Pinterest Mood Board

Over the last few weeks I have made a mood board on Pinterest about Rock Music.

Here is the link:
http://www.pinterest.com/janetbargmann/music/

I felt that doing another Mood Board for my chosen genre would help me come up with ideas on how to make my magazine look more realistic. I have used a range of images and videos of rock bands and lyrics, because I wanted to get a wide variety of different types of rock music- from Classic Rock, to Hard Rock, to Indie Rock and Alternative Rock. 

-Janet

Double Page Spread Progress

This is currently my Double Page Spread:

So far I am pleased with the outcome, as I was struggling before with which picture I should use, and what to write. I was originally thinking of having a question and answer interview, but I thought that having one in this style would look more professional. 

I have made the first letter of each new paragraph stand out, as I have seen that this is a common feature in many music magazines. 

I have been thinking about doing one final photoshoot, because I have seen images online that have the photo on the top half of the page, and the interview on the bottom half, like this one, for example, by NME:

I like this, because I feel like I could write a lot more about the band and include more quotes. 

-Janet

Front Cover Feedback

After doing a first draft of my front cover, I showed my class and got some useful feedback. The  main point they focused on were to make the "Plus" stand out more, because it looked too dark against the model's black clothes. 
They said that the main image and the masthead font were very good, and that it really connotes my genre well, and they liked that the name of the band was in yellow, and in a different font to show that it could be the band's logo. 
Since then, I have made these changes to my magazine, as well as taking in information from an Industry professional who said to work on making the lure stand out and to change "If it weren't for music..." as it isn't really gritty. I have also changed some of the fonts on the cover lines to make some more variety. Here is my front cover at the moment:

-Janet

Contents Page Progress

Contents powerpoint from Janetisamazing

Front Cover Progress

I chose to change the main image because I felt that a plain white background would look more professional, and the first background was already quite busy. I think that having plain white means I can experiment with the colours of the words and I can add more news to the front cover.

-Janet

Photoshoot 2

As not all of my initial photos were as good as I wanted them to be, I experimented with lighting and a white screen. These are my results...

Musical Interlude

Here are some videos of songs which have inspired me. 

These have inspired my magazine so far, especially the front cover, because the songs are all a different style of rock music, and this is what I want to represent in my magazine, as it is about all sub-genres in rock.
In the first two videos, I have looked at the clothing and the colour scheme, which is mainly red, black and grey, which proves that my research was accurate. However in the final video, "Familiar Taste of Poison" by Halestorm, has a much more dramatic side to it which can be seen in the storyline of the video, the clothing and the lyrics. This is inspirational for my type of magazine because for the front cover in particular, I want it to stand out so if it's quite dramatic then that could add to the feeling of standing out of the crowd and putting on a show. 
In Shinedown's "Enemies", there is a lot more anger in the video, and it is generally much louder than the other two videos throughout. I think that these differences could come in handy when thinking about my articles for the contents or the double page spread because I can use a variety of stories inside the issue of the magazine. There is also some humour in this video so this can also give me ideas as to how to write my articles. The song also has the idea of a rebellion between the two band members, and that the bassist is uprising against the lead singer. 

-Janet

My Chosen Photos

This is the photo I want to use for my front cover:

I think it would look effective because it has the whole band wearing black and white, standing against a colourful, graffiti-styled background. The girl at the front isn't looking at the camera, unlike everyone else which I think would relate to the title of the magazine, "Uprising", because what I found with most main photos is that the model(s) always look at the camera, whereas here, there is a sense of rebellion. 

For my Contents Page, I want to use a variety of photos, to use as posters as well as for the article. These are some I might use:

For now, I haven't decided on a final photo for the contents page, or if I am going to use more than one. I think that I will definitely use some of these individual shots for posters because then I will fulfil one of the briefs which is to use more than four photos, and it will give the readers more to look at. 

Finally, this is the photo I will use for the Double Page Spread:

This is one of my favourite photos, because all of the band members are looking at the camera, so it is engaging with the audience already, and making them feel like they are a part of the article and the photo shoot. I think the main colour scheme of black and white really stands out against the brown background, however, I think when it comes to editing, I will try and see if I can change it because I don't think a brown wall will necessarily connote "Rock and Roll Girl band". 

