Media Studies Evaluation

1. Media StudiesEvaluation Becci-Jayne Edwards

2. Magazine EvaluationFront Page • The first thing that jumps out is the bold title which shows the audience the main story is on “The Strokes” the title stands out because of its block capital font, as well as the bright pink colour which attracts the consumer’s eye. This bright and striking font has attracted the consumer’s attention, the background which is in fact a band photo then maintains it. The ‘cool’ composition, how the front man is facing away from the camera with such nonchalance conveys an attitude which is reflected in the magazine; edgy, modern and fresh. The fact the majority of the members are wearing sunglasses also fits in with this modern and ‘cool’ attitude and style. The title of the magazine, NME, is placed in the top left corner on every publication, in this one they have placed it behind the image so that the band member’s heads are overlapping. This shows how popular and widely read the magazine has become, that merely by its cover style it both expects to reel in customers regardless, and that it need not overstate its name because it is recognisable anyway. Furthermore this almost vote of egotism fits with this image of nonchalance that the music featured holds. The band members are mostly wearing black, so this provides are dark background for the text to stand out on effectively. The colour theme on this issue is the bright pink and white, they have been used alternating below the headline in order to emphasise certain points; for example quotes from particular stories are in bold as these are a taster, additional information rather than the important titles which stand out more in pink. Also they are alternating to break up the colours so each separate story stands apart for clarity.

3. Industry • NME stands for ‘New Musical Express, it is a British publication which began in 1952. It was initially a music newspaper, it however changed format in 1998. it quickly became the best selling British music paper, it was known for its coverage of punk rock bands. During the 60’s The Beatles and Rolling Stones were regular features splashed across the front cover. • In 2000 the magazine tried to broaden its audience by featuring hip hop and electronic acts such as Destinies Child and Aphex Twin, this however did not please their already large fan base and following so they dropped it and continued focusing on their punk rock roots, as well as emerging ‘indie’ bands such as Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes, as featured to the right. • Sadly the magazine has been heavily criticised for its lack of diversity, claiming they now only featuring indie bands, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian Newspaper stated “bands who you don't need specialist knowledge to write about and who are just "indie" enough to make readers feel they're part of a club”. • NME also has a website, NME.COM, is now the world's biggest standalone music site, harbouring over 7 million users per month

4. Audience • The target audience for this magazine is teenagers to twenties who are interested in the latest music and indie music. The kind of people who like to keep up to date with the latest music news and charts. The bold colours and edgy chic would appeal to a youthful audience, the pinks stand out to those who want to ‘stand out’ of the crowd, or have a rebellious streak. However it would not appeal to rock or metal audience, neither would it appeal as much to a punk rock audience as much as it used to • The clean, sophisticated and tidy fonts and layout show a fashion conscious and stylish audience. This could be what Caroline of The Guardian was saying, that they are appealing to too tight a market. They appear to have lost their old punk rock audience and gained an indie one which hasn’t expanded their market but sent it into a rapid decline instead. • Costing £2.30 NME can gain a fairly large audience as it isn’t exactly breaking the bank at less that £3

5. Technology • This magazine being mass produced and now being a glossy magazine rather than the old newspaper of 50s, it is more than likely produced using software specifically designed for the print media for example advanced versions of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXPress. These programmes allow the user to crop and change images in a variety of ways including colour scales, contrasts as well as placement. Doing these processes digitally and using these programmes is time effective and simply easier, giving the editors more time to put into the body of the magazine, also it allows to quicker circulation of the magazine. • NME.com has also been up and running for sixteen years now and is the most used standalone music website in the world. An NME.com in the USA as also been set up. • They regularly blog, for example the blogged a real time

6. Magazine EvaluationFront Page • The first thing that stands out on Kerrang!’s front cover is the lead singer’s face as he is positioned in front and higher than the rest of the band, as well as the title of the magazine. This has been done because the magazine itself, much lie NME has a house style which is a template style which is followed with every issue in order to gain instant recognition with the consumer. The title itself is of distinct style, it is black with a shattered glass effect running through, this conveys an attitude of rage, rebellion and destruction which is reflected in the music styles featured in the magazine (metal, rock, punk). Furthermore it was named Kerrang! As it is onomatopoeic for a guitar sound-guitars being a prominent instrument in the rock scene this is very appropriate. Furthermore the face that is the page’s focal point displays a tough, moody attitude which fits the magazine’s style and would appeal to it’s rock based consumers. The typical colour scheme used by Kerrang! Is featured here, black white and red. The white used for the headline and name of the band featured stands out on the band’s dark clothing which makes for the background. Also they have shadowed the white writing with black which makes it pop that bit more ensuring its clarity and emphasis. The red text has been used for the additional information, red has been used to differentiate between the importance of information and because red stands out, but not as much as the white which holds the most important information.

