Planning: Possible Mastheads

Possible names for my magazine masthead are:

Abstract. - I feel this name will represent my magazine well as it will hint at the fact that everything within the magazine has reached a deeper meaning which further implies there is more to it and it is worth reading. The definition of abstract is "existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence." I feel this is a great word to represent my magazine as it allows the reader to understand that my magazine isn't like a normal issue of a acoustic magazine that they would expect to see, hence the term abstract.

Apex. - This term would connote that my magazine is at its pinnacle which would entice the reader to begin looking into the magazine The word Apex also derives from the term Apex Predator which is a predator at the top of the food chain which implies that out of all the magazines created around my genre my magazine is at the top.

Power. - This term in its self would represent the true nature and force behind my magazine. To have power is to have influence and this is what I want my magazine to have on the reader, I aim to influence.

Research: Analysis Of Contents Page - 2 -

Presentation1 from SamMoverley301

How this research influenced my creativity

1] I will need both formal and informal language - I want  it to have the sophistication of acoustic but also include colloquialisms etc to appeal to a younger TA.
2] I like the images of guitars, i think this works well as a convention
3] I like the white clean look of white backgrounds

Research: Analysis Of Contents Page - 1 -

1] The header - I like the simplicity [ the highest form of sophistication!]

2] I like the left alignment - this manipulates conventions

3] Studio shots are in my planning but this has given me an idea for a pose.

Research: Analysis of a DPS - 1 -

How this Research has influenced my planning and creativity.

1] I love the 3 colour scheme
2] I really like how dark it is.
3] The graphology and what it represents is amazing.

Planning: Initial Ideas And Creativity Post

The genre I have chose is Acoustic I have experience as when I was younger I used to play acoustic guitar so I have personal experience with the genre, this means I also have a guitar at home to bring in for my model to use in the photo shoot. My star will be Connor MacMillan, he will be wearing a shirt and jeans which is very casual which will adhere to the traditional convention of a acoustic magazine. He will be stood with a acoustic guitar which will obviously link to the genre. the photos will be taken in a studio setting to show how prestigious the magazine is. The photos will be taken on the18th of October 2016 at my sixth form, this is because my sixth form are having an open evening, in this evening they will be holding a photo shoot for us to get photos for our magazines.

My DPS will be about Connor and his come up (his rise to fame) it will display all the key points in his life that have had an effect on the way he is as a person and the effect it has had on his music. Richard Dyre said that "A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed" The way Connor will be portrayed will be constructed by me, his back story will also be constructed by me which links to Richards Dyres representation theory. My magazine will appeal to people of the ages between 16 and 22, the magazine will have to be youthful yet refined to show the true nature of acoustic without "boring" my TA. My star is 16 years old which will appeal to the younger years as there may be things in Connors life that they can relate to.

The colours used will be very light to portray a very reputable magazine that is professional and distinguished I will use a sans serif font which will also exhibit how renowned the magazine is. The light colours will connote to god to show purity and will also link to my stars (Connor) religious beliefs. it will also link to one of Connors most popular songs "Dear God" in which he tells his fans the things he discusses with god over night.

Some of the conventions frequently used in acoustic magazines that i will follow are: Online subscription, Masthead 1/5th of the page usually in red, blue or green.

Planning: Photo Shoot Plan

The pictures that i will be taking will be used for my Front Cover, Contents and DPS.
The photo shoot will take place at Brigg sixth form on the 18th of october 2016 at 4:00pm
The name of my model is Connor MacMillan and he will be wearing a red checked shirt, black jeans and plain black shoes, he will also be holding a red and black guitar. I will be doing a range of shots including Low angle, Mid shot and long shot all in different poses with the guitar next to and in front of my model i will also take shots of my model sat down on a stool. and in my shots i will try to get my model centre frame. My model will be wearing red which is a conventional colour of an acoustic magazine. I intent for my TA to read the pictures of my model as a man who as come from a struggle but still managed to work his way up to becoming an Apex Predator in the game aka the acoustic genre.

Mood Board: Acoustic Guitarists Poses

Mood Board: Acoustic Guitarists Clothes

Research: Links, Synergy + Brand Identity.

 

Metal Hammer uses similar fonts throughout the front cover and contents page. The same edgy writing creates a brand identity for the audience as they will recognise the edgy look that is presented. The front cover also uses a lot of black however the contents pages uses a lot of red and the front cover does not. 

Research: Acoustic - Issue 123 October 2016 - Analysis 3 -

Personally I feel that the most outstanding feature is passenger himself as is he is the very centre of the magazine and takes up the full front cover.

