Reader Profile

Preliminary Tasks - Unused Images

I decided not to use this image is it looks slightly blurry and looks too dark. In addition, the background would not have text be clearly seen and printed on it.

I decided not to use this image as it was way too dark. also, the two people on it have their back turned to the camera, showing unprofessionality.

I decided not to use this photo as it was too blurry and if used would make the front cover look unprofessional.

I decided not to use this photo as both faces of the two people can not be seen. With the backs turned it would look rude and unprofessional to be on a magazine.

I decided not to use this image as the person on the image is looking down, as if she isn't paying attention to the image being taken. Also, the white background is too narrow to have text on it if the image was to be used for a front cover.

I decided not to use this image as it is too dark and little light. Furthermore, the image has again the person facing their back to the camera not being professional and the background would not be capable of holding text which is clear and presentable to read.

Institutional Research

Institutions

• Emap

Emap is a magazine publisher that mainly publishes in the categories of Construction, Health and Government. Magazines published by Emap include Nursing Times.Net, Construction News and also LGC.

• Conde Nast

Conde Nast is a mass media company that have produced popular magazines such as Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. With it being mass media, it uses mass communication to attract readers including publishing via magazines, pamphlets etc.

• Nat Mags

Nat Mags was a magazine publisher from 1910 to 2011 until it merged with Hachetter Filipacchi Medias. It published magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and Men's Health, which shows the variety of the publisher. 

• IPC Media/Time Inc. UK

Time Inc. UK is known as Britain's leading publisher of print and digital magazines. It's well known publishings are NME, What's on TV and Country Life. It also has expanded it publishing towards the world of technology with it publishing on mobile, tablet and online. Other popular magazines are People, World Soccer and Time. This shows the large and varied reputation of the company.

• Future Publishing

In 2006, it was the ranked the sixth-largest media corporation in the United Kingdom. It publishes more than 180 magazines in fields such as video games, technology, automotive, cycling, films and photography.

Magazines published include magazines based on Playstation and Xbox and also magazines including PC Gamer.

• Bauer Media

Bauer Media Group is a large European based media company that manages a portfolio of magazines, digital products, radio and TV stations.

Bauer Media is a multi-platform media group, with locations across the UK. Following their purchase of Emap in 2007, The Bauer Media Group acquired a collection of media brands, including heat and Grazia as well as a radio portfolio of national radio brands including Magic and regional radio brands across major UK cities. 

Bauer Media also broadcasts TV music channels including The Box TV, in a joint venture with Channel 4 In the UK Bauer Media is the sister company of H Bauer Publishing, who publish titles including Take a Break .

The institution that is most suitable towards linking to my magazine is Time Inc. UK as it has published NME, a magazine that has inspired me fro my own magazine to be created. Moreover, the font and images used by the magazines published by Time Inc. UK are similar to what I intend to have for my proposed magazine.

E-Mail Arrangement

This was the email sent to Colin in an attempt to visit the University to use their equipment to help with my AS Media course.

This was Colin's response allowing us to use the university for Media work.

Survey Results

Written Proposal

For my proposed magazine, I intend to create a front cover, contents page and a double page spread. The magazine will specify in the rock genre. Magazines such as 'Q' and 'NME' have inspired my genre. The use of font and imagery from both magazines have also inspired me. The target audience of my proposed magazine will be of both genders at 16-35 and interested in the music genre. Primarily a younger audience due to the artists that will be involved in the magazine. The magazine will be sold in all outlets such as newsagents,supermarkets and feature online in apps to make the magazine more technological. In addition, the magazine will be monthly at an estimated cost of £2.50 with a subscription feature with a discount of the original price. The unique selling point of the magazine will be a guest columnist for every edition. This will feature star power to increase the sales of the magazine depending on the guest. Moreover, the theme of the magazine articles will consist of a rock genre and display both text and imagery to trap the reader's attention. The images on the front cover will presumably feature rock artists with the main image being the great purpose of the magazine. Similarly, the images inside will be of the tease on the front cover and include images relevant to the article.

Flat Plans and Rational

Preliminary Task - Contents Page for College Magazine

Evaluating Previous Coursework

We looked at the coursework of a previous student, analysing the layout, colors and font of their front cover, contents page and double page spread. with the use of a mark scheme, we agreed the work overall was at a Level 3 (B/C) grade with elements of the work at mainly Level 3 and Level 4 grades.

