave me the idea to include a ticket give away to see them, as the readers of this magazine would live in the area of Norwich so the venue would be suitable to win tickets for. I displayed all this information on the left 3rd of the page and made it the main Cover line. I also made it shape around the main image so no writing would overlap and ruin it.

 

Even though my cover line was good, I wasn't completely satisfied with how it looked on the page as it didn't really grab my attention. when highlighting the first line to increase the font size I liked how it changed to make a black box around the word with white writing. I thought this would actually looked pretty good and made the text more dominant on the page. therefore I coloured 'Interview exclusive' and 'plus' white and put a black box behind them to make it stand out more and slightly edgy. 

On every magazine, you see a barcode, the date of the issue and issue number. From looking at other examples on my Magazine Research, it can be placed anywhere on the cover of the magazine and so for mine I though the bottom right corner seemed a suitable place to have it. I made it go up vertically so it didn't touch the image, with the date and issue number aligned next to it. I made the writing quite small as I didn't want it to be very noticeable as another cover line. However I made sure all the writing is the same font, making the front cover consistent in appearance.

Once I had added the main features I thought about what else I should add, as at the moment it looked very bare. When looking at my questionnaire analysis it was evident that every person I asked was on a social media site of some sort, with the top two being Facebook and Twitter. By using multiple platforms to advertise a magazine it will be more popular, therefore I added a Facebook page and twitter account address to the right hand side, making the college magazine articles more accessible with maybe added features only available online. The iconic Facebook and Twitter symbols will instantly grab the readers attention, making it more interesting for the age group it is aimed at.

 

So far I only had one cover line on the magazine so I decided to add something else. From my Questionnaire Analysis people said that they would like to see posters in a magazine, as well as information about the student union or college. From this, I decided to add a new cover line across the bottom of the page to show these things included in the magazine. I thought the idea of a calendar showing the years events in the college would be a good way to display this information as they could then pull it out and keep it to stick on  their wall. This would especially be relevant for the beginning of the year and  Fresher's week as there is always a lot going on, and a calendar to show these different events would be really helpful. Therefore the bottom cover line described the free posters and calendar you would receive with this magazine, that would be very helpful for a new student to the college.

 Finally I decided to add another cover line to the right 3rd of the page. Again, it shaped the main image and didn't overlap. I got the idea of the article from my questionnaire  analysis, as the people I asked said they would like to see information about jobs in their area. Originally I was going to put it in a circle puff, however, this didn't look very good as it seemed to dominant and out of place against the rest of the cover. I also didn't make the writing white with a black background as it is just a cover line and not a main cover line. therefore I left it as it was and it looked better. Once I had finished everything and made sure each side had a 5mm boundary, my front cover was complete!