Magazine Evaluation
For my final product magazine I chose to use the house style of NME. My magazine is called “EMM” which is an abbreviation for Essential Music Magazine. My magazine follows the generic conventions of NME throughout the cover and contents pages, but on the double page spread I didn’t use the conventions of NME because of the target audience for the magazine.
The front cover of “EMM” I have used the house style of NME which I have emulated through using big bold writing and a colour scheme of black, white, red and a small amount of yellow which altogether give connotations of rebellion. The colours represent the target audience for the magazine which is has an age range of 16-24 year olds which is a mass market as between those years people start to like all different genres of music and become more aware of what the fashion is in all seasons. For the image of the front cover I used a black and white image with a black background because I didn’t want an over crowed cover page when I put on the strap lines and skyline. Like most magazines I have aligned the image slightly over to the right of the page this is so that attention is drawn to all over the magazine cover instead of just central attention. The person I used also will add to the mass market of the magazine because the costume used for the cover is modern in season look which reflects the target audience. These appeals to the mass market of what the magazine would be sold in because of the age range’s taste in music and fashion appearance. The lighting I used for the image is natural as it gives a raw natural feel to the cover which contrasts with the rebellious tones of the other conventions of the cover. The pose of the model connotes relaxation and also contrasts with the other rebellious conventions also the model is looking directly into the camera which gives the effect of her looking directly at the audience which makes the cover appear personal to the reader. The medium shot of the image allows the reader to connect with the costume also most magazines use a medium shot of their front cover image as a long shot image doesn’t grab the audience’s attention as good as a medium shot. The language I used for the front cover is formal and to the point as a front cover shouldn’t be filled with huge sections of writing as it will put the buyer off. It also shows the target audience of the magazine as it’s youthful. The typography for the cover is simple easy to read fonts, such as century gothic, which are bold so they stand out on the cover. This again links with the target audience as the age range for my magazine is youthful. The title “EMM” is the biggest domineering text on the cover so that it stands out as being the title of the magazine and not just a strap line or kicker. Aswell it allows the magazine to be easily spotted on a shelf in a shop amongst other magazines. The cover represents the social group of 16-24 year olds as being rebellious but it also shows them as being fashionable and not as rebellious as they are shown as in NME.
My contents page like the cover follows the house style of NME. Similar with the front cover I have stuck to the generic conventions and used a colour scheme of black, white, red and a small amount of yellow which follows on the rebellion connotations of the cover. The image I have used is a simple but effective image of the model standing in front of a brick wall. This is simple yet effective as it looks more realistic compared to having images taken as if they are a live band playing on stage. Like the front cover image it connotes modern in season fashionable clothing. The pose of the model also emulates the relaxed feel of the cover but unlike the cover the model is smiling more which has positive inviting connotations. The brick wall gives the image mise en scene which is a contrast to the cover as contents page has to draw the reader into to everything that will be inside the rest of the magazine. Also it adds to the simplistic but effective theme throughout both the cover and contents. Like the front cover the language used is colloquial as it is inside the magazine which only the target audience will read through it as it appeals more to them than other social class like adults 30 and above or children under 15 who my magazine isn’t aimed at. Emulated from NME I have used some phrases and words like “gigs” to make it appear more realistic. The typography is similar to the cover page as I have used the same font in order to keep a recognisable font throughout. Similar to the cover I have bolded the titles of the sections of the contents page. In contrast to the cover “EMM” isn’t the domineering text as; the time when the magazine would be on sale takes over as it allows the reader to know what will be in the magazine. Unlike NME my contents content is different as in the “Band Index” section I have included music artists who are from different genres of music as I wanted a mass market audience and having different genre music artist, along with the typical rock and alternative rock artists, allows the target audience to be bigger than just a small amount of people. Also I wanted to include the white background of the text like NME but publisher wouldn't allow me to do it. The contents carries on the cover’s representation of 16-24 year olds as the language is still simple and easy to read also it still has a relaxed theme because of the images pose. But also the contents still has a hard rebellious edge because of the bold titles and colour scheme. Unlike the cover the contents page is busy and there is more going on as it has got to show more about what the content is of the whole magazine.
My double page spread is laid out in the house style of NME but unlike the cover and contents pages I have gone against the typical content. I have gone against the normal conventions of NME double page spread’s because it is a Christmas special and it is the time of year when most magazines do something which is different to what they are known for. Although I haven’t stuck to the NME conventions I have still carried on the simple and relaxed theme of the cover and contents pages. The images I have used convey the interview’s feelings of joy and success. The four images used have mise en scene’s which allow the audience to see where the images are taken also the mise en scene shows up the main model in the images is. Throughout the images the costume stays the same so that the images aren’t complex and seem to be taken at different times. The images follow the cover and contents pages connotations of young and fashionable clothing which brings the pages together. The pages would appeal to both males and females as the model is good looking and she is wear fashionable clothes. The model also fits in with the target audience because she is young. The poses on all the images are relaxed which is shown by natural stances and by the model smiling as looking as if she is having the time of her life. The main colour scheme I have used is red, white and a small amount of black which gives the double page spread connotations of rebellion. Like the cover and contents the language is simple and easy to read as it’s a friendly interview between the model and the magazine. The typography is different to the cover and contents because the title goes across two pages and also the title doesn’t show what the magazine is called or what the whole magazine will be about as it shows just what the two pages are going to be about. Although the main article on the double page spread goes against NME’s typical conventions I have included a small column about the Artic Monkeys who are a typical Indie music band which are rebellious in their music with songs such as Flourescent Adolescent and Mardy Bum as they both are about being the best person in a relationship. The layout represents the social group of 16-24 year olds as it is easy to follow and bold so it makes curtain information stand out above the rest. This represents the social group as having a fast pace life style as they don’t have time to read masses of writing.
