Focus Group Questions

These are questions for the focus group and this helps me find out what people would like to see in a magazine.

1)What is the most important feature of a music magazine?
2)What does the title Big Bang Monthly mean to you when you hear it?
3) What colours do you think would suit a indie magazine?
4)What do you think the main article should consisit of?
5)What inspires you when reading a music magazine?
6)What would make you want to buy a music magazine?

Analysis of Different Contents

The contents we had to analyse were NME, VIBE and Drummer which are three different magazines that cover different music genres. The NME is covered, cluttered and feature a lot of information when compared to Vibe and Drummer.

NME contents page show the contents listed on the right hand side that is in alphabetical order in terms of Bands. The use of red and black relate to the magazines colours and the main coverline also relate to the main image which is featured on the contents. The main coverline is in bold, simple easy to read and capitals to attract the audience and the use of the red text showing the page number refers the audience to what page the article is on. The contents is also split up into subheadings which is also easier to the audience and font consistency matches the masterhead and front cover. The articles also have a little synopsis which tells the audience what the article or feature is about. The use of arrows also made the audience more attracted.

The use of the advertising subscription promote the magazine therefore gaining a wider target audience and the use of yellow also attracts the audience more when flicking through the magazine. The arrow at the bottom is highlighted in red to show the colour consistency and the use of typography is also the same.

The Vibe contents are simple, yet subverts the normal concept of magazine content pages.

The title/master head which is the contents goes against the normal concepts of a magazines contents page. The use of simple colours, main image and typography shows a more relaxed and less sophisticated side to Vibe. The contents are split into subheadings which are a different typography and the use of the page numbers which are placed on the right hand side rather than the normal concepts.


The main image is simple, plain and matches with the grey and black image on the front cover. The use of the main image is very dominant as it covers the whole page and there is not a main cover line.

The other cover lines featured show the rest of the contents and also show a synopsis which is also featured in NME. The additional image is of the front cover to remind the readers and audience and to also relate the contents to the front cover. The background also differs from general block colours and the typography matches the main image.

The Drummer contents are simple and easy to navigate around when reading the contents on the left hand side. The features are highlighted in red and grabs readers attention and the use of the drummer which is also the masterhead is also featured in the contents.



The main image which is in black and white relates to the magazines brand colours and the main image is bigger than the other additional images to show dominance and to relate to the exclusive interview. The use of the page numbers which are placed on the right hand side of the images and the contents show the sophistication of the magazine and the simplistic style is linked to the style of the magazine and identify's the magazines brand.


The contents listed links with the additional images around the page. The use of synopsis explains what the articles are about. he whole contents page is in line with each other, neat and simple and sophistacted which subverts the normal contents of a drummer magazine.

XXL Anaysis

For class work and homework we were assigned to analyse the front cover of XXL magazine and explain the conventions and explore this into further details.

XXL Magazine is the magazine that is aimed mostly at the older target audience and covers hip hop and RnB. The magazine's unique selling point is the master head which is "blinged out" in diamonds to convey the magazines wealth or the comparing of bling to the music genre. The master head which is in a red background also may connote the wealth for example the reference to the red carpet or just the magazines brand colours.

The puff/slogan above the master head "A Decade Of Dominance" uses alliteration to allow the audience to remember the puff as the slogan is catchy and short.

The typography which differs to connote the celebration of the 10th anniversary which is in cursive/fancy font to also show the readers or passers by the more sophisticated side to the magazine. The bold and simple typography allow audiences or passers by to catch the magazine and see who is featured in the magazine and the use of colour is also linked in with the magazines colours and the main image.

The main cover line is Baby & Lil Wayne which are well known within the Hip Hop scene and also relate to the main image as they have their tops off showing their top half of their bodies to link to the main cover line. The cover line is also a pun as "survival of the fittest" may go into further detail if you read the article. The pun is also a persuasive device that allows the audience to read or buy the magazine.

The main image of Baby and Lil Wayne is dominant as the camera angle is dominant. The use of the main image being topless which relates to the main sell line is important as it also persuades readers or passers by to buy the magazine or read it. The main image shows teh rappers posed as if they were "chilling" to show the relaxed side of the artists and the use of the "bling" - jewellery is connting thier wealth as there is a lot of jewellery and the bling also relates back to the magazine.

