MAIN TASK

PUBLICATION PLAN:

Title:

Positioning Statement: It’s all and more of the Jazz
Frequency of Publication: MONTHLY
Price: £2.55
Distribution: Newsagents and supermarkets: Music stores such as HMV

Rationale: The approach of the magazine is based on the results of my questionnaire, therefore it is audience orientated. The magazine will include popular regular content such as music charts etc. The target audience is the inspiration for this magazine and will include what they want to know not what the music industry wants to feed its readers.

Style: The magazine is for music lovers, who want to combine the iconic and modern twist on jazz/swing music; the use of mature lexis and slang will unite the two different eras of music together to produce text that will entice the target audience.
On the front cover there will be one main image and throughout the contents page and double-paged spread the images will be the principal feature. I will use creative photography to capture the interest of my readers and improve the intensity of articles.

Regular Content:
New to…(section)
Chart Listing
Forums
Great Gigs: the months best gigs
Reviews
Name that instrument: competition
Puzzles
Subscription
Quiz
Swing tips for the month
Where to buy? (Suits, instruments…)
Up, close and personal interviews with star names


Feature Content:
Michael Buble: The story behind the microphone (World Tour 2009)
Article about Jamie Cullum and his return to stardom
Harry Connick Jnr did it “his way”
Ray Quinn spills his swing passion
Simon Cowell on Xfactor’s “BIG BAND” week
Robbie & his Swinging days
That’s life by Sinatra
Tribute to the Rat Pack
Free Buble coupon for CD
Michael McIntyre uses Buble material on tour!
Me & my Shadow: How I want to be a swing artist at 16
Could James Morrison enter the Big Band business?
New York becomes the new face of swing
Jamie is the ‘key’
Top 10 gigs planned for 2010
Can pop stars transform to swing stars?
Album of the year
Travel – The highlights of stardom
How to sing swing?
Poll: Up, close and personal gigs or concerts in arenas?


House Style:
Coverlines: Ariel Black
Headlines: Ariel Narrow
Standfirst: Centaur - 14pt
Captions: Centaur – 8pt
Features in first paragraph: drop capital ‘centaur’ , 6 lines deep, the first phrase will be in capitals
News first paragraph = Body text: The paragraph will be in 11pt, the first phrase will be in capitals and the whole text is ‘Times New Roman’.
Colour scheme: Purple. This is because, purple was the most favourite colour

Drafts for my publication

Front Cover
Contents Page

Double Page Spread

MAIN TASK - QUESTIONNAIRE

• Questionnaire and Results


• I have designed and created a questionnaire that will help me identify the key aspects of my music magazine. The following graphs represent the results from my questionniare, filled out by 20 people.

1. Are you Male or Female?

This graph shows that I surveyed a total of 20 people, of which 13 were female and 7 were males. Therefore my results may be slightly biased towards females even though my original aim was to ask the same amount of people for each sex.

2. How old are you?

The bar graph suggests that most people who I surveyed were ages between 16 up to 21. This will allow a more youthful outlook throughout my questionnaire.


3. Do you prefer a band or solo artist on the front cover?



These results show that most people favoured a solo artist on a music front cover; therefore I will use a solo artist as the main image on the front cover.


4.Who is your favourite band?

Maroon 5 was the top favourite band which suggests that the people I surveyed. These results maybe biased through age because I asked more of the younger age and therefore their favourite bands will be more modern compared to the older bands which were collected; thus, I will combine modern and iconic music in my magazine.

5. Who is your favourite solo artist?

Michael Buble was the most favourite artist and his music really does link with my music magazine genre, therefore I will base my double page spread on Michael Buble. Plus he manages to unite modern and iconic swing music and appeal to younger audiences, which is what my aim is.


6. What is your favourite colour?


Green and Blue tied as the audience’s main colours. The bias result of having more females then males fill out my questionnaire does not change this result because the favourite were a neutral colour and a more masculine colour. I will therefore incorporate these colours into my music magazine.


7. How much would you spend on a new music magazine?



According to the majority, my results suggest that people would be looking to pay between £2.10 - £3.00. Therefore I will choose the middle value to be the price of my magazine, this will be £ 2.55.


8. Name your favourite Swing/Jazz/Big Band song?

The two most popular songs are famous Big Band songs that have been covered many terms by artists such as: the surveyor’s favourite Michael Buble therefore I will use him for my double page spread.

9. What three words come to mind when you think about Swing/Jazz?

Some of the words will be the topics of the coverlines found on my contents page and maybe on the front cover. This is because my audience thinks about these things when introduced to swing/jazz music.


10. How often would you/do you buy a music magazine?

Due to my results, purchasing a magazine monthly was the favourite and so my magazine will be a monthly music magazine.


11. On a magazine front cover, do “free” or “extra” gifts – attached to the magazine- attract you?


All of the surveyors said “ yes “ to being attracted to free gifts on a magazine so I will have a puff that will invite the audience in and offer free items or purchases within the new magazine I will design.