7. Magazine EvaluationFront PageContinued • The red text has been given a solid black strip to stand against again to ensure clarity. Red is also associated subconsciously with danger as well as blood, which reflect the magazine’s rock attitude of dangerous and rebellious, furthermore their associations with more gothic styles which would link with the ‘blood’ connotation. • Additional point on the photo, all of the musicians are maintaining eye contact with the camera, therefore the consumer. This links with the story ‘inside their brave new world’ as the band is letting you, the reader, into their world, the eye contact is quite personal as is their story feature; both engaging the consumer directly. • The layout is quite busy, including two sets of images to show the issue’s other features. The bottom one using an old school style banner to hold the words ‘inked up’ which links with the 50’s style classic tattoos. Another feature is in a white box, this fits not only with the cover’s colour scheme, but with the singer’s white outfit within the photo. These features linking colours help the cover not appear cluttered despite how busy it actually is. The style does link with the music however, as the music featured is not clean-cut and smart, it is busy, loud and full off attitude. So this front cover design does well to convey this to the audience.

8. Magazine EvaluationIndustry • Kerrang!  Is a British based magazine that was first published in June 1981. It began as a one-time supplement in the Sounds newspaper, which focused on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal phenomenon and on the rise of other hard rock acts. Angus Young of AC/DC appeared on Kerrang!'s first cover. During the 80s and 90s it featured many glam-metal and thrash acts, however left these styles for grunge when Nirvana came into the spotlight.During the 2000s this pattern happened again when the emo and metalcore ‘trend’ came out, these genres pervaded the covers and main features. The magazine as been heavily criticised for following the latest music trend by its readers. • Kerrang!'s website is dedicated to finding out the latest news on the current bands and their upcoming events. The website hosts Kerrang!'s online shop, podcasts, message board, TV and radio segments. • The Kerrang! Awards is an annual awards ceremony to mark the most successful bands in the interests of their readers. The awards became one of Britain's most recognised award events. • Kerrang! Also has its own anologue as well as digital radio, a television station featuing countdowns of music videos, as well as the Kerrang! Tour which is held throughout January all over the UK. • As of the 25th July 2012 circulation figures are 42,077

9. Magazine EvaluationAudience • Kerrang!’s target audience would be between 13 and late 20s, the busy layout of the magazine conveys a less mature and sophisticated audience than other alternative magazines such as Classic Rock which are clearly aimed at an older audience. The uneven and varied fonts show a lack of order and sophistication, this lack of order and discipline would appeal to a younger teenage/young adult audience. • Furthermore the magazine is clearly aimed at those interested in alternate, rock and metal music. The black red and white colour scheme hold little colour, the monochrome adding to the moody overtones in both the music and the background image, then the red adding to the element of danger shown through the magazine title font’s cracked glass effect. • The magazine would also appeal to those simply interested in the culture as well as the music, as this issue features posters of inked musicians.

10. Magazine EvaluationTechnology • This magazine being mass produced and is more than likely produced using software specifically designed for the print media for example advanced versions of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXPress. These programmes allow the user to crop and change images in a variety of ways including colour scales, contrasts as well as placement. Doing these processes digitally and using these programmes is time effective and simply easier, giving the editors more time to put into the body of the magazine, also it allows to quicker circulation of the magazine. • Their radio station has moved to digital now that that technology has been more popular. • Also they have a television station, and a website. Their website has declined in users from 2005 with users online as low as 10 when they had previously been in the 100’s. This could be because their television station is readily available. And their Facebook page is constantly increasing followers allowing people to keep tabs on their favourite bands and news that way.

