A2 Media Coursework - Ben Morley

This coursework task is a development of the skills i have aquired from the previous AS task, and has the primary objective of resulting in me having created a complete music video for an existing song. Throughout i will be analysing and annotating different aspects of the choices and decisions i have made to reach that goal.

this blog is located at: http://a2mediacourseworkbenmorley.blogspot.com

You will find my previous blog by following this link (where there will also be links to earlier blogs): http://sdcmediaasbenmorley.blogspot.com/2010/01/evaluation-of-my-finished-magazine.html

Evaluation of my finished magazine

My magazine manages to stick to the common conventions of all regular magazines through its use of a masthead; a main image (although mandatory); jump-lines to pages of interest and features; and also an issue number, bar-code, price etc. One thing significant to the linking of common conventions of magazines of this genre would be the inclusion of an offer of some band memorabilia. I felt the need to have on this cover page other images used within the magazine itself displayed as Polaroids on a teenagers wall. This is as i saw this as something readers of this magazine could relate to. I had seen other (non-main) images from within the magazine used on other cover pages in this genre - but not used in this way. I inserted a short strap-line or small article bellow the main heading on the main image as this is something i have seen on many magazines i have read.

My magazine is mainly aimed at my target audience of teenagers who enjoy rock music (and its many forms), so when deciding upon language i chose to use a lot of exclamation marks - a common occurrence in this particular type of magazine. This shows the specific audience's need to express themselves in a loud projecting way (i.e the loud volume of rock, and my masthead progressively getting bigger in font size). When choosing images, i wanted all of the "artists" featured to be of the age of my desired audience. They also would be happy, or having a good time (shown through a smile or laugh) in all shots in order to oppose all of the stereotypes linked as a stigma to this style of music and age group. This fact also, i feel, makes the magazine more approachable to the target audience, as they see a more up-beat "stigma" attached to the style of music. This offers a new approach and aspect to the music. When writing i tried to keep a comical approach in order to keep the interest of the reader (as this age group is usually known for their lack of attention span) and addressed the audience in my writing when possible. This was sometimes done using questions. For the same reason, i tended to use a lot of pictures and images. My main colour scheme was black, red and yellow (with whites). The black was used in order to tie in with the typical association with this genre - portrayed as dark); the red and yellows (or oranges) were representational of fire. This was to subtly display aggression, a feeling or mood used in music/songs of this variety frequently.

When it comes to who would stock my magazine and why, i feel that it could be sold commercially. By this i mean that it would be seen in chain stores such as supermarkets. Anywhere that an average individual of the age group could get a hold of it. I would hope that these stores would stock it because of the fact that it reaches a market not usually specifically aimed at. Its not a completely niche market, but there are a lot of people who fit within the weak constraints of its reach.

Using InDesign i have been able to achieve some effects that i did not previously perceive as possible before using it. An example of this would be my tittle and overall masthead. This is because i thought that moving the individual characters in the word Scream! would be a very long and difficult task, as they are of different sizes, heights and distances. But this was easily done through the ability to manipulate each letter. Also i was able to fade the main text box on the double page spread over the picture as an overlay. On top of this though, i was then able to place captions which were slightly transparent. Through Photoshop i could also convert the image file to one which suited my needs. Complications in using InDesign did include the constant need to ensure a lot of things are right before making one step, and if you didn't you were punished by the then apparent need to start over. There are a lot of functions, meaning that you can get a lot more done, but a disadvantage is that these numerous functions hinder you time-wise.

Saying this though, my skills on the software did improve from the preliminary task. This was generally just the speed of use, but mainly the little things like changing the colour of text and shapes produced on the software (e.g. text-boxes). This made the experience a lot more fluent. Also, something learnt from my mistakes on the preliminary task, i learnt to plan way ahead of my transistion to use of the computer. I think that i achieved this through over planning my flat plans. I also did a lot more research in order to gain a knowlege of the genre and its conventions. One thing that i feel noticably improved through doing this was my language use. I think that it finally became relevant to the genre.

