brian - unit 13 lo2 - generating ideas

OCR - Level 3 Cambridge Introductory Diploma in Media - Unit 13:

Candidate Name: Brian Miguel Insua Candidate Number: 6055

Centre Name: St Andrews Catholic Secondary School Centre Number: 64135

• Generating Ideas - Mind Maps, Mood Boards & Ideas Gained • Final Magazine Idea - Idea 1, Idea 2 & Final Idea • Magazine of Inspiration Analysis (Mojo Music Magazine) - Front Cover &

Double Page Spread • Pre-Production Materials - Hand Drawn Drafts & Draft Article • Target Audience

UNIT 13 - LO2 Generating Ideas for an Original Print-Based

Media Product

GENERATING IDEAS

MIND MAPS & MOOD BOARDS

Masthead, Content, Strapline, Colour Scheme, Images, Fonts, Target Audience, Frequency and Price, Front Cover Layout, Double Page Spread

Layout, Style Inspiration

MIND MAPS

MASTHEAD MIND MAP

“Mojo” - noun - defined as a magical charm - connotes the charm of the classic rock era - synonyms include charm, magic & supernatural.

“Kerrang!” – onomatopoeia – simulates the sound of a guitar – connotes genre of music being focused on – generates excitement and engages attention.

“Q” – one letter connote simplicity– a cue note is a musical notation that acts as a guide that signals the entrance of other instruments – connotes the idea of being a guideline for music.

CONTENT MIND MAP

“Mojo” - Monthly magazine - Content that focuses on the classic rock era of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Covers classic rock artists such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, ACDC, Aerosmith and many more - Content is eloquently written - designed to inform, educate & entertain target audience (intelligent, affluent men aged 45-55 in the ABC1 demographic) (Hartley’s Subjectivities).

“Kerrang!” – Weekly magazine - Content that focuses on rock music - covering artists such as The Foo Fighters, Avenged Sevenfold, Nirvana, Metallica, Muse, Fallout Boy, Black Veil Brides, All Time Low and many more - Content is more humorous and causally written - designed to inform, educate & entertain target audience (predominantly male, aged 15-24 in the ABC1 demographic) (Hartley’s Subjectivities).

“Q” – Monthly magazine - Content that focuses on rock/pop/mainstream music - covering artists such as U2, Adele, Oasis, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Paolo Nutini, Arctic Monkeys, Michael Jackson, Coldplay and many more - Content is eloquently written - designed to inform, educate & entertain target audience (affluent young men aged 15-24 in the ABC1 demographic) (Hartley’s Subjectivities).

STRAPLINE MIND MAP

“Mojo” - “The Music Magazine” - simple yet strong statement connoting quality and stature of Mojo - signifier (De Saussure) “the” suggests this is the place to be & that the consumer won’t need to go anywhere else. Promotes the brand as the only destination for music lovers.

“Kerrang!” – “The World’s Biggest Selling Weekly Rock Magazine” - strong statement connoting popularity and world-wide reputation of magazine - “World’s Biggest Selling” advertises magazine’s popularity and quality whilst “Weekly Rock Magazine” informs consumers what the magazine is about. Language and wording of Strapline signifies (De Saussure) brand.

“Q” – “Discover Great Music” - simple and strong statement connoting quality of content and stature of magazine - signifier (De Saussure) “Discover” entices consumers to read magazine and “Great Music” connotes quality of end product - finding top quality music.

COLOUR SCHEME MIND MAP

IMAGES MIND MAP “Mojo” - prominent black and white images - connotes era - several large portrait shots (for instance of Kate Bush on the Front Cover and of Bob Marley on the Contents page) - entices consumers (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal) - Front Cover image of Kate Bush and Contents page image of Bob Marley - medium close-up shots with stars looking directly at camera - addresses the reader - builds rapport with consumer - entices audience. Also, lots of colour images - particularly showing behind-the-scenes and showing stars as a normal person - builds rapport with consumers as makes them more relatable - audience can identify with artists (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications).

FONTS MIND MAP

“Mojo” - Font used for Masthead on Front Cover: Mixture of Metro black and Lithos black (with the J being Lithos Black and the other letters being Metro Black - see image below) - Font used throughout magazine (headlines, cover lines, article bodies) = serif type font - used to connote sophistication and intelligence - due to small decorative flourishes on the end of strokes which make up (Signifier - De Saussure). (http://typophile.com/node/18322)

http://typophile.com/node/18322

TARGET AUDIENCE MIND MAP

“Mojo” - “Mojo” - Primary audience for Mojo magazine is males aged 45-54 (28.8%) (Hartley’s Subjectivities) because of content that magazine covers: Frequently covering classic rock genre, acts such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson; Artists which were at prime during 70’s, 80’s and 90’s – thus generation that grew up listening to those artists are the ones most interested in reading about them. The age group 15-24 is the second-highest age range. These are the adolescents who are more interested in “the classics” – rock music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s - compared to today’s mainstream artists.

