Font Testing

Arial.
 This font is simple and easy to read and is used a lot in magazines for articles and interviews. This is because it is very easy for the reader to read instead of having a different font that isn't clear. This font would be suitable for my music magazine as it is a clear font and would be used for a double page spread or an interview. This font would be suitable for my magazine, as i would be able to use it for my double page spread as this font is very clear and the reader would read it because it isn't in a silly font or a unreadable font.

Comic Sans MS.

This font is simple and easy to read, so it wouldn’t be used very much for a music magazine but be used for a gossip or music magazine, which has general information in it. If this font were to be in an R&B music magazine it would be used to outline certain information on the front cover, to make it stand out against the other fonts. I would use this font for my magazine, as it is a clean font and would seem a popular font to use for my target audience.

Lucida Handwriting.

This font is in the style of old fashioned handwriting. It isn’t that easy to read, therefore wouldn’t appear in an R&B music magazine. This font could be used in a double page spread to add the effect if the artist has said something, this could be used to look like they had written it down in the article. I wouldn’t use this font for my magazine because it doesn’t fit in my genre of my magazine or the style of magazine that I would want to produce.

Courier.
 This font is very spaced out and very simple. It looks like a typewriter font and therefore could be used on a double page spread in a R&B magazine that could have quotations of the article on another page, as that would be effective.My genre of magazine is quite modern and this font would be seen as an old fashioned font, so therefore i wouldn't be using this font in my magazine.

Times.
This font is simple and appears to be quite a small font which can sometimes be a problem for the reader. This font would be seen inside of a magazine rather on the front cover or on a contents page. This font wouldn't be suitable for my magazine as it is a smaller font and to fill the page would have to write a lot and people within my age group wouldn't read something with a lot of writing on. This font wouldn't look as nice if the size was any bigger. 

Reader Profile

My target audience for my music magazine is teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 as that is more of my age group and i can easily relate to them and the type of this that they would want to see in a magazine. The genre of my music magazine would appeal to a more elder teens as it is more modern and suitable for the age group. For my magazine i would not  include lots of bright colours as that would appeal to more a younger audience. Therefore i will not make my magazine brightly coloured and appeal to a younger audience. My target audience would also be aimed at a female audience because the type of genre and music that will appear in my music magazine will appeal to more of a female audience. The type of person that would buy my magazine would be a female how has the interest in urban style and urban music. The stereotypical person who would buy my magazine would be someone who only listens to music all the time and who is seen as not very well behaved in school, someone who is interested in being involved in the music business when they are older.

Colour testing

Red.

The colour red appears a lot on R&B music magazines as it is a bold colour. It is used to make things stand out on the page and appeal to a lot of younger people, as red is seen as a modern colour.This colour is a fierce and powerful colour and can be associated with things like rap and therefore would be an appropriate colour for my music magazine as it fits in with the genre that i am doing, which is R&B. Different shades of red can be used on an R&B magazine, for example a deep red colour be used for a title of a rap artist to show power and ambition from the artist.  R&B music magazines may use the colour red for their title or to highlight certain information, this is effective as it draws the readers attention to the text that is in red because it is such an attractive and bright colour.

Black.

This colour is a simple colour and is seen in most magazines as it is the easiest colour to read. However t is normally used inside of the magazine on double page spreads, as that has all the information in it and is so simple. For a R&B magazine the colour black would be used on the front cover as a title or as text on the front cover. This is because the background colour is normally plain and black would stand out well on a plain colour. It also could be associated with deep and dark music, like grim music that contains deep lyrics. This colour would be suitable for my music magazine as it is the best colour to use for lots of text and goes well with the genre of R&B.

Blue.

This is masculine colour and would normally be associated with male magazines. R&B magazines are normally aimed at both sexes therefore this colour of blue wouldn't work well in my magazine. However different shades of blue would be suitable for my magazine as his colour can show purity and youth and my magazine is aimed at a younger audience. This colour would be suitable for a heading or to highlight information on a page, but i wouldn't use this colour as a main colour for my magazine, as it would normally be associated with R&B type music.

Yellow.

yellow is associated with wealth there for appears a lot in a R&B magazine as a lot of the artist are wealthy and like to show off their wealth. It would appear on the front of a magazine to highlight something about an artist or the title of the magazine. This colour wouldn't appear in a magazine about R&B soul artist, but more grime and rap artist as they rap about money a lot. This colour wouldn't be suitable for my magazine as i am not basing my magazine on wealth or talking about money within my magazine.

Green.

