Analysis of a Real Magazine

Here is an analysis of the music magazine, NME. It have looked at the front cover, the contentents page and a double page spread.

Nme presentation

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School Magazine



For the preliminary task I had to create a front cover and contents page for a school magazine using a mid shot for the featured picture on the front.

To begin with I drew out some possible ideas of layout onto a couple of sheets of paper.

The front cover..

Contents Page...

By taking inspiration from my plan I went onto taking relevant photos to add into my school magazine. I then created and manipulated the magazine using Adobe Photoshop. Here are the finished school magazine front cover and contents page…

Front Cover..

Contents Page..

I think that I have produced a good magazine for the preliminary task as I have followed the codes and conventions of magazine making. On the front page I have used a striking mast head and placed at the top of the page with the price of the magazine, used a mid shot image and used smaller fonts for the headlines that surround the picture. On the second page I have shown pictures that are relevant with headlines and also written the page number before saying what is on that page.
I named my magazine the 'Arrow' to suit the target audience (sixth form students) as it is pointing them in the right direction and to show that sixth form is creating a more successful future for them. Also to suit the target audience I have used bright colours to make it more appealing to read.
I photographed all of the images used in this preliminary task (apart from the 'sixth form pet') to give me some practice with composition and Adobe Photoshop before creating my music magazine. I did find manipulating the image quite difficult so it was a time consuming job, so I will have to practice using Photoshop further to enhance my skills.

Magazine Research

Magazine 1- HEAT

I have decided to research HEAT Magazine as it is aimed at the target audience between 16 and 25. I have come to this conclusion as the house style uses very bright, bold colours such as orange and yellow, and it also contains gossip that is to do with today's celebrities. When creating my own magazine i will try to include these factors as i am also aiming for this age group.

HEAT is aimed at women between the ages of 16 and 25 who enjoy finding out all of the new celebrity gossip there is available on a weekly basis. I know this because this because one of this magazines USPs. Another USP of HEAT's is that the majority of pictures that are used in the magazine are straight from the paparazi, meaning that it shows celebrities in a more natural enviroment, rather than being pictured at for example a red carpet premiere. This can boost the confidence of these women as they are being shown that celebrites can also have bad days, and don't always look 100%.  HEAT also includes extra features like fashion tips, interviews, reviews and a television guide for that upcoming week. This is to add that little bit extra to the magazine, so that it keeps it interesting and entertaining.

HEAT is generally sold for £1.65 which is a lot cheaper than rival magazines such as OK, which is £2.65. Readers can also subscribe for a tiny £5 a month, which saves them a great amount of money.  The cost of magazines need to be a reasonable price like this otherwise customers will not buy the issue and no profit will be gained. Also if it is cheaper than other magazines on the market then it broadens itself out into a larger target audience, as people are more likely to choose the magazine and will save money in th long run.

HEAT is published by the Bauer Media Group which is a large German company based in Hamburg. They offer over 300 different magazines in 15 countries, like Kerrang and Take a Break.,  as well as online, television and radio stations.

Magazine 2- NME

I next decided to research NME magazine, as it is one of the most popular music magazines in the UK. By researching   the content and layout that NME magazine use, it will help me when I create my own magazine. I will take note of the writing style and tone, pictures used and general house style.

NME is counted as a multi-sex magazine although 69% of readers are male. This is because it includes all sorts of different bands that appeal  to everybody. The average age of these readers are between 17 and 25 as the magazine includes current and up-and-coming rock/indie bands and singers. NME also includes backstage interviews with bands like Muse and My Chemical Romance to encourage followers of these bands to read their magazine.

NME is released every Wednesday and costs £2.20. This is great value for your money as it includes first-hand interviews and photographs with new and current artists/ bands. It can be subscribed to for £75.25 for a YEARS worth of magazines saving readers up to £80. This is ideal for the target audience as it is cheap in terms of what you are buying, and definatley get your money's worth.

NME is currently published by IPC Media, the UK’s leading publisher of consumer magazines. They publish over 60 magazines from Women's Own to World Soccer offering something for everyone.

Introduction

I have chosen to create a music magazine for my final media coursework. I will have to make the front cover, contents page and a double page spread using programs like Adobe's Photoshop and Serif  Draw Plus. I have created this blog to record my research and planning so that overall I will create a high quality magazine.