Music Magazine Research (Front Cover Deconstruction) - 'Q' Magazine

 

 

 

'Q' Magazine - Front Cover  

 

The masthead is iconic and unique as it made up of one letter which makes it look like a logo, the logo makes the magazine look like more of a brand and can be easily adapted, also the single-letter title would be more prominent on newsstands. The red and white makes it stand out from the page as well as the newsstands  and allows the colour scheme to be applied throughout the whole page, all of this combined makes it  a highly recognisable masthead. It would appeal to the target audience of a young trendy adult, as it is in a sophisticated and holds a mature font with the bright, simple colours adding some fresh vibrancy to the look, to keep the magazine looking trendy.

The one image on the magazine cover, is the background image, it is a very prominent and strong background image which features the well-known singer Cheryl Cole (which is relevant to the genre of the magazine) with what looks likes rain falling over her. The rain creates a powerful yet inviting image, which represents strength, edginess and also sexualises Cheryl.  She wears dark, ’rock and roll’ makeup and clothing which again adds that edge and strength to her look. She is positioned in front of a dark background which features the rain falling past it, these features make the back ground concur with Cheryl.  These combined together with a sexualised pose and expression makes the image very striking and powerful. In my opinion this image is very effective as most of the mainstream music industry has got very sexualised and it appears to be the trend and a way of getting noticed, it also relates to the content and genre of the magazine which offers both alternative and mainstream music styles and artists. It fits in with it’s target audience of men aged 18-30 because of the level of sexuality, the use of a female ‘sex symbol’ and the overall strength and power of the image. If any more images were to feature on the cover it would become too cluttered and also overwhelming to look at, which will ultimately put readers off. 

 



The text on this front cover fits in with the recognised ‘Q’ colour scheme which is red and white and is the standard colour scheme of which is used on all of their magazines as part of their band and recognised look. Red, White and Grey is used on this cover and those colours seem to be spread across the cover lines and plug information quite randomly yet very effectively as its sets words and sections apart, making it more interesting and attractive to read. The font is a simple yet modern font which doesn’t appear to change much throughout the page and contrasts nicely with the more tradition font used for the ’Q’, this creates modern magazine with a twist. There is the main cover line advertising Cheryl’s appearance in the magazine, along the bottom in a towered pyramid shape, in the trademark colours of red and white. This could be classed as a ’Puff’, meaning that it is a phrase used on the cover to boost it’s status. It is very clever as it says ‘3 Words… Cheryl Cole Rocks’ with ‘3 words’ being the title of one of Cheryl Cole’s songs, they have altered it to create a catchy tag line which will catch the attention of the target audience. They layout of the text on the front cover is reasonably standard as it all circulates around the main image of Cheryl Cole, leaving space to clearly see her face. There are there 4 main sections along each of the sides, along the top, along the bottom, down the left hand side and up the right hand side. They have used the ‘Left-side third’ theory along with the use of filled in text boxes which coincide with the colour scheme to attract readers to the plug information down the left hand side of the cover. These are the names of the different artists that readers can find inside the magazine. The way that only artists names are used on the cover makes it easier to read and quicker to become interested in, as it is straight to the point. Down the right hand side of the cover a lot of creativity occurs with the different font sizes as well as the colour mix and word spacing to add a unique affect which will capture attention. Also down the right hand side there is a piece of plug information highlighted by being put inside a light grey circle making separate to the other pieces of text that can be found down the right hand side and also making it ‘pop’ out to readers as it contrasts, especially against the dark background, whilst still fitting in with the colour scheme. Along the top of the magazine and above the masthead there is a ‘Puff line’ used, simply saying how Q magazine is ‘The UK’s biggest music magazine’ this is simple yet gets the point across and the use of capital letters along with the size of the font and also the positioning away from other pieces of text makes it stand out, which is needed to get the point across to potential customers, the point being that it is best music magazine and that they should buy it, therefore making the magazine more appealing. Other pieces of text that feature on the cover are crucial pieces such as the date, pricing and their website which are needed in order to create even the most basic magazine front cover, these are positioned in the normal places, making them easy to quickly locate on the cover. Also, they have very uniquely put a subtle, white, vertical sidebar running down the left hand side of the cover, with very brief pieces of plug information, which can’t be seen on any other magazine, adding to it’s appeal.

