Original Photos

Unfortunatly in this photo some of the guitar has been cropped out so it would be unsuitable for the front cover. It could be included in the contents page or part of the images on the double page spread. The background would have to be edited as there is some images on the wall behind her.
The camera shot is at a low angle to show dominance. The shot is also tilted to show the guitar and to represent the artist.

Because the shot was taken at a low angle to show dominace in the artist, the legs look bigger and the head looks small. Part of the artist has also been cropped out. The amp in the photo can be seen and most of the guitar is in the shot which might mean that it can be included in the double page spread.


The only part cut off in this image are the feet but the guitar is covering the artists face. The guitars are a main feature of the image and can be clearly seen and be a key repesentation of the image. The ideology behind this picture was that the artist was hiding behind her music. The glare off the guitar from the camera flash blurs the image slightly and there is a shadow on the artist's face.

In this image the top of her head is cut off and so it won't be suitable for the magazine. The image is also out of focus and the artist looks scrunched up. This is a bad image which shows the artist is squashed in a corner. The face is also not in focus and is facing away from the camera so it is unclear.


This image is going to be used as a draft for my front page. It is clear and has the artist holding the guitar which can be a representation of the music magazine. Again she looks squashes but the low angle of the shot shows dominance in the artist. The guitar is iconic of rock music and can only be seen from the side.

This shot was taken at an low-tilted angle to show dominance and could be used as my front cover image but the hand is covered by the guitar. I am including this image in the contents page or double page spread.
The eyes are also red which again makes for an unsuitable image unless edited on Photoshop. Her face is also slightly covered by her hair.

The face is unclear in this photo so it can't be used. The artist is also hunched over due to the low ceiling. The legs are also cut off. The guitar is iconic and is clearly seen in the photo. The artist is playing the guitar which shows the representation of the magazine genre and of the artist.

In this image the face is clear. This can be used in the contents page or double page spread.
The artist is also squinting her eyes but this image could be a playful take on her performances.
The microphone represents that se is a musician or singer and is representational of the magazine. She is alos looking at the camera which draws the audience in as if she's looking at them.

This image was taken from a low angle to show dominance. However it makes the artist look out of porpotion. I also didn't want to use this image as the main feature is the guitar and the artist looks small behind it.
The amp can be seen behind her but not clearly and the other guitar is cut off on the right hand corner.

The ideology behind this image was that she was a "big fish in a small pond" due to her unique music. The background was unsuitable though and as you can see in the first draft of the front cover that the image didn't look right without a background.
The low angle of this image however, doesn't look good and the guitar can only just be seen.



This photo defies the usual conventions of a magazine image. Normally, the artists face and shoulders can be seen as it is a medium close up or their whole body can be seen in a medium shot. In this shot only her legs can be seen and the amp, microphone and guitar which represent the music genre of the magazine. This shot can be described as a medium close up of the legs.


This is a medium closeup shot with the guitar and the artist as the main focus. The artists face can be seen leaning towards the camera and leaning on the guitar as if she "leans on music". Her face can be seen clearly and the guitar is also seen. The amp on which she is sat on can be seen slightly but you may not notice it. This image shows some of the main conventions that are usually used in magazine photos; she is looking at the camera and her shoulders and face can be seen clearly. The guitar and amp are representations of the genre and are also iconic of the rock music genre.

These images are taken at a high angle to show the artist is surbordinate. The differences in these photos are the angle of the face and foot. The amp and guitar can be seen in the image and are representations of the rock genre.

Above are some photos I have taken for my magazine. In them, I used a series of different shots and poses to show the musician in different ways for example, taking the photo from a low angle to show the artist as dominant.
The main theme of the photos was Alice in the Wonderland as the artist would be from a band called "Misadventures in Wonderland". The majority of the shots were taken in a small corner to represent when Alice was too big to fit through the door.

The main features in each photo are the guitars and amp. The dominant feature is the artist.

The costume was changed twice. The photos below are with the artist in the original costume. The style was changed because the costume below seemed to light and the colours were pastel tones that didn't seem representative or iconic of the rock genre. In the images I researched for poses and costume ideas there were mostly dark and bright colours that were either tight fitted or baggy and ripped depending on the artist's style. The women in the images also had high heels on when their feet were visible. I chose the blue mini dress because it was a bold, jewel colour that can be seen as a statement and distintive. The cardigan the artist is wearing is black to darken the look and to add empathises on the colour of the dress.

