Welcome to the official blog of DnB magazine.
DnB is a monthly drum and bass and dubstep magazine, bringing to the public events, tours, interviews and reviews on the latest and best bands. It targets young, youthful and out going audiences.
This blog will be taking you on a visual and literal walkthrough on the making of the magazine, including a preliminary task, planning and research and the final task.
This is the photo that I will be using as my main image on the front cover of my magazine. The photo links to the genre of the magazine because the subject has headphones held around her head, which demonstrate the music. The shot type is a mid-shot, this is to show the subject fully, but also some of the background around her. The clothe's that the subject is wearing also links to the genre, this is because people in this range of music wear things such as baggy t-shirts and the 'I (Heart)' on the t-shirt shows her love for music. The model is also wearin a string, jesus bracelet which also links to the genre, since it is indie and trendy. The subjects facila expression is serious, this is to show her passion for what she is doing. The background around the subject is an outside area and this is to show that the music is so loud, it can not be played inside.
This picture is similar to the picture that I had chosen for my front cover, the only problem was that it was too close. I liked that the photo I chose included some of what the model is wearing, unlike this one. But i have used this image in my double page spread, this is because it is a storey on the subject from the front cover.
I didn't use this photo because it was a long shot, when what I needed was a mid shot. Also the photo is not in perfect focus, it has a slight blur to it. The background is also too detailed and show's that the picture if obviously taken outside, in an empty space.
This photo work's well because it give's a slight in depth into what type of music the magazine is representing. But this photo is also a long shot and is not in perfect focus. I don't like that the road and car's are pictured in the background, it doesn't give the right image to the magazine.
I thought that this picture was quite good since it showed the subject wearing headphone's and the type of clothes that she wear's, for example Nike trainer's and this is to show what genre the music is in. But the facial expression didn't go as planned, so I have chosen not to use it.
This was another one of the image's that is used in the double page spread, this is because it show's the subject's style which links to the genre. Also the body shape given make's it look like it could be something seen in a magazine, since it has an edge to it. Also the way that the subjects hand is placed outward from the headphones shows that the music is mind blowing.
This is also one of the photo's used for the double page spread, the reason why I chose this picture is because I like the facial expression on the subject; it show's her passion for music. Also the screaming face she is pulling show's her youthful, rebellious self.
This is another one of the photos used for the double page spread; her facial expression show's how loud the music is and you can see by the way she is pointing the headphones towards us. This is also to speak out to the audience, by directing the music towards them.Preliminary Task
For my preliminary task, I made a front cover and contents page for a magazine for Acland Burghley school. The theme for it was the art's and to shows that the college is based around the different type's of art. The main image on the front cover is a close mid-shot, I cropped the photo so that the camera that the subject is holding is the main focus. The reason why I took a picture of a student holding a camera was to show the choice's of arts given by the college. The serious face expression on the subjects face shows how serious these types of subjects are, the look on her face shows a real passion for the subject. The camera that the subject is holding is to represent the good facilities given to use in the college. The colours used for the texts on the front page and contents show the four colours of the schools that are joined to make the college. The masthead and title for the contents page is in red, which is the colour used for Acland Burghley and the reason I used it for the masthead is because the magazine is about Acland Burghley subjects. The colours then used for the other the other texts relate to the other colours, for instance the green is used to represent La Saint Union, the blue is to represent William Ellis and the purple is to represent Parliament Hill. The font's used are very simple, and are used throughout the front cover and contents. The image used on the contents is also a close mid-shot, this is to show the subjects facial expressions. The two subjects are laughing showing that they are happy and this is to show what the mood at the college is like; by giving an image of two students who go to it.
Planning and Research
And Evaluation Questions
My final piece for my coursework was to make a front cover for a music magazine, a contents page and a double page spread. But before I went onto production work, I done a lot of planning and research. The majority of this is in a folder.
- In what way's does your music magazine use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of existing music magazines?
My music magazine uses many conventions of existing music magazines
I researched mastheads from other music magazines:
A masthead is always used, this is the heading which contains the name of the product, which for my magazine will be 'DnB'. This text is bigger then any other texts on the page, this is so that it stands out and makes it obvious that it is the title.
When designing my masthead I tried out various fonts:
I put my masthead at the top right corner of the magazine, which is what most music magazines do; here I was following a convention of music magazine's.
But it seems that in most music magazines the person/people pictured as the main image usually cover most of the masthead, where as I thought there was no need for this since my masthead is only small and need's to be shown so that it is readable.
The second largest text is to show the cover storey, this is the main storey printed in the magazine. This storey is about the celebrity pictured on the front, which is what most music magazines do.
