draft magazine

production diary - week 9

In class this week, I had completed the task of creating two box out texts for my double page spread. I decided to include two so that readers are more enticed in reading the article containing different aspects, rather than reading just one article. Box out texts are also useful for linking the magazine to other media networks such as their website. This is why I have included a box text explaining to readers that when they scan the QR code, it will bring them straight to the exclusive video in their website. Box out texts can also be used help promotion for artists; this idea made me include a box out text for the artist's tour dates. This will not only advantage the artist, but it will also be good for readers that are fans of him. Including information in the box texts about the tour dates will help them to easily get hold of tickets. To improve, I could of added the actual colour scheme and designs I will be using for the box texts instead of having them shown in a very brief and draft-like way. In that same week, I continued to attempt in completing the scafolding for my magazine.

production diary - week 8

The homework given to me for this week was to write out the feature article for my double page spread. I wrote 3 pages including as much information and writing as I can in order for it to take up the two pages and so that no gaps are visible to the areas where writing is needed. The article was about the main feature of the magazine which was about the artist Aaron Knowlden. I felt like I wrote an acceptable amount for the double page spread although I could make some improvements such as talking more about his music and upcoming tours instead of an in-depth look into his personal life. I had completed another writing task; and that was to write down my ideas for cover lines to put on my front cover. I decided to write them down by hand and take a picture of it to upload on my blog because I wanted to have a range of ways of demonstrating the process of my work. To improve, I should've scanned it on instead of taking a picture of it so that it is clearer for the audience to see.

scafolding

I have created a scafolding of the different pages I will be including in my magazine. This includes a front cover, contents page and 2 double page spreads. I have created this using the media software, inDesign. I will be using this as a guideline for when it comes to actually completing my actual pages for my magazine. This is just draft version of my magazine therefore I will be making changes along the way.

equipment

I have created a powerpoint presentation displaying the different use of equipment which I am planning to use for my photo shoot. I have included two seperate slides; one includes the hardware aspects I will be using. These include camera, lighting and background. These three types of hardware are essential to use in order for the photos of my photo shoot to turn out looking professional. I have added detail to each one and talked about why I am planning to use them for my photo shoot. The next slide includes the different types of software I am planning to use for my photo shoot. These include adobe bridge, photo shop and inDesign. I will be using these three types of softwares in order to complete and edit my magazine. I have also added detail to each one talking about why I am planning to use it and how.

box text

These are the ideas I have for the box texts I am planning to use for my feature double page spread. I have included two box texts so that it does not dominate the page and take the readers attention away from the main article. I have included one box text with the tour dates of the main artist which is the main feature of the magazine. In that specific box, I have included his name and an image of him to help clearly identify to the audience that the tour dates are specifically his. The dates are added on next to a phone number which readers are able to call up if they want tickets. Website links are also included so that those who prefer to get more information and would rather buy the tickets online, they will be able to know which sites to go on. It also mentions the date of when the tickets are coming out in big, bold writing so that readers know when to get them. The other box is for content that is unable to be featured on the double page spread. This includes online features such as exclusive videos of behind-the-scenes content. A QR barcode is included next to it so that people are able to get access to the content easily.

cover lines

I wrote down the ideas I have for the cover lines I am planning to use for my music magazine. These cover lines will feature on the front cover around the main image. The cover lines include competitions, freebees and what will be featured in the magazine. I wrote a short summary next to the sell lines to explain why I have chosen those specific sell lines to feature inside my magazine. The majority of them is to do with trying to convince the consumer to purchase the magazine. I did not add as much sell lines as I normally would with a film magazine because as I have noticed, with most music magazines, there isn't as many cover lines included on the front covers. This may be affective in a way as it makes the main image more visible and more eye-catching.