I would believe that the target audience for this magazine, by looking at the overall cover would be for a man aged between 16-30. The reason I get this impression from the front cover is straight away because of how sexualised the main image is, this Cheryl Cole image could appeal to some women as they may look up to her or like her style etc. and therefore appreciate the picture. However, I believe that everything about the picture has been thought out to attract men, from the pose to the basic use of a ‘sex symbol’ like Cheryl Cole. This could be found on a music magazine aimed at but due to the level of sexuality used it makes me believe that overall men would appreciate it more. Other reasons are that there is the manliness of the font and colours scheme, it isn’t very feminine and has a lot of masculinity to it. The reason I get the impression of a 18-30 year old age range is simply because it looks like the sort of magazine aimed at adults but the youngest generation of trendy adults. The magazine overall looks too sophisticated for someone under the age of 18 and too modern and trendy for the stereotypical 30+ year old.

Music Magazine - Research of Similar Products (Double Page Spread)

Music Magazine - Research of Similar Products (Contents Page)

Music Magazine - Research of Similar Products (Front Cover)

 

 

 

 

Primary Research - Survey

I plan on asking around 15 people a series of questions regarding their preferences and what they look for in a music magazine.

1. How old are you? (Please circle a letter)
   a. 15 or younger
   b. 16-22
   c. 23-30
   d. Above 30

2. Are you?
   a. Male
   b. Female 

3. Are you?
   a. A Student
   b. Employed
   c. Unemployed
   d. Retired
   e. Other. Please state an occupation:_____________________    

4. What Price would you be willing to pay for a good quality music magazine?

   a. £1 or below

   b. £1-£2

   c. £2-£3

   d. £3-£4

5. What would you look for most in a magazine, particularly a  music magazine? (A multiple-answer question)

   a. Interviews
   b. Latest News
   c. Pull-out Posters
   d. Competitions
   e. Advertisements
   f. Pictures
   g. The Occasional Freebies

6. What do you dislike most about magazines?
 

7. What genre of music do you prefer?
   a. Pop
   b. Rock
   c. Dance/Electronic
   c. Alternative 
   d. Chart Music
   e. Indie
   f. Country
   f. R&B/HipHop
   g. Classical
   h. Other. Please state which genre:_____________________

8. What is your favorite music band/group/artist at the moment?

9. What music magazines do you read or would prefer to read?
   a. Q
   b. Kerrang
   c. NME
   d. Rolling stone
   e. MOJO
   f. Blender
   g. Vibe
   h. Billboard
   i. Other. Which one?_________________

10. Preferred colour scheme for a magazine?
   a. Blue, Red, Grey and White
   b. Red, White, Grey and Black
   c. Purple, White, Grey and Black
   d. Orange, White, Grey and Black
   e. Turquoise, White, Grey and Black

11. Do you subscribe to a magazine, if so which one?

12. How often do you read magazines?
   a. Very often (At least once a week)
   b. Often (About once a fortnight)
   c. About once a month
   d. A few times a year
   e. A couple of times a year
   f. Never. If so, why? ______________________________

13. Do you prefer a...
   a. Weekly Magazine?
      or
   b. Monthly Magazine?
 

14. Where do you buy magazines from most often?
   a. Local corner shops
   b. Supermarkets, if so which one?__________
   c. High-street Shops, if so which one?_________
   d. I subscribe
   e. Other, Please state:____________________
  

15. What sort of advertisements would you prefer to see in a magazine?
   a. Tour/gig/festival advertisements + dates
   b. New singles/albums
   c. New artists/bands
   d. Other, Please state:___________

16. For a wider ranging music magazine, what genre of films do you prefer?
   a. Action
   b. Adventure
   c. Romance
   d. Comedy
   e. Rom-Com
   f. Drama
   g. Horror
   h. Thriller
   i. Musicals
   j. Sci-fi
   K. Westerns
   L. Historical 

17. What are your 3 favorite films?
    1.__________________________________
    2.__________________________________
    3.__________________________________
 
Thank you for you time and taking part in this survey!



My Ryde Academy 6th Form Magazine - Contents Page (Draft)

My Ryde Academy 6th Form Magazine - Front Cover

 

 

Close Ups

  

 

 

 

6th Form Magazine Research (Deconstruction) - The Blackpool Sixth Form College

The Blackpool Sixth Form College's: 'Sixth Sense' Magazine

The masthead is in a simple, modern white font, it would appeal to the target audience of young adult students as it looks slim, sleek and futuristic. They have used the catchy title ‘Sixth Sense’, this is know as a the title of the well known horror film ‘The Sixth Sense'; horror films are popular with teenagers, therefore The Blackpool Sixth Form College must have knowingly used this to their advantage as well as the way that ‘Sixth’ as in 6th form can also come in to it. This creates a memorable and unique name, that is well suited for a sixth form student. They have placed the ’Sixth’ in the standard position of stretching the width across the top of the page, they have then gone on to position the word ’Sense’ sideways against the end of the Sixth to make it more interesting and unique to look at.