Preliminary Task- Front Cover of College Magazine

Above is my front cover for my college magazine. It contains a main image using up all of the cover with text on the left hand side as main sell-lines. The main sell-lines have been used to tease the reader hat is inside the magazine. The colours used are red, orange, blue and green. The red is used on the white background to stand out and be able to read clearly. This is important as it is also the main sell-line for the cover so it must be seen properly. Also, the other colours are used so there is a variety of colors on the cover so it is not dull and boring.

Practice Magazine Cover

This is the finished product of my practice magazine cover. The colour
 used on the cover are black, white and red. I like these colors because stand out and look effective on the main image. I dislike the masthead used in the practice cover as it is too dark and also too long. Popular music magazines sun as 'Q' and 'NME' have short snappy mastheads that are in the top left corner of front covers. My masthead is too long and too dark so it is unclear to read from a distance, this can cause problems for the front cover and limit the range of audience. To be different, I would change the masthead as it lacks colour and is too dull. This is the main area to improve.

The aspects that went well were the composition of the main image as it gives a nice effect towards the front cover. The tools that were useful were the magic wand tool. I intend to use the magic wand tool more often so the masthead goes behind the main image, used by popular magazines. I also intend to add more flare to the front cover as well.

Survey

Please complete this survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HCM6CNQ

Front Cover, Contents Page and DPS Influence

Below is a front cover, contents page and DPS that influence me for the ideas of my own front cover and contents page of my proposed magazine. The features that inspire me are the use of the masthead, main image and main sell line. Moreover, the use of text and colour is also inspiring for me to create a successful magazine.

Proposal

Enrolment Task

 Before starting AS Media, I was given a task to create my own Front Cover and intents Page of a magazine using either Microsoft or Photoshop. As well as this, I also had to write a 1,000 word essay on my magazine design and also fill out a table on three magazines I analyzed on target audience.

Magazine Double-Page Spread Deconstruction

Below are 3 double page spreads from magazines I have chosen to deconstruct. 2 are of bands/artists that link to the genre of my proposed magazine and 1 is from a different genre of music. I have analysed the layout, images and language of the double page spreads to see how content pages are designed and how they work to attract readers, especially target audiences and also to build on the identity of the magazine.

Magazine Contents Page Deconstruction

Below are 3 content pages from magazines I have chosen to deconstruct. 2 are of magazines that link to my magazine genre and the other from a different genre. I have analysed a masthead, necessary information, text, font, images, composition, linguistic features and colour and take a further look in how content pages are designed and how they work to attract readers, especially target audiences and also to build on the identity of the magazine.

Magazine Cover Deconstruction

Below I have de-constructed 3 front covers of music magazines. Two are to link to the genre of my proposed magazine and one that is from a magazine of an different genre. I have analysed text, colour, font, body language, lighting and the front cover as a whole and take a further look in how front covers are designed and how they work to attract readers, especially target audiences and also to build on the identity of the magazine.

Moodboard

Below is my moodboard which I have created for my AS Media Studies project. My moodboard consists of magazine covers from the rock, featuring popular magazine brands of the era as well as popular rock artists including Kings of Leon, Oasis and Muse. The magazines of my moodboard have similar target audiences of indie rock music lovers and fans. Most of my moodboard consists of magazine covers from NME magazine, this is because NME magazine is my influence for my magazine design and its use of celebrities on front covers has made NME stand out from other magazines.

Introduction Post

My name is Thomas and this blog will charter my progress in AS Media Studies. My main task is to create the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. My magazine will consist of indie rock music, as a magazine with a target audience to fans of rock and indie music. My magazine will focus on popular rock artists such as Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys. My magazine will consist of interviews, photoshoots and guest columnists of how music has changed over the years.

During the year, I hope to increase my media knowledge with the use of my magazine and AS Media. I also hope to understand thoroughly how the media industry works as a whole and what the industry consists of. Along with this, I also hope to explore the world of media, and analyse magazines, TV and radio with extensive detail so I have complete understanding in the topic and to have a complex interaction of skills to analyse the media.