feature article

Feature article

I have created a word document including more than 1,500 words for my feature article which I will be including on my double page spread of my music magazine. The main feature of my magazine includes the Grammy award winning DJ/Artist Aaron Knowlden. The article includes in-depth information and responses from the artist about his career and personal life. I have included aspects on the article and subjects which my target audience will expect to find in the article and be intrigued to read it. The aspects include who his inspirations are, how he stays grounded, his life before becoming famous, where he would be and what he would be doing if he did not take up the career as being a world-class famous DJ and artist in the electronic and house music industry. As this will be the magazine's first ever issue, there must be something included in the magazine that makes it stand out and unique from other music magazines. In order to achieve this, I have decided to include having the artist give a little something to two lucky readers. I have mentioned that Aaron is giving away tickets to his next gig along with other famous artists in the same genre in case the reader does not know who the artist is. Also, I mention how he provides meet and greets to boost the readership as readers would want something big to be able to take part in the competition. The details of the competition can be found through using the QR code on the side of the double page spread.

production diary - week 7

Monday 11th 2013 Nov.
This week I wrote out a list of all of the content I want to include for the contents page of my music magazine. I have included a variety of regulars, features and an artist index and all of the content included are all relevant to the magazine and also they are what you would expect to find in a typical music magazine's contents page. This week I have also started on the scafolding of how my magazine will be layed out. I have included one contents page, front page and 3 doublle page spreads so far. I will continue to complete it on the software inDesign. I took images from the internet of magazine layouts to use for inspiration.

contents page ideas

ARTIST INDEX

• M.I.A
• Wilkinson
• Ben Pearce
• Chase & Status
• Disclosure
• N.A.S.A
• Sub Focus
• Andy C
• Ninetoes
• Moby
• Major Lazer
• Bondax
• Ms. Dynamite
• Massive Attack
• Martin Garrix
• Storm Queen
• Showtek
• Fatboy Slim
• Avicii
• Rudimental
• Calvin Harris
• Swedish House Mafia
• Icona Pop
• DJ Fresh
• David Guetta
• Skrillex
• Zedd

Regulars 

- Song of the weekDiscover the most talked about electronic / house song hot in the charts throughout the weeks of this month

- Reader's page
Polyphonic have created a page just for you! The whole double page spread is dedicated to all you music lovers. Send in your pictures through instagram, tweets through twitter and comments / opinions you have about anything to do with electronic and house!

-Music reviews
Reviews of this month's music chart. We will give our opinions on what is hot and what is not

-A-Z artists
We give you the full range of both breakthrough and established artists and bands we think you may like in the electronic and house music industry

-Behind the scenes with....
We bring a new artist or band on every issue and follow them throughout their tour journey. Get a closer look on what happens behind the crazy life of these artists and bands

-Artists on other artists
This page is filled with cheeky, naughty and sweet comments from artists about other artists. Surely, you would want to check out what your favourite artist thinks of your worst? Would you agree with their thoughts?

-Festivals / Gigs / Tours
We provide you with the latest dates of electronic and house music artists' gigs and tours. Also followed by their appearances in festivals.

-New upcoming artists
This will help you discover raw talent. Find out about an amazing electric and house music artist or band before everyone else

- Competitions
Get a chance to win some amazing prizes or opportunities to even meet up with your favourite artists or tickets to their gigs

-News
Get the latest news on the electronic or house music artists. Whether it be good or bad news, we're sure you are eager to know more about their public or private lives

-Shop
check out our mini catalog page full of goodies that we are positive you'll be sure to like and want to buy

-Horoscopes
A page of horoscopes and along with artists and band's horoscopes and discover whether you have similar horoscopes with your favourite artists.

Features

-Aaron Knowlden 'electronic changed my life'
Breakthrough artist, Aaron talks about how electronic music has changed his life. The challenges he has gone through to reach the level of success he has achieved and how he has done it.

-What electronic / house artist are you more likely to be buddy's with?
Complete the quiz to find out who you are most compatible with. You could possibly become best buds with your favourite artist

-The party, crazy life
Follow the artists in their music, hardcore holiday in the party island of Ibiza and read about their DJ experiences in the crazy party island

-Hey Mr.DJ!
Electronic DJ's teaches you how to create some awesome beats to help you become one yourself!

-Artists' favourite artists
Read about your favourite artists' favourite artists and explain the reason for it. Also, they talk about artists who inspire them to create music.

-The other side 
Artists talk about where they think their life would be and what they would be doing if it wasn't for music.