These images were meant to look as though they are exclusive, behind-the-scenes photos from the interview with the musician who is tuning her guitar.
Symbolic Conventions can be seen in these images as well as Technical Conventions.
Symbolic conventions are the features featured in magazines that are made up of the musicians costume, who is in the photo and colours used in the photo. Iconic images and props such as guitars or amps if it is a music magazine can also be classed as symbolic conventions.
In my images the musician is suppose to be a famous up-and-coming rock star which is also shown in the article text. The costume the musician is wearing is also used to show femininity as well as a Rock 'n Roll persona. The blue of the musicians dress is to contrast with the stereotype of girls are pink and boys are blue which is also a key representation of my magazine that women can be rock musicians as mainly men are seen as rock artists or groups.
Technical Conventions refer to the camera shots, photo editing/manipulation, place of shot and place in layout. In my these images so far the camera shots are a main convention featured in the image. Some of the shots are also tilted to show a disjointed and different approach to the subject. The medium close-up shots are used as they are a typical convention seen in my research for the main images.
However, while taking the photos I experimented with different shot styles and angles to see if I could differ from other magazines to show originality.

Photo Research

In my magazine there must be 4 or more original images. These will have to be a good representation of my magazine genre and so I have conducted research on the kind of artists who would be featured in my magazine. This research has given me ideas on the pose of the artist I will photograph, features in my photos, props, costume and shot style.

This is an Italian rock magazine which is where I got some of my ideas for my own magazine. The guitar featured in the magazine is iconic of the musician and of the genre of the magazine.

A convention seen in other magazines is that the musician is facing towards the camera in a medium close up so the torso and head can be seen. The clothes that the musician is wearing has a casual connotation and isn't typical and stereotypical of the clothing other excentric rock musicians wear. The layout of the image is simplistic and the space around the artist creates blank space for headings and subheadings. On this front page they are basic and small so the masthead and image attract the audiences eyes to them.

On this front page there are three different artists in seperate photos. The overall front page is bright and busy which attracts the audiences. The bright colours and amount of text to advertise and promote the "consumption" of these bands suggest that this magazine is aimed at teenagers. The camera shot on these images are medium close ups of each seperate musician which are then "cut out" and put infront of the background, arranged close together.

There are no musical instruments or musical connotations featured in the images but clear representation of the musicians, headings and subheadings, and masthead show the genre of the magazine.

The tone of the image is greyscale which adds shadows to the musicians face. The black and grey tones of the image also standout against the reds of the subheadings and headings. The image is a medium-close up of the musician which is a convention of magazine frontpages. The musician is looking at the camera and looks as if he is looking at the reader/audience.

Magazine Article

On the double page spread of my music magazine there needs to be an article of the band or musician who is featured on the front page.

The article I write needs to have the following conventions;
Headline - To indicate what or who the article is about
Lead - Establishes the subject, sets the tone and guides the reader into the article in the form of a quote from the interviewee, an anecdote, a question, a comaparison or a shocking statement.
These are some examples of conventions of a magazine double page spread. I will also need to follow some of the other conventions of a magazine double page spread such as a main image, columned text, and suitable graphics or other images linked with the text.
Drop Letter - Many articles start with a drop letter which is a form of graphology used in texts. A drop letter is where the first letter of the main body of the text is enlarged and sometimes a different font style or colour to the rest of the text. The drop letter is slightly lower than the rest of the word and may be dropped down a few lines.
Main Image - The main image may fill one side of the double page spread and overlap the fold of the magazine. A small quote can be put on the image. The image would be related to the article and may relate to other images included on the double page spread or in the text.

Headings and Subheadings - Text and Fonts

On my front page I need to think about what headings and subheadings to have and the layout of my front page. Because I haven't taken my photos yet the layout may change depending on the image I pick.

The font I chose for the masthead is Agency FB, size 72 and bold. The tag line 'Satisfy Your Addiction' is also Agency FB but size 12.

A- Issue Date
B- Heading
C- Subheading
D- Heading
E- Subheading
F- Main heading
G- Plug
H- Bar code and issue number


Text and Fonts

In my magazine I will need to use a series of differnet font styles. These can be used as a representation of my magazines genre and an example of the style of language that is used in the text and writing.
When researching magazines I discovered that a series of different texts and font styles are used. Some are similar to those on Microsoft but some are completely different and oringinal. The font samples below are a selection from research of font samples on the internet. Some cost money to buy and download for use.




Most of the samples below are from the website http://www.fonts.com/ and are taken from the example and sample part of the formatting.





