Front Cover

Rough Design for Cover

Basic Layout 2

Rough Draft for Basic Layout 1

Mission Statement

The new project PIONEER is a different kind of music magazine, focusing on pushing the unknown forward. It aims to bring recognition to smaller and unsigned bands, while also celebrating alternative music that has reached the mainstream limelight. PIONEER also embraces past artists from the origins of alternative music.
   PIONNER is aimed at the 16 - 24 attitude and mindset, but each reader is there own person. They are independent with their own opinions, they are not interested in conforming. They love the excitement in life and searching for new and different things.
   PIONEER contains all the essential information on all the artists and prvides the readers with the upcoming artists to look out for. PIONEER is always on the look out for new and upcoming bands and aims to help them reach further regognition. PIONNER embraces the idea of being different. Each week, PIONNER will contain several album and live reviews along with full length articles and interviews.
   PIONEER will neither preach nor patronise, but will simply give credit it when deserved. It's role is to inspire and entertain.

Questionaire Evaluation

I asked a number of people to answer some questions, in order to get some ideas to base my own music magazine front on.
   The first question I asked was which masthead they thought would best suit an alternative music magazine. The most popular was "Pioneer" with a strong seven votes. "Venture" had one vote, however, "soundscape" didn't recieve any.
   The most popular slogan was "For the 'daydream nation' " with five votes, and the next popular was "Unknown Pleasures" with two votes. "Embracing the past and present" and "Lost Treasures" didn't appear to be that popular with "Lost Pleasures" recieving no votes, and the other just one.
   The majority of the people asked liked the idea of having both genders featured on the front cover, however, one person would have prefered to have males only.
   Four of the people asked thought three people on the cover, and the same amount of votes was given for two people on the front cover. This gives a clear indication to not feature any more than three models on the cover, but not to include any less than two.
   In terms of how the main image should be structured, the majority would want a medium close-up, which had five votes. Two people would have liked a full length image, and only one would like a close-up image.
   When asked about whether they would prefer the main image to be in full colour or in black and white, there was no majority vote one way. The divide between the two was equal, with four votes given to each.
   I also asked what colours they would like on a front cover, in oder to make up the overall colour scheme, in which black was the most popular, as it was given seven votes. White also appeared to be popular with six votes. Blue was the next popular with three votes. Red anf grey was liked by a few, which had two votes each. One vote was given to green and so it is very likely I wo't include this on the cover.
   Finally I asked them to choose up to four different topics that they would like featured within the magazine. The most popular of these was upcoming artists with a strong eight votes. Six of the people asked wanted album reviews, and interviews, live reviews, and information of forthcoming gigs were all given a strong five votes. The only option that didn't seem popular with the majority was competitions.

Temporary Front Cover Image

When designing my front cover, I will do so as if there was a male model to the left of the female because as that is how intend my image to be.

Front Cover Images

Below are the temporary images for my front cover until my preferred models are available:

I wasn't pleased with the two photos above as I don't think the setting suits the theme I wanted to go for. Also, I don't think the image is overall strong enough for a front cover image. 

I prefer the last two images, mainly because I think they are more effective in terms of a main image. There is less going on also, the background is quite plain which seems to look better overall. 

Here are some images that I found that I took inspiration from for my own front cover image.

The models I planned to use for my front cover are unavailable until after the deadline, so I plan to take some images with a model who was available. This way I can still work on the cover and have it handed in by the deadline, however, ideally I would like both a male and female in the cover and so plan to take more images when both are available.

More Front Cover Analysis

Before drawing some rough drafts of my own, I thought I would analyse more music magazine covers which are more relevant in terms of how I plan to make mine. I have decided to have two people on my own cover, and so have looked at a number of magazine covers which have done the same.

The thing I particularly like about this magazine cover is the fact that all the sell lines are found on the one side of the magazine which gives it a simplistic design in which I think is very effective. I also like the colour chose here, and also the fact that they have chosen to stick to just a few colours. This makes the magazine look quite sophistic as there isn't too much going in on.

This cover has a similar image to the previous one, but just more close - up, which is just as strong. I like to use of the deep pink as I think this is very effective against the grey shadowing of the background. I like the grid structure of the sell lines, with it not cutting into the faces of the cover artists, again choosing a limited amount of colours.











I like the simplistic design of both, which I think would best suit my magazine cover.