Font choice

For the masthead on the cover page, I decided to use a standard "Times new roman" font as to not detract attention away from the effect I used for the letters in the name of the magazine. The effect I'm speaking of is the progression in size of the letters (increasing from left to right) this - added with the exclamation mark in italics; to make it slanted - created the desired effect of the word increasing in volume (thereby knocking over the exclamation mark). This was used in order to show the stereotypical view that the type of music covered by this magazine is usually played loudly. The font for the name of the band "Chasing Jane" was chosen as a particularly Gothic one to demonstrate the genre of the band; this is as it is a made up band; so people would not grasp this instantly. This font also reminded me of various fonts used for band names that I had seen in Kerrang! magazine. For the contents page, I chose to put the words "contents page" in a fiery font as it would quickly draw the attention of the reader (it was also put on a black background and put in fire-related colours in order to emphasise this effect). Through doing this I also hoped to make the title seem very powerful, and therefore make this page seem more important; I felt that fire captured this the best. For the double page spread the title was "inside Josh's Mind", knowing this, I chose a font that iterated this point. I also wanted quite a comical themed font, as the spread was a light-hearted and funny interview. Taking all of this into consideration, I picked a font that reminded me of an old horror movie, as this would bring out the comical side of the title. It also carried the "worn out" effect that I had seen used on numerous occasions in magazines of this genre. I feel that this was a success.

photos

This image is a low angle shot of two teenage boys (from the band: Chasing Jane) in the backseat of a car. They are there in order to show that they are on the way to an irrelevant destination. This is used in order to show that they are constantly moving (emphasising the rarity of an interview with them). Also it is insinuating that they are on their way to a venue. The lead singer (me) is at the front as he is the one being interviewed, so I wanted to create the impression that he is important. The other "band member" is looking away from the camera to further stress this point. Contrasting to the genre of the band, they are in smart casual attire to show some level of normality, and to show that the interview is on a personal level (all play, no work if you will).

Also on the cover page is an image of "Lewis Hurry" a singer that the magazine is doing a feature on (not included in the pages created for the project). The caption for this picture was made after the initial shot, and describes the soloist's apparent insane behaviour. The image is a long shot/medium-wide shot, and has Lewis as the focus, with peers behind him to further demonstrate his fun-loving personality. By doing this I hoped to capture the stereotypical rockstar lifestyle that can be associated with some sub-genres of this music. Originally i intended to have him holding a can of beer, but then I decided against this as it may send out the wrong message, and I had not come across this in other magazines of this variety. His hands were not shot in the picture as my idea was that then give the impression of depth, and therefore appear as if the subject was holding the frame of the picture and turning it (as the picture is rotated on the cover page).

Featuring below the previous picture on the cover page, this image is of a band named: "band". This picture is there just to demonstrate another feature in the magazine (but not in the pages I made). The setting is outside beneath trees in Preston park -Brighton. I chose this location for this picture because there was a gathering of people, highlighting the band's social nature (therefore creating a feeling that this is the theme of their music). The natural background also added a sense of reality to the picture, making them seem more approachable. By this I hoped that this would mean that the readers could relate to them easier if they felt like they are "real" (as in: they can be found in everyday places).

This is a picture of Lewis Hurry again (located on the contents page), this time I wanted to carry the previous theme that Lewis had no real care for social implications, so to do this I had him place his hand on his crotch. In the image you can see him lounging on the seat leisurely with his fist holding up his head. This further placement of his hands demonstrates his carelessness and shows his clear attitude stereotypical to the old confines of rock. I felt that this social trend was important to include. There is a bright light shining next to his head where he has turned it slightly, this is done in order to indicate on a sub-level that he is turning away from the spotlight of fame. Originally I was going to make this light a shade of green in order to signify the fact that this is the hypothetical "lime-light". The object in the background has no other meaning in the overall image than being there to create a focus on the centre of the image.

Also located on the contents page, this picture is a comedy orientated one. the subject (David Mayger, a soloist) is posing by grabbing his chin and raising his eyebrows. He isn't looking at the camera, suggesting that he is looking at something else with interest (I am hoping to insinuate that he is looking at a girl). This picture was also taken in Preston park and was initially supposed to be taken in the rain, however this was hard to schedule so i had a few of my friends bring umbrellas with them in order to suggest that it was raining - I also poured some water over the subject (with his consent) in order to keep a level of continuity. The rain effect was used in order to emphasise the comical value of the subject being a sex idol and to stick to the commonly used convention of hunky men being shown drenched with water. This article would therefore please female readers and the male readers (by making them laugh).

In this picture I had to show the town of Seaford (tagged with a caption questioning whether or not it needs a new music venue) in one image. So instead of showing the town as a whole, i wanted something that would represent the town (i.e. the beach). Through this i also hoped to show quite a dull side of Seaford, one without people or activity (in order to sway the audience towards the idea that the town is in need of a new music venue).

This is a picture of the bag you can allegedly obtain if you subscribe. I took this picture in my classroom as i wanted the background to appear to be an office environment (as this would show the bag in a real environment, and also show that the magazine owners had them in stock).

