Rejected Images For Music Magazine Double Page Spread:

I really wanted to use this image, but the dark red made most colours very difficult to use. Neither white not black title seemed to fit with the image, and any text which would be written around the image would be forced to change colour when it reached the treeline in the bottom right. Which I was hesitant to do so chose not to.

This second image is the same place, the same pose, but with colour left in the image. I eventually chose the black and white version because I wanted there to be no connotations of hope left in the image for a page called 'Apocalypse'

This image was a close up of the same place and person. I preferred this as an image because of the shadowing on the persons face which masked identity and implied hostility.
However, the image did not clearly show the abandoned bomb shelter and so did not engage as well with the title of 'Apocalypse'

As a different take I thought about using an image without a person in the scene. However that lost the idea of a band album to me, as often even the stranger band albums keep a person (or resemblance) of a person on their cover. I also realized that due to the shades of the image, writing around it could become quite difficult.

My Own Music Magazine Double Page Spread:

Evaluation:

Conventions:

The reason the two pages do not match completely and cut out the person in middle's face is because I visualized the cross over in the two pages to have this effect and so did each page separately with an end in mind.

I do not feel that obscuring the persons face and almost whole of their head takes away clarity and merit to this image. In this circumstance, given the connotations of destruction that go along with a title like "Apocalypse" I believe the person is much less important than the surrounding shot and paraphernalia that comes with a bomb shelter.

In this way I may have gone against conventions of keeping the person the most important focus of the image.

I have however followed other conventions of this page such as the quote from the article given at the bottom, made clearly visible so that at a glance it can be read.
I also a strong title font and positioned it well against a dark background, so that it was clearly readable.

Representation of Social Groups:

My double page spread, may be unconventional in that it does not concentrate on a band or an artist so much on this page. However, this blurring of a persons face does well to connect with the representation of the 'loner' or the 'emo' that has emerged not as a group per se but as another social stereotype. The concept of a figure breaking away from others and going away somewhere alone, with a backdrop of destruction is the epitome of the emergent 'emo' stereotype and the associated antisocial psyche.

Attracting target audience:

Again, like the contents page, although there are darker themes present there is still a good deal of references to rock culture that would engage with such an audience. And again, quite often a mainstream rock band (or less mainstream) may produce an album with apparently darker themes and the band is no less popular for it.

The detail of the image, even with connotations of destruction could be from any band releasing an album and so would attract an audience that followed the rock/metal genre.

Unlike previous pages, there is no clear gender bias towards males. In other pages the main character is shown to be male, or people in band photographs were obviously male. Here however, the obscuring of the face means less exclusion of females. Even if it is still clear that the person is male, their gender in the image matters much less.

What I learned about the software I used:

Using GIMP once again, I made use of border markers to try to keep each page of the double page spread in line while developing them separately  This was something I had not done before, and took some practice to be able to use effectively.

Lessons learned from this product:

Revisiting an earlier lesson of aiming to go for a more simplistic and practical approach I would like to expand and modify that, in future projects I would keep layout and design simplistic and yet aim for the most creative approaches to key features to a particular page. In this double page spread for example I felt confident that simple layout would work and thus was able to spend more time creating the photograph that dominated the page.



Please Note: Neither the contents page or the double page spread will contain a section on distribution or outlining who the target audience will be, as this is a constant throughout the magazine and was laid out clearly in the evaluation of the front cover.

Music Magazine DPS Draft

For this draft I thought about the cross over of the two pages and how I could use it to show that it was designed as a double page spread.

You can see the title, here just "DPS" for double page spread, crosses over the midpoint of the A3 paper. I intend to create my image in two halves and put the halves together. The unavoidable fraction mark in the middle is no different to the unavoidable crease in a real magazine across a double page spread.

I will use one main image, that has a large and ideally dark background to it, where I will write text around the edge of the image.

As with the example double page spreads, mine will aim to contain a quote from the interview at the bottom of the page.