Music Magazine Questionaire

1. Which masthead do you think would suit an alternative music magazine best?

• Pioneer
• Soundscape
• Venture

2. Which of the following slogans do you prefer?

• For the "daydream nation"
• "Unknown Pleasures"
• Lost Treasures
• Embracing the past and the present

3. What gender would you like on the main image?

• Male
• Female
• Both

4. How many people would you want on the main image?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 4+

5. How would you want the main image to be structured?

• Close-up
• Medium close-up
• Full length

6. Would you like the main image to be in full colour or in black and white?

• Black + white
• Full Colour

7. What colours would you like to see on the front cover?

• Blue
• Green
• White
• Red
• Black
• Purple
• Orange 
• Yellow
• Pink
• Grey

8. Which of the following topics would you like to be included in the magazine? Choose up to 4

• Interviews
• Upcoming Artists
• Live Reviews
• Album Reviews
• Forthcoming Gigs
• Competitions
• Other (please specify)

Initial Masthead Idea

Pioneer - one who ventures into unknown or unclaimed territory.

Reader Profile

Inspiration of Reader Profile:

Music Fan Profile.

The Juxtaposer


Age: 16-25


What are they wearing?: They hold an unconventional look, where they effortlessly juxtapose. A collared shirt is his statement piece. He loves a bold jumper and he is still living in his well worn Joy Division  ‘Unknown Pleasures’ t-shirt. She's in her grandads old faithful cardigan and stone washed levis . They cant live without their tatty dms and brothel creepers.

What are they listening to?: They love their classic oldies - Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Kate Bush, and love the more current bands such as Beach House, Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear. However, they are always on the look out for new and upcoming artists. 

Wants to be: Themselves - they are their own person, each reader will be individual.

Find them: Early in the queue ready for the support act in search for new music. Getting lost in their newly found book, in their local coffee shop. Rummaging through the vintage shops on Brick lane.

This is the magazine cover I came across which gave me the idea of choosing both a male and female model for my front cover. i think this works really well, and this is also the type of look/style I would like to go with as I think it would fit in really well with the music genre I chose.

I have decided to base my muisc magazine on the genre of alternative because I like this genre of music and so can relate to it easily. For the cover band, I have decided to use a male and female duo. Originally I had planned to have a group of four males however there weren't the models available, but I now think this idea may be stronger as a whole.

Effective Main Images

What do you need to think about to create an effective main image for your music magazine cover?

• Music genre
• Setting - interior or exterior
• Model(s) - availability
• Composition of photo
• Costume
• Props
• Colour Scheme
• Background - is it going to be removed?
• Shot distance
• Shot angle
• Lighting
• Hair
• Make-up
• Location + Time
• Representation - age, gender, music style etc
• Pose
• Masthead

I will take at least five images to make sure I have a number of options when it comes to making the front cover.

Music Magazine Cover Analysis

The main thing I liked about this particular magazine cover was the main image. I liked the composition and the way in which the band are arranged on the page. I like the overall colour scheme of this magazine cover, with the red and blue catching your attention and then the choice to use white in order for the text to stand out against the image. The main headline is situated through the centre which is effective as it emphasises the fact it is the main/most important article.

The masthead of this magazine takes up quite a large amount of the cover which I like as it is made very obvious to the readers that this is a Q magazine, putting their 'label' on it. I also like the use of the white background here as it allows the focus to be on the image and sell lines etc. I particularly like the grid structure with the sell lines down the sides of the cover. The image is very central, and so this becomes the focus with the sell lines working around the image. Another thing I thought was effective was the fact that the depth of the text varies between each word. This is effective yet done in a subtle way which I like, it doesn't look overdone, and more professional. The overall colour scheme works well.

School Magazine Evaluation

Overall I was generally pleased with the school magazine front cover considering it was my first time in doing so and the fact that I am new to using the software. The masthead is appropriate for the school magazine, but has a hidden meaning. I named the magazine 'Jangle', this meaning gossip in the tudor times, which was the period of King Henry VIII. The main colour of the masthead is yellow, with a black border. I felt this appropriate as i thoght it suited the school in terms of colour.
   The main image is an appropriate size, and I feel gives a clear indication of the story that it is representing. The image is showing the "battle" between the two contenders for the lead role in the play, in which i think is portrayed through the image, the stance and facial expression expressed in the two individuals shows this. I was generally pleased with the final image, however there was one thing that I was dissapointed with. I think there should have been more blank space to the sides of the image as that way it would have made it easier to fit in the sell lines, and therefore make the overall cover less squashed. I didnt use any subsidiary images in this particular task, as I didn't think the cover needed it and secondly I think it would have made it look even more cramped.
   There are several sell lines used on my front cover, all of which give a clear indication about the content of the magazine. The language of these is more informative rather than entertaining, which is what makes them understandble, however they arent very fun as I haven't used any literacy devices here. All the sell lines have a consistent colour scheme, which at first I found difficult to find as I didn't want the choice of colour to clash with the background of the main image or the masthead. A variety of different fonts were used in a number of different of places which gave the cover some variation rather than it all looking too similar.
   The overall layout of the magazine is generally clear, however I do think it is slightly cramped and restricted for space. This is all down to the main image, and if this was altered i think it would improve the layout. I think the cover is appealing to the reader as I think the bold headline will draw in people's attention, however I don't think it would be overly obvious that this was a school magazine if it wasn't for the specific sell lines and strap lines.
   I think my main area of improvement would be getting the main image right. I would go back and make sure there was enough surrounding space so I was less restricted when producing the final front cover. I would also try and make the sell lines and strap lines slightly more interesting and fun. Generally though, I am very pleased with the final outcome.