This colour is associated is nature and is a natural colour. It is known to represent freedom and having the freedom to pursue anything. It wouldn't appear on the front of a R&B music magazine and others colours  would be more appropriate. It isn't the boldest  of colours but does stand out against a dark background. This colour would be appropriate for my music magazine, as it a pure colour and i would want to discuss the theme of freedom within my magazine. It would show the freedom and ambition of a person, also it would be used to highlight key information on a page.

Pink.

This colour is a feminine colour and would seen in a magazine that included a female artist. It is a bold and bright colour and stands out against any other colour. Therefor would be a good colour to use to highlight information and to use for headings. This colour represents compassion and colour be used to show power of a women. It would be used in a female solo magazine rather than a rap or male solo artist, as most female R&B artists are solo and strong women. I would use this colour in my magazine to highlight a strong women and would be used within text to capture the readers eye.

Questions

Questions on Magazines:

• Are you male or female?
• How old are you?
• What is your favorite  R&B magazine and why?
• What kind of artist would you like to see on the front of a magazine?
• Who would you read a double page spread on?
• What else would you feature/ want in a magazine?
• What colour house style would you want to see used on and in an R&B magazine?
• Would you like to see a lot pictures o the front cover?
• How much are you willing to pay for a magazine and why?
• Would you like the context to be technical?

Double Page Spread Analysis

This is a double page spread from the magazine 'Vibe' and is it a double page spread on the world wide famous rap artist Drake. 

This article includes two pictures and includes stories about Drakes life and how he became famous and well known for what he does. The two pictures are placed one on either page to break up the text, otherwise people wouldn't read it if the page was just a plain white page with black text on it. The picture on the left page is in colour and is a full body shot of Drake with the text running down the left hand side of the picture. The background of the picture is just black and he is wear casual, but fashionable clothes. This give the impression that even for photo-shots and interviews with magazines he doesn't dress smart. The picture on the right page is placed at the top with the text underneath it. This picture is a mid-shot of Drake and he is in a studio which headphones around his neck and recording equipment behind him, perhaps recording his new album. This picture is printed in black and white which is affective on the page. 

The double page spread is typed in a simple black font to make is easy for the reader to read. The first section on the double page spread is written in red and in block capitals. This shows that is has something to do with the text below, but it is not part of the actual interview/story of Drake. It seems to be taken from part of the  interview , which a lot of modern day magazines do now. It tells the reader what will in the in text before they even start to read it. 

This is a double page spread on Eminem on the magazine 'Vibe'. 

The main colours used for this double page spread are white, black and red. The red is a contrast of him being covered in blood and with the statement ' i almost died and i still went back to using'.  The word 'Eminem' is written in the bottom right hand corner and the E is written in red and is placed backwards, this is a trade mark for Eminem.There is just one main picture on the page and the picture is placed in the middle of the page, breaking up the text.

The page is split up into two parts, the picture separating them. 

The picture is of Eminem is a mid-shot of him and it is the main focus of the page, so the reader knowns instantly what the article will be about. The picture is of him holding a knife and he is wearing an white apron covered in blood. This shows that the article will be about something personal about Eminem, and how he ' almost died'. The large text and the picture link together, as it gives the reader a clue on how he 'almost died'. It is a very powerful picture to have on the page, as it is the first thing the reader would notice and has am impacted on the reader making them want to read the whole article.

The double page spread is typed in a simple black font and it is set out in columns. Having the text written in columns makes it easier for the reader to read, as the text doesn't go across the whole page, it also uses the space of the page well and takes up more room of the page. It also breaks the information up and lets the reader digest the information and not get bored by not having a lot of text on the page. 

This double page spread is from another 'Vibe' magazine and is on the famous R&B artist Usher. It is split into two sections, on one side of the page is a picture of Usher with a statement from the article in the right hand corner. On the other page is the interview from Usher. 

The picture of Usher is low angle shot making him look power. The picture is of him smoking a cigar and he is wearing a denim shirt. He is looking away from the camera, as if he is focused on something and showing he is of a wealthier and high status as wealthy people smoke cigars. Another thing showing wealth is the watch he is wearing in the picture, this does show that he is very successful and earns a lot of money at what he does. 

The text is broken into small sections, as each question asked and answered in written in a small paragraph. The article is written in columns and sections which makes is very clear and easy for the reader to read making it easier for the reader to take in the information and not get bored, within the text the questions asked are written in a bolder font than the response this is to make it clear to the reader which is the question and what is the response. On the left page the quote in the right hand corner gives the reader a glimpse of what will be included in the interview. 

Contents Page Analysis

This is a contents page of the magazine 'Vibe, and it has the famous artist Kanye West largely printed on it. We known is is a contents page because the word 'contents' is written in the right hand corner of the page, but the word is split up into three lines, which is very unique for the contents page.  