This picture is labelled as the magazine's staff, and for this i wanted the subjects to do various poses that highlighted their immaturity and the fact that they don't take themselves seriously. I asked this of them so that the younger (target) audience could relate to them. The image gets darker at the crop in order to draw focus towards the centre - where the people are. I didn't crop the top half of the picture because i liked the fact that the two lines behind the subjects' heads are central.

Another image picturing on the contents page is this one of "Kieran" another singer who has supposedly made a miraculous comeback. I also took this picture in Preston park in Brighton, as to situate the artist in a realistic backdrop. My emphasis for the picture (whilst still making Kieran the focus) was the other people in the background - with faces blurred. This was to make Kieran appear as a functional social member of society, but this is only to create irony in the juxtaposition of a beer can in his hand. This would potentially add some humour to the reader's perspective of the magazine.

This is a picture to display the band Chasing Jane as a whole (all of the band members). The picture is set outside in order to utilise the amount of space available, as I wanted to have them separated and at different distances in order to show the band's freedom and lack of (or care for) constrictions. This fits in with the common stereotypes related to this genre of music, therefore the target audience will be able to relate to this and find it appealing.

This is the picture i used for the main picture/background in my double-page spread. I chose this arrangement for the picture because it's a mid-shot like i wanted for the picture of the interviewee. The background in the picture is a stone cobbled brick wall. I used this as a background because i wanted a textured background. I didn't want the colour of that surface to direct attention away from the person who is the focus of the image. I had him wear a torn-up tie around his neck in order to represent his defiance when it comes to rules given by those who think that they are superior. This is a feeling shared by many young people, so this would appeal to my target audience of younger rock listeners.

This picture is just another image of the lead singer of Chasing Jane, used on the double-page spread with its own caption. I felt that it was a good idea to have another angle (and specifically a medium close-up). This also took up space which the the main image left empty. I told the subject to swish his hair to the side during the taking of the picture for comical effect. I don't feel that I was entirely successful in the integrating of this effect however.

This is another picture with the intention of comedy. The reason for there being a bag over someone's head is that, in the double-page spread, there is a section of the interview located in a little box in the corner of one of the pages. This is doubled with a caption explaining the reason (Her identity is hidden).

Flat Plans

I decided to call my Rock magazine "Scream!" because it portrayed the target audience's desire to loudly demonstrate/declare their existence (just like the magazine itself). The increasing size of the font in the masthead represents increasing volume, thus further emphasising the word: Scream. The explanation point is slanted in order to create the effect that it is being toppled by the suggested volume of the word scream. The tag-line: "Turn it up or Drop the mag!" refers again to the volume this type of music tends to be played at, and has a nice, even three syllables either side of the word "or". The pictures on the cover page are of relevant bands, and the main image (which I will go into more detail about in another blog) is of a young rock artist who is interviewed for the double page spread. I chose to put a jump-line leading to the page number of his interview on his T-shirt, in order to attract readers to the page. The heading for the picture is also written on the skateboard he is holding in an attempt to look clever and arty (all in a bid to attract readers). The lettering on the page is generally in capitals, which is a recurring convention in this genre of magazine, and there is an even spread of the obvious explanation mark. Although, when they are used for headings/titles, they are slanted to match the theme of the masthead. A freebie is offered to further entice people. Also at the bottom of the page there is a section telling the onlooker what is inside the magazine.

For the contents page I chose to put the title in the same font as the masthead, except with the letters decreasing in size towards the end as well as the start. This was to concentrate attention towards the centre, thereby putting focus on what's inside (the purpose of a contents page). As is probably very obvious, this contents page is going to be very visual. This was in order to make the contents of the mag seem more aesthetically pleasing. There are witty captions below each picture, and a larger picture for the larger feature. There is a side-bar designated for the page numbers, and generally what's inside the mag. In the bottom-right corner of the page (where you tend to look last on the page) is a nudge towards subscribing - along with the "free bag" picture elsewhere on the page.

For the double-page spread, the main image is central (but mostly on the left-hand page) and is of the person being interviewed looking towards the main heading. This creates a comical effect, and therefore gives the article a lighthearted feel to it. This appeals to the younger side of the audience. In the top-right corner of the left page is a brief description of the band with a picture of all of the band members. The interview will be made up of questions from the interviewer, and answers from the interviewee in a Q&A format. There will be a few pull quotes to give a quick overview of the interview, and a link to the website with the full (uncut) version of the interview. There is another picture of the interviewee with another caption (guaranteed to be witty) and a boxed-off section with a humorous part of the interview.