-Craziest raves
Page dominated by pictures of this month's craziest raves will get you wanting to turn your crazy side on and go party hard

-Gig Tips
we provide you with top tips which will be helpful to you for when you go to your next gig. Reading these tips will be sure to make your next gig experience a memorable one

-Spin the bottle
the bottle spins around various artists and bands and which ever one the bottle lands on in this months issue will include interesting facts and truths about them.

-True or false
Rumors spread around in the music industry is most likely to be false if we do not hear it from the actual person. Here on Polyphonic, you get the real deal and hear whether the rumours are true or false.

production diary - week 6

I have completed a wide range of tasks within the two weeks. I have managed to keep up to date and complete all of the tasks on the track list that we are meant to have finished before going back to school. This included:

• Model release
• Use of new media
• Promotional methods 
• Mood board
• Props / costumes
• Colour
• Masthead designs
• Processes of preliminary task
• Audience profile
• Audience data
• Image ideas
• Name ideas
• Existing names / mastheads
  • Proposal feedback
     
  This shows that my time management has been unsuccessful recently because I have left most of the work to complete to do all in one go in a space of short time. When completing the rest of my coursework, I will think about how I can improve with managing my time well and completing the work earlier so that I can go back and improve them in my spare time.

model release

We were given these forms to give to the models we have chosen for our photo shoot. It's consent for the model to show that they are willing to model for my magazine. I have chosen 2 models, I male and 1 female to match the target audience of the magazine (which is targeted towards both genders). 

use of new media

I have created a prezi talking about the different types of new media this generation uses and how the use of them would be effective towards my magazine. The new media which I have included include: social networking sites, blogs, video sharing sites, pictures and smart phones. I gave each one a brief description on what they are and how it will be effective for my magazine.

promotional methods

I have created a video explaining the different ways of promotion which will help kick-start my music magazine. I have involved the different types of promotional methods which I plan to use and these aspects include digital marketing, broadcast advertising, print advertising, public transport, billboards, sale promotion and public relations. Promotion is an important factor involved in the process of a magazine's success therefore I should think of promotional methods which will be effective if I want great success for the magazine.

mood board

I have created a mood board using an app on my phone called pic collage. I have gathered a variety of images from google and tumblr which all have some sort of link to the vibe and feel of my music magazine. As the genre of my magazine is electronic and house music, I decided to create my mood board with lots of party pictures to capture the genre's hectic vibe. The collage includes images of things which my audience may particularly be using or interested in for example, dr. Dre headphones or the popular brand vans. Overall, the collage helps to express what mood I would want my magazine to achieve; to conclude, I want my magazine to be unique and interesting that is also fun and uplifting to look at which will make the audience of my magazine happy and enticed to buy a copy.

props / costumes

I have created a prezi on the different props I will be using in my photo shoot and in depth detail into why I have chosen those particular props to use and how effective they will be for my music magazine and towards the target audience. My costume ideas which I will get both my models Beth and Aaron to wear is also included on the prezi. It talks about the different outfits, accessories and shoes I have chosen for them to wear for the photo shoot. Furthermore, like how I have done for the props section, I have also included detail on why the particular aspects of the outfits I will use have been chosen and how effective they will be to capture the audience's attention to buy the magazine. Props and costumes play a big part in my magazine because we want the photos to be eye-catching so that it can stand out from other music magazines.

colour

These colour schemes are a few ideas which I plan to use for my music magazine. The colour schemes I have chosen are all relevant to the genre of electronic and house music as they are all bold and uplifting vibe colours. I especially like the different shades of red colour scheme mixed with monochrome colours of black, greys and whites. This is a suitable colour scheme to use for my magazine because it is suitable for both male and female; although my magazine is aimed towards men/boys, a majority of my readers will be targetted also towards females. Red has connotations of danger which I believe electronic and house music provides an audience. I also really like the colour scheme with the different shades of blue because when I think about electronic and house music, it reminds me of lively, uplifting colours because of its fun vibe.

Vibe is a music magazine which is going to be similar to my own magazine as they both have the same genre of music. The blues used in this front cover is effective because it suits the overall magazine feeling and the use of monochrome colours of bold blacks and whites are a great use for the sell lines so that they are able to stand out from the rest of the page.

