Research; Programs used for Editing and Fonts

When editing my photos I had to experiment with different programs to providing me with different outcomes when editing my photos.

The main program I used was photoshop. I mainly used CS4 but also CS6 due to a more familiariastion to the program. Evidence of processes of both programs have been shown.

 

When exploring effects I used www.pixlr.com I found this website very successful in providing original photo edits.



The program used for all of my fonts throughout the process was My fonts, this being due to the providing of fonts that I feel have the edge my magazine needs.

Planning; CD

When doing my Magazine research, all the Magazines I analysed provided the reader with some sort of free item. The most impressive was DJ MAG as it gave a CD with relevant music that complimented the Genre promoted for the magazine.  When designing the cover I had to take into consideration sizing of fonts, this meant using the Artist to promote the magazine so making the font size of "WWI"  the largest and mentioning the exclusivity so the target audience would be lured in. I feel that by giving a free CD with my Magazine I would attract more attention as well as promote the artist. I therefore experimented and created an Album that could be distributed to the buyers of the magazine.

Planning; Final 10

Planning; Eliminating Photos

After being left with a total of 130 photos I eliminated the least powerful images leaving me with a smaller choice of images but a more powerful selection. Theses photos represent my final 38 Images that I feel will compliment and emphasis my magazine.

Planning, Front Cover Mood Board

This Mood board represents a series of initial ideas that came to mind when planning my front cover/ contents page

Planning; Possible Contents page Images

I feel these photos are relevant in representing Indie/Rock/Folk. So I explored how they would suit and compliment the rest of my magazine by contrasting them with other relevant images that portrayed different things.

Planning; The Perfect Shot

Before setting up my Photoshoot I realise the significance in preparing the outcome beforehand. The things needed to take into consideration would be lighting, location , type of shot ( e.g medium-longshot) and positioning of model. After my Preliminary task I feel my biggest weakness was the variation of poses and angles of shots. I therefore looked at some current photos with unique styles and angles to inspire me as shown in the video below.

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Planning; Before and After

These photos represent the editing models photos had to suit my Magazine. By showing a before and after this will be easy to identify if I have sucseeded as the after photos should look professional for a Magazine. To improve i would develop my use of editing and introduce saturation and effects to explore different outcomes.

Target Audience by sandhyagulsin on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.

This video presents a visual in showing how household items, appliances and electronics can create an identity such as the different groups presented on UK Tribes.

Research; Other sources of promotion for Indie/Rock/Folk

 

FESTIVALS

By looking at current successful Festivals this provides me with an insight into the appearance, music genre and location of my niche market. Mallorca rocks is a prime example of my target audience that my magazine is aimed at. the video also reveals  Artists who have performed which fit into my Genres researched.

 

 TELEVISION

US hit TV show "Gossip Girl" includes Florence and the Machine in season 4 episode 14 performing Cosmic Love. This use of promotion is very successfully done as it presents a combination of two different audiences merging, the US viewers of the show and the fans of Florence and the Machine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RADIO 

This is another presentation of benefitial promotion of more than one party. Ben Howard performed a cover of " Call me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepson on radio 1 live lounge, as well as a combination of 3 audiences this represents an adaptation and alteration of a pop song turned into Indie/Folk.

 

 

 

Research; Exploring relevant fonts

To understand what fonts will compliment my Genre of magazine as well as suit the lettering I explored with various fonts.To Develop this further I would introduce a suitable colour scheme. All the fonts are from www.myfonts.com

 

 

 

Planning, Magazine Title Ideas 1

When deciding on a relevant Title I needed to consider the connection of the theme of the Magazine in contrast with the name. This then would help me eliminate any irrelevant Title Ideas.

The Raver- I feel this magazine title is powerful in representing individuality and the Rock genre but does not compliment the Indie and Folk Genres. The term "raver" may be misleading to the target audience as it does not connect to the entire combination of Genres that the Magazine entails. My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be an image of a crowd at a festival/ Gig.

 

Chorus- When attempting to connect the title with the genres my initial reaction to this title name would be a Classical Genre rather than, Indie, Rock and Folk. This therefore eliminates the idea for my Magazine cover.

 

Rebellion- The title name was inspired by Kerrang. I feel the name represents Indie and rock but with relevant captions could portray the Folk Genre also. My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be an image of a Rock band with a red and black colour scheme. 

 

Treble-My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be sounds of high notes and chimes. This is irrelevant to my theme and Genres so I therefore will not develop it or research it any further.

  

Folk- I feel this title could suit all three genres with a suitable bold font to represent Rock. My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be an image of and Artist with a unique rock-style dress sense holding a relevant instrument, such as Guitar.

 

AQ stick- This title idea is representing "Acoustic" but with an individual appearance. I feel this is of risk as to make it successful it would need to compliment the front cover images and colour scheme as well as suiting the genres. My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be unknown as I wouldn't understand the hidden connotations.

 

WWI- The abbreviation WWI stands for "We Want Indie" this idea was inspired by current successful magazines such as GQ and NME. I feel this title could compliment all three Genres. My initial reaction to this title name is unknown so there would have to be relevant fonts used to provide a mental image. 

