Article Text (Needs grammar/spell checking)

Since her last album release, the solo artist Kate Austen has been keeping her head down and staying quiet – not even her hard-core fans know where she is or what she’s up to! Without a clue to why, we assumed she was working on something for the future, not wanting to be asked to give any clues to what her absence from the spotlight might be. We thought a single with a new twist was on the way but we were wrong…well not totally wrong! Her new single does have a twist to it but our imaginations couldn’t reach the level where we could imagine that her new single was going to be promoting her new album, so Austen has mentioned. Her new single titled “You All Everybody” was released only nine days ago and already has been downloaded 500,000+ times on iTunes, competing strongly against its rival, “Person Of Interest” by the only pop artist us pop-haters respect, Rebecca Black. We managed to catch Kate at last month’s epic Download Fest and got answers to some questions we’re sure you’re going to want to know. Check these questions out on our interview page where you can find a full interview with Fates End.

So, for those of you that have not yet heard the new single “You All Everybody”, what exactly is the new twist in the magic born inside the mind of one of the biggest solo successes to exist in hard rock history. Well, it's out the window with the deep guitar riffs heard in many of Austen's top hits such as “Now or Never” and “High”, and instead, plenty of the thrash-style guitar tones most popular with Bullet For My Valentine. Yet, from what we can gather from her new release, the vocals are remaining the same, except maybe a hint of unclean vocals to make her new twist capable of giving her fans a fix they will never forget. Another striking change heard in the single is something we can only describe as a hint of tracks we've heard in Five Finger Death Punch's “American Capitalist” album, this being an extremely fast, skilled use of the drums. However, in the chorus and the bridge of “You All Everybody”, when it is dominating the single, it sounds like a burning Joey Jordison on heat. However, in the lyrically strong verses, the level of craziness stays at a norm, allowing the vocals to flow through us, absorbing our emotions and spitting them out during the bridge. One thing's for sure, if this awesome track is setting the tone for the whole album, fans of Fates End are in for more than a treat.

Heard the rumours about this week's front page solo sweet collaborating with Korn? Ever felt like you're being told what you want to hear instead of the truth? Well that's how we felt after hearing this after several fan's of Korn and Fate's End emailed us with the news, asking us if it was true! We kindly replied to each and every one of them, telling them that we damn well hope it's true but this is the first we have heard of it. Thinking of it, it sure would be a shame if it didn't turn out to be true. Imagine Kate Austen and Jonathan Davis singing together - Davis's typically arrogant tone and Austen's Evanescence-style soft yet strong voice. If ever there was a collaboration that most rock/metal fans could enjoy, this is sure it! Keep up to date and we're sure to give out as much info as we can on this tasty topic. 

DPS Design Idea 1 (Edited)

DPS Design Idea (1)

Kerrang! DPS: Language and Register

For this article, the tone and formality is mainly formal, clear and informative, but the content of the quotations drag the formality down to informal due to a change in tone which turns firm, loud and anticipative. A key aspect of the tone of the quotations is the use of bad language which is definitely informal. So overall, the formality and tone is neutral, with a use of both informal and formal tones and language.

The use of quotations is plentiful and effective to entertain the reader and to inform the reader about what the band is thinking and feeling straight from the horses mouth. The article is set out quite like an interview in the way that it's set out in sections, each with a sub-heading such as “They're trying something new” and most of the text in each section is quotations from the band members. The introductory paragraph does have less quotes in it than the rest of the article, but they are still used to reply to or explain what has been written about them.

The varied use of vocabulary helps enhance the article and encourage readers to read on and enjoy reading it. Of course, as mentioned, the text in the quotations definitely uses many varieties of words which are self explanatory, but as for the rest of the article, there is still some uses of powerful/strong words such as “shrieking”, “blasting” and “radical”. Most of the outstanding words are adverbs and descriptive words, most commonly associated with powerful/strong words.

As for punctuation, there is no exaggerated uses of exclamation marks to add enthusiasm. All the rest of the punctuation is used correctly which helps the development of the sentences. There are plenty of long sentences used to fit in the large amount of detail and there is evidence of compound sentences being used. The use of quotes have been added correctly too, fitting into the article well.

