My Preliminary Task.

During research I was given a preliminary task; to create the front cover and contents page of a college magazine. This would give me essential experience using the tools needed, Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Indesign CS3, whilst also letting me explore the conventions of a magazine in more detail.

When planning my preliminary, I wanted to portray the stress and pressure most students feel. Exams can make students angry, or in some cases upset and during my photography sessions, I captured the photograph (featured left, on my final cover) which I think portrayed these emotions perfectly. This front cover portrays two teenage boys, one feeling extreme anger and the other feeling extreme anxiety/sadness. Looking closely at the title, "frustrated" is in red, as red represents all emotions and actions surrounding anger whereas "upset"is associated with tears and therefore the colour blue. The masthead is in the top left corner, in a bold but fancy white in order to attract the eye. Underneath is the date, the issue and as it is a college magazine, it also states that it is free. The black background allows the faces of the two young men to stand out, attracting our eyes towards them. In the bottom right corner of the page is a smaller photograph, of teenagers socialising followed by a small summary of the article. The title of this description is in bold white italics to stand out on the white background. After producing this front cover, I then needed to create a rough draft of a plausible contents page, suitable for a college magazine. The headline is larg and eyecatching whilst the page itself is "busy" and if created, would be full of colour. I thought it was suitable to include a letter from the principle, as in most magazines a letter from the editor is featured on the contents page. Down the right hand side is an easy to read contents list, consisting of the page number and a small summary of the article, resulting in a easy-to-read choosing process. In the bottom left corner is a larger summary of the main article, portrayed on the front cover of the preliminary magazine, complete with large photograph. As in most magazines, located in the bottom right hand corner, a competition. To add a sense of "community" to the page, it is covered in photographs of students, lessons and the premises which not only create a friendly and inviting atmosphere to the page, but also add large amounts of colour, attracting the readers eye.

What did I learn from completing the preliminary task?
By creating my own front cover and contents page, I learnt more about the conventions needed to make them successful and also gained experience in using the programmes involved. For example, I have learnt new tools whilst using Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Indesign CS3, such as selecting particular objects and separating them from the original image then transferring it onto a plain background, which can be seen on my preliminary front cover.

Research - Music Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis.

The final part of this particular analysis was to look in more detail at double page spreads, particularly in a music magazine. In this particular case, I have analysed a double page spread from NME magazine in order to explore these conventions in more detail:

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What have I learnt from this particular analysis?
After looking in more detail at the conventions of a double page article, I have learnt the following things. Bold and bright colours are essential for attracting the eye and keeping the reader interested. Small side panels and boxes add extra information to the page and also add variety. Articles usually include small quotes by the musicians and sometimes these are highlighted in bold/colour and stand out from the rest of the interview. When producing my own double page spread, I will take these particular conventions into consideration in order to create a successful article.

Research - Music Magazine Contents Page Analysis.

Following on from my previous analysis of the front cover, I have also decided to look in more detail at contents pages, as later on in my project I will aim to create one for a successful music magazine. In order to do so, I needed to explore the particular conventions involved:

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What have I learnt from this particular analysis?
After looking in more depth at the conventions of a contents page, I have a clearer idea of what to include later on in my project. I've learnt that content pages should not be too over-crowded, as the main aim is to easily find and locate a particular desired page. I've also learnt that although simplicty is key, bold words and colourful photography add detail and attraction than it being just a mere list of pages.

Research - Music Magazine Front Cover Analysis.

As a part of my research, I thought it was crucial to develop my understanding of front covers further. Therefore I have taken a 2008 issue of "Clash" and analysed it in detail:

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What have I learnt from analysing this particular front cover?
By looking at this issue of "Clash", I've learnt what extra features can attract readers. For example, adding a free "gift" attracts more buyers as it seems they are getting more than what they paid for, something extra. I have also learnt that symmetrical layouts involving colour, pattern and layout can create a positive and attractive front cover and that using and brighter colours creates an eye-catching contrast.

Research - NME, through the ages.

As a part of my research I have chosen to look in more detail at how progression over time can change and edit a magazine. The magazine that could be considered most similar to my own is The New Musical Express, most commonly known as NME, therefore I will analyse two

different NME front covers from different time periods.

The first issue I will analyse was released on the 14th November 1981, 29 years after the magazine was founded. To differentiate between "then" and "now", we can firstly take a look at the price. This issue cost 30p, by todays standards this is considerably cheap, showing the imminent change in the economy. As you can see, it is a plain & basic front cover featuring just one band; "The Fall," an old Alternative Indie band. In the eighties, NME was printed on material similar to broadsheet hence the simplicity. The colours are mainly from the black to white pallet, although red is used for the masthead and sub-titles to stand out and attract readers. Although the photography is simple, the rule of thirds has been put into place. The black and white photograph of "The Fall" frontman is in the bottom right, and middle right third. As the rest of the space is unoccupied, bar a few shadows, the eye is pulled to look at his particular outline in the image. The sub-titles are very simple, up to five words summarising the story, for example; "Hendrix Blog." However, although this differs hugely to todays NME, it continued to be popular as it is still in circulation.

This is a much more modern edition of NME, dated 27th July 2007, 55 years after the ma gazine was originally published in 1962. The price of the magazine was £2.10 (as today's economy is ever changing, the current price in 2009 is £2.20, a ten pence increase). The most obvious difference to the previous analysis, is colour. This issue is a summer issue, emphasised by the use of brighter colours (pink, light blue and yellow) which represent brightness, for example summer is associated with bright skys. The main photograph features in colour, here the artists are wearing bright clothes to keep to the genre of summer. Sub-titles are in bold or colour, with a small description underneath so the reader knows exactly what they are buying. These sub-titles are the names of bands or festivals/gigs that feature within the magazine. NME sometimes features story photographs under the sub-title, however as this is a "busy" and "bright" front cover, the use of simple words is enough to attract the reader. The masthead is similar to the previous analysis, however it is brighter and bolder, showing the changes in the media over periods of time.