Interview Questions!

In Mrs Burne's lesson, we are currently preparing our interview questions which I will be asking my chosen band today.

Here are the questions that I have considered:

• Which artist/band has been the main inspiration for your music?
• At which age were you certain that you wanted to do music?
• How long has your whole band been together?
• Is image important for rockstars?
• How did you guys form as a band?
• How long has your whole band been together?
• Have you considered doing anything else?
• When was the first time you ever performed in front of a live crowd?
• Would you trade your current genre for a major record deal?
• So what does the future hold for you?
• Tell us something you've never told an interviewer before?

Shot list!

Here is my shot list that I have created before taking my actual photographs which help me to prepare for the actual photo-shoot I am going to be carrying out. After I have taken the photographs, I will be posting the notes on the shoot (the blank column).

UNPLUGGED! - Final magazine name

Here is a Prezi which involves the results that I have received when I conducted a survey which asked my target audience which magazine name they preferred. The Prezi also features my final decision of my magazine name!

 

23/01/13 - Photography teacher!

In todays photography lesson, we learnt how to plan and create different types of camera shots with the use of lighting. We also learnt how to focus the SLR camera by using IOS and aperture which was done by using the manual button. I learnt that taking plenty of pictures on the day of the photo shoot is vital (around 100) as this will give me a variety to choose from. It has also helped me to think about the proportion of my main image as I have learnt that angle of gaze is important on my front cover.

Here are some of the images that we took of our photography teacher without any editing. In our groups we had to adjust the lighting and settings on the camera. We experimented by using different lighting in the studio to help enhance his features which made the photos overall look more effective.

I decided to play around with different effects in the last picture and I edited it nearly to black and white with a hint of dark brown. This has helped me as it has allowed me to gain knowledge on how to manipulate different types of images which then can be used in my magazine.

Edited image!

Potential magazine names!

I decided to create a Wordle to show potential related names that I could use for my Rock magazine. Also, I will be conducting a survey for my target audience to decide which name they prefer on my Rock magazine which will then allow me to decide my final chosen magazine name.

 

Flatplan Feedback!

In today's lesson, I received feedback on my flatplans on how to make my overall magazine look more efficient and professional.

The comments I received:

- Try to integrate your DPS by making a tear in the middle so it can be ripped of as a poster.

- Make it clear that your magazine is a monthly magazine. 

By taking in the feedback, it will help me amend and tweak my magazine and it will also let me develop more ideas for my magazine. I will be posting my improved flatplans shortly.

Completed flatplans

Before planning my front cover flatplan, I had a look at different Rock front cover magazines which inspired me in creating my final flatplan. I have decided to feature the whole band as my main image on the front cover because my market research suggests that most of my target audience prefer the whole band to be seen. Also by looking at different front covers with bands on them, it has also helped me to come to a decision on how to take the actual picture as the whole band has to fit in the picture.

Here is my flatplan for my front cover:

I made sure to include a lot of freebies on the front cover as my target audience prefer a lot of freebies to be seen. I think this layout is effective because of the main image as it has an angle of gaze which yet again communicates with my potential target audience. Additionally by including different band names on my front cover, it highlights the genre that my actual magazine is focusing on.

Contents page flatplan:

I decided to use the same colour on the heading 'Contents' from the front cover to make the whole magazine look more appealing as the colour scheme is continuous. I decided to have the image of the band "The Drej" more bigger than the others as they feature in the double page spread.

Double page spread flatplan:

In my double page spread, I decided to use a simple layout which is common in most Rock magazines as I have decided to feature a pull quote next to the main image of the double spread. Also, the colour scheme is also consistent which makes the whole magazine look more professional. Near the text, I am also considering to put a image of The Drej rehearsing.

By creating my flatplans, It will help me a lot when producing my actual magazine as I will refer back to my designs and even make changes to improve my magazine. Additionally, I have also considered what to include in the actual magazine for example different names of subheadings which is beneficial as it has helped me develop my ideas.

Inspiration & Colour Scheme!