Research for Music Magazine

My choice of genre for this task was alternative rock. In my research, i found this example of a magazine of the same orientation. Whilst scanning through their site, i discovered that they tended to use a lot of explanation marks to emphasize the text. This was a recurring theme throughout the website. For further exaggeration on Edginess, the font carries a certain 'worn-out' look, that seems to be a common convention for magazines of this genre. This particular one seems to be very vibrantly coloured, perhaps demonstrating that it is aimed at a younger portion of the target audience this type of mag attracts. Clearly you would have to have a taste for this style of music to feel the urge to buy this magazine, or any like it, and those people wouldn't be disappointed, as this is the sole premise of the mag. Also noteworthy is that the language is very colloquial, as expected for the target audience of teens. The image used (and edited for use) is, and generally is, of a popular artist at the time of writing - either this or an artist whome the magazine is covering. The main picture is covering the title, which suggests that the title is well-known enough to not need to be fully shown.

In keeping with the apparent common convention with this genre of magazine, Kerrang! seem to use a lot of explanation marks on their cover pages (this one included). A difference, with the last mag, you can immediately see however is the lack of vibrant colours flooding the page. There is instead a clear use of reds blacks and whites (highlighting the red whenever used) that add quite a bleak effect the the layout. There is some use of the "worn-out" font, but it is not needed as much, as the bold capital letters are emphasis enough. The masthead is cracked in Kerrang's trademark style; signifying to readers that there is a level of defiance against regulation and rules involved with this magazine. Short sentences are used on the cover to show the writer's urgency to inform you of the contents of the mag in brief detail - also a way of making you want to find out more. The band used for the main picture of the magazine is relevant to the genre, and pertrudes over the title (again representing knowlege and popularity of the magazine already). There clothes match the colour scheme of the overall layout of the cover page. The special features and prizes etc are displayed in the bottom third of the page not to distract attention away from the main picture and heading. This magazine cover does seem to be a bit more crowded than the other one however. The theme seems to be more mature though (hence the suits). The genre of this mag appears to be tilted more towards more heavy rock, than alternate.












This double page spread is taken from an issue of Kerrang!, and is based on the band Fall out boy. The colour scheme is in keeping with the black, white and red effect that emphasises the blood-red colour. This reference towards blood is made clear by the dripping of the red in the Heading and in a puff/box in the bottom-right corner of the right hand page. The font is in bold capitals (as per usual for this magazine) for the heading and strapline, with the usual explanation mark for extra emphasis of the so-called importance of the information they want you to read. The main body of text is on one page to appear like it is less to read, with an image of the band plastered across the other - also leaking onto the left hand page, as not to leave it empty. An oppertunity to win something is put in the reader's eye-line also to keep interest. The term: "Big Artist" is taken literally here as they increase the hype following the band by increasing the size of their picture.

Kerrang! use the colour yellow for their main Headings, this is shown clearly in this contents page example. The headings in yellow (or highlighted in yellow with black font) represent the different sections of the magazine, e.g: "gigs" or "K! icons". This particular shade of yellow is quite grimy and dark; the opposite effect that yellow tends to have. The page is flooded, but in an orderly fashoin, with pictures refferring to their page reference. Each one has a caption that explains what the page of that picture entails. Obviously there is the occasional use of the all important explanation mark, but the explanations of the pages' contents are quite brief. Page numbers are designated a side-bar, and pictures dominate (a reccuring theme). The font is quite rounded and stylized, this shows care for the font choice, yet it makes the text quite hard to read fluently. This helps you slowly read the information though, and therefore helps you grasp it more. The text is still mostly in capitals though, with "important" information in bold (e.g sub-headings). The images, overall, make the page more interesting and eye-catching, thereby fueling the target audiences craving for aesthetically pleasing visual information - and lots of it. There is also a sneaky text-box placed in the bottom right corner encouraging the target audience to subscribe to their magazine.

Target Audience

A typical reader for my magazine would be someone who, obviously, someone who is quite passionate about the industry, or the music itself. They would have to have the disposable income to go to the concerts (and of course buy the magazine) but my target audience would not be upper or middle class. They would not be excluded of course, but I wouldn't aim to attract them in any way. I would steer clear of A or B side of demographics. This makes my market quite narrow, but there is a large number of people, like me, who fit into that category; and i feel that they would appreciate being a small market, as it would make them feel more individual in their tastes. There is no real stereotypical psychographic category you can fit my desired target audience, just lovers of the music, whoever they may be. It is a sociable encouraging magazine.