FREQUENCY & PRICE MIND MAP

“Mojo” - released monthly - high-quality, eloquently written content aimed to appeal to intelligent, educated men aged 45-55 and in the ABC1 profile (Hartley’s Subjectivities). Packed with 130 pages, issue contains high quality, detailed features & articles. In terms of price, Mojo costs £4.80 per month ($9.99) - again due to target audience being high earners - ABC1 demographic (Hartley’s Subjectivities) - more wealthy thus willing to spend more (Socio-Economic Needs).

FRONT COVER MIND MAP

“Mojo” - Masthead written in bold, large font and found towards the top of the front cover. Masthead is placed in front of main image of Kate Bush - advertises importance of brand - connoting Mojo is presenting artists (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal). Promotion located at top-left of front cover - first thing consumer sees (Visual Imperative - Galtung and Ruge) - written in bold, large text with pink background - eye-catching - engages and entices reader. Cover lines - located at right-hand side of front cover - summary of stories - uses exaggerated, powerful language to entice - highlighted artists in different colours for emphasis (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal). Main headline - located middle-left of front cover - large, bold text - utilises different colours to emphasis different unique selling points and artists (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal). Promotional CD - glued to bottom left - inclusion of physical CD designed to appeal to target audience (predominantly men aged 45-55 in the ABC1 demographic - Hartley’s Subjectivities) as primary form of consumption for particular generation was physical media more so than digital.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD MIND MAP

“Mojo” - Headline at top left of D.P.S. - written in large, bold text - draws attention of reader thus creating starting point for article. Pullout quote - written in large, bold text - written in different colours & put in a box - differentiates from Headline & Stand First - bleeds across both pages - unifies D.P.S. - typically, quotes presented are usually controversial or shocking to grip the reader’s attention. Stand First - underneath headline - provides context for article - enough information to inform and educate reader (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications) but also entice them to read further - written in bold to differentiate from main body. Drop Capital - visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge) that catches reader’s eye - breaks up text thus more aesthetically pleasing - immediately draws the reader’s eye & serves as starting point for second page of D.P.S.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD MIND MAP

Q&A - (not found on main D.P.S.) placed in a box with a border and differently coloured background (subtle) - controversial/shocking pullout quote - engages readers attention - makes them ask questions - thus entices them to satisfy curiosity & read further. Questions differentiated by bold font. Images - mixture of black & white + colour images - colour images more behind-the-scenes/ordinary life type - black & white images more performance/star type (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal). Caption - provides context for images - placed in a black box with bold sans-serif text - cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing look. Main Body - use of serif font - to connote sophistication and intelligence - appeal to target audience of predominantly men aged 45-55 in the ABC1 demographic (Hartley’s Subjectivities).

STYLE MIND MAP “Mojo” - Colours - Mojo uses black, white, red and grey - appeals to target audience of (predominantly men aged 45-55 in the ABC1 demographic - Hartley’s Subjectivities) as red connotes masculine energy, black connotes sophistication and seriousness, white connotes balance and efficiency and grey connotes calm, composure and reservation. Font - Font used throughout magazine (headlines, cover lines, article bodies) = serif type font - used to connote sophistication and intelligence - due to small decorative flourishes on the end of strokes which make up (Signifier - De Saussure). Language - Content is eloquently and affluently written to appeal to target audience of intelligent, educated men aged 45-55 in the ABC1 demographic (Hartley’s Subjectivities).

Masthead, Strapline, Colour Scheme, Images, Target Audience, Summary

MOOD BOARDS

MASTHEAD MOOD BOARD

STRAPLINE MOOD BOARD

Mojo - The World’s Best Music Magazine

Kerrang - The World’s Biggest Selling Weekly Rock Magazine

Vintage Rock - An open house full of love unlimited for those who recognise the majesty of such greats as Elvis, Buddy Holly, Carl

Perkins, Hank Marvin and Little Richard.

Classic Rock - The Last Great Rock'n'roll Magazine and the home of high voltage rock'n'roll.

Q – Discover Great Music

Uncut - Music and movie with something to say

COLOUR SCHEME MOOD BOARD

Colour Meanings: Red – colour of energy, passion, action, ambition and determination – warm, positive colour that conveys powerful masculine energy – draws attention to itself and demands to be noticed. Black – colour of power and authority – creates a barrier between itself and outside world thus offers feeling of protection – connotes sophistication and seriousness – favoured by the youth market who are still trying to find own sense of identity. White – colour of perfection, purity and completion – suggests fairness, neutrality and balance – symbolises clean slate – a blank canvas ready to be written upon – calming effect due to connotations of simplicity, organisation and efficiency. Yellow – colour of mind and intellect – connotes optimism, creativity, wisdom and logic – represents the mind and intellect – colour of expression – stimulates logic/analytical side of brain – promotes wisdom and academic proficiency.