The masthead is located at the top of the page and it takes up a small proportion of the page, the masthead is in a plain white colour, I feel this is a good colour to have as it stands out from the rest of the page yet it is easy on the eyes. The masthead is in a Sans Serif font which hints at the simplicity of the magazine. However, I feel that this is a very good look for the magazine as I believe in what Leonardo De Vinci said "Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication."

There are 4 cover stories on the front cover, two of the cover stories are written in sans and the other two are written in Sans Serif which I feel hints at the magazines diversity, this is also implied through the fonts different sizes however the change in sizes are not drastic. The fonts are very plain and simple yet very elegant and refined which i feel represents the genre perfectly.



The magazines target market is male and women of a much older and mature age, even though that magazine uses a lone male on the front cover there is evidence of female interviews given within the cover stories. There is a red banner at the very top that contains a cover story which follows a traditional convention of a magazine. There is also 3 banners in front of passenger, I feel this takes away some of the prestige of the magazine and I will not do this on my magazine. The two cover stories that are written in serif are given subheadings that are written within red banners. The main colours used are white and red. the white masthead is the same on most magazines with a few acceptations and the use of red adds a sophisticated look to the magazine which fits perfectly as some of the connotations of the colour red are: compassion, beauty, success, desire and ambition. the repeated use of a white masthead gives the magazine a recognisable house style that the audience can clearly see in any shop.

The magazine makes me want to buy it as I love the simplicity of the front cover, it really grabs my attention. The front cover includes a barcode, the company logo as they are the ones who published the magazine. The image does relate to the masthead as passenger has an acoustic guitar on his back which shows the reader why he is on the magazine. Passenger is engaged in eye contact with the camera which gives a special relationship between the reader and him. Passenger is stood up right with his arms slightly in front of him I can see this as the picture was taken as a long shot. the chest of \passenger is covered by text but this is it. the rest of the text is either around him or behind him which shows his importance. The picture is sharp and clear and in color in addition the background is in focus. Also, the background is not cluttered. This photo was taken in a studio setting which adds the the professional look. The guitar on his back signifies his purpose on the magazine front cover and also gives the audience a clue as to what he is being featured for.

How this research has influenced my planning and creativity.
1] Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.
2] Plain colors, I wont use ones that are hard on the eyes.
3] Use banners to give a professional look.
4] Use a 3 color scheme which keeps it simple yet prestigious.

Research: Anthem Publishing

Anthem Publishing covers two principle markets – Music and Food & Craft – with the aim of publishing market leading brands in each. They are the UK’s only publisher of music-making and listening magazines, the fastest growing food magazine publisher and the UK’s fastest growing magazine publisher of all.

Whether it’s Britain’s best-selling baking magazine, Food Heaven, or the music-making magazine with the biggest multi-platform audience in the UK, Music Tech, we create and publish brands that build deep connections with our audiences and provide commercial partners with unrivalled means of reaching those audiences.

Anthem is a fast-moving, creative company that is constantly building and enhancing its position in its chosen market sectors.

Research: XXL - Issue Summer 2015 - Analysis 2 -

The most outstanding feature of the magazine is the big group of artists gathered in the middle of the cover. The masthead is at the top left of the magazine, XXL adheres to conventions by repeating this by doing this they are also creating a brand identity.The masthead only takes up a small proportion of the magazine and part of it has been placed behind the group of young artists. The masthead is a red box with the letters 'XXL' written in white, this could suggest a theme of passion as the company XXl are passionate about the style of music they make. The masthead is written in sans serif which is repeated throughout all the magazines. However, all the other text that is displayed on the front cover ( the artists names and feature story) are written in serif, this gives a more relaxed feel to the magazine as this magazine would be targeting the younger generation. There is only one feature story and there are no cover story's by doing this XXl are challenging a conventions but upon doing so they are showing how rebellious rap music can be as traditionally rap music was used to give black people a voice when they were oppressed.





The font style and size varies throughout the front cover to show the diversity of the multiple rappers/artists they have incorporated into their front cover. I feel the font does represent the genre of rap music as I feel it gives people freedom to say what they want in any way they want, the font comes across as hand written which gives a sense of freedom.

The magazine is intended to appeal to male and females that are aged between 16 - 21, I know this as the front cover uses male and female rappers and has labelled them as the 'Freshman class of 2015' which shows them as a young group of individuals as the freshman is given to people who are in their first year of high school. The front cover uses a blue splatter shape instead of a banner this also links to the freedom that the genre of rap portrays, this is a convention that is used to meet a younger target audience this makes it more appealing to the younger generations as it makes the magazine look more rebellious. The banners are slightly transparent which allows me to still see the the main image through it. The main colours are blue and red. However the colours of the masthead are red and white which is repeated throughout their magazines which creates a recognisable brand identity.