Font Sample #1

This style is messy and has grunge connotations. This style would be good to use in my magazine as it is similar to Kerrang!, and other rock genre magazines.


Font Sample #2








This style is similar to the text above but is slightly messier. This could mean that the text may be unclear if used in my magazine.


Font Sample #3



The font style takes too much room compared to the actual text. The style looks inky and could be iconic for my magazine. The exclamation mark is also clearer so would be good for a masthead or headline.


Font Sample #4


This style looks more related to the metal music genre but may be good to use as a headline or subheadline.


Font Sample #5


This style is more static looking and could be associated with electric guitars. The text is too thin to be used as the masthead but can be used for other text in my magazine.

My Magazine Name Ideas

Published Magazine Names

Classic Rock - Magazine based on the Rock genre with bands from the 60's, 70's, 80's and some from the 90's and now
NME/New Music Express - Magazine that reviews indie music
Q Magazine - 'Oldies' music. Was going to be called Cue but decided against it as it may have appealed to the wrong audience. Cue could have been confused as a snooker or pool magazine
Kerrang! - Rock, metal and screamo music. The name is a onomatopoeia of the sound of a guitar being smashed

I started thinking of ideas for my music magazines name. To start I researched other published magazines names which can be seen above. I then began looking for ideas on websites such as http://www.thesaurus.com/ and http://www.urbandictionary.com/

From these I found the following words that may be suitable for my magazine name;

P.I.L - an abbreviation of Play it Loud. The idea is similar to NME in the way that it also has an abbreviated name. If I chose this the tag line could be "Everybody needs a Pil....Play it loud" or something similar

Rockahol!c - Instead of an 'i' there is an '!'. The tag line could be either "The only addiction that can be played loud" or "To satisfy the addiction". Something along those lines.

Riot or R!ot - Can represent 'rock rebellion' and anarchy. This name can also give me a theme for my front page, contents page and double page spread.

Underground - With this as a masthead, I could have a downward arrow pointing from one of the letters. This would give me a recognisable masthead. This can also give me a theme for my magazine as it can be advertising 'exclusives' to the audience.

XL (Xtra Loud) - Abbreviation like the NME. This can also give me a recognisable masthead as it can be in the form of a badge or emblem. This can also appeal to my audience.

Music Magazine Research - Front Page, Contents and Double Page Spread

Front Page
I have been looking at a range of music magazine front covers. I have been looking at the layout, use of language and the images on the front covers of different music magazines which are similar to my music genre choice for my own music magazine.

On each front cover, a different colour scheme is used. This is better than having an array of colours which coud be lost in the photo. On the NME front cover there are only 3 colours used, excluding the title of the mafazine which is in red. There is also more than one image featured. The cover photo is backed up by a bold headline that stands out telling the reader who the image is of.

The subheadings of the magazine frame the main front cover image and sometimes overlap. The main heading of the magazines above are going over the main image.

The main conventions of the magazine shown on the front cover are the masthead, the photo of the band or artist that is the main focus of the magazine issue, text that is relevant to that image, text surrounding the image that is advertising other featured stories, bar code, price and issue date.

The text relevant to the main image and the text surrounding the image advertising the other stories are headings and subheadings.

Contents

The main conventions used in the contents page of a magazine are relevant images for the stories featured in the magazine, a list of stories with page numbers showing the reader where particular articles are featured and the issue date and number.

The contents page pictured above is from Rolling Stones magazine. The page is dominated by a picture of one of the main articles featured on this issue. Kanye Wests' arm is the photo is overlapping the heading at the top. This merges and connects each part of the magazine.

On the right hand side of the page is a list of the contents of the issue with relevant page numbers and small descriptions of the article or feature.

Above is the contents page of NME magazine. The same conventions apply but the magzine also features a plug at the bottom advertising a subscription to the magazine.

Double Page Spread

The dominant feature of the double page spreads below is the image of the band, artist or actor. The black and white images add to the dramatic effect or genre of the article.

The tone of the article can be seen through the image and style of tone used.

In this particular article the photo is in black and white to represent age. The tone of colours used in this article can represent the mood. For example, the article above is about Willie Nelson's life.

These articles, from the NME, are showing articles on bands/artists of the indie genre. The photo above represents the genre of the music as well as the rebellious image portrayed by the artist.

The tone of these images is fun and artsy maybe representing the artists as original or individual.

On each articvle there seems to be a summary paragraph which decribes the article in a few words.