This contents page is printed in black and white.The background and picture in different shades of gray and all the text on the page is in black. They are very simple colours and makes it very stylish and modern. Although the page is printed in black and white there is a small red heart that appears mysteriously by a women hand on Kanye West's chest. This could indicate that the issues could included things about his personal love life.

The 'v' placed o the background behind the picture, makes it clear that the contents page belongs to the magazine 'Vibe'. The 'v' is a faint Grey colour and it is fixed on the background. Although the 'v' is the largest thing of the page it doesn't stand out as much as the other text on the page because it is a  similar colour to the background colour.

The layout of the contents page is easy for the reader to read and find out where to find things in the magazine. The information of what is in the magazine is clear and highlights what exactly will be in the issue. The contents includes things like a 'fashion' part and Kanye West is wearing something that is modern day fashion. People who are interested in mens modern day fashion would be interested in reading that part of the magazine.

This is another contents page from the magazine 'Vibe' and has the famous R&B artist Usher, who is easily recognisable. This tells the reader that in this issue of the magazine will include things about Usher. 
This the on the contents page is white with the page numbers written in black. This is clear to the reader and is easy for them to find pages. 

Usher is standing on the right hand side of the page, wearing a denim shirt with a leather jacket. The shot of Usher is a medium long shot. His hand is in one pocket and he is wearing sunglasses, he looks very stylish. This image of Usher is showing he is the alpha male and dominant.This would appeal to a lot of young people, as he a modern and new artist.

The word 'contents' isn't featured on the page, but it clear that is it a contents page as there is a sub-title that says features, which includes things that will be featured in the magazine. The background colour of the magazine is just a simple Grey and it is darker Grey in some parts of page.

This contents page focuses on the rap artist Eminem. He is wearing a smart suite and is stood in front of a red curtain and he is portrayed in half a shadow. This is ideology for the dark music produced in him album. He is looking directly into he camera with a cunning looking, showing he is a professional at what he does and is at the top of his game in the rap bussiness. 

The contents features are placed on the right hand side of the page and is written in a small font so the attention isn't taken away from the picture of Eminem. The word 'contents' doesn't appear on the page, but it clear that it is a contents page from the 'features' sub-title and the page numbers down the left side of the text. 

Part of the contents text is written in yellow and is bold, to make it stand out compared to the rest of the text. This is show the reader what is the main part of what will be included on that page.

Music Magazine Analysis

This is an Issue of 'Vibe' Magazine and the main focus of the magazine is the famous solo, R&B artist Trey Songz. The picture of Trey Songz is a mid-shot with him topless, which shows that is the main focus of the4 magazine. Having that on the front of the magazine would attract more of a female audience.

The picture is covering part of the 'B' on the title, which appears a lot on front covers of magazines. Doing that bring more focus and attention to the picture of Trey Songz. 

This issue of the magazine uses two main colours for the text, which are red and white. The main title is bold and red which stands out against, what looks like black tiles in the background. Having the white and red text around the picture and against the dark background puts focus of the text and makes is very visible to the eye to see on the front cover.That allows the reader to see clearly what will be included inside the magazine and what kind of things that they would be interested in inside the magazine.  

The text is also written in different font sizes, to make different texts stand out from others. For example the text 'Trey Songz' is written in bold, white writing and is bigger and bolder than any other text that appears on the front cover. This is because the main focus of the magazine is Trey Songz, under that text written in red is 'the hardest in R&B'  and the ' in R&B' is written bigger and bolder to show the audience what genre of music Trey Songz is and what genre the magazine is. 

In the bottom left corner is the bar code for the magazine which appears in every issue of 'Vibe' and has the web-address for the magazine. Over to the left corner of the magazine is 'last months issue' of the magazine which indicates with issue the magazine is and for regular buyers what magazine was lasts months in case they missed it. 

This is another issue of the magazine 'Vibe', but this one has a picture of the famous rapper Eminem. Which suggests that this issue of the magazine is based on rap and rap stars. The title of the magazine is placed at the top and is written in big bold letters and the colour fades from black to red. which links in with the theme rap. The title is partly covered by the main picture, which is an occurring theme on the magazine 'Vibe'. This brings more attention to the picture rather than the title.

The colour theme of this magazine is black and red which stands out against the white background and making it very clear to read. The red is a strong colour and is used to highlight sections of the cover, to emphasis certain points and articles. This also links in with the picture of Eminem, as he is looking strong and powerful. This ideology represents the genre of the whole magazine, which is rap.