Most music magazines use the colour scheme of different shades of red as the colour is suitable for both male and female. Popular magazines such as Q uses the colour scheme of red in most of its front covers to convey its dominance over other magazines. It is also a bright and bold colour which makes it stand out from all the other magazines and entices the audience to buy it.

masthead designs

These designs gives me an idea on how I would want the masthead of my music magazine to look like. I created this using the software indesign and had taken fonts from the website dafonts.com. I have decided that the name of my magazine will be polyphonics so I had used the name to edit the fonts so that I have an idea on how it would look like and when I get on to completing the actual task, I will be prepared to know what to do. I chose fonts that appealed to the particular audience which my magazine is targetted at and that are relevant to the genre of music which my magazine will be based on which is electronic and house music. Therefore I chose fonts which were bold, eccnetric and out there. I quite like the second design because it matches the electronic and house vibe with the unusual first lettering of the masthead different from the other fonts. This will appeal to my audience and capture their attention as it is big and bold. Overall, at the moment I believe that the second masthead is my personal favourite as it would make a great fit to my magazine at the moment although my ideas may change over time.

Preliminary task processes

I have created a video using the software camstudio to show the process of how I had created my preliminary front page using indesign. I showed each layer I created one by one so that people are able to see the process of how I had created the front cover. I uploaded the video on youtube so I can embed it on to my blog.
I had also created a video for my contents page and the process of how I had made it using the software indesign. The video also showed each layer I creared one by one and used the same software camstudio to create the video. I had also uploaded it on to youtube so that I would be able to upload it onto my blog.

audience profile

I have created an audience profile on the typical type of reader in whiuch my music magazine will be aimed towards. I have made up a person called Aaron and he is the perfect match and sample of my target audience. I have talked about his age, race, education, occupations, income, current lifestyle, demographics and psychogaphics. I have decided that this profile would be a good sample of a typical example of someone that is part of my target audience. This is because all of the features and qualities about him would typically find an interest in the genre of electronic, house and dance music due to his outgoing lifestyle. This is example is a perfect choice of audience for my magazine as my magazine provides the genre of that specific genre and will easily attract a male such as this example. Due to the fact that this example is of an 18 year old is an appropriate choice of audience as they would be legally allowed to win competitions such as a holiday or free drinks. An audience who studies a mixture of both practical and impractical subjects such as this example of media and English demonstrates both a mature but lively nature which is a good fit for the tone that my magazine expresses. An audience that lives within or near a city such as this example who lives in London, is also a good option as it includes lots of clubs and party places. This means that information in my magazine to do with locations, concerts and gigs will be useful for them as they live quite near the area.

audience survey analysis

I have created a prezi on all of the results which I have gathered from my survey which I had created. I made this prezi to show what my readers' standards and expectations of my music magazine. All their results have helped me to improve on my music magazine and give more USP's which will make my electronic and house music magazine stand out from other magazines. I have made a slide for each seperate question and talked about the results and how those particular results will help me with improiving my music magazine.

image ideas

 
I have created a short video using iMovie to show the ideas and plans I have for my photo shoot. The video includes the props I will be using, the setting of my images and the clothing which my models will be wearing. All of the factors included are relevant to the genre of my magazine which is electronic and house music therefore my images will be effective and will meet the expectations of the audience and what people will normally see in a music magazine. The background music which I have used in the video is from the popular electronic music band 'Chase and status' with their number 1 hit 'blind faith'. This matches the theme of the overall video.

name ideas

I have thought of 25 different name ideas which I will be using one of them for my own music magazine. The names included have a mixture of acronyms, connotative, compound and phrases which will easily help me choose an effective name. All of the names I have chosen are related to the genre of music which my magazine will be based on which is electronic and house music.

existing names / mastheads

I have created a presentation on different names and mastheads used in music magazines. I specified the use of different names including acronyms, connotative, compound and phrase. Then I analyzed 5 different mastheads from different music magazines including: Top of the pops, Rolling Stone, Q, NME and Kerrang! For each, I talked about the types of names and their graphology in detail. This will help me choose the type of name and graphology I want to use for my own music magazine.

