Original Images

Finished Product: Feature Article

Finished Product: Contents Page

Finished Product: Front Cover

Music Magazine Survey Results

Music Magazine Survey Results

Construction Schedule

December 2014 - Front Cover (2 weeks)

January 2015 - Contents Page (2 weeks)

January 2015 - Feature Article (2 weeks) 

January 2015 - Re-shooting (2 weeks) 

February 2015 - Finishing final products

February 2015 - Editing photos and adding to products 

Feature Article Draft - Hand Drawn

Contents Page Draft - Hand-Drawn

Front Cover Draft - Hand-Drawn

Location, Props and Costume Report

The images of my band were taken in the studio. I wanted them to look like actual models from the 1960s, and at that time many photo-shoots took place in a studio, so I wanted to recreate this.

 I thought the studio would be better than using a different location or taking pictures outside because it would look like my photos were actually taken in a 60s studio, and it also meant I could control the lighting and content of the images. 

Because the background was a plain black curtain, this means the girls are the main focus of the images rather than any background detail.

I also styled them with retro-style outfits of jumpers, dresses and skirts that were similar to styles of the 60s. I kept their make-up minimal as the article is about them as a band rather than about fashion, so I wanted them to look natural.

The only prop I used was a chair. When researching images to use I saw that a lot of 60s models were made to pose on a chair, either alone or as a group, and I wanted to recreate this for my images. This means the photos are simple, not over complicated or cluttered, and that the girls dominate the image. 

These are the images I used as inspiration: 

This model is sat on a simple stool, but the focus on the image is on her dress.

Here, chairs are used for a group of models, on a plain background.

The background of this image is blurred slightly so that the reader's eyes focus on the model rather than anything else.

I liked this image of the Rolling Stones because it has an unusual perspective, but also has a candid, casual feeling. Although taken by a professional photographer, the band don't looked posed, so the photo looks natural and personal as a result.

As the model isn't facing towards the camera or looking at it, the reader instead focuses on the clothes she's wearing rather than her face. As this image shows the whole of her outfit, it would probably be more suited to a fashion magazine rather than a music magazine.

Feature Article Draft

Contents Page Draft

Front Cover Draft

Mood Boards and Analysis

Original Ideas Statement

I have chosen to make a fashion and music magazine, based on the style of the 1960's. Although it will feature music, clothes and products from modern artists and brands, its design and music genre will be inspired by bands and magazine layouts from the time period.
 it will feature modern day singers/bands that are similar to bands of the 60's (from the rock/pop genre) and clothing products from stores like Topshop that sell vintage-style clothing, as well as specialist retro clothing retailers like Vivien of Holloway.
 The intended target audience are young people aged between 16-24 from and ABC1 background, with an interest in classic rock/pop music as well as modern but similar style artists. They enjoy listening to music, watching movies and using the internet, for social media sites as well as buying vintage clothing.
 I have chosen this type of magazine because I find the 1960s and interesting and exciting time in terms of music, fashion and culture. I like a lot of 60's bands (e.g. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones) and the fashion of the time and I wanted to use this for my magazine. I also wanted to make something different, so that's why I used scans of magazines from the time as inspiration for my layout and image style.

Complete Analysis of a Music Magazine: Q Magazine

  Q magazine was launched in 1986 as “the modern guide to music and more”, wanting to set itself apart from other music publications. The name comes from the word Cue, the original title of the magazine (as in, cueing a record to play) but this was changed to Q so that it wouldn’t be mistaken for a snooker magazine.

 This concept of being a magazine that is unique, new and exciting has stayed the same. Only in 2008 did Q revamp its image, using a smaller amount of text and featuring articles on other subjects such as film and TV rather than just music.

 Generally, Q is a rock music magazine, featuring both classic artists and new releases, but may also feature indie and alternative artists.

 Q is the UK’s number one actively-purchased magazine and has a circulation of 61, 485 with a readership of 377,000. It has an ABC1 profile of 72%, meaning most of its readers have high disposable income. The median reader age is 32, and male readers make up the majority of the readership with 70%.

 One of the main things that set Q apart from other magazines is its high quality photography and printing, something it has prided itself on since its beginning.

 For its contents, Q is mostly focused on music: an extensive review section featuring new releases and reissues, as well as compilations e.g. the 100 Greatest Albums. There are also interviews with artists as well as TV and film reviews.

 Like many magazines, Q is a multi-platform brand – publishing in print, online and its own iPad app. It uses social media to reach wider audiences, with 104.1k followers on Twitter, 86,871 likes on Facebook and 2,186 followers on Spotify. Q Radio reaches 196,000 people a week playing “an eclectic mix of the best in rock” and often featuring artists as guest presenters. Every year it’s the official partner of the Glastonbury festival, and produces a free magazine handed out onsite.