The magazine makes me feel compelled to buy it as the amount of artists and the front used on the names really appealed to me. The magazine includes a barcode with an issues, the price and a web address for the buyer to follow.







All of the artists are looking at the camera which adheres to the convention. The group are all sat together arranged as if in a class photo which links to the feature story 'Class of 2015'.





The photo is a long shot that I cropped. Only a small section of the image is covered by the writing but it is slightly transparent which allows me to see the image behind the text. the picture is very sharp and clear, professionally taken. The background is a plain white background that is in focus. The image is also coloured. All the models are wearing clothes that are associated with young rappers which links to the young target audience as they try to dress like the latest rappers as they feel they are very hip. The photo was taken in a studio which is a professional setting.

Perkins says that 'stereotypes are not simple' when people see a group of ethnic minorities they look for things such as turned baseball caps and bandanas which this image adheres to. However, they are also wearing shirts and gold chains and expensive shoes which can symbolise RnB however, the check shirts are not what people would automatically assume for this group to be wearing.

How this Research has influenced my planning and creativity.

1] I really like how freely the names of the artists are displayed.
2] The colours used are very appealing to me.
3] The blue colour splat is something I could use.
4] I didn't like the poses they are in.
5] the fact it uses men and women appeals to me as it shows the diversity.

Research: Metal Hammer - Issue Summer 2014 - Analysis Number 1-

Masthead

The masthead is large, white and clear which contrasts the dark colours linked to heavy metal. The masthead is positioned at the top of the cover and takes up a good proportion of the magazine which allows it to be clearly visible to the reader. The masthead is written in a sharp edgy Sans Serif font which links to the heavy metal theme, this also allows for it to be easily distinguished from other magazines which will result in it been easily recognisable in the shop. The masthead is behind the models head which indicates how he is more important than the magazine company itself. The masthead also has the word metal included inside it, this could be to represent that they have heavy 'metal' inside them which shows a bond between the company and the music. The masthead is in the exact same place throughout each magazine which allows it to be something the reader can look out for.


                                                                  Image

The image is of a man named Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt, he is the main guitarist of a band called Opeth. He takes up the whole front cover and he is directly in the centre as he is the centre of attention in the magazine. His hair is also slightly curly which has been traditionally linked to the devil. This theme links to the theme of darkness which links to heavy metal which is what the magazine mainly includes information about. The background incorporates explosions and also shows Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt with black wings, this links to what Richard Dyre said "A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed.

Font

There are 2 main fonts used, Sans Serif (Masthead,) and Serif (Band name). The masthead is big and bold with the
H & R written with a sharp point to give an edgy look. The masthead's font is very large and bold which stands out to the reader the masthead is also written in white which contrasts massively to the dark colours linked to heavy rock. The name of the band uses a serif font and this is because this is how the band represents themselves as their logo is written like this. The masthead and band name re the largest as they are the most important aspects of the magazine and they want the reader to look at these first the writing of the band name shows that the band is quite a classic one, the band itself has been around since the 1990's.

Analysis of whole front cover
There is only one main story and only one feature story on the front cover. By doing this Metal Hammer are breaking a convention which makes them come across as rebellious to the reader, this theme also links to the theme of what their magazine is about (Heavy metal) as this genre of music is based around being yourself sometimes in a rebellious way. I feel that their target audience would be males that are 40+ however I also feel a lot of male teens (15 - 19) are becoming increasingly involved with this genre.
There is an interviewee slogan on the front this gives a direct relationship between the reader and Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt.
The magazine follows a very rebellious and hardcore rock theme in the sense that all the writing for the cover lines are all written in an edgy text.

How this research has influenced my planning

1] Dark tones.
2] Male Orientated.
3] Profanities.
4] Rebellious against conventions.
5] Explosions.

Preliminary task: College Magazine Contents Page

How this research has influenced my planning
1] i love the simplicity. 

Preliminary task: College Magazine Front Cover

How this research has influenced my creativity and planning:

1] i like how the word sixeth is a play on the word success 
2] i like how the whats on are around the model 

Planning: Selection and Rejection

This is good medium close shot as his facial expressions clearly show his happiness which would be a good photo for a magazine as it would be appealing.

This is a good photo as he has engaged in eye contact
with the reader which allows for a certain friendly
bond between him and the audience.

I did not choose this photo as the photo does not include
any of his face as it was taken when he moved which means
the effect of motion blur is very prominent which is why
I did not choose this photo.