The image also shows the "toughness" and "hard" appeal to the audience as they show thier tattoo's which also cost a lot of money therefore again connoting thier wealth. The image also confirms stereotypes of Hip Hop and subverts it at the same time. The image confirms the sterotype as the artists show off thier wealth through jewellery and tattoos and the use of the background show the audience that its not just a photoshoot but also goes into further detail of the artists. The image also subverts the stereotypes as teh image could be seen as a homoerotic image that appeals to thier audience with the use of Baby having his hand around Lil Wayne which is not mainly seen within the Hip Hop scene as they mainly relate to the toughness and bravery. This also attracts a wider audience as a hetrosexual person may believe the image to be showing friendship and support whereas a homosexual person may read the image to be targeting the wider audience therefore causing the audience to not read the article on the internet even though the website is underneath the main coverline.

The other coverlines are bold, simple and easy to read which allow audiences to see the artists featured in the in magazine and the use of listing different artists show the wider target audience as a person might not be intrested in 50 cent but might be interested in Nelly. The list of artists also attract the audiences that are intrested in thier artists or Hip Hop.

The other coverline which is at the top right show a mix of typography; the use of cursive font to promote the sophisticated side to the magazine, the bold, simple lettering to catch the audiences attention and the italics to emphasise the magazines celebration. The colours also relate to the magazine celebration as the silver is used throughout the front cover.

Contrast Of Music Magazines to Fashion Magazines

For homework I had got set to list the presentation devices of NME and a fashion magazine of my choice. I chose Teen Vouge ( February 2010) and showed listed the differences the fashion magazine has when compared to a music magazine.





NME Presentaional Devices


Master Head is large, dominant, bold and appealing. Use of colour is played throughout the front cover, Master head is brand's identity.


Main coverline - related to main image as the interview is about them and the use of colour shows the brands identity as well as colour scheme.


Sell Lines- Left hand side, same typography, colour and size show the features included in the magazine and the use of black typography is almost the synposis. They are also not covering the main image.


No free gifts but NME includes gig dates and festivals.


Addtional Information- another sell line at the top and in captials to attract audiences and once again colour scheme is consistent.


Background- is the main images background and uses block colours.



Teen Vogue Presentational Devices

Master Head- Two fonts, Two colours to contrast the younger audience (Teen) and the older more mature audience (Vogue), referencing to Vogue which appeals to the older audience. Also covers top page rather than just the top left like most magazines.

Main Image- Jessica Szohr who is is Gossip Girl which is also about fashion. The main image also relates to the colours used on the front page to show the season.

Main coverline- Use of different typography relates to the different topics covered in the interview but the main coverline is not dominant unless you know who Jessica Szohr is.

Sell Lines - Dominant due to size of typography and the different fonts, the use of colours also relate to the different topics.

Free Gifts- Are stated on the front cover and in the contents and includes competitions.

Additional Information- The sell lines try not to block the main image of Jessica and the barcode is in the bottom left rather than the botton right when compared to NME. The background is the background image of Jessica and the colours relate to the font colours.

Teen Vogue covers all aspects of fashion, life, music, beauty and health as well as exclusive interviews. There are much more competitions and freebies offered in Teen Vogue that appeals to thier target audience which is mainly girls of a younger age or boys intrested in fashion.

There are much more fashion related advertisements than NME and the main features are completelty different when compared to NME. The main image which is Jessica Szohr who stars in Gossip Girl , talks about her life, fashion and her love life to co-star Ed Westwick who also stars in Gossip Girl, compared to NME's main feature which is The Last Shadow Puppets - Alex Turner and Miles Kane who are both from different bands and well known within the indie scene.

The disadvantages of buying NME is the magazine mainly covers indie music rather than covering more niche music genres that appeal to all audience rather than thier target audience which is young students. You also have to be intrested in gigs and festivals as well as the main topics listed on the front page or contents. The disadvantages of buying Teen Vouge is that it does mainly appeal to teen girls and boys who are intrested in fashion. Teen Vogue also covers fashion thats is mostly expensive and beauty and health which does not feature in NME. Teen Vogue has divided it's contents based on the subheadings rather than one page for the contents.