I used a main image that covers the full page, this is of a celebrity; this is because music magazines always put a celebrity on the front cover and this is to show that the main pages inside of the magazine will be focused on them.
For the photo on the front I used a mid-shot, this was so the image was portrayed properly and the subjects facial expression was seen and the objects used to show the genre, for example the headphones.
The image I used was original, a lot of music magazines do this; this is to stop any copywriting and to show that there will most probably be a story on them.
The background of the main image has challenged the conventions of music magazines, because the background is detailed and shows that the picture was taken outside. Where as most music magazines use a plain background for their main shot, which is not detailed.
I used a logo which is a bass box, this is because it links to the genre of the drum and bass and dub.
I also included a bar code at the bottom of the page and the price of the magazine so that the buyers know exactly how much they are spending; also from my research I knew that this is what all music magazines use.
I also included a date, this shows whether the magazine is recent or not; readers like to know this so that they know whether to buy it or not.
The second largest text is to show the cover storey, this is the main storey printed in the magazine. This storey is about the celebrity pictured on the front, which is what most music magazines do.
I used a main image that covers the full page, this is of a celebrity; this is because music magazines always put a celebrity on the front cover and this is to show that the main pages inside of the magazine will be focused on them.
For the photo on the front I used a mid-shot, this was so the image was portrayed properly and the subjects facial expression was seen and the objects used to show the genre, for example the headphones.
The image I used was original, a lot of music magazines do this; this is to stop any copywriting and to show that there will most probably be a story on them.
The background of the main image has challenged the conventions of music magazines, because the background is detailed and shows that the picture was taken outside. Where as most music magazines use a plain background for their main shot, which is not detailed.
I used a logo which is a bass box, this is because it links to the genre of the drum and bass and dub.
I also included a bar code at the bottom of the page and the price of the magazine so that the buyers know exactly how much they are spending; also from my research I knew that this is what all music magazines use.
I also included a date, this shows whether the magazine is recent or not; readers like to know this so that they know whether to buy it or not.
The magazine will be sold monthly, this is because my target audience are more likely to buy a music magazine monthly then they would weekly. The magazine has many Lure's, for example the comment on the interview that will be inside which says' Lady Dub, She's got it all' it draws attention because the audience then wants to know what is it all?. Also the price is a lure since it is appealing since it is only £3.50, which is not over-priced and is accessible for the audience to buy. Another lure is the freebie, which is a gig guide and this will appeal the audience because they will want to be in the know of what new events are to come and will help them to socialize.
The contents page uses many conventions of a music magazine contents page. For example it uses photo's that are linked to what will be seen through out the magazine. Such as the picture of the DJ, which links to the pages '079-085 Make a Beat' which is about learning how to DJ. also the picture of the two young women laying down, dressed in trendy clothes with a background of an event, which links to the pages '02-014 Top 10 Events' which is showing the top ten events to be seen at. Also it uses the convention of telling the reader that this is the contents page, which is not what all music magazines do; but the majority of them do.
The contents page uses many conventions of a music magazine contents page. For example it uses photo's that are linked to what will be seen through out the magazine. Such as the picture of the DJ, which links to the pages '079-085 Make a Beat' which is about learning how to DJ. also the picture of the two young women laying down, dressed in trendy clothes with a background of an event, which links to the pages '02-014 Top 10 Events' which is showing the top ten events to be seen at. Also it uses the convention of telling the reader that this is the contents page, which is not what all music magazines do; but the majority of them do.
The use of the page numbers with what will be on them and the small sentence on more about it, is usually used within contents pages of music magazines.
Unlike many music magazines i included the month that it is that the magazine is out in and the year, 'November 2009'.
Another convention my contents page has used is the use of the masthead, to keep consistency though out the magazine.
The triple page spread has used conventions of music magazine interviews, by including many images of the interviewee. Also the heading says who the interviewee is, which is a convention that most music magazines do.
The use of a bolder text to first describe who the interviewee is, is always used in interviews in music magazines. Also the use of different colors to show what the question and what the answer is, is an ordinary convention.
- How does your music magazine represent particular social group?
- What kinds of institution might distribute your music magazine and why?
- Who would be the audience for your music magazine?
To find my target audience i gave out questionnaires to the public:
Circle the correct answer. No names required, anonymous. Confidential and will only be shown to a third party in statistic form.
Drum and Bass and Dub, music magazine.
1. How old are you?
12-15 16-21 22-30 31-35 36-45 46-55 Other
2. Are you?
Male Female
3. How many music magazines do you buy a month?
1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 Other
4. How would you like your magazine to be written?
Formal Informal
5. Do you prefer a music magazine to be about...?
Fact Opinion Both
6. What do you like a music magazine to be based on?
Events Interviews Reviews Tours Other........