For my magazine I targeted a mass market in order to attract as many buyers. I have included something for everyone of the age range of 16-24 as they are the ones more likely to listen to most the music that the magazine is talking about. The institute that would most likely distribute my magazine would be a well known institution as the magazine would be brought by more people if they know where it has come from. The people who are most likely to buy the magazine are still rock & indie people but also people who listen to RnB, Hip Hop and Pop. Also it is aimed at both males and female as the models used are good looking and they are fashionable in the clothes they are wearing in the pictures. To attract the audience to the magazine I used big and bold typography which are eye catching. I also used images of young fashionable females as they are usually associated with being into modern fashion. In the magazine I used simple modern to attract the audience more as the target audience of my magazine wouldn’t want to read pages and pages of writing to find out one subject. Also to the point colloquial language allows other people who the magazine isn’t aimed at to be able to see what the target audience might like about the magazine.
During making the magazine I learn alot about the technology I was using such as Photoshop as before I started the magazine and before doing the preliminary I knew nothing about it or how to use it. While using Photoshop I learnt how to change the pictures colours, contrasts, effects, size, quality, how to merge to images, how to cut out a background and how to enhance images colour. Although I used Microsoft publisher I didn’t learn anything new from it as I have used it lots before at school. From building my magazine I have learnt about how to fit all the different conventions together and how to make the pages look filled with only a small amount of information and why curtain alignments are made such as the image being aligned slightly to right to make the attention go all around the cover instead of just the centre. Also I have learnt how to represent the social group I was aiming the magazine at through all the pages even though the double page spread was different to the cover and contents pages. From my preliminary task I have learnt about how to construct a magazine front cover properly and why there are rules about how many colours, fonts and images are used which is so that the cover stands out and isn’t over crowed which would put the reader off looking at it. Overall I am pleased about how my magazine has been constructed even though I had to change my images many times I finally got images that would be able to be used in the magazine which give the final production a simple but effective feel with also a fashionable, modern look with rebellious tones only shown through the colour scheme and some of the images poses.
The front cover of “EMM” I have used the house style of NME which I have emulated through using big bold writing and a colour scheme of black, white, red and a small amount of yellow which altogether give connotations of rebellion. The colours represent the target audience for the magazine which is has an age range of 16-24 year olds which is a mass market as between those years people start to like all different genres of music and become more aware of what the fashion is in all seasons. For the image of the front cover I used a black and white image with a black background because I didn’t want an over crowed cover page when I put on the strap lines and skyline. Like most magazines I have aligned the image slightly over to the right of the page this is so that attention is drawn to all over the magazine cover instead of just central attention. The person I used also will add to the mass market of the magazine because the costume used for the cover is modern in season look which reflects the target audience. These appeals to the mass market of what the magazine would be sold in because of the age range’s taste in music and fashion appearance. The lighting I used for the image is natural as it gives a raw natural feel to the cover which contrasts with the rebellious tones of the other conventions of the cover. The pose of the model connotes relaxation and also contrasts with the other rebellious conventions also the model is looking directly into the camera which gives the effect of her looking directly at the audience which makes the cover appear personal to the reader. The medium shot of the image allows the reader to connect with the costume also most magazines use a medium shot of their front cover image as a long shot image doesn’t grab the audience’s attention as good as a medium shot. The language I used for the front cover is formal and to the point as a front cover shouldn’t be filled with huge sections of writing as it will put the buyer off. It also shows the target audience of the magazine as it’s youthful. The typography for the cover is simple easy to read fonts, such as century gothic, which are bold so they stand out on the cover. This again links with the target audience as the age range for my magazine is youthful. The title “EMM” is the biggest domineering text on the cover so that it stands out as being the title of the magazine and not just a strap line or kicker. Aswell it allows the magazine to be easily spotted on a shelf in a shop amongst other magazines. The cover represents the social group of 16-24 year olds as being rebellious but it also shows them as being fashionable and not as rebellious as they are shown as in NME.