There is only one image featured on this front cover and it is a very basic one,  it doesn't give off straight away that it is in fact a sixth form magazine as doesn’t feature any pictures of students or any school/learning aspects. Instead the main background picture is clearly edited with a graffitied green leaf on a brick wall. It is very simple and in my opinion,  not very effective as it does not related to what the magazine is about. However, the fact that the leaf is being graffitied and the fact that it is featured on a urban wall does make the overall  appearance very on trend with the younger generation as it is something that teenagers could relate to and appreciate as a piece of art.

The text on the front cover follows through with the white, futuristic font, meaning that it is sticking with the modern theme, fitting in perfectly for a student. As the magazine front cover is very minimalistic and simple it does not include any text apart from the master head, the issue number, the date and a limited amount of information about the content of the magazine along the bottom, which again follows through with the theme and also features bullet points making it stand out more and easier to read. The fact that there is no information about each of the features running along the bottom, this does not mean that it suits it target market, as students are not really interested by writing and reading and are more interested in images and things that don’t take as long to look through. However, I do believe that more text would help make the front cover more appealing as the students would be preferring to know what they are going to be reading about before they open the magazine.  The lay-out of the text is very professionally done and the minimalistic effect makes it appear to be done to a very high standard, the text running along the bottom creates enough space between it and the master head, this adds to the professionalism of the magazine as it allows the reader to clearly focus on the image without an overflow of information. 

I would believe that the target audience for this magazine, by looking at the overall cover would be for a trendy student/teenager that is in to art and crafts as it does give off the effect of being in an urban art gallery with the font and the image.  Also, the minimalistic look would also make me assume this as it is not overloaded with information and focuses more on the image, which for an older generation would not be suited to, as  an older generation may appreciate more of a informative front cover. However, I wouldn’t really associate this front cover with being a school magazine as it features nothing to do with school-life, including pictures and information.



6th Form Magazine Research (Deconstruction) - King Edward's



King Edward's: 'King Ed's magazine' 

The masthead has an unusual, yet effective positioning on the front cover making it stand out and adding originality. This is because most masthead’s on magazines usually follow all the way along the full width at the top of the front cover. On this magazine cover the masthead is featured in the top left hand corner, it stands out with a bright yellow, youthful font against a dark brown, contrasting box , this makes the writing pop out at the reader, making it very eye-catching. I describe the font as youthful as it is a very rounded, informal font that would not be found on very serious magazine, aimed at an older generation, it clearly represents a modern, young generation, appealing to it’s target market.

There is only one image used on the magazine, it is the main front cover background image. The picture represents perfectly what the ideal sixth form is all about as it captures a small group of happy, smartly dressed, young adults who look ready to learn and look like they have  achieved something as they are proudly clutching what could be either their A-level results or some form of letter providing them with a sense of happiness.  A mid-shot, at eye level has been used on this group of 5 students, allowing each of them to fit onto the cover, yet allowing the reader to clearly see their facial expressions and as a result to see how happy they are to be going the King Edward’s sixth form.



The text on the front cover is brightly coloured, using Yellow and White to stand out from the not so bright back ground of the students clothing. The bright colours also carries with it, the youthful effect that appeals to the target audience of a younger generation.  There appears to be a lot of information about the contents of the magazine featured on the cover, this could make it more appealing to the student target audience as they may just by looking at the magazine and see something that they would want to look further into, which they can do by opening the magazine. The articles and straplines fit perfectly in with the theme of the Browns, Yellows, and Whites which in turn make the front cover much more aesthetically pleasing. Not too much information is displayed on the cover, which is ideal for teenagers who aren’t really interested in reading lots and lots of information, the straplines are quick to read and to the point. There is the use of multiple fonts, and an element of red featured with the information, again ,this makes it much more interesting to read through and to look at.

I would believe that the target audience for this magazine, just by looking at the front cover would of course be 6th form students as it is clearly shown by the style of the font used, the white and yellow colour scheme, the main image of a group of young adults clearly in education and by the information featured on the page about what is featured in the magazine.

Sixth Form Magazine - Research of Similar Products