7. Do you like to know about the latest events and soon to come events?
Yes No
8. Do you like to receive ‘freebies’ with a magazine?
Yes No
9. How much do you expect to buy a music magazine for?
£1-£2 £3-£4 £5-£6 £7-£8 Other
10. Are you more likely to buy a .......... music magazine?
Daily Weekly Monthly Other
25- Women 25-Men
22- 16-21years old 13- 22-30years old 15- 31-35years old
30- 1-2 magazines a month 12- 3-4 magazines a month 8- 5-6 magazines a month
38 –Informal 12-Formal
33- Both 9- Fact 8- Opinion
24-Events 13- Reviews 10- Interviews 3- Tours
48- yes, like to know about latest events 2- no, don’t like to know about latest events
37- yes like to receive freebies 13- no don’t like to receive freebies
12- £1-£2 32-£3-£4 6-£5-£6
5-Daily 17- weekly 28-Monthly
I gave my questionnaires out to people in Camden town high street; I made sure that I gave them out to 25 men and 25 women to make my answers equal for both sexes. I also made sure that all the participants liked drum and bass and dub step music. 22 of the participants were between the age of 16 and 21, 13 were between the age of 22 and 30 and 15 of them were between the age of 31 and 35, this gave me an idea of what my target audience would be; it shows me that they would be quite young and between the age of 16 and 35. I then wanted to know how many magazines the participants bought a month, so I could have a rough idea of how often the magazine would be bought; the results showed me that 30 of the participants bought 1-2 magazines a month so I now know that there will be quite a lot of competition with other magazines in the same genre. The main majority of the participants preferred there their music magazines to be written informally, from this I know what style my magazine should be wrote in. Most of the participants like their magazine to include both fact and opinion. It also seems that most people who read these types of magazines like them to mainly contain events, this tells me that the magazine must keep in date with recent events. The majority of the participants like their music magazine to come along with a freebie, so my music magazine will have to try and give free things away at special times of the year. Most of the participants expect there magazine to cost between £3 and £4, I will have to make my magazine fit around this price. Most people buy music magazines monthly, so I will make my magazine monthly, this will also be less time consuming.
The target audience for my magazine will be both male and female, this is because my magazine doesn't discriminate against either of the sexes and has something for both male's and female's. The age group that I will be targeting will be within the ages of 16 and 35, this is because the genre of music my magazine will be highlighting attracts mainly the younger generations. Also these ages groups are more likely to be able to take time out of their everyday life's to go to music venue's and festivals. They will also be people who like to socialise in big group's and meet lot's of new people, since this type of music is usually played in large, live venue's with lot's of people. My target audience are people who have an education and many aspirations, but like to go to such events where this genre of music is played for escapism.
- How did you attract/ address the audience for your music publication?
- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
From constructing this product I have learnt how to use such technologie's as Photoshop and how to use many of the applications on it; with this I constructed my magazine front cover and contents page. Within this I learnt how to use layer styles, contrast the brightness, crop pictures and all of these has helped my magazine with developing a youthful look. I also learnt how to use Pages, with this I constructed my double page spread with for my magazine. Within pages I learnt how to use 'the inspector' with this tool I could put frames and shadowing around my photos. I learnt how to use a camera, and with the photo's I produced from them cropped them with Photoshop.
- Looking back at my preliminary task, of designing the front page of my school magazine, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I have made a large improvement in my final piece, compared to when I had made my preliminary task of the school magazine. In my final piece I put a lot more planning into it and researched into it to help me to come up with a design. Unlike my preliminary task, I used many different style's of font, and to do this downloaded fonts from a site called 'www.dafont.com'. With this I tried out a range of fonts and colors, to help me decide what I would use for my masthead on my music magazine, unlike in my preliminary task where i only tried out one font and that was the one I used. When designing my music magazine front page and contents page I used a lot more of the applications accessible in Photoshop, such as cropping photo's. When constructing my preliminary task, I only had a range of four photo's to choose from to use for my front page and contents, which didn't give me much choice and freedom. Where as in my final piece I had around 41 pictures to choose from, giving me a wide range choice for my front page, contents page and triple page spread. Also within these pictures I had a ranger of different shot type's such as close ups, mid-shots, close mid-shots, etc.