11. Magazine EvaluationFront Page • Classical music magazine varies from my other choices in its style of music and its cover style. The image, like the others is used as a background image, the backdrop of the brick wall is a clever use of scenery . The white and blue colour scheme provides a peaceful, tranquil feel shows the calmness of the music featured. Also the font used in the title is a tasteful and elegant one, the capital ‘C’ is curled which shows class as well as linking with the graceful aesthetics of a musical note. • The man featured, Pierre-Laurent, us wearing a suit and shirt which also shows an element of class and elegance. However he is not wearing a tie and has the first two buttons undone, this shows a more laid back attitude, which is shown again with the location; a bench in a public place against a brick wall. The setting is very open and public, showing that his feature is open to the public to the reader, he is almost letting them into his private world.

12. Magazine EvaluationIndustry • Classical Music started out as Classical Music Weekly, launched in 1976. as it changed hands it later changed to a fortnightly issue and changed the name to its current Classical Music. It is dedicated to those in the classical music profession, each issue contains news, reviews and details on job vacancies in the industry. • They also have a website containing the same information as well as the opportunity to subscribe and buy copies online, also they have an online shop selling sheet music, cds/dvds, books and musical gifts.

13. Magazine EvaluationDouble Pages • This double page is from Kerrang! Magazine, from the front cover earlier we can see that their colour theme is continuing through the magazine (black, white and red). Similarly with the cover layout, the headline is slanted and using a worn, distressed font which fits with the music styles featured. The photographs featured are of low saturation and a sepia tone rather than full monochrome which does have tones of red, fitting with the colour scheme even more. The background is black with white writing, this gives the whole article quite a dark look. However the subject is about recording and playing their music-the main background image is Gerard Way at a gig, these are low lit places so the photographs and colours match the subject discussed in the article.

14. Magazine EvaluationDouble Pages • This double page is from NME, similarly to Kerrang! A black, white and red colour scheme has been adopted, this is for clarity and sophistication as too many colours would clutter the pages and be too busy on the eye. Red has been used because it also matches the singer’s hair colour once again, adding sophistication and simplicity. The image used fills the left page and overlaps the right this joins the two pages to give a sense of continuity. The image is dominant in the article rather than the text, as images are more eye catching than blocks of text. The font is a joined italic elegant one, this fits with the style of music as she is classy and feminine.

15. Magazine EvaluationDouble Pages • This double page is from Q magazine as I couldn’t find one from Classical Music magazine. The photograph is in black and white, as is the article, only a capital letter ‘L’ translucent and overlapping the text is in red. This is in keeping with the magazine’s title ‘Q’ which is a white Q in a red box. This also follows the common trend of red, white and black colour schemes. The layout and styling is very classy and sophisticated, the style of Lady GaGa in the photograph which fills the left page is done in a very classy manner. I do not, however, wish to use their technique of one page of writing and one of image. As unless the consumer is very interested in the artist featured, they will be less inclined to read a full page of tiny text.

16. Magazine EvaluationContents Pages • This contents page is from Kerrang!, at the top left we can see a message from the editor with presumably the cover image next to it. The colour scheme is different to the other issues and pages I have presented, here it is grey, black and yellow. There is red, however yellow is now the dominant colour used as text or a background for black text. There are 9 different images corresponding with the main articles in the issue, the biggest issue being the largest on the top left. These are useful as the consumer would recognise their favourite band or band member’s face quicker than picking the band name out of a block of text. Furthermore it adds more interest to the page. However, this could risk overcrowding the page is not pulled off effectively.

17. Magazine EvaluationContents Pages • This contents page is from NME, at the top of the page in a banner they have added the name of the magazine as a reminder to the consumer. The colour scheme of red, white and black had returned again, even in the mini article’s photo is of a red hue. On the left hand side there is an index of all the band’s featured, this is a good way of showing the large amount of bands the magazine covers and makes it easier for the reader to fast track to their favourite bands. • The contents itself is split into the different sections, reviews, news, live etc for clarity, to break up the text and to make it easier again for the reader to find what they want to read.