When creating my flatplans, I looked at all different kinds of rock magazines which allowed me to follow as many similar conventions that all Rock magazines had.

By deciding to have a band on my front cover, I had to look at different Rock magazines which featured bands on the front cover in different shots. Here are the front covers that helped me decide an appealing layout including common colours used on the front cover:

By researching into different types of rock magazines, I had also discovered that the most common colours used in a Rock magazine was red, black and white. I decided to use my research into my own magazine and decided to use red, black, light green and white in my colour scheme as I believe it will make my magazine stand out with the use of different shades of the colours.

Ideal colour scheme for my magazine!

Planning my Flatpans..

This week I am going to start to design my flat plan as it is due on the 22nd January. I must remember to refer back to this as it tells me what to exactly include:

•  A lot of detail with text and colour completed. Should look like your completed magazine will do (apart from your interview)
• To show how your research has influenced the design of the flat pan and should include a minimum of four different images.
• The design can and will change and adapt but you must always explain and justify these changes
•  At the end, the finished magazine should be recognisable from the flat pan.

Typical Reader Profile

Josh Smith is sixteen years old and lives in South London who currently studies A levels in Media Studies, Music, English Literature and Art. Josh is very ambitious and hopes to take a degree in music when he goes to university as he enjoys listening to a lot of Rock music in he's spare time. Josh's major dream is to be in a successful Rock band when he is older as he has a passion for music. He also likes to read and collect "Kerrang!" magazines monthly and he also watches he's favourite bands on channels like "MTV Rock" and "Scuzz". He's favourite bands are Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Muse, Linkin Park and SlipKnot. Josh looks up to a lot of role-models for inspiration and he's biggest role model is Elvis Presley as he was the first person to release a rock-and-roll record which inspires Josh as he feels more motivated with he's progress in music. Josh also created he's own band with his friends which is called "Loud Silence", he is the lead vocalist. His approach to life is laid back and care free but Josh desperately wants to succeed in the music industry in the future as he and his friends have been practising music ever since they were twelve. He's band "Loud Silence" play at school concerts and on the weekends, Josh spends he's time at band rehearsals at he's friends house. Josh feels that music is very important in he's life as it takes away exam stress and depression as he feels Rock music helps him forget about he's worries.

Market Reseach - Focus Group

Analysis of focus group response

“What genre is this magazine focusing on and how can you tell?”
I asked this question see if my focus group could realise if the genre was Rock by covering up the masthead of the front cover. In the video, Aaminah says “I think it is Rock, you can tell by the man carrying the guitar and he’s posture” This implies that her first impression was instantly Rock as she found out by looking at he’s posture and what he is carrying which is a guitar. With my magazine, I have to consider having a very bold and striking posture of my whole band and I also have to think about if my band is going to carry any instruments for example a guitar to represent the genre Rock.

“By the use of pull quotes, does it make you feel more involved?”
This question also helped me to explore different opinions as Aaminah said “Yes it does, because it tells you what’s in the magazine”. This implies that pull quotes are essential on a front cover as most of my target audience instantly look at it to see what the magazine actually includes in it. Rahaab also answered “People get attracted by the pull quotes, the colours are contrasted and it stands out from the background as it is black” This also shows that the use of colours has to relate with the actually pull quotes which then would make my whole magazine look more appealing.

“Does the magazine look more appealing with different font sizes?”
I asked this question to see if the focus group thought the different font sizes looked effective on a Rock magazine cover. In the video, Aaminah says “Certain things stand out more than the others like My Chemical Romance which actually links to the picture”. I will take this into consideration when I design my front cover to make sure that my actual picture links with pull quotes in various font sizes to make it look more effective as the focus group agrees that it does.

“Compare the two different covers, which one do you prefer?”
This is vital towards my magazine as I had decided to show two very different front covers. One was a simple looking front cover with consistent use of colours and the other was a typical rock magazine with different fonts. Aaminah says in the video that she preferred “the first one, it looks more rocky-fied, with the colours and the way it says classic rock”. Rahaab also said “It’s quite simple so it’s straight to the point”. I will also be taking this into consideration as they both seemed to prefer the sophisticated and simple look of the first magazine. This means that when I’m making my magazine, I will have to use dull colours for example dark grey and faded white which represent Rock consistently throughout my magazine.

