DPS draft

Contents page draft

I understand that Mixmag doesn't necessarily categorise as an alternative music magazine however I find the signature style of their contents pages very effective and striking. This is mainly due to the manner in which the images are laid out and their initial notoriety, I also admire aspects such as the minimalistic style of the sub categories and sub lines. Plus the quirky fonts that have been used - I feel as though I have been influenced by the use of the black background and am considering using it within my contents page. 

Initial edited photos

I edited a mixture of the photos I took from my photo shoot, I feel that these are probably the strongest and would look great on my contents page or double page spread. Although unfortunately I don't feel that any of the photos would be suitable for my front cover as my model is only making eye contact in several of the images - it is conventional for the artist to look directly at the camera as it connects them to the reader and looks as though they are addressing the audience. I will probably have to do another shoot in order to gather images that would be more effective in the form of a front cover. I used a variety of techniques in photoshop to create each end result, such as black and white effect, experimenting with curves, vibrance, contrast etc. I even enhanced the blonde in her hair by increasing the yellow tone in black and white as seen below.

Front cover draft

This cover of Mojo magazine has inspired the way I want my front cover to be laid out - I like the slightly unconventional off center design and the intense close up shot. Also the cover lines are fairly limited, this gives the front cover a simplistic vibe whilst not overcrowding the cover or drawing attention away from the image.

Questionnaire results and analysis

1) What gender are you?
I aimed to include a varied group of both males and females in my questionnaire because I want my music magazine to appeal to both sexes, therefore it is crucial that I research what each gender typically expects within a successful music magazine.

2) How old are you?
As you can see from the bar chart, the age range with the highest frequency is 16 - 19: roughly
the age bracket that I fall in to. I have decided to mainly carry out my survey using people who are of a similar age due to being able to understand and relate to them more than any other demographic. Plus my magazine will be aimed at adolescents, as well as adults who I have made sure to include in my questionnaire.

3) How often would you say you read music
magazines?
These results signify that people do buy music magazines, although for the majority it is a very occasional purchase rather than a regular investment. This could possibly be because people nowadays are more likely to discover new music online or through friends.





4) If you were to read a music magazine what genre
would be your choice?
This pie chart represents that the majority of the people I asked would prefer a dance/electronic music themed magazine. This is generally a popular genre and tends to be mainly featured in the charts, along with pop. However I feel that I wouldn't have the ability to create a successful and conventional dance magazine as I am not a fan of the genre therefore not that knowledgable of it.
Indie/alternative is still popular whereas classic and
other clearly weren't areas of interest for my subjects.

5) What is the most you would be willing to spend on a music magazine?
£5 or more was too expensive according to my questionnaire results - also in my opinion it was highly unreasonable. £1 - £2 appears to be the modal result, followed by less than £1 and £3 - £4. I find that less than £1 is too cheap and doesn't fit in with how I want my magazine to be marketed or the overall reputation I would want my magazine to have. I think that somewhere between £2 and £3 would be the most appropriate.

6) Which colour scheme would appeal the most to you?
The most popular choice of colour scheme was dark colours with one bright colour,
this is conventional and in fact often seen in NME and Q magazine with the bright colour usually  being red. It is likely that this will be my chosen colour scheme that I will use consistently  throughout my front cover, DPS and contents. Other popular choices were neutral and pastel colours which I may incorporate as well. However I have no interest in using neon or nautical colours
as I feel that they don't fit in with my genre anyway.


7) How many cover lines do you think
would be suitable on the front cover of a
 music magazine?
I feel that between 4 - 6 and 7 - 10 cover lines is the most suitable as it resembles a music magazine realistically and the people that I asked in my questionnaire agree. It is an effective way of sparking up interest and attracting a reader, although the image should still demand attention instead of being covered with large amounts of text.


8) How many images do you think should be
used in a double page spread?
I think that the amount of images displayed on a double page spread partly relates to the topic of the featured article - for example an interview with a particular artist would typically have fewer images than perhaps a review or competition column. The survey suggests that people mostly expect around 2 or 3 images in a DPS.



9) What ratio of text to image would you prefer on a double page spread?
My questionnaire clearly presents that the majority of people would prefer an equal amount of text and images. Therefore I will ensure that I take up an even amount of space with both text and pictures.






10) What would you prefer to be the main subject
of a double page spread?
The most common featured main article within
any magazine, not just necessarily music magazines tends to be an interview focusing on a successful artist so naturally that was the most popular answer. Plus I think due to it being a magazine revolving around music most readers will want to discover more about their favourite artists, an intimate and in depth look in to their life that reveals information about the person/lifestyle.

Questionnaire

1) What gender are you?
Male -
Female -

2) How old are you?
11 - 15 -
16 - 19 -
20 - 25 -
26 - 40 -
40 + -

3) How often would you say you read music magazines?
Once a week -
Once a fortnight -
Once a month -
Once or twice a year -
Never -

4) If you were to read a music magazine what genre would be your choice?
Dance/electronic -
Pop -
R&B -
Hip hop/rap -
Indie/alternative -
Rock/metal -
Classical -
Other -

5) What is the most you would be willing to spend on a music magazine?
Less than £1 -
£1 - £2 -
£3 - £4 -
£5 or more -

6) What colour scheme would appeal the most to you?
Bright, neon colours -
Light, pastel colours -
Dark colours, with one bright colour -
Nautical colours -
Neutral colours -

7) How many cover lines do you think would be suitable on the front cover of a music magazine?
1 - 3 -
4 - 6 -
7 - 10 -
10 or more -

8) How many images do you think should be included in a double page spread?
Only 1 -
Several -
4 - 6 -
More -

9) What ratio of text to image would you prefer on a double page spread?
Mainly text -
An equal amount of text and image -
Mainly images -

10) What would you prefer to be the main subject of the double page spread?
Interview with the featured artist -
Gossip -
A review -
Competition/giveaway -
Other -

The results provided by the people who have answered my questionnaire will be very useful and give me an idea of how to attract a particular audience. Having a solid knowledge of what is appealing and the most popular among the people who carried out my survey should enable me to get an impression of how to sell the most music magazines as possible.

Photo shoot contact sheet

I feel that my photo shoot was successful, I experimented by using a hairdryer for several of the images to create the effortless, windswept look that is conventional within magazine front covers - especially in fashion. This adds to the glossy and glamorous style I find aspirational and aim to recreate with elements of the front cover, contents page and double page spread. I also used bright, fluorescent lighting to cast prominent shadows against the background - this gives the photograph an increased boldness and I think these images in particular would effectively suit my contents page and double page spread. I think varied images (in terms of shot type, composition, angle, editing etc) would present the artist in a different light whilst being interesting and appealing to the target audience, therefore I seek to include this in my DPS especially. I chose my model to have her hair and makeup styled in a natural way as it reflects the laid back feel of the genre. I chose a feminine, indie looking outfit for half of the shoot, with gold jewellery to add a touch of sophistication. Then for the other half I chose a very contrasting dress code, she is wearing my Topshop leather jacket which I thought looked edgy and gives the impression that she is rebellious. This challenges typical gender representations as usually you would see women wearing lots of makeup with an elaborate hair style and revealing clothes in a magazine. Also she is not sexualised in a single photo due to posing in a way that is not suggestive and comes naturally to her, plus I haven't chosen clothing that objectifies her or her body.