Eminem is an rap icon to all kinds of audiences male or female, so people who are interested in rap and Eminem would buy this magazine. The picture is a mid shot of him and includes him looking directly into the camera with a very serious expression on his face this could be showing power. Around the picture is different texts about rapper and text about Eminem himself, for example ' literally almost died. Eminem comes clean' shows that there will be a story about him and his experiences. Which a lot of people would be interested in reading and finding out how he almost died. 

This issue of 'Vibe' magazine has a mid-shot of the famous rap artist Drake. Like every issues of 'Vibe' part of the title is covered up by the picture. To put the focus on the picture and Drake rather than the title. Having Drake at the main and only picture on the front cover tells the reader that he is the main focus of the magazine.

the title is written in big, white bold letters so it is clear to show what magazine it is. The main colours used are white, yellow and black which links with the theme of rap. The main parts of the magazine and the articles that will be included are highlighted in yellow. The white and yellow are affective against the black background as it makes it stand out. 

Drake is wearing all black as well, and is wearing a t-shirt that has the word 'unstoppable' on it, which tells the reader about what will be included about him and that he is unstoppable in his career and rapping. The picture is of him looking directly into the camera with a aggressive and focus expression, which shows power and that the magazine is about him and the genre of music that he produces. The look given by him could associate with the top he is wearing, as it is a determined look in his eye and the way he is stood with his head tilted slightly and his arms down by his side. 

Magazine Analysis

 This is an 'Billboard' Magazine with picture is of the famous solo artist Katy Perry. This issue was produced during spring time so the theme of the magazine is spring. This magazine would attract female attention as t is pink and has Katy Perry is more of a female icon rather than men.  The picture is a full body shot of Katy Perry wearing a short floral dress with flowers in her hair and she is holding flowers in her arms.  Katy Perry is covering the 'Bo' of the title of the magazine to make the focus on her rather that the title.

The colours used for the magazine are linking with the theme of spring, as the background colour is a pale pink an Katy Perry is wearing natural make-up with bright pink lipstick and the flowers around her are pale pink and yellow. Theses colours seem to be the main colours used on the front cover.  The title of the Magazine had the middle parts o the 'b' 'a' and 'd' filled in with different colours, this makes the magazine original and it is appears on every issue of 'Billboard'  as a trade mark.

The text around the picture are written in black to make it stand out against the pink background, different fonts are used for the different texts. The words 'Katy Perry' are printed bigger than the other text and it is very clear to see on the page for the audience to know who the picture is of. Under that text written in white text is about what it will include about Katy Perry in the magazine itself. 

This is an issue of 'Q' magazine, which is placed i the to right hand corner in a red square, like it is in every issues of the magazine. The title is very easy to see  because the white 'Q' stand out against the red background. The magazine has a head shot of the world wide famous artist Adele, who is a world wide female icon. The picture is her wearing natural make-up with purple eye shadow and purple nails varnish.  The colours used represent purity and natural.

The face shot of Adele shows glamor and I tells he reader that she will be featured in that issue of the magazine. The text with Adele's picture say 'If you've got it, flaunt it...' and 'Adele blows us away'. This gives the reader a little information on what will be in the music magazine without giving too much away.

The text on the front cover and all in different font sizes and are in the colours of white, red and black to match the theme of he magazine. Having the text in different colours and sizes allows the reader to spot easily what they would want t read about in the magazine.

Another thing that stands out on he magazine is the '300th issue' stamp on the front. This shows that the magazine is a consistent seller and seems to be very popular if they have published 300 issues of the magazine.

The is a NME music magazine and it is a very popular magazine. It is mainly and Indie/ Rock magazine. The main focus of the magazine is Reading and Leeds festival, but also The Killers. There is a face shot of the lead singer of the Killers on the front and text saying 'the big headliners' which suggests to the reader that they are the headlining act for the festivals.

The colours for this magazine are mainly yellow and red with some white. Yellow and red are the festival colours and so they may have made the colours similar to that because that is the theme and focus of the issues.

The text on the front cover is showing what will be in the magazine, like the interviews from acts that would have played at Reading and Leeds festival in 2006.  The title of the magazine 'NME' is written in bright red with white outline of the text I white. This appears in every issue of this magazine and it is in the same place, Placed in he top left hand corner of the magazine.

 This magazine would attract a mixed audience, I would attract people would are interested in The Killers and people how want to know more about the acts that will appearing are Reading and Leeds festival that year.

Introduction

I have completed my Preliminary task and i am now doing my final project and main task which is a Music Magazine. I will start with doing some magazine research by  doing analysis  of music magazine front covers and go onto case study with questionnaires. This main task will included colour testing and font testing and mock ups.