These are the magazines that my focus group looked at:

DPS - Kerrang!

I created a presentation of analysing a double page spread from the magazine Kerrang. It has helped me  understand what features to include in my double page spread which also focuses on the genre Rock.

DPS - Kerrang Analysis

More PowerPoint presentations from afreen

What I have learnt by analysing a Kerrang double page spread:
- Pull Quotes is an essential feature as it makes the reader want to read the whole article
- In the article, it is important to include an interview and also the background of a band as it makes the whole article look more professional and also it will be more entertaining to read
- Another vital feature is a stand first as it introduces the whole article.
- The article uses formal language which reflects the readers as they may be older.

The Drej - My chosen band..

I have come to the decision to feature the band The Drej on my magazine front cover and double page spread.

Here is a short video I created on iMovie about the band:

By having The Drej on my front cover, it will help my magazine stand out as my target audience (teenagers) are most likely to be interested in seeing latest new local bands around the area. My market research also highlights that most people prefer the whole band to be on a front cover of a Rock magazine. The Drej will also be featured in my double page spread with an interview and a short background of the band.

Here are some links to The Drej's Websites:

The Drej's Facebook

Soundcloud

The Drej Myspace

The Drej's Twitter

Results of Market Research

I decided to create an online survey on http://www.surveymonkey.com allowing people to answer my questions that focus on all aspects of a magazine. So far I have got 17 people to take part in answering my survey and here are the final results that I have decided to analyse in more detail.

The first question I asked was "What is your age?"

Both answers "14-16" and "17-20" was the highest which highlights that the results overall on the survey are vital towards my magazine as my actual target audience is teenagers. I will be considering most of the answers towards these questions to make my magazine successful.

The next question I asked was "Would you prefer the main singer on the front cover or the whole band?"

 The results showed that almost all the teenagers preferred the whole band to be on the front cover of the magazine. The results has definitely helped me to come to a final decision which is the whole band as most of my target audience agree with it.

Another question that links with the front cover was "What stands out on a front cover the most?"

The highest result was the actual main image on the front cover which implies that the main image I take has to be effective and perfect as it is the first thing that my target audience really look at in a magazine. The second highest answer was the colour scheme which also show that the main colours I consider to use in my magazine has to link with rock.

I also asked a question that linked to my potential double page spread which was "Do you prefer the background of the band or an interview with them?"

The top result was the option both which shows that most teenagers prefer an interview and also a background of a band to get to know them better. I will definitely be using the option both in my magazine as a lot of people prefer it and it would also make my double page spread look more appealing and effective with a lot of information about the band I have chosen to put on my double page spread.

The last important question I selected to analyse was "Would you prefer to see freebies on the front cover of a rock magazine?"

The highest selected result was "Yes" which implies that most people prefer to buy a magazine if there is freebies along with it. From the results, I can consider to advertise "freebies" on my front cover which would help my magazine to be realised by my target audience.


Overall Conclusion:
By analysing the important questions which was answered by most of my potential target audience, it allowed me to get a better understanding of how to structure my whole magazine as the results of the survey is very beneficial. The results allow me to come to final decisions about how my magazine would be presented and what to include. From my market research, I have decided that having a whole band on my front cover would be better as in the double page spread it will allow me to have more to write about the band and I can also include details on each member.

Analysing Grazia Magazine

By analysing the double page spread in class from Grazia Magazine, I have learnt:

• Having a standfirst is ideal and vital as it introduces the whole article and it pulls the reader.
• Also in the standfirst, it is better to have rhetorical questions to make the reader want the answers.
• Including alliteration in the actual interview makes the reader more interested as it is catchy.
• Second person plural also makes the reader more involved and it emphasises what the interview is about.
•  Informal writing technique which gives the readers an impression that interview is close friends with the actual person being interviewed.
• First line includes a bold quote which is a attention-grabbing quote as it may give off a shock reaction.
• Include a background and overview about the artist/band so its not all questions.