Example Music Magazine Double Page Spread:

This page from Metal Hammer displays a professional quality minimalist approach to the double page spread. Principally the double page spread has a dominating image that covers both pages of the spread, the title links with the image, and there is a quote contained separately from the rest of the text in this case in the top right.

Because of the dark tones of the image, the white text stands out clearly. The use of only dark colours, contrasting with the distinctive white and red give the page a feeling of superb higher quality. In this double page spread, it is the space that is not used that makes it look attractive.

This next double page spread is from Rocksound and shows again, a great deal of space around the image. 

Again, precedence is put on selling the artist. And the use of a quote that summarizes the article allowing for quick viewing can be found clearly visible separate to the rest of the text in the bottom left.

Likewise, there is a dark image with use of white text that gives it a professional veneer.

This last example is from Kerrang, who previously had shown a very cluttered front cover. In comparison to Metal Hammer and Rocksound there is certainly a lot less free space, with the main image being squashed into the middle. 

Unlike the other two examples, Kerrang has used a lot of different colours. There are pinks, reds and darker colours that are interrupted by band members wearing grey. The whole page is less organised, and it damages the quality of the double page spread.

Although, it is clear that an image, a title and a quote from the article (however short or wherever it may be placed) are all clearly visible. In the example from Kerrang you can see the quote in the center right of the double page spread.

Music Magazine Contents Page Rejected Images

This image was to be replaced by the gravestone, mostly because I only want to use it due to the framing of the person in the shot. However, when the image was shrunk to the size it was going to be for the contents page, the person could not be seen and so my attraction for the image fell sharply.

This other image was going to be the final image in place of the gravestone, but the colours of the image interfered with the rest of the page so it had to be scrapped.

My Own Music Magazine Contents Page:

Evaluation:

Conventions:

I attempted to meet the image conventions of the contents page by using several smaller images that 

related to bands or to album covers.

I also used a different font than in the front cover, like many magazines do for the contents page,

The contents page gives the necessary information to direct the reader, fulfilling the basic requirements of a contents page.

Representation of Social Groups:

I feel that the images used represent a variety of groups.

The first image could be found on an alternative rock album.

The second, I constructed purposefully with the indie style in mind the high contrast that begins to distort colour (popularized by the Inbetweeners)

The third is more obscure and could be found on a black metal album.

Attracting target audience:

This particular page, with the darker colour scheme and red border is more suited to darker themes of rock. This is not necessarily a negative aspect, as every now and again rock magazines even Classic Rock will play with the ideas and attractions of darker rock.

 Like the front page and magazine as a whole, the contents page aims to appeal to a variety of rock enthusiasts. 

The use of different social groups within the images used helps achieve this, appealing to those that are represented within the images. Hopefully although the darker theme of the contents page, the indie homage image would encourage anyone who likes rock and indie to read the rest of the magazine.

What I learned about the software I used:

This time, again using GIMP, I revisited the idea of a border and created a margin from a photograph I took and edited. The image was then repeated and I had to learn how to place the copies of the image and smooth the edges so that the margin pattern looked flowing. Each side of the margin is made up of eight fractals put together carefully.

Lessons learned from this product:

This assignment taught me to pay more attention to layout. Previously, layout had been rather simple with the front cover but here it became an issue. I felt that the use of space on this page was not as effective as it could have been if I had been more careful with my layout designs. Perhaps making a second draft or sticking closer to a draft is the way to resolve this issue and it is something I will aim to correct for the double page spread. 

Please Note: Neither the contents page or the double page spread will contain a section on distribution or outlining who the target audience will be, as this is a constant throughout the magazine and was laid out clearly in the evaluation of the front cover.

Music Magazine Contents Page Draft:

This was a draft that combined the option of a music magazine contents page layout of a multitude of images with my layout I used in the school magazine contents page.