-Janet

"Fan Photos"

In my magazine I want to include photos from gigs I've been to, the most recent being Thirty Seconds to Mars. I thought it would make the magazine more interesting to have photos taken by fans, to put into the contents page as a "Reviews" or "Fans Photos" section. 

These are some of the photos I think could be included:

Masthead Ideas

These are some of the ideas I have come up with for how my masthead will look: 

Photoshoot

These are my photo's which I took for my front cover, contents page, and double page spread. Eventually I will choose and edit my final photos to fit them onto the magazine. I think that the photo-shoot went quite well, because I managed to get a wide variety of photos, including group shots as well as individual shots. 

Risk Assessment

Photo shoot Plan

Flat Plans

I decided that a photo of a whole band would look good on my front cover, because from my research, that tends to be the case. I would also like to have a band because then they can hold instruments and it will connote that it is a music magazine.
For the contents, I will use other photos, such as ones from gigs because I think it will make the magazine more realistic. However, because the band on the front cover will be the main story, there will be a photo of them too.
Finally, on the double page spread, I will use a different image for the band which will probably take up one side. This means that there will be enough space for the interview, and the picture will again be of the whole band.

-Janet

Mise-en-scene research...

Articles Mise-en-scene

Article

This article is of Halestorm, a heavy rock/metal band. The photo has the whole band looking straight at the camera, so the audience is immediately drawn in.  There is a white background, and the writing has a black textbox behind it, so the actual article stands out too.  

None of the members are smiling properly, so this could imply that they are really serious about making it in this industry. The fact that they are all looking forward could also suggest that they are looking forward to what the future brings them and that all want to progress as a band. 

At the top, "Introducing" is written in red, so this is the important part of the article because red is often used to catch attention. 

This article of The Kings of Leon is quite different to the first article because it is on a double page spread, and there are different colours used. 

In this article, the band are sitting down in a brown room, which isn't a particularly appealing colour. The colours of the clothing have quite neutral, subdued tones so it could suggest that they are not trying to make a huge statement, unlike some other artists who often wear the opposite. There is a single light bulb in the middle of the room, so this could connote hope for new albums in the future and to be successful. 

The article is written in red and black, so these bold colours stand out against the relatively plain background of the photo. However, it could be that each of these colour schemes bring out each other, so the reader is drawn in either way. 

"Kings of Leon" is written in big, black and bold writing so the audience immediately knows who the article is about. 

-Janet

Album covers Mise-en-scene

Album Cover

In this album cover for Walk the Moon, the colours used are very bright, and can connote the liveliness of the album and the music. The background also looks like it's been painted in watercolours, so it could show that the music blends in well with each other and also could imply that they are a band that blend in well with the music industry, showing that they know what to do. 

There is a treehouse in the middle of the album, in white so it stands out against the rest of the colours in the background. The treehouse can make the audience relate to childhood memories of being active and happy, and the music is very upbeat so along with the colours, it makes the audience think of a dreamy, make-believe child's world. The visual and musical mood of this album cover help to represent the carefree atmosphere of childhood. 

This is Shinedown's album cover for their 2008 album "The Sound of Madness". In comparison to the previous album, this one has only two colours- black and white. It could represent that their music is simply just rock music and nothing more to it. 

The lettering looks like graffiti, and at the end it has been smudged so it could connote rebellion. It could also mean a lack of permanence or the fact that someone tried to rub it out, but it didn't completely disappear. This implies that they are not going to go away anytime soon.  The birds could symbolize freedom, so this idea of rebelling and uprising could link to freedom fighters through music and its artwork.  

-Janet

A letter from The Editor

Hello, readers!

Welcome to our first edition of "Uprising", the rock magazine with all the information, photos and interviews you need to keep up to date with your favourite artists today. As a magazine, we appreciate Rock music as a whole, including all it's sub-genres like Alternative rock to Punk rock- our aim is to keep every single one of our readers happy and interested with the information they are getting from us. 