Final School Magazine Cover

Chosen Front Cover Image

Photo Shoot Plan

Magazine Photo Shoot Planning Document

 Use the following document to plan each of the photographs on the front cover of your school magazine.

Shoot date and time	10th October 2011  9:00
Image Description	A medium shot of two sixth formers stood back to back.
Shoot Location	Upper School Hall, on the stage.
Model / person contact Details	Keane Davies/ Alex Williams
Permission Details
Props	No props were used.
Plan of shots	The front cover is focused on who got the main part in the school musical, and so I plan to take a medium shot of two male sixth formers stood back to back. They will be on the stage in front of the stage curtain. I want their facial expression to show that they are battling for the lead role in the play. I want it to look theatrical but still appeal to the whole target audience.

Rough Draft of Magazine Cover

Questionnaire Results

I asked a group of seven people, all of which were female, to answer a series of questions on their preferences for a school magazine. The majority of these, with five votes all said that they would be interested in buying a magazine; however the remaining two both said they would only be interested if the magazine was free.

   The most popular choice for the masthead was “JANGLE” with a strong five votes. One person chose “The Reformer”, and all other options weren’t chosen. When asked about the caption of the magazine, there was more variation between the different options. The most popular with two votes each, were “The K.H.S Portal” and “King Henry’s Herald”.  Other captions chosen were, “News, Debate, Gossip”, “The K.H.S Update” and “Your weekly fix of news, debate and gossip.” But these only had one vote each.

   Four of the people asked, thought the target audience for the magazine should be sixth formers, however two of these four also chose KS4. With three votes, some thought the magazine shouldn’t be restricted to one age group but should be for the whole school.  

    I also asked each of them what colours they associate with King Henry School in order to get an idea for the colour scheme for the magazine. The two most popular choices of colour were black with five votes and yellow with four votes. Green and gold had two votes each. The least popular colours were red, purple, pink and blue, each only with one vote.

   Given five votes for the main image for the front cover were sixth formers. Pupils in lower education were given two votes. Both the school site and sports teams were only given one vote each.

   Everyone who was asked would want information on upcoming events featured in the magazine. The next popular was news from the new drama production rehearsals with a strong six votes, along with student opinions. Other fairly popular choices were updates on student debates and information on the new school canteen with five votes each. Slightly less popular were student opinions with three votes, and the least popular was sporting success with just two votes. 

Questionaire

1.     Are you:

·         Male

·         Female

2.     What key stage are you in?

·         KS3

·         KS4

·         KS5

3.       Who do you think the magazine should be targeted towards?

·         KS3

·         KS4

·         KS5

·         Whole School

·         Teachers/ Staff

·         Parents

4.      Would you be interested in buying a school magazine?

·         Yes

·         No (If so, please state why)

5.      If you answered no, what would make you more likely to buy a school magazine?

6.      Which of the following mastheads do you prefer?

·         The Educator

·         JANGLE

·         The Reformer

·         The Founder

·         8

7.      Which of the following captions do you prefer?

·         News, Debate, Gossip.

·         The K.H.S Portal

·         Your weekly fix of news, debate and gossip.

·         King Henry’s Herald

·         The King Henry Express

·         The KHS Observer

·         The KHS Update

·         Welcome to KHS

8.      How often do you think the magazine should be produced?

·         Daily

·         Weekly

·         Fortnightly

·         Monthly

9.      What colours would you like to see make up the colour scheme of the magazine?

·         Black

·         Blue

·         Green

·         Red

·         Orange

·         Yellow

·         Purple

·         Pink

·         Gold

·         White

·         Other (please specify)

10.  What images would you want on the front cover of the magazine?

·         Pupils

·         Sixth Formers

·         Teachers

·         The School Site

·         Sports teams

·         Other (please specify)

11.  Which of the following stories/aspects would you like to see featured within the magazine?

Please choose five from the list below:

·         The new sixth form canteen

·         The next drama production – what’s been going on in rehearsals

·         Exam Success

·         Sporting success

·         Student debates

·         Student opinions

·         Upcoming events

So far in the course I have started the market research for the school magazine. I have created a questionaire and evaluted my results in order to help me when designing.