Audience Questionnaire

This is a sample of my audience questionnaire I will give out to find out what my target audience is as well as what people would like to see in a music magazine along with its' features.

Music Magazine Audience Questionnaire

1) What gender are you?
Female
Male

2) How old are you?
10 - 14
15 - 19
20 - 24

3) What is your preferred music to listen to?
Hip Hop
Jazz
Indie
Pop
Metal
Techno
Rock
RnB
Other ________________________

4) What features would you like to see in a music magazine?
Tick Three
Exclusive interviews
Album reviews
Posters and photos
Latest Fashion
Celebrity Rumours
Up & Coming Artists
Concerts & gigs
Readers questions answered
Exclusive gossip
Events
Other _______________________

5) How much are you willing to spend on a music magazine?
£1 - £2
£2 - £3
£3 - £4
£4 - £5

6) What type of freebies would you like to come with your magazine?
Cd's
T-shirts
Posters
Headphones
Free Tickets
Free Downloads
Other_________________

7) Would you take part in any music competitions?
Yes
No

8) If so, what bands or artists would you go to see?
_______________________________________

9) How often do you buy music magazines?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Sometimes
Never

10) What appeals to you when buying a music magazine?
____________________________________________

11) Do you watch music channels - If so, which ones?
____________________________________________

12) Do you listen to the radio? - If so, which ones?
____________________________________________

13) Do you use the Internet to read music magazines?
Yes
No

Q Presentational Devices

For this piece of work i will note the presentational devices that are being used in the Q Magazine.


The Master Head: Placed in the top-left corner which is bold and clear to emphasis the brands identity as the Q is consistent when looking at previous covers. The master head is bold, and stands out to catch audience's attention as well as establishing the brands identity.

Main Image: REM, Bjork and Rufus Wainwright are the 3 figures but REM stands out more as he is in front of the other 2 figures. The main image ties in with the exclusive interview which is noted in the cover lines on the left. The use of the direct contact between the main image is clever due to the grabbing of audiences attention or passers by to make sure they pick up the magazine or buy it.

Additional Images: Pete Doherty to link in with the other interview or feature of him within the magazine.

Main Cover Line: The main cover line is linked in with the cover lines but we see the difference due to the size of the font. The font is in gold to maybe show a celebration within the magazine and the use of gold is also linked to the colour of Bjork's dress. There are many different font types but the colours are the magazines identity and the use of colours also show the magazines colour scheme. The main cover line is also bigger than the rest of the other texts to emphasise the main article in the magazine and linked to the main image to also grab readers attention. It is also bold, eye catching and appealing.

Target Audience: Mainly the older audience as the magazine covers more music genres' rather than sticking to one main genre. This links in with the older audience as they prefer to listen to more genres than the younger audience who mainly listens to one main genre.

Coverlines: In black font to show the artists/ bands who are featuring in the magazine and the gold to emphasise the other features.

The front cover overall does grab the readers or passers by attention due to the direct contact of the main image and the use of the big font representing the main coverline also grabs attention as the main cover line is highlighted in black to also match the colour scheme of the magazine. .
The main image is also covered in coverlines. The use of the one additional image and the floating quote also shows what else is featured in the magazine than just the coverlines.

Planning Of Music Magazine

The first task I had got assigned was to create a plan of what I would want my music magazine to consist of as well as the ideas and features.

Music Magazine Ideas
Master head Names:

• Big Bang
• Bang Bang
• Crash
• BANG!

Cover Lines:

• New Bands and Artists
• Exclusive Interviews
• Gigs and Festivals
• Album Reviews
• Free Posters

Genre:

• Indie

Target Audience:

• 12-25 Year Old - Predominantly A Younger Audience

Generic Concepts:

• Puzzles and Crosswords
• Competitions and Prizes
• Free Gig and Festival Tickets
• Free Downloads or Cd's
• Free Posters or T-shirts
• Free Headphones

Style, Typography and Colours

• Red, Black and White
• Bold, Simple and Easy To Read
• Colour Scheme Is Consistent Within Magazine

Background Colour

• For Front Cover- Block Colours Such As Black or White
• Contents- Same Block Colours Black or White
• Main Article- Background Of Image or Block Colours Again