"Uprising" is unique, because we feel that it is important to keep you guys up to date with your favourite bands, but we also encourage you to expand your knowledge of our genre by introducing new up and coming rock bands who we believe have so much potential in this competitive industry. 

We can assure you that every month you will get an exclusive look on what your bands are up to, whether it's going on tour or making their next studio album, "Uprising" will aim to satisfy all of your musical needs so don't worry- you won't be dissapointed. 

Thank you so much for supporting us, and remember to enjoy the magazine!

To get your voice heard, visit our website at the back of this issue. 

All for now, 

-Janet

Pitching my magazine

Dear Bauer Media, 

I am writing to you to show my ideas for a new magazine for rock music, "Uprising". 

"Uprising" is a unique new magazine, specifically for Rock Music as a whole, and will include information about many different sub-genres of rock, including Alternative, Indie, Heavy metal as well as good old classic rock.

My hope is that "Uprising" will appeal for a younger audience, by initially aiming at 15-21 year olds, as my market research has shown that this age range are the most likely to buy a magazine of this genre. Further research showed me that most popular music magazines cost between £2-£3 , so I am planning to sell "Uprising" for roughly £2.40, on a monthly basis. 

I was drawn to Bauer Media because I am aware that you are one of the biggest music magazine publication companies in Europe, and I would really love to see this new and creative rock magazine thrive in this competitive market. Together, I strongly believe that we can make "Uprising" stand out from the crowd and rise above.   

Yours faithfully, 

Janet Bargmann.  

Music Publishers

The two most popular magazines I found were:

• Bauer Media- Q Magazine, KERRANG!, Mojo magazine
• IPC Media- NME, Uncut

I think I will use Bauer Media as my producer because they are already very popular with magazines who specialize in Rock music, so I think that even though it would be a tough market, the magazine could benefit because they know what they are doing. 

-Janet

Audience Profile

Cally, 19, South Africa

This is Cally, a student from South Africa currently on her gap year travelling around Europe. Cally loves music of all genres, but some particular favourites include pop artists like James Blunt and Adam Lambert, to Indie bands like the Arctic Monkeys, to the greats like Queen and even bands from South Africa like the Parlotones and Zebra & Giraffe. 

In her spare time, Cally likes to go running, spend time with her friends, and listening to music, either on her iPod or in concert... of course!

"Uprising"

From my research, I found that the most common age range for a new rock magazine is 15-16 year olds, but there are also quite a few people aged between 17-20 so I think my target audience will be between 16-20 years old. 

Most of the people who answered the survey did like listening to Rock music, so this helped me see the popularity in making a new magazine for this genre. 

The most popular colour for a rock magazine was, by far, red. This was closely followed by black, and then yellow, so I now have an insight to what colours I should be using for my front page, and also for the colour scheme of my magazine. 

Finally, the most popular name for a new rock magazine was "Uprising". "Sound Check" was also quite popular, as was "Revolution", but I can see that the audience would think that a name like "Uprising" could stand out, and it can also connote rebellion which I think would be good for a rock magazine, as many sub-genres of rock were made to rebel against mainstream music. 

Therefore, my music magazine will be called "Uprising". 
-Janet

Magazine Survey

Click here to take survey

I have created a survey to see what my audience's response would be for my magazine name ideas. 

-Janet

Music Words...

This is a mind map I have made with music words which I think connote Rock Music effectively, and I want my magazine to relate to the genre of rock. I think that using a word that people relate to rock music will help make it clear what sort of Magazine I am selling. This has helped me to come up with some ideas for a name, because it made me think of what I relate to rock music. 
The general idea was to have something loud, almost onomatopoeic so my magazine can stand out. 

-Janet 

My chosen genre...

After doing my research, I've decided that my chosen genre will be Rock. I think I'd prefer to do Rock as a whole, rather than doing a sub-genre like Alternative Rock, because I think I would have more to work with and I could include other sub-genres so I can use the research I did for Alternative. 

Types of magazines include:

These magazines are some of the most popular magazines for Rock and it's sub-genres. The conventions are all very similar, as they all have about three main colours, which is mainly yellow and red. Also, they have the whole band, which shows that within the Rock genre, there are mainly full piece bands- vocals, guitars and drums- rather than just one singer. 