Double Page Spread Analysis (2)

This is a double page spread from Kerrang! Magazine with its usual colour theme and layout for a DPS. This article is picture led as the whole left page is taken up with a staged photo of the band, Rolo Tomassi. The photo is obviously staged because the band members are modelling/posing for the shot. The right page is taken up by the headline, sub-heading and the editorial, all in the usual style of Kerrang!. The headline is large and bold, using the red and white to make sure it contrasts well. The way the headline/sub-heading background is done like a splatter of paint makes the magazine look unclean but formal and clear. This will appeal to younger audiences.The editorial uses the common use of leading caps, highlighted in red to help it stand out against the white background and black text. Not only is the first letter highlighted but the first two words are in red to start the paragraph. This occurs at the beginning of every paragraph in the editorial, the red text is in block capitals to enhance it further. Another use of block capitals is in the headline and sub-heading which doesn't stop it from being easily readable because the headline is short and in large letters and the sub-heading is also rather brief, the letters are fairly large and the contrast of red and black helps the text to be easily read so the use of block capitals is not a negative aspect. There is a use of a puff on the DPS which looks like the sub-heading in the layout and colour theme. The puff is a quote by a band member from Rolo Tomassi. Quotes are commonly used in magazine articles to indulge the readers and make them feel that the band is talking out to them. There is a short banner/puff on the right hand page used as an 'equation' to show the magazine's opinion on what the band is made of by using aspects of the band. The byline is under the sub-heading, out the wat of the editorial and image.

Double Page Spread Analysis (1)

This is a double page spread from a rock music magazine focusing on a band being represented by an equal amount of images and text. The article is picture led due to the large main image filling the left page along with a few smaller images along the bottom of the double page spread. The selection of images all follow the same sepia/black and white tone. The article text font is small, sans-serif and white which is a popular choice to use in a magazine editorial. It looks clear and formal which makes it easy to read, encouraging the reader to enjoy the magazine. The headline is also sans-serif, bold and in block caps which enhances it. The red leading capital at the beginning of the article stands out because the top and bottom line of the headline uses the red colour too - this follows the house style colour theme. The images are not staged as the leading photos is shot at a live event where the band, MCR, is playing. The headline is a quote which is a good thing to use in a magazine because it directs straight to the band. As well as the text and images, there is not a lot else on the page except for a vertical banner and a puff in the top left corner of the double page spread. 

Possible Front Cover Design (WTH PHOTO)

Select or Reject: Positive/Negatives of Photos (2)

I really think the angle of this photo makes it really good and effective because of the way the model is looking up to the camera which makes the viewers feel like they are looking down at the model especially because the model is on her knees and the position of the guitar makes the model look smaller than the guitar. This provokes the viewers to feel sympathy for the model and gives the shot a 'cute' feel. The choice of background colours really helps the model blend into the black wall and do the opposite in the lower half of the shot. The black wall and wooden floor separated by the white stripe works well and separates the photo up really well. The neck of the guitar stands out extremely well against the black wall and has caught the light just perfectly as well as the rest of the guitar where the blue has turned out bright and clear. The empty floor and blank background (wall) leaves the photo free from distractions therefore keeping maximum focus on the model/guitar. The positioning of the model's arms really look good and make it look as if the model is protecting the guitar, adding focus to it.

A fault I have noticed with this photo is down in the bottom left corner where I have accidentally included an object that is not meant to be in the photo. I could crop this out but then I would be cropping out the model's shoulder so I shall have to decide if I shall use it or not. Another issue I have noticed is that the model's coloured hair roots are showing up too much against the blackness of the rest of her hair. This is easily noticeable but I could edit it in Photoshop and solve the problem.

Select or Reject: Positive/Negatives of Photos (1)

I thought this photo is one of the best I have taken because of the angle of the model and the contrast of the colours. The green and orange/red background works well against her black hair and white/blue clothes. Also, the model is wearing a bit of fake tan which, when edited in Photoshop, will contrast against her hair and enhance her face. The reason I like the angle of this shot is because I'm at an angle to the model and not stood right in front of her. Her head is also slightly turned to her left making these angles work really well with each other and giving an effective posture. Her hair at this angle covers enough of her face and leaves a parting from her neck to her chest which makes it look that little bit more better. I'm glad with the background because of the way each side of the model is different. On the left, the background is clearer and has more of the orange/red colour and trees further back. On the right, there is a tree closer up to the model and has less emptiness.