Focus Group Questions

Here are the questions that I asked my focus group who are analysing music magazines specifically aimed at my chosen genre Rock.

  Front Cover:
- What genre is this magazine focusing on? How can you tell?
- By looking at the front cover, do you think that the main image links with the concept of the magazine?
-By the use of pull quotes, does it make you feel more involved with the magazine?
 -Is the masthead presented clearly? What do you like about the layout of the masthead and how effective is it?
- Does the magazine look more appealing with the use of different font sizes?
 - Does the specific colours used link with the genre of the magazine and how?
 - Compare the two different front covers... Which one do you prefer and why?
- Do you prefer the main singer to be on the front cover or the whole band?

  Contents Page:
 - Is the colour scheme consistent and what main colours does the magazine really use?
 - What stands out and how?

  Double Page Spread
-Who do you think the article is aimed at?
- Would you like to know about the main person in the band or the background of the band?
- Do you prefer a big image and little text?

By asking these questions, I can try to follow the response given to achieve what my target audience is looking for and this will help me develop a successful magazine. The video will be uploaded soon!

Current Bands that represent Rock..

Dead Sara is a Los Angeles rock band and there song "Weatherman" has sunk its teeth into Modern Rock and Active Rock radio and has already scored early adds from top stations KYSR (#1 most requested) in Los Angeles.

"Weatherman"

Dead Sara "Weatherman" considered to be the best rock song of 2012!

Halestorm is an American rock band from Pennsylvania. The song "Love Bites (So do I)" was nominated for a grammy in December 2012. The song also became the first song ever from a female-fronted act to be number one on the Active Rock charts.

By researching different bands that represent Rock, I have considered to include bands like Dead Sara in my contents page as there known song "Weatherman" has been considered the number one rock song of 2012. This is vital as it would make my rock magazine look more professional as my magazine not only focuses on facts about local artists but also major artists aswell!

Sub-genres of Rock

I have created a Wordle to represent the variety of different sub-genres. Most of these genres fuse traditional rock with a vast variety of styles of music. For example Grunge is the combination of punk rock, heavy metal and noise rock. I have learnt that the essential key difference is the influences the genre has!

Background of ROCK!

I decided to make a short Prezi to sum up the facts about the genre Rock and how it has developed over time. The Prezi contains Youtube videos of certain successful rock bands that many artists now look up to! By looking at the background of Rock, I have a better understanding of the genre and I could also include past successful known rock bands in my magazine especially in the contents page.

My chosen sub-genre: ROCK

I have finally decided what sub-genre I want my magazine to be based on which is Rock. I decided to choose this type of sub-genre as it's different and I feel that the genre itself stands out. My potential target audience would be mainly teenagers and even young adults. By exploring and looking at different Rock based magazines, it had inspired me to take the same route. My next post will involve research about my chosen genre, Rock!

THE OUTCOME of researching different sub-genres!

This is a quick animated video that I created about how I believe that my magazine should be presented. With the help of analyzing different sub-genres, I have developed a better understanding of what needs to be included in my magazine.

Outcome of analysing different magazines by afreenmahek on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.

NOTION! Short analysis of a RNB/POP magazine

The next magazine I decided to analyse was a RNB/POP magazine which is rather different than the Metal Rock magazine that I had analysed earlier on. By analysing Notion, it helped me to understand different conventions that a majority of magazines include. 

Notion is published every 4 weeks and they distribute internationally. Notion does not only focus on music they also focus on fashion and culture. The magazine costs £4.50 and can be bought from stores like WHSMITH or readers can even subscribe online. The target audience that Notion aim for are young teenagers to adults as the magazine also focuses on recent fashion trends which are mainly popular among teenagers. Additionally, the sub-genre of music Notion focuses on is R&B and pop as they include recent popular artists in there magazines like Bruno Mars.