My contents page like the cover follows the house style of NME. Similar with the front cover I have stuck to the generic conventions and used a colour scheme of black, white, red and a small amount of yellow which follows on the rebellion connotations of the cover. The image I have used is a simple but effective image of the model standing in front of a brick wall. This is simple yet effective as it looks more realistic compared to having images taken as if they are a live band playing on stage. Like the front cover image it connotes modern in season fashionable clothing. The pose of the model also emulates the relaxed feel of the cover but unlike the cover the model is smiling more which has positive inviting connotations. The brick wall gives the image mise en scene which is a contrast to the cover as contents page has to draw the reader into to everything that will be inside the rest of the magazine. Also it adds to the simplistic but effective theme throughout both the cover and contents. Like the front cover the language used is colloquial as it is inside the magazine which only the target audience will read through it as it appeals more to them than other social class like adults 30 and above or children under 15 who my magazine isn’t aimed at. Emulated from NME I have used some phrases and words like “gigs” to make it appear more realistic. The typography is similar to the cover page as I have used the same font in order to keep a recognisable font throughout. Similar to the cover I have bolded the titles of the sections of the contents page. In contrast to the cover “EMM” isn’t the domineering text as; the time when the magazine would be on sale takes over as it allows the reader to know what will be in the magazine. Unlike NME my contents content is different as in the “Band Index” section I have included music artists who are from different genres of music as I wanted a mass market audience and having different genre music artist, along with the typical rock and alternative rock artists, allows the target audience to be bigger than just a small amount of people. Also I wanted to include the white background of the text like NME but publisher wouldn't allow me to do it. The contents carries on the cover’s representation of 16-24 year olds as the language is still simple and easy to read also it still has a relaxed theme because of the images pose. But also the contents still has a hard rebellious edge because of the bold titles and colour scheme. Unlike the cover the contents page is busy and there is more going on as it has got to show more about what the content is of the whole magazine.
My double page spread is laid out in the house style of NME but unlike the cover and contents pages I have gone against the typical content. I have gone against the normal conventions of NME double page spread’s because it is a Christmas special and it is the time of year when most magazines do something which is different to what they are known for. Although I haven’t stuck to the NME conventions I have still carried on the simple and relaxed theme of the cover and contents pages. The images I have used convey the interview’s feelings of joy and success. The four images used have mise en scene’s which allow the audience to see where the images are taken also the mise en scene shows up the main model in the images is. Throughout the images the costume stays the same so that the images aren’t complex and seem to be taken at different times. The images follow the cover and contents pages connotations of young and fashionable clothing which brings the pages together. The pages would appeal to both males and females as the model is good looking and she is wear fashionable clothes. The model also fits in with the target audience because she is young. The poses on all the images are relaxed which is shown by natural stances and by the model smiling as looking as if she is having the time of her life. The main colour scheme I have used is red, white and a small amount of black which gives the double page spread connotations of rebellion. Like the cover and contents the language is simple and easy to read as it’s a friendly interview between the model and the magazine. The typography is different to the cover and contents because the title goes across two pages and also the title doesn’t show what the magazine is called or what the whole magazine will be about as it shows just what the two pages are going to be about. Although the main article on the double page spread goes against NME’s typical conventions I have included a small column about the Artic Monkeys who are a typical Indie music band which are rebellious in their music with songs such as Flourescent Adolescent and Mardy Bum as they both are about being the best person in a relationship. The layout represents the social group of 16-24 year olds as it is easy to follow and bold so it makes curtain information stand out above the rest. This represents the social group as having a fast pace life style as they don’t have time to read masses of writing.
For my magazine I targeted a mass market in order to attract as many buyers. I have included something for everyone of the age range of 16-24 as they are the ones more likely to listen to most the music that the magazine is talking about. The institute that would most likely distribute my magazine would be a well known institution as the magazine would be brought by more people if they know where it has come from. The people who are most likely to buy the magazine are still rock & indie people but also people who listen to RnB, Hip Hop and Pop. Also it is aimed at both males and female as the models used are good looking and they are fashionable in the clothes they are wearing in the pictures. To attract the audience to the magazine I used big and bold typography which are eye catching. I also used images of young fashionable females as they are usually associated with being into modern fashion. In the magazine I used simple modern to attract the audience more as the target audience of my magazine wouldn’t want to read pages and pages of writing to find out one subject. Also to the point colloquial language allows other people who the magazine isn’t aimed at to be able to see what the target audience might like about the magazine.
During making the magazine I learn alot about the technology I was using such as Photoshop as before I started the magazine and before doing the preliminary I knew nothing about it or how to use it. While using Photoshop I learnt how to change the pictures colours, contrasts, effects, size, quality, how to merge to images, how to cut out a background and how to enhance images colour. Although I used Microsoft publisher I didn’t learn anything new from it as I have used it lots before at school. From building my magazine I have learnt about how to fit all the different conventions together and how to make the pages look filled with only a small amount of information and why curtain alignments are made such as the image being aligned slightly to right to make the attention go all around the cover instead of just the centre. Also I have learnt how to represent the social group I was aiming the magazine at through all the pages even though the double page spread was different to the cover and contents pages. From my preliminary task I have learnt about how to construct a magazine front cover properly and why there are rules about how many colours, fonts and images are used which is so that the cover stands out and isn’t over crowed which would put the reader off looking at it. Overall I am pleased about how my magazine has been constructed even though I had to change my images many times I finally got images that would be able to be used in the magazine which give the final production a simple but effective feel with also a fashionable, modern look with rebellious tones only shown through the colour scheme and some of the images poses.