12. If a magazine had a website on the cover, would you browse it?
The majority of the results show that a website on the front cover will be suitable and browsed by my target audience. Thus, I will include a website address on the “strip” on the front cover.

13. Do you prefer to see one large image on the front cover or multiple images?


16/20 candidates voted for a larger image on the front cover, and so I will use a suitable images in this way to entice my target audience.


14. In your opinions, what is the best way to access music? (Choose 1)


Due to IPod/ Mp3 being the most popular answer I will use download charts as a regular content in my magazine; the other forms of accessing music could be used in order to combine modern and iconic ways of listening to the newest songs, this will then influence the audience to download new jazz/swing/big band music.

MAIN TASK

The genre of my magazine will be Swing/Jazz; the combination of the two will exaggerate the modern twist to what the magazine will become

• RESEARCH

1) Codes and Conventions of a Music Magazine Front Cover

• One worded title Title -It has its own unique font and is the biggest text on the page



• The title may fill the whole page width Positioning statement which is situated by the title ( above or below)



• Price of magazine Date of issue/ issue number
  


• * All of the above points are known as the “Masthead” Bar code ( on the front cover because adverts are usually on the back)



• Puff (e.g. free gifts)
  


• Lists Main image - This is anchored by the main cover-line





• The main cover-line is the largest text after the title and is up to two lines long




• Small pictures on the front show artists or bands
  
  


• Cover-lines are two/three lines long, it gives information about contents, it intrigues the audience and provokes interest with as few words as possible Bold colours.



• A consistent colour scheme is used




• The main image usually does not have the band/singer smiling which conveys attitude



• Directly addressed images are used (looking at the audience)



• Typography - This is the look of the letters (limited fonts are used)



• 2 types of typography: serif and sans serif



• Serif = French for ‘HOOK’ e.g. ‘Times New Roman’



• Sans serif = French for ‘WITHOUT HOOK’ e.g. ‘Ariel’



• The connotations of font reflect target audience and subject



• They frame an image – usually the left side



• There is usually a strip at bottom or top which has different artists on it therefore this improves the content of the magazine front cover



• It has a list of names/bands/topics Buzzwords are used e.g. EXCLUSIVE



• The small use of colour conveys a classy feel to the magazine and makes it easy to be identifiable compared to other music magazines



• The photography is very creative as it uses the light to contrast the images and the angles convey emotion within the images; especially the main image

2)Codes and Conventions of a Music Magazine Contents Page

• Columns are used - Maybe two or three Page numbers



• Picture and images with page numbers Images



• ‘In this’ section (editor letter) – editorial – there is a picture of the editor and their signature Date and issue at the top



• The title at the top of the page, sometimes top left = ‘Contents’


• Quotes


• Consistent colour schemed followed on from the front cover Categorise sections (headings


• One large images Smaller images which highlight the content of the magazine


• The actual arrangement: page numbers – then text


• One or two words as the main line


• They are bold and usually larger text


• Sub line text is smaller


• Regular content – this appears in every issue of the magazine. E.g. horoscopes


• Feature content – this is the term used for ‘one-off’ stories. E.g. Interview with band


• Bottom of the page consists of page numbers, title, issue data, website


• Contact details
  

3) Codes and Conventions of a music magazine, Double Page Spread

• There are usually 3 or 4 columns


• Creative use of photographs


• Quotes on pictures or maybe in between text separated by boxes, this invites the audience because it is highlighted with the use of panels and boxes


• 1/2 the article is an image, pictured often bleed across from one page to the other



• author of the article is stated (BYLINE is the name of journalist) This is positioned by the STAND FIRST


• Stand first works with the headline to inform the reader about the article, it has a larger font, it is the beginning paragraph where opinions are usually used as is an informal style; this explores the journalist's personality


• page numbers


• small images are used to break up text


• limited colours- colour scheme


• name of band or artist is bold and sometimes in a different colour to stand out


• further details


• photographer's name and/or details


• name of magazine and/or website


• Drop capital is used and indicates were to start reading; the 1st letter of the 1st word is large


• A strap line / border maybe used to bleed across the double paged spread or even used as a tab bar


• headlines are situated across two pages (its eye catching and creative)


• bold text in 1st introductory paragraph, and is again larger font

• Magazine Research

Q

Price: £3.90
Frequency of publication: Monthly
Issue Size (number of pages): 162

Regular content:
Soapbox
New to Q
Q hero
My record collection
Cash for Questions
A round with…
Q50 ( tines)
Q quiz
Last requests
Q review

Feature articles:
Interview with Sting
Interview with Green day
“Pop Babylon” (Whitney & Britney)



JAZZIZ



Price: $59.95 / £36.90 for subscription over year.
Import Price: Average/£9 per issue
Frequency of publication: Quarterly. (Every 3 months seasonal)
Issue size (number of pages): ?

Regular content:
Reissued Rankin
Free CD or DVD
Discover an artist
Quiz
Questions & Answers
Forums

Feature articles:
Paoli Mejia
Tom Beckham
Impressions by Peter
Jamie Cullum kicks


Questionnaire and Results

I have designed and created a questionnaire that will help me identify the key aspects of my music magazine. The following graphs represent the results from my questionniare, filled out by 20 people.

