Useful for the Planning task in Section B

• Hi, everyone! Even though your planning task will be based on creating a television listings magazine, this presentation still is useful to remind you of the key conventions of magazines. Remember, you could be asked to plan a:

Front coverContents page orFeature page or A magazine web pageStoryboard the opening title sequence or trailer.

Case study – Q magazineOrganisational issues

• Q is published by Bauer Media Group which is Europe’s largest privately owned publishing group. Bauer is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations.

• In Britain Bauer publishes Empire, Kerrang, Mojo, Q, Golf World, Match, FHM, Zoo, Grazia, Heat, More and Closer.

Case study – Q magazineConvergence

Part of a cross-platform brand:

• Q Radio

• www.qmusic.com

• Q TV – Sky 364, Virgin Media 338

• Q Awards

• Twitter and Facebook

• Advertising (print and audio)

• Glastonbury magazine

Front cover annotation

Direct mode of address

Posed photo, superimposed over masthead (implies audience foreknowledge)

anchorageCover price and website

(convergence)

Puffs/coverlines

Incentive/USP (Unique Selling Point)

Masthead/title block – clear brand identity

slogan

Representation of Adele

• Posed photo, medium shot implies she is as comfortable modelling as she is singing.

• Her hair blowing is more typical of a model’s photoshoot for a high fashion magazine. This is reinforced by her dress codes and fashionable make up and nail varnish.

• Coverline implies her sexiness as does her direct mode of address and gesture codes.

Representation continued…

• Use of red and white fonts not only anchors the brand identity in the consumer’s mind but also implies that Adele is also one of the icons mentioned on the left.

• Her “If you’ve got it flaunt it” quote refers to sex appeal as well as music but also implies that she wants to break out of the normal way she is represented as a ‘fat girl with a great voice’. This is anchored by the finger over the lips which implies she is not just ‘her voice’.

• Is she represented as a woman with sex appeal because of the 75% male readership – or are Q trying to appeal to women for this anniversary edition?

IdeologyIdeology – a system of values and beliefs or ideas that is

common to a specific group of people. • Bauer Media says, “Q’s audience is composed of

passionate, engaged and open-minded music fans continually driven to discover new music – and to use their lust for discovery to influence their friends.

• Q has a very strong brand identity through the use of red, white and black which echo a newspaper and therefore connotes that it is serious about music.

• Sans serif fonts equally are no nonsense for delivering information.

• The coverlines (puffs) offer promises of learning more about music icons which implies the consumer values ‘proper’ music.

Ideology continued…

• Use of music icons and a new music icon suggests that the consumer feels they are very musically literate.

• The use of generational stars and the 300 issue implies the consumer sees the value in rock through the ages and acknowledges its influence on the current icon Adele.

• The image of Adele implies that the largely male readership are interested in attractive women, not just music!

• There are no images of the listed icons which suggests the Q readers know who the icons are without needing a photo.

Preparing for Section B of the exam• Remember, in the exam you will be asked to design either

a magazine’s:Front coverContents page or Feature page ora magazine’s web page

• In order to be prepared you need to know exactly what you would do for each of the above. Therefore, you should do a rough copy that you can learn for the exam.

• This includes annotating your design, using as much media language as possible.

Designing a front cover, contents page or feature page - some advice and tips

• Your magazine title should be suited to your magazine’s genre and target audience.

• You are not being marked for your artistic ability, but you should sketch your key image. Your annotations (labels) should explain the content of each feature.

• Go to a supermarket and get a feel for the different music magazines on the shelves. It’s probably best if you buy one and try to emulate its style in the exam.

Example magazine titles

(You will need to come up with your own magazine title and comment on its connotations/why you have chosen it.)

• Kerrang – Onomatopoeia: The word reflects the loud music genres such as metal and hard rock which is the magazine’s focus.

• Mojo – Classic rock and pop music. ‘Mojo’ suggests a retro feel as it is a 1960s term.

• NME – Known for hard music journalism. Getting exclusive information on new and established artists.

• Smash Hits – Aimed at a teenage audience interested mainly in pop music/songs in the top 40.

Magazine title and slogan• You will need to come up with your own

magazine title and slogan and explain your thinking/intended effect. You should explain how your magazine title and slogan is influenced by the music genre your publication is based on and your target audience.

• Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_magazines to get some inspiration for the type of magazine title you will come up with.

Describing typography

Serif typeface – usually seen as more classic and traditional

Sans serif typeface (without the small bits at the edge of each

letter) – seen as more modern

Serifs in red

Section B continued…

• Once you have designed your magazine (front cover/contents page/feature page/web page) you will be asked to explain your creative decisions. (The bullet points on the Q magazine front cover are examples of some of the detailed comments you would be expected to make)

• Make sure you use lots of media language when explaining your decisions.

• Example question: Explain the layout of your magazine front cover.

The Uses and Gratification Theory

Media consumers choose texts that fulfil one or more of these needs:•The need to be INFORMED and EDUCATED about the world in which they live.•The need to IDENTIFY personally with characters and situations in order to learn more about themselves.•The need to be ENTERTAINED by a range and variety of well constructed texts.•The need to use the media as a talking point for SOCIAL INTERACTION or DISCUSSION.•The need to ESCAPE from their ‘daily grind’ into other worlds and situations.

