Progression so far

In this text post I will show my progression within the task so far...
Here is my basic layout for my front cover:

Here is a screenshot of my front cover in it's first stages. I have added minor details such as coverlines and I have also allocated where I want certain features of the magazine to be placed.

Here is a screenshot of the next stage of my magazine front cover. I have added in my chosen fonts and also added in my coverlines, spash and puff. I think that the fonts I have chosen do have a 'pop' element to them, especially the masthead. Furthermore, I have shown the beginnings of my colour palette, pink, white and purple.

Here is a screenshot of the beginnings of my contents page. I have repeated the use of the masthead with the continuing line of 'in this issue...' I have chosen my fonts and also the colours I will use. I've added editors notes and have begun to analyse the page numbers. I now need to focus on taking images for my magazine front cover, contents and double page spread...

Here I am referring back to my research into pop magazines and their conventions via my analysis of pop magazine 'Top Of The Pops'. As you can see I have adapted a similar layout but with slight changes, for example my coverlines are on the opposite side. I may have to change this and think about where my image will be best placed.

How does my media product represent particular social groups

Stereotypical or not?
My media product (a music magazine) is extremely stereotypical of what you would expect from a pop music magazine. It is cluttered and crowded, packed full of celebrity gossip and pop music culture.

How has the representation been constructed?
I have constructed the representation via elements such as mode of address, I have used an informal and chatty language which is typical of a pop music magazine. The social group which I have chosen is teenage girls aged 14-16, another way that I have represented this group is via my colour scheme. My colour scheme is pink, white and purple. These colours connote femininity and freshness and therefore relate well to my target audience.

The images which I have used also represent the social group of teenage girls and also pop music fans as upon my research into the typical conventions of pop magazines I found that the majority of images featured on pop magazines were that of clean-cut, professional looking images and so therefore all of my images that I have taken have the back drop of a white, clean background as not to distract from the artist. Also, the artists found on pop magazines are also seen to be conventionally 'good-looking' and attractive. Furthermore, I then continued to photograph people who are seen as good looking and fit this stereotype.

Costumes

Many pop artists where lots of jewellery to personify that 'pop' image. Here Jess is wearing a gold spiked necklace which is very fashionable among young girls.

 Here Jess is wearing a white floral pattern top which connotes femininity and also youth. This perfectly represents my target audience/the types of clothing typically worn/seen in pop music magazines.

 I have then continued the outfit with light wash skinny jeans, typical of young girls and also extremely fashionable. Reletable to teenagers.

To finish off the outfit Jess is wearing black vans, although perhaps not at first seen as 'pop' or 'girly' these spice up the outfit.

Phoebe (who is my front cover and double page spread model) is also wearing a floral sleeveless top, it is feminine and fashionable and reflects my chosen subgenre.

 Next she is wearing simple black leggings, these are fashionable and are also seen on many pop artists.

 To finish off the outfit she is wearing blue puma suedes which connote freshness and individuality.

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Time Management

Now that I have decided on my potential models, photoshoot locations and have provided examples of inspiration for photoshoots I will now focus on taking and uploading the images that I will use on my magazine.

Costume Ideas

Here I have created a mood board of possible/potential outfit ideas for my models. Or, in an ideal world these would be the types of clothes that would be worn.

Possible models for my magazine images

Phoebe:
She is 16 so is within my target audience, and her style is perfect for the pop genre. She also has dyed red hair which shows similarities to artists such as Ariana Grande who are pop music artists.

Eleza:

She is 16 so fits within my target audience. She also has red hair, therefore she stands out from the crowd, which is what my music magazine is about. She will be a perfect model for my magazine as she likes to experiment with makeup and also loves music. She is extremely photogenic and thus makes taking pictures of her easy.

Hollie: 

She is 16 so fits within my target audience. Her favourite genre of music is pop, she likes groups such as One Direction, Union J and Little Mix. She has a youthful look so is an appropriate model for my music magazine. 