proposal feedback

   
I have created a video on iMovie to convey the feedback I received from my peers about my proposal. They have mentioned what they thought went well and what I could have improved on. I have uploaded this video onto YouTube.

production diary - week 5

PRODUCTION DIARY - week 5
Monday 7th 2013 Oct. 
In class today, I was catching up on my coursework as I found out that I am quite behind. During the two lessons, I completed my proposal for my magazine using the planning sheet I have previously used as a guideline. I included important factors on my proposal such as my target audience and the codes and conventions for each page which I will be creating which consists of: a front cover, contents page and double page spread. Then for homework, I completed the magazine key concepts presentation as part of my research evidence. The presentation included different aspects that make up a music magazine. Those key factors included: audience, representation, institution and codes and conventions. 
Today's lesson consisted of starting to create my proposal feedback. I got one of my peers to read my proposal from my blog, then I took of a video of her talking about what I did well and what I could have done better. She told me that I did well in the detail although I should talk more about the ideology of my target audience. I've had only one person to give me feedback therefore for next lesson, I am planning to ask more people to give me feedback then I will be able to edit the videos and put it up on my blog. 

 

key concepts

 
I have created a presentation on the key concepts included in a music magazine. I have included four key concepts including institution, codes and conventions, audience and representation.

proposal

I have completed my proposal for my music magazine and I have included important aspects needed to explain my overall magazine including target audience, price, institution, colour scheme and genre.

preliminary task evaluation

I created an evaluation for my preliminary task. I included what software I used to create both my front cover and contents page, the codes and conventions for both pages and what went well and what I would've done better.

production - week 4

PRODUCTION DIARY - week 4
Monday 30th 2013 Sept.
Today was a catch up lesson, we were shown our current results of how well our coursework has been so far. I looked for the aspects which I have missed out on my blog and what I needed to improve. The whole double lesson consisted of improving and making sure everything is up to date on our blogs. I spent most of the lesson creating the evaluation and the design ideas for my preliminary task in order to achieve full marks in that section of my coursework. I created it using Prezi and put down all my ideas and plan for my preliminary magazine including the codes and conventions of both the front cover and contents page. Today was another catch up lesson. For this lesson, I have completed the evaluation for my preliminary task in order to achieve full marks on that section of my coursework. I included all codes and conventions which I have added on my preliminary task on both my front cover and contents page. I have managed to finish the whole evaluation in the two lessons up to my highest standards. 

design ideas for preliminary task

I have created a prezi for my design ideas that I have for my preliminary task. I have talked about the important factors I will be using for both my front cover and contents page. I included colour scheme, sell lines, masthead etc.

production diary - week 3

PRODUCTION DIARY - week 3
Monday 23rd 2013 Sept.
Today's lesson consisted of talking about starting our proposals for our magazine. We were told that our proposal should include the codes and conventions of our own music magazine. I haven't started on my actual proposal yet as I had to complete the research evidence for 3 contents pages. Although I have planned it all out and have uploaded onto this blog. I have included what questions I will answer and include in my proposal and also what I will talk about including the genre and target audience etc. Once I have completed my proposal I will ask a few people to give me feedback on it using voki or taking a video. I will get them to tell me what I have done well and what I will need to improve on. When I have completed the task, I will upload them onto this blog. In today's lesson, we started on writing the ideology for our music magazine. An ideology is where we write a summary of a typical reader of our own magazine. Things include the consumer's class, gender, hobbies etc. This will help us to layout our magazine the way our target audience wants and hopefully will be up to their standards. For example, the price of my music magazine should be affordable towards the people who I aim for my magazine to be targeted towards or else if the price is not suitable then my consumers will not be able to purchase the magazine. For homework, I completed another task from my research evidence list which was to analyze 3 double page spreads from music magazines.