TARGET AUDIENCE MOOD BOARD

IMAGES MOOD BOARD

IMAGES MOOD BOARD

The images I chose for my magazine images mood board convey the style and type of images that I would like to include in my music magazine. For instance, some of the shot types, the style of the shots, the expressions, emotions and body language and the colours used. One of the ideas I had would be to use black and white images for articles focusing on artists from the classic era of music (for instance, a feature about The Beatles would have black and white images) whilst contemporary artists from the modern era would have coloured images (for instance, a feature about Against The Current would have coloured images). This would visually differentiate between the different eras of music and also help establish the house style and brand of the music magazine.

Masthead, Strapline, Colour Scheme, Images, Target Audience, Summary

IDEAS GAINED

MASTHEAD IDEAS “Magic” - adjective - defined as wonderful, exciting - noun - connotes power influenced by mysterious or supernatural forces - appeals to audience by taking them back to the era of “magical” music (appeals to those who are interested in the past/traditionalist values (Resigned) - Psychographics).

“Muse_ic” - “muse” = Roman & Greek mythology - daughter of Zeus - goddess of arts & science - noun connotes inspiration for a creative artist - appeals to audience by connoting magazine will investigate and inform (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications) about the inspiration behind great music - underscore connotes contemporary influence.

“Charm” - noun - connotes power or quality of delighting/attracting/fascinating others - appeals to audience by reminding them of the “charm” of the classics era - appeals to those are oriented in the past (Resigned - Psychographics).

CONTENT IDEAS

Will contain content that also focuses on classic rock & up and coming rising stars (Genre’s Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale) (i.e. YouTube stars such as Against The Current) Classic rock (such as The Beatles) will appeal to both younger and older audience whilst rising stars will particularly appeal to younger audience (Audience Appeal). Against The Current’s online presence makes them more relatable to younger audience. Content will also be eloquently written - designed to inform and educate the target audience (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications) (intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic - focusing on both young [the 16-25 bracket] and the old [the 40+ bracket]) (Hartley’s Subjectivities) - with content (such as adverts, features, articles etc.) appealing to men more so than women (similar to Mojo). Content aimed at Explorers (seek discovery - energy, individualism and experience - values difference and adventure) (younger demographic) & Resigned (seek survival - rigid and authoritarian values - interested in past and tradition) (older demographic) (Psychographics).

STRAPLINE IDEAS

Strapline - statement that describes unique selling point of magazine - typically simple, short and catchy - designed to be memorable - unites to create brand. Strapline for my magazine draws inspiration from Mojo, Kerrang! and Q magazine - utilising carefully selected language to convey the unique selling point and advertise the brand.

“The Place to Be”“The Home of Music”

“Great Music Awaits”

“Music with Charm” “The Best”

“Magic Moments, Magic Music”

“Access the Best”

“Celebrate Charming Music”

“Uncover Great Music”

COLOUR SCHEME IDEAS

Colours to use: Black, White, Red & Yellow – common colour scheme used in music magazines – powerful colours used to attract attention (Signifiers - De Saussure): Red – colour of energy, passion, action, ambition and determination – warm, positive colour that conveys powerful masculine energy – draws attention to itself and demands to be noticed. Black – colour of power and authority – creates a barrier between itself and outside world thus offers feeling of protection – connotes sophistication and seriousness – favoured by the youth market who are still trying to find own sense of identity. White – colour of perfection, purity and completion – suggests fairness, neutrality and balance – symbolises clean slate – a blank canvas ready to be written upon – calming effect due to connotations of simplicity, organisation and efficiency. Yellow – colour of mind and intellect – connotes optimism, creativity, wisdom and logic – represents the mind and intellect – colour of expression – stimulates logic/analytical side of brain – promotes wisdom and academic proficiency.

IMAGES IDEAS

Similar to Mojo, will utilise black and white images - visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge) connoting era - also, black and white images channel focus of consumer towards star (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal). Colour images will be used to appeal to youth - connotes energy and potential of upcoming stars - also coloured behind the scenes photos to make stars more relatable - allows audience to identify with artists (Katz’s Uses & Gratifications). Main images on Front Cover and Double Page Spread will be medium close-up shots with stars looking directly at camera - addresses the reader - builds rapport with consumer - entices audience.