 

DISC-My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be an image of the item itself , a CD, depending on which font is used it could either compliment the three genres or clash completely.

Indie- The versitility of the appearance of the title could be developed and altered such as; In-D or indi3 to make it more unique and modern. I feel Indie is a perfect balance between both Rock and Folk so suits all three genres. My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be an image of Indie fashion, this would be needed to take into concideration when doing my cover shoot.

 

FOLK 360- The use of numbers is to explore a unique new selling point. This would be a risk and would need further research before I could develop it further. My initial reaction to this title name as a reader would be a radio station.

Research; Target Audience

Planning; Front Cover Dynamics

To understand what kind of shots my front cover would compliment against the rest of the text and space etc I made some rough outline designs that would also benefit me when shooting my model. This would make me aware of what shots I need to produce a suitable photo. These outline designs show that a medium-long shot or a medium shot is best suited.

Research, Exploring Genres

The relevance of understanding the description and meaning of the Genres for my Magazine will help identify many other factors. These factors being ; appearance, character and style of the target audience, relevant advertisement and current singers who fit the genres. All the definitions are based on opinions from different sources as they are can only provide perceptions of the Genre descriptions.

According to folkmusic.about.com Folk music is;"Any style of music which represents a community and can be sung/played by people who may or may not actually be trained musicians, using the instruments available to them.In the 1960s, folk music blended with mainstream music. Now, in the 21st century, folk music has strong influences." An example of Artists that classify their style of music to fit this genre are; Mumford and Sons, Bob Dylan, Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran.

According to Wikipedia ; "Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include indie pop, jangle pop, C86 and lo-fi, among others." An example of Artists who classify their style of music to fit this genre are; White Lies, Artic Monkeys, The Maccabees and The Kooks.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica ;"Rock, also called rock and roll, rock & roll, or rock ’n’ roll, form of popular music that emerged in the 1950s.It is certainly arguable that by the end of the 20th century rock was the world’s dominant form of popular music. Originating in the USA in the 1950s, it spread to other English speaking countries and across Europe in the ’60s, and by the ’90s its impact was Global." An example of Artists who classify their style of music to fit this genre are; Green day, Bon Jovi , Black Sabbath and The Beatles.

Research; Questionnaires & Statistics

To help understand what my niche market are looking for and what appeals to them, I created a questionnaire to help formate a non- biased opinion on what is suitable for my magazine title. The people asked are from my local environment aged 16-19 and 9 people of mixed genders results are shown below.

Research; Questionnaire on Prezi

The images below are of some of the 9 people questionnaired they represent a minority of my Target Audience.

 

1 The presentation of this girl is edged towards indie-Folk. The use of vintage hair and a block colour clothing depicts this.

2 The presentation of the next person is mainstream indie, she has many of the attributes that UK Tribes describe and Indie Scenester such as Dyed hair, cardigan and Canvas bag.

3 The presentation of Indie-Rock is shown for this person, due to the dark colour scheme of clothing in contrast of the vibrant shoes presenting an Indie undertone. 

 

Research, Magazine Analysis 2

General

The company that produces GUITAR WORLD is a record company called ; NewBay Media which headquarters in New York City.There is no given target audience according to the publishers website in which affects the reliability of my study on the Magazine.The magazine costs £5.50 or $4.99 in the USA. GUITAR WORLD is published 13 times a year, (12 monthly issues and a holiday issue).The circulation is not revealed which also affects my research and the approximate monthly revenue streams from advertising and circulation are not revealed either.

Analysis of Front cover

The variation of fonts successfully contrast each other. The multicoloured spectrum of the main coverline compliments the title as it doesn't draw attention away from it. The coverlines are not typically placed on the left and right hand side of the magazine they are placed at the bottom meaning there is less space available for cover lines. As well as presenting originality this also presents a balance and lack of busyness on the cover which allows the vibrant colour scheme to work. This could also have a disadvantage as the reader is exposed to minimal information about the content but could also lure them in to look inside. The calm fade affect of the the background supports the busy patterned affect in the foreground. the black and white animation effects of The Beatles makes them merge into the rest of the cover rather than standing out and presenting an importance.

The Cover

The significance of the name of the title; GUITAR WORLD is similar to DJ MAG in addressing the target audience instantly and revealing information about the topic coverage inside.This title connotates music such as Rock and Roll as well as a relation to Guitarists. The masthead/title logo consists of a bold pink colour with a variety of bold colours below. This produces a mixed colour scheme. Unlike DJ MAG there is no relevant symbol such as a guitar to present a successful brand-identity other than the Title itself. The strapline is used to reveal the versatility of Genres inside the magazine; Maroon 5, August Burns Red and Bring me the Horizon.The main image reaches out to the reader by the recognition of the well-known legends of rock; " The Beatles." By using well known musicians for the cover this immediately has a higher likelihood of broadening the attention of more than just the niche market, fans of the band will be attracted the the magazine simply because of the Musicians on the cover. The medium shot of "The Beatles" is almost destroyed with the layers of pattern and the brightness and contrast of the graphics draws attention towards the image. Their clothing compliments the colour scheme. There is use of additional miniature images in the cover which merge into the background. this presents them in a subtle manor not making the layout of the cover look busy and overloaded.The vibrancy of colour on the cover doesn't continue throughout the magazine which can be perceived to be misleading.

