Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

How To Research Music Magazines

Preliminary Exercise: Produce the front page of a new school/college

magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately
laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally candidates must produce a mock-up of the layout of
the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of Desk Top Publishing.

Main Task: The front page, contents and double page spread of a new music
magazine.

All images and text used must be original, produced by the candidate(s), minimum of
four images per candidate.

In order to produce a replica music magazine you first have to learn what ‘ingredients’ to
include. We call these ingredients the ‘Generic Elements’ of the magazine. The word
‘Generic’ comes from the word ‘Genre’ which means ‘Type’ so when we study the generic
elements of a Music Magazine we are actually studying the type of things, which appear in
this ‘type’ of magazine.

So in order to produce a Music Magazine we first need to study other Music Magazines. To
do this you need to follow the instructions below.

Studying Music Magazines

You should study as many magazines that are aimed at your key audience as you can.

As such you must collect as many Music Magazines as you possibly can. To start off
with you need to obtain at least Two Music Magazine aimed at the same (or similar)
audiences.

Your magazine should look as much like

the real thing as possible without being a
direct copy. (Remember that your project
needs to be 100% original.)

◄The cover on the left, Zero, is a real car

magazine. The cover on the left, Dream
Cars, is one I created using Adobe
Photoshop Elements 2.0. It is similar
enough to be convincing but different
enough to be original.

Worksheet For Analysing Magazines

When studying magazines there are a number of different elements that you can analyse.
Use this information to create your Annotated Pages. The elements to consider include:

The Title Of The Magazine:

• What is denoted?: What is it called? What significant words are used?

• What is connoted?: Why is it called that? What meanings/suggestions do the words
have? The name Kerrang!, for example connotes the crash of a cymbal. This is
appropriate for a heavy metal magazine.

1
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

2
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

The Target Audience For The Magazine:

• Who is the target demographic for the magazine?
• What gender/s is the magazine aimed at?
• How old are the readers?
• Is it a mainstream or niche audience?

Mise-en-Scène
• Analyse the images on the cover and inside the magazine; the types of facial
expressions, body language, clothing, etc. used.
• What do they tell us about the target audience for the magazine?
• What else is denoted on the cover?
• Why are particular items in the magazine features?
• Explain why particular typefaces, types of graphics, colours, etc. used?

The Mode Of Address Of The Magazine:

• How does it address (i.e. talk to) its readers? Does it use a peer to peer, teacher –
pupil, parent – child or fluctuating mode of address?
• How and when are readers allowed to address the magazine? (Letters pages, etc.)
• That types of articles/features does it contain? (Check the contents pages)
• What subjects are covered?
• What does this tell us about the ideal self being created by the magazine?

Representation In The Magazine:

• How is gender represented? (Look at both the image and the text). What kind of
men and women appear in the magazine?
• How are different subcultures represented? How, for example, does Kerrang!
Represent rock/metal fans.
• How do these representations relate to the readership? Ideal self or Ideal Partner?
• Is there a limited range of representations for men and women? If so, what are they
and why?
• What kinds of celebrities/musicians/bands featured in the magazine? Why have they
been chosen?

How To Illustrate Your Magazine Research

Illustrate your research of similar media texts by ‘annotating’ One example of a

magazine front cover, One example of a contents page and One example of
magazine double page spread.

3
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

Measuring Your Magazine

In order to create your own magazine you have to study how they are laid out. To do this you
need to take a real magazine and measure it.

First you need to record the magazine’s dimensions. Take a 30cm ruler and measure the
magazine’s height and width.
You need to analyse how the magazine’s pages are laid out. To do this you should divide
you magazine’s pages into a grid in order to determine what proportion of the page is
filled by elements such as mastheads, sell lines, banners, gutters, border etc. Use your
ruler to measure these key dimensions and use this data to create a rough layout for
your magazine.

4
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

Magazine Design Elements To Take Into Account

• House style
• Selection of typefaces, i.e. font (serif/sans serif), Text Size, Use of Drop Capitals,
• Use of colour, Ratio of ‘White Space’ to colour,
• Use of language, mode of address,
• Use of images (relationship between pictures and text),
• Use of sell lines, captions, headlines, banners, etc.
• Other elements, e.g. bar codes, legal information, publisher information, Page
numbers, etc.
• Page layout, Use of borders, and gutters,
• Highlighting techniques,
• Width of columns,
• Justification of text,
• Variations in leading, (the space between lines of text) and kerning, (the space
between letters)
• Flow,
• Use of adverts
• Use of Strap Lines,
• Use of By-lines (name of the person who wrote the article) and Picture Credits,
(where did the photos come from, or who took them)
• Integration of text and image. How do Captions and Anchorage give meaning to
images?
• What is the Cover Story? What makes it the lead article?
• What kind of articles does the magazine contain? What genre do they fit into? Are
they topical, fresh, seasonal, follow-up stories, promotional?

Try to research as wide a variety of music magazines as you can but include at least one or
two from a similar genre to the one you intend to produce. Compare and contrast them to
one another. Don’t just comment on what is included in the images but what is missing.

5
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

Some Key Terms

• Masthead – The name and logo of the magazine.