The only negative thoughts I have about this shot is I have taken the photo slightly too low and missed the medium close up method. Although I have done this, I still think it looks great and I haven't got too much of the model in the photo.

Completed Contents Page

I will make room for photoshoot photo's by replacing existing pics.

Completed Front Cover Design (Without Main Photo)

Choosing My Model

I have asked several people to be my models and have 'interviewed' them to see if I think they are who I want to model for my magazine. I asked each one several questions like "Do you mind having your photo taken?", "Are you prepared to model in any place and in any clothes? and "Do you know what it takes to make a photo look excellent?". After questioning my possible models I ended up choosing Beckiie because she has a keen interest in modelling and is a very confident and talented girl. She is happy to help me to any extent to make the photos as good as possible and is prepared to go the extra mile.

Changes To Initial Ideas

I wasn't going to focus much on making sure I make my magazine suitable for both genders as I would of kept it neutral but since I got almost equal results on my gender question, I shall try and make sure I am entertaining and pleasing both males and females.
I shall also be changing my colour theme slightly because my first decision was to use black/blue/white but it got outvoted by black/red/white so I shall keep to this more favoured colour theme and make any changes this makes to the rest of my house style. Although I had to change it slightly, I can see black/red/white working just as well as it still contrasts well and will give the right tone/style impression.
I got equal views on my magazine name "Bazinga!" therefore I will have to decide whether to keep the name or choose another name by thinking of a couple more and asking people which they prefer.

Questionnaire Results

The results of my questionnaire have been interesting and I have concluded that I need to meet the interests of my audience which means I shall have to alter a few aspects of my magazine. (Total of 20 people)

For the question “What genre of music do you prefer?” 45% of people voted for rock, 30% voted for pop and 25% voted for metal. This result is what I was hoping for as I want to focus my magazine around rock/metal. Although pop got more votes than metal, I can’t do both pop and rock as they are two very different genres of music. I will be taking into consideration the lack of interest in metal and shall only include a limited amount of this genre in my content.

My next question “What house style colour theme do you prefer?” had very clear results as two options shared equal votes. Both red/white/black and blue/white/black colour themes got 50% votes each. Therefore, I shall make my choice and choose to use the red/white/black theme because I think red works better with black than blue does.

From my gender question, 60% of people who voted are male and 40% are female. I shall take into consideration both genders and shall try to interest both equally throughout the magazine.

From my results, my age range is centred around 16-18 years of age which is suitable since it will make the magazine much easier to create as I can understand what the age group likes and does not like and I also know what is popular with these older teens.

My next question “Do you prefer a logo to be based on the name of the magazine or something completely different?” got a clear result of 85% wanting a logo that includes the full name of the magazine. I want to ask for a reason why this is so as it may help me design my logo better.

One of my most important questions “What do you like to read about in a music magazine?” got the most varied results with the top answers being new album releases and band reviews with a total of 85% of the votes. I shall have to reduce the amount of information I was going to include on various concerts/festivals and include more content about new album releases and band information.

My last and maybe my most important question “Does the name “Bazinga!” sound like a suitable magazine name for a music magazine?” got a 50/50 answer of yes and no. I shall have to think of more possible names for my magazine and ask my voters again which they prefer.

My Questionnaire

What genre of music do you prefer?

-          Metal       [  ]

-          Rock       [  ]

-          Classical  [  ]

-          Pop         [  ]

What house style colour scheme do you prefer?

-          Red, White and Black    [  ]

-          Orange, Black and Blue [  ]

-          Blue, Black and White   [  ]

Gender?

-          Male    [  ]

-          Female [  ]

What age range do you fit into?

-          12-15 [  ]

-          16-19 [  ]

-          20+    [  ]

Do you prefer a logo to be based on the name or something completely different?

-          The name of the magazine        [  ]

-          Something completely different [  ]

What do you like to read about in a music magazine?

-          New album releases           [  ]

-          Band reviews                     [  ]

-          Concerts/festivals               [  ]

-          Music celeb personal news [  ]

Does the name “Bazinga!” sound like a suitable magazine name for a music magazine?