Information on Magazine Publishers

IPC Media –

 Founded in the UK in 1968, is it one of the biggest publishers in the UK and worldwide and thought to reach 100 million consumers in print and 80 million online every month. Now known as Time Inc., it has a wide portfolio, with over 90 brands worldwide in print, as well as online and mobile platforms. It divides itself into three sections; Connect (which targets the mass market of women), Southbank (targeting upmarket women) and the Inspire (targeting the mass market of men.  Notable brands include NME, Now, Look, Ideal Home and Marie Claire in the UK and Time, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated and Life in the US. Time Inc. UK also includes “experiences”, such as the NME Awards, Wallpaper Handmade Exhibition and LOOK Interactive edition. This range of products, franchises and events is designed to connect further with audiences and go beyond the magazine, across different brands and platforms.

Bauer –

Bauer is part of the Bauer Media Group, which was founded in 1875, and is estimated to reach over 22 million UK consumers every week through magazines, radio and TV. It’s first published titles in the UK included Bella, Take a Break and TV listings magazines, all launched in the early 1990s, before it purchased and became the owner of brands like Q, Kerrang and Empire. Bauer is a multi-platform publisher, producing magazines in print and online as well as owning radio and TV channel brands like 4music and Absolute Radio. Categories include women’s and men’s weekly magazines for the mass market and upmarket (e.g. Closer and Grazia, Car and Classic Car Weekly), as well as titles for specific interests and hobbies (e.g. Country Walking, Bird Watching, Match!). It also uses events for its brands to create further interest from readers – for example, Kiss Radio has seasonal parties playing music that their target audience listen to (mostly mainstream chart music as well as “Kisstory”, which plays “old skool anthems” from recent years).

Conde-nast –

Attracting more than 164 million consumers, Conde-nast produces “highest-quality content for the most influential audiences”. It was founded in 1909 and is thought to be the first producer of “class publication” magazines; magazines that target a specific social group, hobby or interest, rather than trying to create a large a readership as possible. Magazine categories include Fashion and Lifestyle, Home and Garden, Bridal, Golf, Food, Travel, Technology and Culture. Its brands are targeted at a more upmarket audience, with its most famous brands including Vogue, Vanity Fair and Wired. In 2011 it became the first major publisher to deliver subscriptions for the iPad, as well as launching Conde Nast Entertainment to develop film, television and digital video programming. It’s College of Fashion and Design is based in central London, and claims to prepare students to work in all areas of the fashion industry.

Overview of the Magazine Industry

Overview of the magazine industry

 In Britain, there are over 8000 titles published, with 1.4 billion magazines being sold every year and consumers spending £2 billion on magazines annually. It is estimated that 85% of the UK population reads a magazine.

 All magazines can be categorized as follows:

• Consumer (general and specialist) – sold in newsagents and available online. They make up the majority of magazine titles on sale and are split into general and specialist. General titles are to entertain and inform (e.g. Radio Times, Glamour, Loaded) and specialist titles are aimed at a specific hobby or interest (e.g. Empire, Salmon and Trout, Shooting UK)

• Business/trade/professional – for people at work

• Customer magazines – given out by organisations as a form of marketing

• Staff magazines – used by companies to inform their staff

• Newspaper supplements – free as part of a daily or Sunday paper

• Part works – a set number of issues that build up to create an “encyclopaedia” on a certain topic

• Academic journals – discussion of arcane topics at university level

 The magazine industry has grown over the last few decades. In 1980 there were 1,383 titles available to consumers, whereas now there are around 3,200. It is thought that an average of 500 new magazines have been launched every year for the past decade, but only 3 out of 10 titles survive in the market for more than 4 years. In 2008, advertisers spent £745 million in magazines.

 The biggest consumer magazine publishers are Bauer Publishing and Time Warner (formerly known as IPC Media), with Bauer having a 25% share of the UK market and Time with 20%.

 Magazines are thought to be “ephemeral”, meaning they only last for a short time. This can be said for every category, not just fashion or celebrity magazines, as information and ideas are constantly changing and evolving. They tend to be more successful if they pick up on the spirit of the times, for example, featuring the latest celebrity news or advertising the latest trendy clothes. 

 Whilst many magazines tend to follow the ideas, culture and ways of society, some may try and challenge this and do something different. For example, a fashion magazine may only feature clothes from small unknown brands rather than big well-known labels, or a music magazine may only feature artists of a certain genre of music rather than feature a wide variety.

Textual Analysis