Describing magazines’ audiences

• It pays to be as specific as possible when describing who your intended audience is. Consider using the following age bands to be more specific:

Under 5 6-8 9-12 13-15

16-18 26-40 41-60

How can I revise for Section B at home?

• Design the cover and the contents page for a new music magazine and annotate.

• Invent a new band/singer and create a feature spread on them and annotate.

• Design a magazine’s web page and annotate.

Example contents page with annotations

• Study a few music magazine contents pages and create your own to study for the exam.

• Just as with a front cover or feature page, be clear about what features/content goes where.

•Your annotations should explain what each feature is and identify particular genre conventions/codes and representations.

Simple heading

Magazine logo

Page numbers in a different colour so they stand out

Information on the articles is in a much smaller font so it doesn’t distract from the article titles

Gold typography is used to make it stand out from the rest of the page to emphasise the USP of this particular issue.

Less writing here as these a regular features that readers are already familiar with.

A wide shot of a band who are particularly popular or up and coming, so their feature is particularly emphasised. They seem casual in their t-shirts and relaxed poses. The one band member looking away and the other wearing sunglasses implies that they are cool and have a care-free attitude.

The appealing simple design suggests that it is the content which their readers believe to be most important. The mainly red, black and white colour scheme also makes the magazine seem sophisticated and professional

The setting on top of a hill connotes the band has bigger ambitions than just having ‘small town’ success.

Example feature page with annotations

The check shirt suggests she is casual and not a pretentious pop star, but a real artist and person.

The tattoo, a genre code of rock music, suggests she is slightly edgy and rebellious, and that her music is not simply pop music.

The typography uses a modern sans serif lettering in upper case. Because it is her quoted opinion and seems like the font from a newspaper, it makes her statement seem bold and important.

Her gesture codes of hands being on her hips and leaning forward imply that she is confident and wants to be take seriously as an artist rather than a pop star.

Her short, cropped hair portrays her a slightly masculine to suggest that she isn’t simply an attractive woman but a singer.

Example Section B questions

• Suggest two features that will appear on your front cover.

• Explain why you have chosen these two features.• Design the cover of a new music magazine, choose

any genre and annotate it with key vocabulary.• Design the contents page to go with it.• Explain the layout of your front page.• Suggest two reasons why fans read music

magazines for bands or music performers. Explain your reasons.

Included in the revision pack:

• Annotated examples of a magazine web page.

• Media language together with definitions.

Section A example questions and answers

a) Identify two features of the web page.

b) Explain why these two features are used.

c) Explain two ways the artist/band is represented in the web page.

d) Explain why the artist is represented in this way.

e) Choose a music industry website you have studied. Explain how it appeals to audiences.

f) Explain why music industry web sites are important for music performers.

Section A example answers

a) (1) Direct mode of address is used on the home page, such as when Dappy is singing directly at the audience. (2) A hyper link to itunes to buy the bands latest single.

b) (1) This develops a relationship between the fan and the artist, as it feels as if the artist is speaking directly and personally to them. Because the fans feel appreciated they are more likely to be loyal to the artist and become a regular purchaser of their music.

Answers continued

(b) (2) The consumer is able to directly buy the artist’s music from itunes. This makes purchasing the music easy and effortless because the consumer doesn’t need to leave the artist’s site to find the latest single on a separate site. Moreover, the web site also appeals to the buying habits of their mainly 16-25 year old target audience who prefer to download their music than buy hard copies from the High Street.

Answers continued(c) (1) Dappy is represented as a successful and popular gangster rapper because he is wearing expensive jewellery and is surrounded by attractive women seeking his attention. (2) Tulisa portrays an ideology of a strong and confident woman as she mode of address is direct and her gesture codes suggest she is as confident as the male artists.

(d) (1) Dappy’s obvious jewellery around his neck connotes that he is very successful because he is very talented as an artist, and so has earned the right to demonstrate his success.

Answers continued

(d) [continued] Dappy is also surrounded by women as the image is selling a lifestyle to the consumer that listening to N Dubz’s music will also make them popular to the opposite sex. By sitting on a throne, he is using a similar convention to other rappers who wish to connote through money or expensive cars that their success suggests they are the best modern rappers. However, he connotes that he is rapping royalty: the most talented rapper and so should be respected like a King.

Answers continued

(f) Music industry web sites are important for performers because:•Promotional devices for audiences to develop a relationship with the artist and to be entertained.•The star is sold as a commodity as their image is carefully controlled.•The audiences feel more involved by knowing more about the artist and by accessing the latest news on what the artist has planned.•The web site advertises the artist’s latest music and merchandise they endorse as an example of synergy.

• The web site constructs the image and ideology of the artist to appeal to its target audience, such as the typography of N Dubz implies the genre of its music as quite rap based and urban because it resembles graffiti, while also suggesting that consumers who are attracted to or come from inner city culture would enjoy this music.

• The twitter and facebook links provide more ways for fans to interact with the artist. This makes them feel closer to the artist and become more involved with the artist’s brand.