Moodboard 2

I created another mood board hoping that it would help to influence the design of my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I have chosen front covers that I feel are successful and captivating. They all seem to have a simular appearance, the variety of colour scheme is significantly lacking although I have a very specific idea of how I want my magazine to look. Among these magazine front covers the most striking colour would definitely be red, which seems to mainly be used in the magazine logo to create a memorable and consistent brand identity. I find the combination of a black and white image and a flamboyant logo to be highly dramatic and am considering using the same approach with the design of my front cover and possibly my double page spread. Ever cover I have examined in this mood board convey a glossy and sophisticated style. I noticed that in several front covers the subjects hair has been swept out using a fan, giving an increased air of glamour which would be well suited to the objective of my photo shoot.

Moodboard 1

I designed a mood board that would inspire me in regards to the production and development of my photo shoot, I also included logos/album covers of alternative artists that I found interesting. I think this is a beneficial measure to take as it provides an approach to the themes of shapes, fonts and colours typically used to attract a specific audience. The mood board is a notion of the type of bands and singers I would include within my magazine, for example, in the pug on my front cover. I especially admire the photo of Lana Del Rey in the top middle section - the contrast of natural lighting and dark shadows illustrate a relaxed mood that coincides with the overall atmosphere I would like my magazine to give. This is exaggerated by a fairly natural makeup look and windswept hair, similar to how I want to style my subject for my photo shoot.

NME double page spread analysis

The predominant photograph in NME's double page spread is presented in a way that occupies at least 2/3 of the entire article, implying that the appearance of the image is highly significant to the reader. The severe and vivid spot lights have connotations of fame and glamour yet when incorporated with this image portray a sense of seriousness regarding the bands career, overall it comes across as glossy and professional and this highlights the process of NME's branding/marketing. White Lies have been captured with the use of a loosely framed medium shot which illustrates to the audience that they are independent individuals however work as a team at the same time, each members space asserts their personal authority whilst the fact that the shot is eye level connects them to the reader. I am finding this to be fairly stereotypical for an alternative music magazine. The use of the colour purple in this double page spread adds a splash of brightness whilst suggesting connotations of wealth and royalty. The double page spread is highly simplistic yet effective, they have only used one image and a two column layout with a limited amount of text, many of the DPS's I have studied feature a large amount of text that is separated in to several columns and divided with sub headings. However this particular article doesn't require these techniques to sustain the readers interest as it is already effortless to read. The main theme of the White Lies interview is their progression within the music industry, made immediately evident through the title which references another popular alternative band - Kings of Leon. Also there are semantic fields in the language that underline this theme considerably, with ambitious noun phrases such as 'stadium success' and 'biggest band in the world'.

Q double page spread analysis

 The popular Q magazine tends to lean mainly towards the rock genre however in this double page spread it focuses on 'London dance-poppers', the Crystal fighters. Following briefly skimming both pages it is apparent that Q frequently uses humour and comical phrases in order to entertain the reader, insinuating that their target audience aren't necessarily sombre or serious. Even the headline - 'Basque in the glory' appears to be a play on words, the dynamic verb 'bask' has been replaced with 'basque'. In the top right hand image Q have even joked 'the lack of air con down there was taking it's toll', obviously commenting on the bands lack of clothing, this humorous approach is continued throughout the article as well If the double page spread was aimed specifically at teenagers slang and colloquialism would have been incorporated within the text, depicting that the targeted demographic is probably between 16 - 30. The colours in the rave photographs are highly juxtaposing yet Q have chosen to maintain their iconic red and black colour scheme rather than coordinating with the shades in the pictures. Most of the images have been captured with a medium eye level shot which makes you feel as though you are almost part of the audience when you look at them, creating an intimate and more personal atmosphere that underlines a connection between the reader and artist.

Classic pop double page spread analysis

The first aspect of Classic Pop's double page spread is the striking use of the colour red - it has a vivid and almost sentimental feel which conforms to obvious themes within the magazine. Red is a prominent colour not just in the double page spread but also the front cover and contents page, giving the magazine a sense of consistency and continuity that is present in each issue. It is also branded in a way that gives Classic Pop a solid identity that is memorable and easily recognisable to the reader. I find the layout of this double page spread particularly interesting, mainly due to the fact that it concentrates on several varied artists rather than just one. I like how they have highlighted a selection of bands and singers: it's as though they want to promote and encourage their success whilst suggesting appealing artists to the reader. It gives the impression that Classic Pop takes interest in benefiting both reader and musician. Each subject has roughly an equal amount of text although the space taken up by each image is varied - possibly as some have an increased appeal, such as the bottom right hand photo therefore require more attention. The sepia tone once again relates to the sentimental atmosphere, she is looking directly in to the camera and it looks as though she is addressing and compelling the reader. They have chosen not to censor swear words which suggests it is more suitable for adults - the register is still formal however the use of inappropriate language in fact succeeds in humanising the artists. I find the 'influences' section effective because it is an immediate indicator of whether or not the band will attract the reader depending on their personal music preferences.