-          Yes [  ]

-          No  [  ]

Institutional Research

Bauer Media is a large and leading publishing company operating in 15 countries worldwide. H. Bauer has more than 80 media brands including the popular music magazines Kerrang! and Q. The way the company focuses on the target audiences for each magazine is precise and entertaining. Kerrang! magazine has a target audience of older teens/young adults and the company focuses on the audience's interests by using the type of language that young people are using more and more nowadays -informal and slang - which encourages the audience to read the magazine. I can't quite explain why but I feel that Kerrang! has a more male approach to it in the way it is presented. Q is a much more formal magazine aimed at the more mature adult but still the young adults. The tone is more informative and has a wider genre focus than Kerrang!.

Another publishing company which works for another popular music magazine is Future Publishing who's biggest music magazine success is Metal Hammer which is an adult-based, metal focused read. The reason I say it is adult-based is because of the content of the magazine since I have seen a lot of strong language while reading it and some of the photos are not suitable for young teens. Obviously the company Future Plc aim to simply interest the specific type of person interested in rough, informal information on heavy metal bands.

Initial Ideas For Magazine

I have spent a lot of time deciding on my name of the magazine and I have decided on a choice of two - "Bazinga!" and "HardSound". My reasons for choosing these names is: Bazinga! because it is catchy and an informal word (made up) which makes it much more eye catching especially with the exclamation mark on the end. I used Kerrang! as inspiration for this name because I like the way 'Kerrang' is an odd word although it is an onomatopoeic word refering to "the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar" as quoted from Wikipedia; HardSound because it relates to the genres of music I am covering in my magazine - hard rock/metal - therefore it is a suitable choice. Also, it describes the sound (the music) as 'hard' which could mean solid or heavy or it could be meant in another way - 'hard' could be related to loud/noisy which also describes the sound accurately.
For my house style, I want to use clear, simple sans-serif fonts for my chunks of text to increase effect and ease of reading. For my headlines and straplines I want to use a thick, bold and textured font which I will probably have to download to get the look I want. Along with the colours I have chosen for the text, the fonts will stand out and suit the tone of the magazine. For my colour theme, I want to use a black/blue/white combination - white for the page background and blue and red for the text. I chose these colours because I think they contrast well against each other and give the magazine an attractive style.
The issue month I want to do is February because it is around the time when a lot of music news such as upcoming album releases and concerts/festivals are leaked to the public.
The main headline I want my magazine to be focusing on is the a new band hitting mainstream popularity which will be related to my front cover and double page spread photos. I want my front page photo to be a simple but striking shot of my model acting as one of the new members of the headline band.

Second Similar Product Research Analysis

Metal Hammer

This front cover is slightly different to many other Metal Hammer front covers since this has a lack of puffs/banners etc. This is done to keep the reader's attention on the photo covering the page. The photo is of one of Slipknot's many guitarists and his mask is one of the most striking of the band's many outrageous masks. The extreme close-up and the sharp eyes really enhance the photo and causes the mask to almost jump out of the page. The headline "Slipknot. Take No Prisoners!" works well with the related photo by emphasising the emotion in the headline and quote "This band is at war!", and really sets the tone well. The only puff is located on the side of the cover, allowing as much free space as possible to maximise the potential of the photo and has been done to stand out as well as possible against the main feature of the page.
Unlike most other mastheads from the MH magazines, this masthead's fill image seems to try and match with the photo in both colour and texture. It does still stand out well however and isn't camoflauged which could of happened.
Also, this cover is one of a few from MH that the masthead overlays the photo instead of the photo overlaying the masthead. This helps the banner at the top stay seperated from the photo and achieve it's purpose.

First Similar Product Research Analysis

Rock Sound


The layout of this front cover is spread out proportionally and isn't cramming in a lot of text unlike some music magazines. Even the two banners are minimal and leave space around each for the white space (in this case black). A lot of the text is in columns to reduce spread and fitted around the model image in the center. I wouldn't say that it is wrapped around the image. Also, the text overlays over the image except the masthead which is typically under the image as seen in most music magazines - this is a fault in good photography because the rule of thirds has been broken and the medium close up has also been ignored.
The model image is very striking, not only because it is Marilyn Manson (who always looks strikingly unique) but the colour of his clothing and usual hair/make up contrasts well with the house style colours of the magazine. The headline is simply the name of the model (could also refer to the band of the same name founded by MM) and the strap line along with it is a quote by him, "People always want chaos" which is an attention grabbing choice of words aimed to make the reader want to read more about the headline.
The choice of location for the bar-code/price/issue number I think is badly placed because it interferes with the masthead and banner. There is a very limited amount of puffs on the front cover and I can only count 1 use of a puff. It is a potential encouraging selling point for the magazine because it mentions that a free CD is included with the magazine though no details are given about it but it still could encourage potential buyers to want to buy the magazine.

