Evaluation of front cover mock up

Written format to verbal interview from Megan Phillips on successes, and improvements to be made on mock ups of front page:

“For the front cover, I think the structure could be very strong, it has a main image central to the page which is going to stand out and make the magazine look appealing. Also I like the way the text fits around the main image, acting like framing to make the main image stand out even more. For an improvement, I would maybe have some more photos as well as text, just to give the reader something else to look at because it is a front cover and it needs to look as interesting and exciting as possible because it gives me a first impression to the magazine and what the rest of it will be like, so if the front cover is no good, then I probably won’t want to buy it to read the rest.”  

Conclusion to what the target audience is looking for in an indie music magazine

A brief summary of what the target audience want to be included in an indie music magazine

From my interviews I found out that my target audience want lots of photographs and images on the front cover and throughout the magazine. They would also find the magazine more appealing if it included some freebies like posters or a free EP. They also thought the idea of having something interactive in the magazine for example, a crossword or word search for some extra recreation. Bold colours were also brought up on a few occasions as they make the magazine more appealing to young people who are more likely to buy an indie genre music magazine. Clarity and simplicity was also highlighted from someone I interviewed to make it easy to read, but not too simple that the layout looks boring. Also on the front cover, have the main image central to the front cover makes it more appealing than lots of small photos. The target audience preferred one large image with a few smaller ones located either side of the main photo.

Summary of what i have learnt from my format research

From the interviews and research I have carried out towards finding out what people want from a magazine and the typical trends found in an indie music magazine, I found out a number of different elements which I thought were key in making my magazine and I am going to carry those things forward to create my own magazine. I found out that most people said they would want plenty of images in the magazine to make it interesting, so from this I am going to focus on my photo shoot to make sure I have a diverse range of photos to choose from that I can put in my magazine to make it interesting and relevant to my magazine genre. I also picked up on similarities in front page layouts, which typically consist of the mast head being located in the top left hand corner of the page. The main image is central with a large tagline and is normally surrounded by extra text and small puff images to make the magazine look busy, but not cluttered. The text on the front cover, gives enough information to entice the reader into wanting to read the magazine further but without giving away the article topic altogether, making it pointless to buy the magazine. Colour schemes are also normally consisting of about three colours or so, any more make it look unprofessional and messy. The colours normally consist of two very contrasting colours and one other colour similar to one of the colours already chosen for the colour scheme. When researching about contents pages, I found that it is very important to make sure everything is laid out clearly and simply so the reader can find what they are looking for with ease. The majority of magazines consist of about 50-70 pages, so I am going to take this to use for my own magazine to make it full of information and to a professional standard. I am going to use page numbers to make it clear what article is where in the magazine, and also use some images to highlight the main articles in the magazine. I will also use captions for each article in my magazine just to give an extra bit of curiosity to the reader. The main double page spread article for my magazine will consist mainly of photo as I found out that for an indie music magazine target audience, they would prefer to have a large photo with a short but informative article, as articles that are too long they find boring and will cause them to eventually lose interest in the magazine. I will include enough text for the article to be worthy of a double page spread, but have a good balance between the image and the article that goes with it.

Layout mock up for double page spread

Layout mock ups for front cover

Interviews with target audience to find out what they want from a music magazine

Written format of recorded interview with Sam Scholey:

“What are the main features that make you want to buy a music magazine?”

I only buy magazines that draw me in, and make me want to read whats inside. I think it is very important to have a strong front page but then to also make sure the pages inside maintain the same high standard. When I see a magazine front cover, I look for a large brightly coloured mast head which is easily recognizable so I can access the magazine easily, I also like them to give enough information to entice me to read on, but not too much that the main stories are given away so there is no point buying the magazine. I think that have a large image central to the magazine is important and making sure it has been well edited and looks professional.”

Written format of recorded interview with Pip Marsden:

“What are the main features that you would want to find in a music magazine contents page?”

I personally think that maybe having a few images makes the contents page a bit more interesting, otherwise they can look quite boring, I would also want it to be clear and easy to find the article I want to read and what page they are on with the aid of page numbers, and maybe a little bit of further information from what is given on the front cover just to make me more interested. I think colours are important to make sure the text and background colours don’t blend in together too much which can make the magazine difficult to read.”

Written format from recorded interview with Kaya Allnutt:

“When buying a music magazine, what would you want to be included in the main double page spread article to make it interesting and exciting to read?”

I would definitely want large image of the main celebrity or artist involved, I like the way some magazines merge the text over the image so everything looks like it belongs together on the page. I also like the way important parts of the main article, usually quotes, are enlarged and maybe put in a different colour to interest me into reading the article. The article itself I would want to be of  decent length, not babble that it is too long, but not too short that it doesn't give me a satisfactory amount of information. I wouldn't want the article to be too complex either, I buy magazines for recreation and light reading personally.” 

Written format from recorded interview with Jessica Langley:

“In general, what features would you want to see throughout a music magazine?”

Images, lots of images. Images that kind of look like a poster I find quite cool. I also think if there a few freebies inside that would make me want to buy a magazine. I would want bright colours that work well together and are maintained throughout the magazine, but nothing too complicated. Simple bright colours I think are just as effective. I like articles which are about a page or maybe slightly more in length, but nothing too long with unnecessary information, interviews with musicians I really like, I feel like it helps me to get to know the specific artist a little bit more. An advice column or a music review is something I find quite interesting to read about too. 

Ideas for costume and camera shots for magazine

Brainstorm of ideas for music magazine front cover

Associations with target audience for indie music magazine

I have chosen indie music as the main theme because i enjoy this type of music so i would be interested in creating a magazine based upon that theme. i think this will help me with the layout and the contents included in my magazine because if i find it boring, then other people who are interested in indie music will also find it boring aswell. i created a mind map based on things i associate with an indie target audience and also through research.

Ideas for magazine theme

Ideas for the main genre that my music magazine will be based on:
indie and indie rock music
folk music
pop music
drum and base
heavy metal 
dubstep
rock

Evaluation Of Music Magazine Analysis

what i have learnt from my analysis to include in my front cover, contents page, and double page spread.

front cover:
- put the logo in the top left, so it can be seen when on shelves
- include a main image with suitable editing to suit target audience, and have people included in main image as a direct mode of address, looking as though they are looking at their reader
- maintain a colour scheme of about three colours
- include puffs and taglines

contents:
- put page numbers in bold so it is clear.
- use block or list format
- use a mast head stating that it is the contents page
- include an image or two
- put an arrow in bottom right corner to entice reader to turn page

double page spread:
- use up the majoritof the page with a photo
- have the photo on the left and a small article on the right
- use a quote from the article to entice the reader
- use puffs next to article on the left, to fill an empty gap between the article and main image.

Analysing Music magazine front covers, contents pages, and double page spreads.