DJ double page spread analysis

I feel as though this particular double page spread challenges the stereotypical appearance of a dance music magazine, it is very plain in terms of colour variety and even the limited use of photographs. The image that has been selected has been created with high key contrasting lighting that casts prominent shadows over the subjects face, then it has been mirrored over the opposite page. This gives the double page spread a surreal and mysterious look which is exaggerated when combined with the unusual font stating 'Pure Logic'. The design once again sets itself apart from other double page spreads belonging to the dance genre because of the text being split in to 4 columns, although there is an equal division between the proportions of text and image. The text is broken up frequently through paragraphing and subheadings in order to keep the reader interested as there is a large amount. For this magazine the mode of address is fairly flexible when it comes to the demographic and psychographic of the target audience due to a formal register and tone within the language. Since it is basically an account of Daniel Avery's career and achievements, the targeted reader would be anyone who takes a significant interest in the reader, the article also informs potential new fans. DJ magazine uses positive and uplifting language to entice the reader into pursuing the article - 'singing his praises' followed by 'soon everyone else will be too...', Daniel Avery is empowered and idolised.

Mixmag double page spread analysis

It is clear at first glance that this double page spread belongs to a dance/techno music magazine due to the presence of a professional DJ set in the image. This also conforms to the conventional themes of technology that are existent within the contents page and front cover. The low angle shot displays the Martinez Brothers as powerful and successful which challenges stereotypes of young people/teenagers who can be sometimes be portrayed as lazy and demotivated, their DJ equipment dominates the shot highlighting its significance to the reader. Mixmag have clearly decided to use colloquial and informal language (for example 'gonna' instead of going to') in order to engage with a young audience - it is an indicator of the targeted demographic and addresses them successfully. The pairs cooperation and teamwork is emphasized through the repetition of the word 'brothers' and they are referred to as the 'Bronx duo'. The appearance of the double page spread depicts a summery vibe with a cool blue background and sunglasses which have connotations of hot weather. All together this exaggerates the feeling of a party atmosphere and immediately reminds the reader of festivals, a popular Summer tradition most likely with a sense of familiarity judging by the target group.

Country people contents analysis

The colours, layout and font make up a highly neutral and unpretentious contents page. Country People have chosen to display actual copies of various pages rather than enticing the reader with a bold teaser image, which suggests once again that their audience are dedicated and interested without the aid of persuasion. This is also evident in Country People's front cover. The sub sections contemplate only country music - the magazine lacks a range of topics such as fashion, technology etc that other genres of music magazine have to offer. Although they seem to provide regular reviews of assorted formats, this reinforces the idea of a serious target audience. Unlike many other magazines Country People have used barely any literary techniques to compel their readers - no alliteration, rhyme, humour etc. At one point their use of the ellipsis is fairly striking: 'went on to produce... write... make movies... he did it all.' In this case it has been used in order to exaggerate Jack Clements achievements and portray him as an aspirational character. To conclude the appearance of this particular contents page is honestly dull yet it has an air of clear sophistication due to it's moderate and relaxed nature.

Mixmag contents analysis

The top right hand image displaying a woman's chest and face appears to be set in a night club and dominates the contents page. Aspects of the photograph are depicted as provocative and I get the impression that the woman has been purposely slightly sexualised. This reveals Mixmag's consumers as a large percentage of males, sexualisation of woman within the magazine will most likely appeal to a male audience. This is combined with several euphemisms, sub line 'Wet dream: This must be underwater love' emphasises the readers attraction and interest. There seems to be a striking section highlighting fashion, this is conventional as dance/electronic genre magazines frequently promote the nightlife side of the lifestyle, also indicating that Mixmag is aimed equally at both genres. I think overall the contents page reinforces the stereotypical representations of young people mainly due to the fact that it is targeted at young adults so has to have a level of relatability. The idea that adolescents go out and spend a lot of time partying is definitely suggested throughout the layout.

Terrorizer contents analysis

Terrorizer is a music magazine which concentrates on the heavy metal genre, this is clear through it's very extreme nature. The contents page demonstrates a simplistic layout, few images and lack of variety regarding the colour scheme. I suppose this could represent the very specific and non mainstream target audience that Terrorizer aims to impress. The models drastic costume and makeup comes across as gothic and intense which contributes to the dark atmosphere effectively created in the contents page. The target group could view this magazine as an expressive outlet, therefore meaning the photographs are appealing and maybe relatable depending on the reader. Every element of the contents illustrates a vague and blunt tone, for example page 88 is advertised with 'Bloodstock. Come to papa.' It's seems as though not much effort has been made to attract the reader to specific articles, this works as it enhances the rock and roll vibe. Even details like the day the issue was published have been left out, also the issue number is boldly stated with a hashtag instead of actual words. The sub categories and sub lines include lexical sets that suggest themes of darkness - such as 'fear', 'dark', 'fright', 'devil' and 'dissected'.