Second Front Cover Analysis

Kerrang!

Kerrang! has many puffs advertising the content of the 

magazine all over the front cover which all are unique (fonts/colours/shapes). All the puffs encourage the reader to want to buy the magazine by advertising some of the content in the magazine. The headline of this issue has been placed next to the related photo (Billie Joe Armstrong) which has been placed in a easily noticeable position, overlaying part of the masthead. The photo also represents the type of magazine Kerrang! is by the electric guitar which stretches across the cover. The tone of this magazine is informal for reasons such as the many puffs and the strap line use exaggerated language and punctuation to help make it seem more exciting and interesting – “This is the best show out there!”, “Slipknot storm memory lane”, “Plus!” etc. and in one puff there is an example of slang abbreviations – “WTF?!” which also has exaggerated punctuation with both an exclamation mark and a question mark which is seen as informal. The magazine is definitely aimed at the younger audience such as teens and of course rock/metal/punk fans which is the type of music the magazine focuses on. The issue number and barcode is snuck in nicely down in the corner and doesn’t stand out and ruin the magazine.

First Front Cover Analysis

The front cover of the magazine has many puffs as well as the main headline/banners/strap line which all surround the headline photo in a overlay style other than the masthead which underlays the photo. The house style/theme colours are used in the headline photo of Lily Allen as well as all the puffs etc. Her clothes (shirt) and her hair colour use the red/black/white which NME has styled themselves with. The various fonts on the front cover make all the puffs etc stand out really well against each other. The white background gives the front cover a clear tone and the occasional use of white font brings this out further. The quote next to Lily Allen gives an insight to the content of the headline story about her - “I can't keep on living like this, it's doing my head in”. The banners also give an insight to the content of the magazine so the readers know what to expect.

What I Have Learned So Far

So far, I have learned…

…the basics of taking photos and what makes a good, striking and interesting photo. I think I am clear on making sure the model(s) are not in the centre of the photo and photo angles which can alter the mood/tone of the photo and the model. I’ve also understood that the lighting and shadows of a photo are vital to a striking photo as well as the model’s pose, which can both change the tone of the photo. If there is one thing I have definitely learned about taking photos, then it is that it can be rather difficult to take a great pic.

…how to use a Mac, although it isn’t extremely different to a Windows PC when you get the hang of it. I did find it slightly difficult yet good fun to navigate around the Mac’s folders and desktop icon dock, which, after a few minutes of getting the grasp of it, can be simple to use. As for the software, I was already well acquainted with Photoshop which has made creating my front cover and contents page much simpler than it could have been.

…how to design and sketch out my magazine’s front cover/contents page which for me wasn’t too easy since I’m not very artistic or creative. I soon found it easier though and managed to do both pages without too much struggle.

Preliminary Task - Front Cover Analysis

For my front cover, I have made sure that I’ve covered all aspects to make my front cover attention-grabbing and worth reading. Firstly, I’ve gone for a colour theme that I think contrasts well with the magazine masthead and headlines. The colours (black, red and white) really stand out and I think the black and white photo of the model really helps it look good. I have made sure that my masthead stands out the clearest against the background image and colours. I’ve done this by making the backound behind the masthead is white so any of my theme colours will stand out against it. The reason I chose the photo of the model that I did is because I think the ‘stare pose’ really stands out and the black and white effect contrasts really well against the red and black. My background image is of SJN Upper School (Common room building) which I thought would be appropriate since half of the 6^th form went there before joining Y12/Y13. My main headline “TWAG Week” has been made very bold and clear against the rest of the front cover to ensure that a lot of attention is aimed at the top story. All together I think my magazine front cover has come out better than I thought and it has achieved all that it has needed to.

New blog reason/explanation

Me and Kyle thought it would be better to split up and go solo despite the bad timing due to serious contrasts in views. I couldn't see myself continuing working with Kyle and thought he would appreciate the ability to work without having to please someone else. I appreciate that now really isn't a good time to make this decision but I think I shall benefit from it, now and in the future.