Kerrang! is slightly different to the other two because the band is covering the majority of the masthead, whereas with NME and Q, it's not covered as much. 

The Audience:

The stereotypical audience for Rock music is generally men, maybe slightly older, but Rock is a very popular genre for all ages and both genders. With bands such as Metallica, a metal/hard rock band, this stereotype will be more prominent because many people associate the loud music with chaos and violence, so they may be put off. However, fans of this genre might say that you have to listen to the lyrics and not just the music.
One of the most popular sub-genres of rock today is Alternative Rock, with bands that include 30 Seconds to Mars, Muse, Paramore, and Biffy Clyro. 

-Janet

Codes and Conventions

Production Plan

Pop Music

From researching another genre, I have learnt that a lot of different genres have similar codes and conventions with each other. For example, almost all music magazines have the masthead at the top of the magazine, and the main image in the middle. 
The main difference, I have noticed, is the use of colour, font, and how the artist(s) have been  composed in the photoshoot. Quite often, the artist will be looking straight at the camera, but sometimes, especially if there is a band, they don't always look straight at the audience. 
This has helped me understand how to make my magazine stand out, and how to make it clear that my magazine will be in the rock genre somewhere, so I will closely follow those codes and conventions. 

-Janet

Alternative Rock

From my research  into Alternative Rock, I have learnt that all magazine of this genre have colours other than black in them, such as red, blue, yellow and green. I think that if I choose to do this genre, applying this convention will make the magazine stand out and the audience can clearly see what genre magazine it is. 

-Janet

Kerrang! Deconstruction

Magazine Deconstruction

The fact that Matt Bellamy is looking down could connote power, and that Muse are one of the biggest rock bands today. NME is overlaid onto his head, so this could imply that even though he is important or powerful, they are the ones who are successful enough to bring the story to the reader. 

-Janet

Music Magazines

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Mood Board

This is my Mood Board for Classic Rock. I chose to do Classic Rock because it is a genre that I am quite interested in, and it is where most modern sub-genres of rock, such as Alternative and Indie Rock, originated from. 
I thought that my Mood Board turned out quite well, but I think I should have used more pictures instead of writing, and also use lyrics because many Classic Rock songs have meaning to them and also, many of the lyrics are very well known today so people would instantly recognise them. However, I think the use of the band logos was good because they are some of the most well known rock bands and people will know who they are- even if the logo doesn't have the name of the band. 
Classic Rock would be a good genre to do, because it is still very popular today, but I think that it could be quite hard, as I feel that  I don't know enough about all of the artists considered as "Classic Rockstars". 

-Janet

Main Task- Music Magazine

Genres: Rock

Preliminary Task- School Magazine

Hello!

Here is our first task, to make a school magazine. From this experience, I have learnt about how to use photoshop to make my photos look more professional, and how to successfully layout a front cover and contents page of a magazine. I think that I need to use photoshop more, to become more comfortable with the process, but generally I think it was a good start.

-Janet

Mise-en-scene

 

Hello!

In the powerpoint above, I chose five photos which I both found online and took myself which I thought were good and I am going to explain why I chose them. 

I chose the two underwater photos because I love underwater photography. The first one in particular I really liked, because it's in black and white, so it makes the photo looks old and relaxing at the same time.  
The reason I chose the one of the mini outside McDonald's is because I liked the simple humour of it, and also because the Christmas Tree on top of the car with the lights on makes the restaurant look welcoming. 
I liked the third photo of the traffic lights in the water because it is so unreal yet fascinating, but you can picture being there on a stormy day. The stop sign underneath could also symbolize how reality can stop in unlikely events.
The photo of the diver shows how lighting can be used for a really cool effect. The dark blue around the diver, and his black silhouette could represent the mystery of being under the sea, but the circle of white light can show that there is always something else out there.
Finally, the fifth photo is one of my own. I was really proud of this because I like the effect the blurred background brings the center of the flower into perspective. The blue flower against the green makes it really stand out for the audience. 

-Janet