Jamie: Another possible model is Jamie-Ash as he fits within my target audience and also he fits the pop image through his fashion choices etc. Many pop magazines feature boys.

Photo Shoot Ideas

This is a photo of Little Mix, taken from one of their recent photoshoots. I have chosen Little Mix for inspiration as they are a perfect representation of what the pop music genre is all about. I like the idea of having a clear, white background as it connotes freshness. From my research I also found that many front cover images have completely clear, white backgrounds. This makes it easier to view the artists/bands and so the magazine does not look 'messy'. Little Mix are also wearing 'pop' clothes, for example Perrie, Jade and Jesy are all wearing denim shorts.

This is a photoset of One Direction, also a perfect representation of the pop music genre. Again, white, clear backgrounds have been used. I like this idea as I believe it looks professional and sophisticated. However, I realise that getting a completely perfect clear background for my own magazine may prove difficult, I still like the idea. All people are looking directly into the camera which draws the attention of the reader. Their outfits are that of clean-cut, teenage, 'preppy' pop look.

Location Ideas For Images

Looking at my research I have found out that many pop music magazines use very professional, clean cut images which usually involve little to no background image at all. The backgrounds are usually white or very simplistic. However, for the smaller images which will feature on my front cover, promoting smaller stories under the cover-lines, they are usually less professional photos, with busy backgrounds.

So, as a result of this I have chosen 2 locations for my magazine images:

1. An indoor space, perhaps a white wall, as I am trying to make my images look as professional and as clean-cut as possible, with no background distractions.

2. An outdoor space, in an area with many people who can feature in the background. 

The mix of the two will make my magazine stand out from the rest, as from my research I concluded that there are many pop publications on the market today, and so I need to make my magazine individual but at the same time still confine to the 'pop genre' look.

Research & Planning: Design choices

I used a website called 'www.dafont.co.uk' to research fonts for my masthead. This is an extremely helpful website which helped me choose from a range of fonts for my magazine. I want my masthead font to fit into the pop subculture genre.

I have decided to go for the second font down in my selection of fonts. It is called 'tutano.cc'. I have chosen this font because I believe it is the font that gives off the 'pop' vibe. I think that the use of a bright pink colour also adds to the effect, connoting love, youth and also femininity. I learnt this from my magazine research, where I noticed that a lot of pop music magazines use bright, bold colours such as pink. All of these elements combined reflect the brand identity and house style of my magazine.

Research & Planning: Design Choices

This is an example of my progress and experimentation with fonts on InDesign for my front cover.

Time Management Post

Now that I have created my mock ups and have provided a detailed summary for each, I will start my progress and experimentation with photoshoot ideas, location ideas and also potential models for my magazine images.

Front Cover Design - Detailed

For my final magazine front cover design this is the layout I have decided on. My reasoning for this layout and positioning is derived from my pop music magazine research. I found out that conventional pop magazine appear to be fairly cluttered and crowded, this gives the idea that they are packed full of content, thus exuding the idea that this particular magazine is worth the buyers money. Many images are found on the front covers of pop magazines, often advertising posters and giveaways. 

The colour palette I will use will consist of very feminine and girly colours. The colours I am using will be white, pink and purple. I have chosen to use a white background as it connotes freshness and innocence. Also I think that a white background can also add simplicity to quite a busy magazine, a white background also looks professional and sophisticated.

CHANGE TO DESIGN:  Looking back at these posts, and when referring back to my designs and mock ups during the creation of my front cover, I have decided to change the position of the 3 coverlines and accompanying images to the left hand side as upon reflection to my research I believe this is where they are mostly placed. 

Mock Up Double Page Spread Draft

This is my mock up for my double page spread. From my research into the conventions of pop magazines I found that many double page spreads use one page dedicated to the artist/group, and the background colour bleeds onto the next page. I will use 3 columns of text as I found that the majority of interviews in pop magazines had this many columns and I will also show pull quotes from the article in bubbles around the interview, to draw the attention of the reader. The shot I will use for my image will be a medium long shot as I believe this is a nice angle and has been used many times before in other pop music magazines.