• The Lead – the introductory paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or
capitals.
• Body copy refers to the text of your written articles, which should be produced as a
printed presentation to accepted industry standards, e.g. correct use of language, font
size, word limits etc. Usually written in columns.
• Serif font – fonts like Times New Roman, or Baskerville Old Face, which have little
bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
• Sans serif font – fonts like Impact, or Agency FB, which do not have little bars
(serifs) on the end of the letters.
• Drop Capitals – Really big letter, which start off an article.
• Cross Head – Small sub-heading used to split up a large block of text.
• White Space – white parts of a page other than text or pictures.
• Mode Of Address – How the magazine talks to the audience.
• Sell Lines – Text on the cover that helps to sell the magazine to the audience.
Kerrang!’s sell line is “life is loud”.
• Banners – text, which stands out because its on a coloured background.
• House Style – a magazines distinctive design that distinguishes it from its
competitors.
• Borders – the gaps at the edges of the page.
• Gutters – the gaps between the columns of text.
• Leading - the space between lines of text.
• Kerning - the space between letters.
• Strap Lines – a smaller headline, printed above the main headline.
• By-lines - name of the person who wrote the article. Picture Credits - where did the
photos come from, or who took them.
• Anchorage – The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and
visa versa.

6
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

How To Use Microsoft Word To Annotate Magazine

Pages

In order to illustrate your research of similar media texts, i.e. music magazines, you should
include some Annotated Pages into your appendix.

Annotation simply means ‘to add explanatory notes’. In this case you should annotate
magazine covers, double page spreads and a contents page by pointing out the key
elements of the page. The following instructions will tell you how to do this using Microsoft
Word.

Remember to Save Your Work at regular intervals and keep a USB Key or Other Suitable
Storage Medium!

This work must then be uploaded to your blog.

7
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media
Arrowhead suggests
Annotating Pages that these features can
be found inside the
magazine. Pugs are the ears
Example of An Annotated Front Cover or top left and
Masthead: Special font with a high impact red colour and right of the page,
shadow effect. Onomatopoeia connotes the sound of a which attract the
Main Picture Covers Masthead
cymbal crashing. reader’s attention.
Yellow dots to separate band As such, they are
Band Names to attract names. Part of House Style used for
attention of one-off information such
buyers. as the magazine’s
Cover Price and
Cover Lines, Date Of Publish
especially ‘world
exclusive’, which
is highlighted in a
‘house style’
black box with
bold yellow text.
Anchored by pull Competition:
quotes round ‘box’ with
yellow boarder
and yellow or
white text to
make it stand
Sans Serif ‘Arial’ Direct Gaze
out.
Font, Block looks out at
Capitals, shadow reader.
effect,
Main Coverline: has much Bar Code
larger font size and runs
across the middle of the
page. Has an underline Pull Quote: serif
effect separating it from font and yellow
its subheading. colour to make it
White writing stands out stand out. Tilted
from dark background. at a slight angle.
Courier font –
resembles
typewriter text,
Exclamation which highlights
marks connote ‘journalistic’
excitement but content.
are also part of Sensationalist
house style as the subject matter
title of the (drugs) draws the
magazine viewer’s attention.
includes an
exclamation
mark, i.e. Cover Picture: Cover Picture:
Kerrang! overlaps and anchors overlaps and anchors
banner. The subject Banner: banner
has a typical rock and
roll pose and punk Slanted At An Angle
styling. Main cover picture
– Left To Right. is of a major
Yellow/white writing international star
stands out from and relates to main
background article topic. It is
anchored by the
main coverline.

8
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

9
 Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio In Media

Annotating Pages

Example of An Annotated Double Page Spread

Feature Headline – Part Of House Style – Light coloured, uncluttered picture

Black background with special font. Boarder Headline: Latin, Serif Font background – no ‘white space’.
continues over both pages. (Varies from article to article)

The Lead: Same font

as the rest of the First two words of each By-line And Picture Credit:
Band name article but in a larger article section are in Story relates to within a box as part of the
highlighted with text size. larger capitals cover article ‘House Style’
bold, capital
letters.
Verso Page Recto Page Picture covers both
pages with right
First two hand page
words of consisting of
article are in nothing but picture
much larger and all of the text
uppercase appearing on the
letters – no left hand page,
drop capitals. although the text
still wraps around
the image.

The image
conforms to the
Two main text columns ‘Rule Of Thirds’ and
with a third block of text. has plenty of
Text blocks are left negative space on
justified/ranged but the left hand side to
placed towards the right act as a
hand side of the page. background for the
text.
All text is in Arial (sans
serif)
Font. Gutters
The boarder
Mode of address peer- Picture overlaps line has an
to-peer style with a boarder arrow at one
‘Gonzo’ influenced
end to
interview style.
indicate that
Picture: Reznor is gazing off page – into the distance the story
– connoting thoughtfulness. Whilst the strong continues
shadow effect connotes a duel personality, i.e. a over the
Pull Quote: attributed to public side and a private side. All black clothing page.
interviewee reflects dark sound of his music (but looks fairly
normal in contrast to the band pictures over the
Page Number And Magazine Name in page) and contrasts well with bright ‘earth-tone’
black box with page boarder. This helps background colours. His posture is supposed to
to create a ‘House Style’. look natural but is clearly posed. The positioning of
Reznor on the right hand side of the page with
negative space to his left balances the image with
the text. The picture is taken in the late afternoon to
create the long shadows; this also creates a soft,
wistful light that adds to the pictures thoughtful
mood.

10