production diary - week 2

PRODUCTION DIARY - week 2
Monday 16th 2013 Sept.
In this lesson, we started on our magazines using the software InDesign which is very similar to Photoshop but is much more easier to use. For homework, we had to create a design draft on of the magazine including one for the front cover and contents page. It took me more than an hour to complete but it will help me and give me a clear idea on how my magazine will look like. I used the picture of the canteen as my front cover and I entitled my magazine Haydon Times as the task was meant to be based on a school magazine. I also included other codes and conventions which you would normally find in a typical magazine including headers, subheadings, price, issue, date etc. I had a colour scheme to go with both front cover and contents page which was blue and green. I used a variety of tools to help me complete and achieve a high standard magazine.
In today's lesson, we were told about having to start the actual task of creating our own music magazines which will include a front cover, contents page and a double page spread. We had to choose a genre for our magazine and I am still to choose one although I am currently stuck with deciding whether to choose electronic or Indie. I was thinking about doing pop at first although we were told that if we did, it would be very hard as it is a very limited genre. Then we were told to create a survey which will ask future readers of our magazines what they would want to expect, see and feature in my magazine. We were told to use the site survey monkey. An example question which I have included in my survey is "Would you prefer to see established or more breakout artists featured in the magazine?". The answers of the surveys will help me improve my magazine as feedback from readers will be a great source of help as they are the people who my magazine will be targeted at.

production diary - week 1

PRODUCTION DIARY - week 1
Monday 9th 2013 Sept.
In today's media lesson, we had set up an account on gmail to enable us to create our own accounts for a variety of sites which will help us throughout our media course. Sites include: blogspot, scribd, prezi, vimeo and issue. My main focus on today's lesson has been setting up my own blog which I will use for coursework, exams etc. It is similar to a notebook which I will be using throughout the next 2 years for media. I made my blog on this website called blogspot. In lesson, I customized my blog by adding a background and editing its colour scheme etc. In lesson today we were told that we had to create a preliminary magazine so that they are able to see our abilities with using software and how creative we are with magazine designing. They told us that our magazine had to be based on a school magazine which will include a front cover and a contents page. To get our task started, we went around school taking a few pictures for our magazine. I took a picture of the new canteen which gave me the idea to use that as the main feature for my front cover. I also took a picture of st. Mary's gym which has been demolished in order to make a new improved gym. Another picture I took was of students outside doing PE. These pictures will all be included in either my front cover or contents page.

double page analysis

Research evidence - double page spread
Part of my research evidence task was to analyze 3 double page spreads. I collected 3 images of double page spreads from different music magazines using Google and analyzed each one using PowerPoint. I included the codes and conventions which you would normally find in a typical double page spread such as full-bleed, mis-en-scene and colour scheme.

contents pages

RESEARCH EVIDENCE - CONTENTS PAGES
I took 3 images of contents pages from 3 music magazines for part of my research evidence. I analyzed each contents page using the software power point. I talked about all the conventions needed for a typical music magazine contents page including subheadings, subscription boxes etc. This research will help me with my own music
magazine because it gives me an idea on how my own should be layed out. 

survey on magazine ideas

I made a survey using the website surveymonkey.com based on my music magazine. It asks various questions about what people would like to see in an ideal music magazine. Their results will help me to improve the appearance and standard of my magazine. I have included both closed and open questions on the survey which will make the results more effective as I will have a variety of answers. I am aiming to get 20 participants to take my survey in order to have more results which means I can get more information out of it which will be good for my magazine. All of the questions included are based on music and their codes and conventions.

click here to take my survey

front covers

 
RESEARCH EVIDENCE - FRONT COVERS
My research evidence on 3 individual front covers of popular music magazines including NME, Q and Rolling stones. I found all 3 front covers on the internet and analyzed each cover talking about
the codes and conventions which make up the covers including sell lines, bar codes etc. 

preliminary magazine

Completed front cover and contents page 

I made my completed front cover and contents page using the software InDesign. I took 4 pictures around the school which I used for both pages. I used a variety of tools in order to achieve this and had a colour scheme for it including the colours green and blue.

Front cover draft design

I drew out a draft design of my front cover for my preliminary task so that when I get on to doing the actual thing I will be able to have an idea of what it will look like. I included all the codes and conventions needed for a typical magazine. I spent around 30 minutes to complete this. 



 



Contents page design draft
I also drew out a draft design for my contents page. At first I decided to use a double page spread for my contents page although when I got on to doing the actual thing, I had changed my mind and decided to use just one page instead. This took me about another 30 minutes to complete.