I wanted to have text flowing the opposite side to accompanying images. And have a section ruled off at the bottom where an additional image would be shown and more information given.
The images would also be rotated slightly to give a reckless feel to it, like Kerrang or the punk genre.

In this assignment I would also make use of margins, using a repeated photograph I took. This would hopefully help create an atmosphere and feel of professionalism that I first attempted in my school magazine front cover.

Examples Of Music Magazine Contents Pages:

I included these two different music magazine contents pages both from Rocksound magazine to expand upon differences mentioned briefly in the section of planning photographs.

In the example on the left, there is a multitude of images, all connoting a band or solo artist. The images are mostly confined to one area of the page, giving the text of the contents page room to breathe.

At a glance, the contents page splits into four easily read sections of "The Noise" "Exposure" "Features" and "Reviews" allowing for quick scanning of the contents page to get to the general area that the reader is interested in.

In contrast there is a very different model of the contents page, this one using a dominating image that only bears a quote from one of the artists the photograph is of.

Once again the text is given it's own clear section of the contents page. The contents are split into key sections once again for easy reading.

The  important aspect of the contents page being to allow for clarity of reading the information both in detail and at a glance.

Rejected Images For Music Magazine Front Cover:

This first image was considered as the fire added to the power of the magazine title I had created and the background being all black I would have easily been able to write around it in white or red.

However, the shot does not clearly sell the artist and loses valuable merit in terms of following music magazine convention.

This photo could have been used, but at a glance I knew that the colours of the photo would make the image very difficult to use if I wanted to write a lot around it, and the image didn't hold enough sense of grandeur to be able to be a minimalist front cover like the example Metal Hammer explored earlier.

This final image was far too dark to be on the front cover, I attempted to rectify thise with posterising and light balancing on GIMP but this did very little. The guitar used is also an acoustic which, if it could be seen, would give the wrong connotations and appeal to the wrong audience for my music magazine.

My Own Music Magazine Front Cover:

Evaluation:

Conventions:

To make the page look like the front page to a music magazine I used a medium shot of myself combined with several small aspects of the music magazine such as the publishers mark in the bottom left.

To achieve the concept of selling the artist, I tried to use musical paraphernalia of the guitar in combination with alternative rock/metal attire like the hat, cross, bracelet and fake cigarette.

I included mock album covers which were not too different from the real ones which appeared in the example music magazine front covers I looked at.

I was pleased with the effectiveness of my magazine name logo, particularly how the 'T' met with the guitar, giving the implication of a union between the magazine logo (and therefore the magazine) and the musical instrument.

Representation of Social Groups:

I believe I achieved a reasonable representation of the alternative rock/metal social group through two ways. First of all is the paraphernalia I mentioned to help sell the artist. Such icons as the hat, cross, bracelets and fake cigarette portray the character as potentially belonging to these social groups. These items are often linked to both performers and enthusiasts of the  rock/heavy rock genre.

The font used for the Music magazine itself connects with the appropriate social groups. The connotations of a flaming font, which looked quite aggressive before it appeared to be on fire, are quite similar to say the cartoon images of Iron Maiden. These links to iconic rock bands also link the magazine to rock culture.

Which institution would distribute my magazine:

Because of the link to guitar, (which they have shown by the magazines they support to have a bias towards) and the target audience that my magazine aims at then the magazine would likely be best distributed by Future publishing.

Audience:

 This front cover would be good for attracting an older teen and adult audience. The use of a fake cigarette puts limitations on teen or younger audiences.I would be aiming more for alternative and heavy rock enthusiasts. Likely mostly male orientated as there is a male character on the cover and the rock genre is often male dominated.

How my magazine attracts target Audience:

The magazine creates links to guitar, connecting to those that enjoy rock and it's variations where the guitar is a favored instrument. The false album covers on the front page is more in the style of alternative rock bands, attracting those that enjoy alternative rock.The magazine name font gives the implication of harder rock (it's aggressive tone from being on fire). Together it seems reasonable to say that those that enjoy rock would be attracted to the music magazine.