How this research has influenced my planning:
1] I have gained an understanding of how to take photos
2] I like the range of poses done by Ryan

Technology: Flickr and slideshare

Today i joined slideshare and flickr

Research: Conventions

Codes and conventions from SamMoverley301

How this research has influenced my planning

1] Vibe: i love the way masthead fades out
2] i really like how the clothes of the artist link to the colour scheme.
3] i love how vibe use mise-en-sence 

Research: Institutions 2 Bauer Media

Bauer Media

This is a huge company/ institution:

This screen grab really hit me as it showed me the true proportion of which Bauer
are recognised worldwide! 

" The multinational media company is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany which operates in 15 countries worldwide It has been privately-owned and under management by the Bauer family since 1875." 

They are global:

They have offices located in these countries: Germany, USA, Spain, France, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic. Bauer Media has a yearly turnover of €2.129 billion.

Other Media Platforms Provided By Bauer Media

Radio: The Bauer network is divisible into two main groups, the Bauer Place and Bauer Passion units, with Place consisting of locally-focused services primarily broadcast on FM/AM and local digital platforms, and Passion consisting of national and quasi-national music-genre services delivered nationally and quasi-nationally through digital (and some areas analogue) platforms. Some examples of the radio stations owned by Bauer Media in England are: 96.3 Radio Aire (Leeds) Radio City 96.7 (Liverpool) Key 103 (Manchester) 97.4 Rock FM Magic 105.4 (London) Kerrang! Radio 105.2 (Birmingham) Kiss 100 (London)

They are cross media:

TV: Bauer Media Group has a 50% stake in the British television company Box Television, the other half owned by Channel 4. Box Television acts as the content subsidiary that produces several popular music television channels, which include: Q TV 4Music Kiss TV Kerrang! TV The Box Magic TV Smash Hits TV

Bauer Media Magazines:

Women’s Magazines Entertainment & Music Men’s Magazines Specialist Magazines It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds Newspaper Launched as a monthly magazine, Kerrang! began to appear on a fortnightly basis later, and in 1987 it went weekly The original owner was United Newspapers who then sold it to EMAP in 1991 In 2008, EMAP sold its consumer magazine to current owner Bauer Media Group Kerrang! Is one of Bauer Media’s bestselling magazines Kerrang! makes a Total Average Net Circulation / Distribution Per Issue of €42,077 Kerrang! makes far more on their Newstrade/Single Copy Sales which comes out to be €34,810 compared with their Multiple Copy Subscription Sales which comes to 1 It’s bestselling month, on average is September with a total average circulation of €43,587

Bauer has really impressed me with the way that they gained research. They have given me a way to find a certain aged audience which will help with my personal research. They have also clearly shown in a video how they have conducted their research which has given me ideas onto how I might conduct my personal research.

How this research has influenced my planning

1] I like the way Bauer research audiences
2] Their website is young and exciting
3] They have established products that appeal to my TA - I need to find a gap in the market!
4] Social media links
5] Global, regional and national audiences - eg Viking Radio HULL - a northern target market

Research: Institutions 1 Times Inc

Time Inc.

Their brands are tailored to the interests of a variety of audiences and operate in a number of different sectors.

Their mainstream women's brands include famous women's titles including Now, Chat, Woman and Goodtoknow; TV entertainment brands including What's on TV, TV Times and TV & Satellite Week. their specialist portfolio, has a wealth of leisure brands including Country Life, Horse & Hound, Rugby World and Decanter, as well as lifestyle brands including NME. They also publish a number of women's fashion and luxury brands including Marie Claire, InStyle and Wallpaper lifestyle titles including woman & home and Essentials and home interest brands including Ideal Home, Living etc and house to home.

Supporting their portfolio is their advertising team - that works in partnership with clients and agencies to create bespoke advertising solutions across all of their brands and across a variety of platforms - and Market force, the UK's leading news trade sales and distribution company.

Time Inc. is one of the world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 120 million visitors each month, including over 50 websites. their influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple, Southern Living, Entertainment Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Cooking Light, Fortune and Food & Wine, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom such as Decanter and Horse & Hound. Time Inc. is home to celebrated events and franchises including the Fortune 500, Time 100, People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the Essence Festival and the biennial Fortune Global Forum. Hundreds of thousands of people attended their live media events in 2014. they also provide content marketing, targeted local print and digital advertising programs, branded book publishing and marketing and support services, including subscription sales services for magazines and other products, retail distribution and marketing services and customer service and fulfillment services, for themselves and third-party clients, including other magazine publishers.

“WE ENGAGE WITH ALMOST HALF OF ALL UK ADULTS IN PRINT AND OUR AWARD WINNING WEBSITES REACH OVER 28 MILLION GLOBAL USERS EVERY MONTH.”



How this research has influenced my planning

1] They have multiple businesses around the world
2] Social media links
3] Their website looks very classic and mature