18. Magazine EvaluationContents Pages • This contents page is from Q magazine, like NME they have put the magazine title at the top of the page as a reminder and In this magazine a recurring motif. • And again the theme of red, white and black is again used. The main image is framed by the contents on the left and the reviews on the bottom . • Each section’s box has a different background colour as well as a title to aid clarity and to separate the sections effectively. • I think I would use this layout for my own contents page as it the clearest of those I have looked at, however I would spice up the left hand side’s text as it might be bland for my own magazine’s audience/genre

19. How does my media product use, develop or challenge conventions of real media products? • My magazine uses conventions of existing music magazines such as the colour scheme. Throughout I have mainly used red, black and white as I found magazines such as NME, Q and Kerrang! Also used these colours because they stand out and are easy to read. Alternating between these colours also helps to separate text. For example in the contents page pictured, I have used red for header backgrounds, and white/grey backgrounds for main body. The white and grey are of the same colour just different shade so this does not add too much colour to clutter the page. I have also limited my use of fonts as other magazines I have found do. However I have coupled an uppercase, clear font with an elegant lowercase joined one. I have not seen this used as I have in the magazines I have researched because many try to appeal to a select audience, NME for example I found are criticised for only reaching out to an indie audience-they only use a font similar in style to my uppercase. I, on the other hand, have used both that style and one more of Classical Music magazine, not because I am trying to appeal to a classic music audience, but because my magazine will not be appealing to too tight of a consumer base. So I have used two fairly contrasting fonts which do complement each other surprisingly, the two fonts represent the genres my magazine would be featuring and appealing to fans of. The uppercase, as mentioned appeals to a more indie audience, it is sleek, modern and stylish. On the other hand the monotype corsiva appeals to a sophisticated, less modern, more classic audience. Further to my ranged target audience appeal I have used features such as the large red numbers in the contents page pictured to show a rebellious, against the grain kind of edge that would appeal to the punk, rock and alternative audience, it is these genres I also would feature in my magazine.

20. What kind of media institution might distribute my media product? • My magazine would be best distributed as a weekly publication, it would appeal to a wide audience as it is not target at a niche. It would appeal to a variety of ages, from teenagers right up to thirties, spanning genres from indie to punk, rock to folk. I feel it could be a success distributed weekly as a gloss magazine. However initially it would probably test the waters as an online publication, or as a supplement to another magazine of similar tastes (but not too the same as WIRED would need to stand out). • Alternatively it could be solely published regularly on the internet as either a blog, or a website in its own right like NME, Kerrang!, Classical Music and most if not all magazines have.

21. Who would be the audiencefor my media product? • The audience for my magazine is people who love music, like my model pictured here. But of course, not everybody who loves music in its general sense would want to buy my magazine, so my target audience is an aged market between around 13 and 39. I do feel my magazine would appeal to a teenage audience because of the music featured, the indie and some of the alternative overtones would appeal to this young audience as many of the bands I would feature are chart bands. However I haven’t dressed my magazine up to aim for a youthful audience as such, it is more sophisticated and mature than say, Kerrang! So could appeal to that twenties, thirties band. However I have cut it off at 39 as it is styled quite modern, rather than classic so (working on stereotypes of course) would not appeal so much to a middle aged audience. Much like id expect the music styles would not appeal so much to this age of audience. • The magazine as I have mentioned would feature a variety of genres from rock to indie, and punk to folk, but the main genre would be indie as in this age I feel it hits a bigger audience. As NME have been criticised heavily for only appealing to the latest fashions I have got the rock, punk and alternative edge which will remain throughout so my magazine should always attract this audience.

22. What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? • I already had knowledge of Adobe Photoshop prior to this project, however this has allowed me to develop my skills. I have used cropping and general editing of images including lighting levels and saturations. I have also used the magnetic lasso tool to a great extent, although I have used it previously this has allowed me to near perfect its use. I have also learnt to take care in placement of images and text as positioning can have an impact on the audience and effect how professional a page looks. • I have also developed my skills in photography, due to lack of studio and being winter the lighting is not great, so this has challenged me in getting a good quality photo fit for magazine. • Additionally I got to use Wordpress.com to blog my work which I had never done before so I had to learn quickly. Luckily the website was simple and I found it easy to learn and build up my blog.

23. From my preliminary task, what have I learnt in the progression to the full product? I have learnt a lot more about positioning images and text since my preliminary task. I have also learnt about using colours appropriate to my audience, the preliminary tasks were aimed at sixth form students so I used the colours of our school. However I learnt to use appropriate colour scheming for my new intended audience. Also the fonts I feel are more professional especially where I have used different sizes, fonts, and colours to emphasise important information. I also used much better photos in my full product as I had developed skills not only on deciding where to place an image but on how to take it to fit the page too. The backgrounds on my preliminary tasks are cluttered and busy, I made my full product more mature and stylish by simplifying the backgrounds and using less colour in order to gain clarity and professional simplicity.