Preliminary exercise

• Research
  
  1) Codes and Conventions of a Music Magazine Front Cover
  One worded title
  Title -It has its own unique font and is the biggest text on the page
  The title may fill the whole page width
  Positioning statement which is situated by the title ( above or below)
  Price of magazine
  Date of issue/ issue number
  * All of the above points are known as the “Masthead”
  Barcode ( on the front cover because adverts are usually on the back)
  Puff (e.g. free gifts)
  Lists
  Main image - This is anchored by the main cover-line
  The main cover-line is the largest text after the title and is up to two lines long
  Cover-lines and relevant images
  Cover-lines are two/three lines long, it gives information about contents, it intrigues the audience and provokes interest with as few words as possible
  Bold colours. A consistent colour scheme is used
  The main image usually does not have the band/singer smiling which conveys attitude
  Directly addressed images are used (looking at the audience)
  Typography - This is the look of the letters (limited fonts are used)
  2 types of typography: serif and sans serif
  Serif = French for ‘HOOK’ e.g. ‘Times New Roman’
  Sans serif = French for ‘WITHOUT HOOK’ e.g. ‘Ariel’
  The connotations of font reflect target audience and subject
  They frame an image – usually the left side
  Strip at bottom or top. It has a list of names/bands/topics
  Buzzwords are used e.g. EXCLUSIVE
  
  
  2)Codes and Conventions of a Music Magazine Contents Page
  Columns are used - Maybe two or three
  Page numbers
  Picture and images with page numbers
  Images
  ‘In this’ section (editor letter) – editorial – there is a picture of the editor and their signature
  Date and issue at the top
  The title at the top of the page, sometimes top left = ‘Contents’
  Quotes
  Consistent colour schemed followed on from the front cover
  Categorise sections (headings)
  One large images
  Smaller images which highlight the content of the magazine
  Subscription
  Plain and simple backgrounds; usually white so that everything stands out
  Content
  The actual arrangement: page numbers – then text. One or two words as the main line. They are bold and usually larger text. Sub line text is smaller
  Regular content – this appears in every issue of the magazine. E.g. horoscopes
  Feature content – this is the term used for ‘one-off’ stories. E.g. Interview with band
  Bottom of the page consists of page numbers, title, issue data, website
  Contact details
  



• Planning

These are rough sketches of my school magazine front cover and contents page

• Production

Used on contents page Used on contents page

Used on contents page
Used on contents page

Used on contents page

Used as main background image of front cover
Used on the contents page

Used on front cover as coverline image


Used on front cover as coverline image

Used on front cover as coverline image

Used on contents page



Used as biggest image on contents page

Used on contents page

Used as the main image on the front cover

Not used
Used on front cover in bottom corner

- Finished front cover page and contents

This is the school magazine front cover

This is the school magazine front cover

• Evaluation

The preliminary task that I had to achieve needed to follow the codes and conventions of a music magazine. However due to the lack of time we had to design and publish our magazine not all conventions were followed for example: a unique use of typography for the magazine title was not thoroughly explored therefore it may have not been easily recognisable compared to other media products. However I did use one type of typography on the title, this was the serif font which foreshadows the “school” genre of the magazine.
Moreover, conventions were applied to the school front cover, i.e. the main image was anchored by a main coverline “students on the net”, and it was also a medium close up of a student in uniform which follows the rules of this task. Thus the masthead was made up of a relevant magazine title, issue date and number and the price of the magazine, (which was in IRIS rewards and links to the school points system at Weatherhead High).
The background of the front cover is an empty playground which suggests the school genre and follows conventions of having a simple background. Nevertheless the background is not ‘the usual’ white-colour and therefore does not emphasise all the other features on the front cover. Techniques such as buzzwords have been included in order to entice the reader.
In addition several coverlines were spread about the front cover with corresponding images that linked well to the genre of the magazine, and helped to attract the target audience of school pupils, for example: “room 4 common room”. Furthermore, the contents page consists of a smaller main image which has been transferred from the front cover; it is situated under the magazine title and the words “contents”. Underneath this, there are three columns that include regular content articles, feature content articles and images which have corresponding page number on top of them the convention of not including the “p” –short for page- is followed on the contents). In addition, a simple colour scheme is used throughout and develops the magazine using conventions.
The front cover was created through the programme Adobe Photoshop which I previously had experience with but the contents page was created using Quark Xpress; this meant that we had to learn the new software in order to produce our product. The strengths of my school magazine are that most conventions are followed and not broken however it is obvious that there are areas that can be greatly improved. For example: I think that one of the biggest weaknesses of my product was that the main image on the front cover needed more attention because it should be a good medium close up and an image that really does lure the reader/target audience in.
Overall, I believe that my magazine served its purpose of creating a brand new, exciting school magazine; however there is room for a lot of improvement for example I can identify key tips to help me use the new professional software Quark Xpress. The codes and conventions were easily followed and this exercise will help me to produce a good-quality final product.