The use of only few colours may make the page seem more professional to a more mature audience, whereas a younger audience may expect more colour or more images to engage with.

Older teenagers or young adults may feel more of a connection with my magazine, because the individual on the front cover is an older teen. This would also be why the magazine would likely be male orientated.

What I learned about the software I used:

Broadly speaking the project helped me re-familiarize myself with GIMP image manipulator, which I had not used for some time.

More specifically, the project encouraged me to try out different techniques for the magazine title. After completing the front cover I learned how to use shadow, contrast, and blur techniques to create a flaming effect on the font. As shown in the Logo section of my blog.

Lessons learned from the preliminary task:

After the preliminary task I felt like I needed to take a more simplistic route to reach a more professional looking end result. The border which I attempted in my school magazine front cover was not a failure, but I was not sure if it had worked to the extent I expected it to. I want to try the idea of bordering a section of text again, but I am also glad that I did not attempt to do so in this project where the use of space is more crucial than other pages to it's merit. 

I also felt that after the school magazine front cover, I wanted to manipulate the title much more to make it more of a spectacle in itself. This was more achievable in the Music magazine as it did not look out of place, however it would perhaps have been strange to have a more ornate title to a school magazine.

Music Magazine Front Cover Draft:

                                                                                                                                                                      

This is a rough draft of the front page of my music magazine. I decided I wanted the magazine name at a slant to make it more iconic. I also decided not to re-attempt a border for the features like I had previously in the front cover to my school magazine. 

The main image would have to be a medium-close up, that clearly showed a person who could be identified as a musician (either through fame or musical paraphernalia) I would try to keep features on the right hand side, leaving space on the left. I would then introduce a secondary image towards the bottom left. I also noticed the publisher mark which I intend to copy with my own.

Example Music Magazine Front Covers:

Here is an example Magazine front cover from 'Classic Rock'. As shown by the dominating centre image, the concept of selling the artist is crucial for the front cover of any music magazine.

This particular front cover has very little colour to it, this could be to connote the feeling of the artist as aged and much before the time of the present.
It could also be a stylistic choice, to draw attention to the text in lime green "Ban the booking fee" in the top right. or "Plus" in the bottom left.

There is not a great deal of space left on the front page, but that does not mean that the page feels cluttered  Keeping a single image stops the page looking crowded and poorly done.

Except for shoulder level, every inch of usable space is crammed with features. This may be something I would have to try to copy, to make as much use of limited space as possible.

'Classic Rock' is a medium between the much more cluttered 'Kerrang' and more minimalist 'Metal Hammer'

Here Kerrang pushes the notion of using free space to the limit. Rather than using text to cram the space, Kerrang uses lot's of smaller images.
This magazine is a lower price than Classic Rock or Metal Hammer, has a different target market and is of a lower quality than it's competitors.

What is clear, is that yet again there is the need to sell the artist. A medium or close up shot of a singer or band being expected for the front cover. Although the page is cluttered, the artist's face is unobscured.

In terms of colour, the page comes across as much less professional than 'Classic Rock' except for the Iron Maiden caricature in the bottom left or the images of Dave Grohl it could be said that the magazine keeps to more autumnal colours.

This particular Metal Hammer serves as the final example of the Music Magazine front page. It is a very simple choice, of only magazine name, image and band name.

The content of the image, although focused on the guitarist, extends to most of the page which would make a style like either of the previous inaccessible as it would obscure the main image. Because of this, there are no features expressed on the body of the page because there is in effect no free space.

The title 'Metal Hammer' is obscured by the image itself. Metal being almost tagged onto the edge of 'Hammer.' Although a letter is obscured, the audience still recognizes the name of the magazine. This technique is almost self-promoting in that it implies the magazine knows it is famous enough to obscure a letter and still be legible. Magazines do not take this to extremes and obscure most of their magazine name however, as the name and font of the magazine is one of the iconic symbols that readers expect to see.