Mock Up Contents Page Draft

For my contents page I will feature the name of the magazine along the top, followed by the words 'in this issue..' I have include 3 more images along the right hand-side accompanied by the page number to make it easy for readers to locate that article. There will also be a repeat of the main image from the front cover. I have created a section for page numbers and a short heading. I have created a section for editors notes, as from my research I have found that many pop magazines have an informal and chatty 'note' from the editor of the magazine.

Mock Up Front Cover Draft

For my mock up design of my front cover, I have chosen to position the masthead to the left hand side, as from my research I have found that this is where they are typically placed on pop music magazines. I have made my front cover fairly cluttered and almost 'messy'. By this I mean that I have include many images, and will also include many cover lines. My reasoning for this is that from my research it is clear to see that pop magazines are typically crowded and almost represented as 'loud' and 'boisterous'. Along the bottom I have include a set of 4 free posters. I have included 3 coverlines along the right hand-side, which will be accompanied by cover lines to link the text to the image. I have also included a puff in the top right hand corner, I expect that this will be a giveaway. The main article heading, the 'Splash' takes centre stage of my magazine, and it will be on top of the central image.

Style Sheet

Time Management

Now that I have completed my pitch and gained some audience feedback on my idea this week I am going to create a style sheet that will help to organise my thoughts and ideas, allow others to see what I have planned and will let me receive feedback on my magazine without having to make it. Next I will create my mock up front cover, contents page and double page spread in detail and post them on my blog in separate blog posts.

Pitch Questions and Audience Feedback

When reading an article would you prefer the page to be set out as a question and answer style format or for the questions to be implied?

Which name do you think is best for my magazine and why? 

Do you agree that I should use an informal and chatty mode of address? If so why? If not why not?

When reading a pop magazine what types of articles do you expect to read? content, images etc

Do you think that there is a gap in the market for another pop magazine? Do you thin it will be too similar to other publications on the market today? Why? 

Summary of audience feedback:
I chose 3 teenage girls to review my pitch and answer my pitch questions as they fit within the target audience for my magazine. From my audience feedback I have found out that a question and answer style format is preferred by the majority, as it is easier to read and is a more conventional article type. Next, I found out that out of all of the possible magazine names, the most popular and favoured one was 'In The Mix' as it sounds cool, young and fresh. Informal and chatty language was agreed to be used as it relates more to my target audience and they will be able to understand it considerably more. I have also found out that the types of articles the target audience wants to see is interviews with artists, reviews of the latests cds and new music. Although there are many other pop culture publications on the market today from my audience feedback I have found out that I will need to make my magazine stand out from the rest, perhaps by adding exclusive interviews with artists that other magazines don't offer.

My Magazine Pitch

My Pitch from indiajonesmedia

Research and Planning - Analysis of Music Magazin Double Page Spread

This interview is taken from a pop magazine TeenNow
Genre: pop
Publisher: IPC Media
Target Audience: young, teenage girls

Mode of Address - The mode of address used is definitely chatty and informal, which relates effectively to the target audience as it makes it fun and easy to read. The diction used is fun and light-hearted which reflects the morals of the magazine.

Layout - 4 Columns of text have been used, a generic feature of pop magazine interviews. The interview is also set out in a question and answer format, this has been done to make it easy to read and straight to the point. The ratio of text to pictures is 50/50 as an image takes up one whole page, and the other has text.

Images - The image also bleeds onto the next page, a white background which connotes freshness and youthfulness. The image is a Mid-Close Up shot and is in colour. The artists John Newman is shown to be looking directly into the camera, almost as if he is looking directly to the reader, this draws their attention and makes them feel involved.

Reseach and Planning - Analysis of Music Magazine Double Page Spread

Double page spead ariana from indiajonesmedia