Music Magazine Front Cover and Contents
My front cover uses an image of a young women, who is an up and coming celebrity. The shot type is a close mid-shot, this is used to show the expression on the subjects face, which is showing her passion and seriousness about music. She is holding headphones around her ear's, this links to the genre of the magazine which is drum and bass and dub step. The use of musical props helps to show the reader that it is a music magazine. The subjects top says 'I (heart)', this is to show her love for music and links to the genre because people who would listen to this type of music would where such clothing. The subjects hair is wavy and natural which also links to the type of target audience. The masthead say's 'DnB' and underneath it 'DuB' this is because it stands for drum and bass and dub step. When designing the masthead i first of all wrote DnB, but i saw as i duplicated it and rotated it that it spelt out the word dub, which is a similar type of music and the majority of people who listen to drum and bass would listen to dub step. I found the font on a website called 'www.dafont.com' and the font is called 'Blocks'. I thought that this type of font related to the magazine because its tech-no. The font is square and edgy, it isn't too complicated, which is good so that not all attention is focused on the masthead. The outline colour around the word 'DnB' is black fading into yellow, this is because it looks slightly like strobe lights which would seen at events that play this type of music. The outline colour's around the word 'DuB' are yellow, red and blue, which are simliar to the jamaican flag and this type of music is associated with such colours. I kept a theme of red and blue throughout the cover, the smaller texts and strips used these colors; also these colors do not link to just one gender, so that the audience don't feel that they cannot buy it. I thought that they linked well to the genre of the magazine and contrasted well witht the picture. The smaller texts have a simple font, so that they dont take over the picture; but i didnt want them to be too plain so i added textures to them, so that they would stand out of the page more. I used red strips along the magazine, in these strips are the main topic's and tell the audience what freebie they will get inside. There is one red strip diagonally on the top left corner, on this is written 'Top 10 Events' this is because this is something reader's will really be interested in. Along the bottom is a red strip saying 'Party Of The Month And Gig Guide Inside', this is used to show the reader's what freebie they will be getting inside. At the bottom right corner is the barcode, this is something that all magazines include, so i knew that it was a necessity. Above this is the price of the magazine which is '£3.50', this price is average so that it is accessible for anyone to buy. Also it will be sold monthly, because it is easier to produce and the audience are more likely to buy it.
My triple page spread uses the same theme of blue and red, I like it to be consistent throughout my magazine. The main heading saying 'Lady Dub' uses the same font as the small text on the front cover, its also textured like the fonts on the front cover. On each page is the masthead in the right top corner, this is to keep the brand noticeable and remembered. On the first page there are two photo's of the subject used on the front cover. Around the photo's is a white boarder, with a white shadow so that it stands out from the page. On the other two pages there are also pictures of the subject with white boarders and a pin at the top, this makes them look like they are photos pinned onto the page and around them is also a white shadow helping to make it look like it is coming out of the page. All images are quite similar, the same subject is pictured in all of them since she is the main and only artist. Throughout the photos the subjects passion and energy is portrayed. The images all have different shot types including close-ups, close mid-shots and long mid-shots. At the bottom of each page is the number to show the reader how to read through it and to follow on form the contents page.
Feedback
To find out whether my magazine would be suitable for my target audience and to see if it represents its genre I questions two students from my class to hear their opinions on it.
What genre would you say this magazine is?
Student No.1: I would say it's genre is one of a dance type of music, this is because of the look of the model used on the front. I think it could be electro or dub.
Student No.2: It looks like a drum and bass magazine because of the use of the headphones, also from the DnB representing it in short form.
Is the front cover eye-catching?
Student No.1: Yes, I like the way that the colour's are used throughout it and the expression on the models face draws you to her.
Student No.2: I think the use of the short masthead, put in a large font is very effective and catches your eye straight away.
Would you buy this magazine?
Student No.1:Yes, i feel like i can relate to it and im also interested in finding out the party of the year.
Student No.2: Sure, i love being one of the first to know about new, up and coming stars.
Is £3.50 a reasonable price for a music magazine?
Student No.1:Well it could be cheaper, i would prefer to buy a music magazine for around £2.50.
Student No.2: Yes, i would expect it to be around that price and i woudnt mind too much because theres a freebie inside.
Do you like the use of colour's used in the magazine?
Student No.1: Yes, i think they link well with the genre of drum and bass and they also catch your eye.
Student No.2: I think that they are very bold and stand out well. i like the way that the same colour scheme is used throuhgout the magazine.
From my feedback I can see that my magazine represents the type of genre it is trying to portrey. It also would be bought by the type of audience it is targeting, since the two students are the ages of 17 and 18 and these ages are in the category. Also i can see that both male and female take an interest in the magazine since one of the students is a girl and the other a boy. My front cover is effective, it catches the eye of the reader. Also the colour's are used appropriatley and are used well. But i can see from my feedback that the magazine could be sold for less, but i disagree because it will be a large, fully packed magazine since it is only sold monthly.