The main content promoted by the cover lines;Guitarists guide,projects and reviews.
The connotations of typefaces, graphics and colour are presenting a modern trend and presenting an individuality with a hippy style feel. The language devices identified are the usage of language on the Sub-headings presenting an informality. 

The cover "talks" to the reader by ;

• presenting relevant cover lines; " The Guitarists guide to playing bass." 

• Suitable Artists whom are respected and have succeeded as Guitarists.

• Revealing the free music sheets inside.

• Mentioning topics that are only familiar to the niche market and would alienate others.

Due to the content about Guitars inside the Magazine there is a range of magazines in competition with GUITAR WORLD due to a large population of magazines supporting Guitar based music. A comparison of a rival is Kerrang.

The similarity between GUITAR WORLD and other magazines such as Kerrang are ;

• Same promotion of genres of Music; Indie/Rock
• Both Magazines have the foreground Artist/Artists covering the background font in which suggests that the recognition of the Magazines are so popular they don't need to expose the complete title.

• The "busy" layout of the cover lines  images and text.
• The type of advertising; both magazines promote music related things such as Artists, Albums and Concerts etc.
• GUITAR WORLD and Kerrang both have a medium-long shot.
• Kerrang is produced weekly affecting the amount of circulation in comparison to GUITAR WORLD which is produced monthly.
• Kerrang attracts a larger niche market whereas GUITAR WORLD is more specific.
• Both Magazines provide free items to lure the reader in. The December issue of Kerrang gives a 7 free posters and GUITAR WORLD gives free music sheets inside.
• Being a weekly magazine Kerrang costs £2.20 whereas GUITAR WORLD being a monthly magazine costs £ 5.50

Inside 

There are 179 pages.
There are 75 pages of adverts.

The different types of products advertised are;

• Guitars and Appliances e.g pedals and Amplifiers 

• Suitable Artist promotion that compliment the Genre 

The "types" of features and articles are; Music - Singles, Albums , Compilations. Learning- A guide to playing guitar as well as free music and transcriptions. Artists- Interviews with Artists about upcoming releases. Columns- Articles written by respectable journalists.

There are 12 spreads throughout the magazine which tends to fluctuate from 2-4 pages per spread.

Focus on an Artist- The most common spreads including discussion with upcoming Artists and Critic reviews.
USP-  I feel the unique selling point of GUITAR WORLD is the  daring colour contrast and meaning competition are not entitled to provide the same item. Also the use of an edited cartoon affect  on and original image on the cover is an original selling point.

 The topic content is harder to identify and locate in comparison to the features. The topics listed under  "Departments" are; 
 Woodshed, Sounding Board- Letters, reader art and Defenders of the faith, Tune-ups- All spreads involving Artists, Soundcheck- Guitar features and parts, Columns- Critic Reviews  and Last licks- how to play legato runs.                                                               

Usage of "advertioals" is successfully done because all the Artists mentioned either promote their equipment or upcoming album; " " I think this is a negative factor as a large majority of the magazines pages are devoted to advertisement.
The magazine presents a unified "housestyle" by unique layout and presentation of creativity throughout. The " house style" is appropriate for the target audience as it presents an edgy, rock style feel.

Research, Identifying the target audience UK Tribes

When trying to identify the target audience I need to research what appeals to the youth at present. With Adults they are categorised by factors such as income whereas this cannot apply to the youth. in 2005 Channel 4 created a youth market categorising different notions of Tribes with information on hobbies, fashion and musical interest. By referring to UK Tribes this then provided information about which genres would compliment my Magazine.

When doing my research on Media consumption, the most successful media promotion for magazines was " Leading edge" as the chart shows. The media consumption of this is extremely high on the internet which would be ideal when making a website for magazine promotion.

According to UK Tribes the most common brands that represent indie Scenesters are shown below. This is helpful in looking for suitable and relevant advertisement pages in my Magazine;

 The list below presents survey results in 2007 on how to identify a "scenester chic" in Britain;

Wearing:
 

Foppish, floppy haircut
Waistcoat
Thick rimmed glasses
A lovely coiffeured fringe (on both boys and girls)
Cardigan
Stripy T-shirt
Bleached hair for the girls
Tight jeans, maybe white?
Pork-pie hat
Braces
Harrington-style jacket
Long on top, short on the sides hair-cuts
Converse or winklepicker shoes

Girls - lumps of hair removed in unexpected places on head


Carrying:
 

Canvas bag on shoulder (preferably Rough Trade branded)
7 inch by their favourite band

Ipod
CDR of their own demo
Pouch of rolling tobacco


This is useful in helping me stereo-typically dress my model to fit the image needed to present my Genre.