FONTS IDEAS

Font for Masthead: Will repeat/copy Mojo (Genre’s Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale) - Lithos Black font - connotes genre and era/style of music magazine will cover - “groovy” character styles - representation of music mentioned in magazine and era/style of music itself (Signifier - De Saussure). Font for main body: Serif for sections covering classic music from the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s & 90’s (for more sophisticated & intelligent look) & Sans-Serif for sections covering contemporary music - i.e. rising stars, current gossip etc. (more casual & young look) (http://maconprinting.com/serif-versus-san-serif-fonts).

Lithos Black font: (http://www.fonts.com/font/adobe/

lithos#product_171692)

Metro Black 2 font: (http://www.fonts.com/font/linotype/metroblack-2#product_top)

http://maconprinting.com/serif-versus-san-serif-fonts

http://www.fonts.com/font/adobe/lithos#product_171692

http://www.fonts.com/font/linotype/metroblack-2#product_top

TARGET AUDIENCE IDEAS

Magic/Charm - Classic Rock – will appeal to older audience who grew up listening to that genre of music & will also appeal to the younger audience who prefer the classics Up & coming stars (Against The Current) – appeal to younger audience as they are a pop rock band who cover popular songs as well as write their own. Could appeal to younger audience through offering incentives such as a free song/ep/album from iTunes – appeals to younger audience as digital content is far more prominent than physical media. Could include a physical CD with issue to appeal to older audience who are more comfortable with physical media.

FREQUENCY & PRICE IDEAS

Similar to Mojo, will be released monthly - complete with high quality and eloquently written informative content (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications) aimed to appeal to the youth market (16-24 year olds in the ABC1 demographic - Hartley’s Subjectivities) and intelligent, educated men aged 45-55 in the ABC1 demographic (Hartley’s Subjectivities). Price will be lower than Mojo’s (£3.99) (in order to appeal to the youth market) however will be more expensive than other magazines due to high-quality content and target audience (ABC1 profile - middle/upper middle class - more wealthy - Hartley’s Subjectivities).

Summary

FINAL MAGAZINE IDEA

PROPOSAL: IDEA 1 The first idea for my music magazine (based on researching my magazine of inspiration, Mojo, and through conducted primary research) is to create a music magazine called “Charm”, which will focus on covering artists from the classic era of the 1960’s through to the 1990’s as well as covering new up and coming artists. Similar to Mojo, content will be eloquently written; designed to inform and educate the target audience, who will be intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic - focusing on both younger audiences (the 16-25 bracket) and older audiences (the above 40 bracket).

The house style will be established through the colour scheme of Red, Black, White and Yellow. Font for the masthead will be Lithos Black (which is very similar to the font that Mojo uses for it’s masthead) and the font for the main body will be serif fonts for articles that cover music from the classic era whilst sans-serif fonts will be used for sections covering contemporary music.

“CHARM” PROPOSALIdea 1 Proposal - Charm

Idea 1 Proposal - Charm Brian Miguel Aquino Insua

Candidate Number: 6055

Centre Number: 64135

Idea 1 Proposal - Charm


IDEA 1 PROPOSAL - CHARM

Introduction

Charm is a brand new idea for a monthly rock music magazine. The magazine is inspired by Mojo and aims to produce high-quality exclusive eloquently written content for it’s target audience of intelligent wealthy individuals - primarily in the older bracket of those above 40 (Audience Psychographics - Resigned) but also appealing to the younger bracket of 16-25 year olds (Audience Psychographics - Explorers). Charm’s unique selling point is that Charm will contain articles, reviews, interviews and exclusives covering contemporary artists as well as covering legendary artists from the classic era of music. To provide a better visualisation of the brand I am aiming to create with this magazine, I will be producing sample materials in the form of a draft front cover and draft double page spread in addition to other sample materials (such as draft articles, test photography and a production plan) as part of a larger promotional project for Charm music magazine.

Working Title

The working title for this idea will be “Charm music magazine”. The verbal code “Charm” was selected as the working title as it is a noun that connotes the power or quality of delighting/attracting/fascinating others. Thus, this would appeal to the target audience by reminding them of the “charm” of the classic era - this would particularly appeal to the older bracket who view music from the past as better than contemporary music (Audience Psychographics - Resigned).

Format & Frequency

In terms of the format of the magazine, Charm will be a monthly rock music magazine which aims to produce high-quality exclusive eloquently written content. Very similar to Mojo’s format, Charm will contain special unique sections such as cover story-inspired tracks to be included when the consumer buys the magazine in the form of a CD, editor’s notes and fan mail, a legacy section (focusing on the legacy left behind by recently passed artists), a guide to the month’s best music and more. For the length of the magazine, as the magazine will produce monthly issues of high-quality content, there will be approximately 30 standard A4 size pages within the magazine, excluding the front and back cover. The use of standard A4 magazine paper is to save on printing costs as using a different paper size would cost more.

Genre

The genre of music that Charm will focus on will be rock from the classic era of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Charm aims to knock Mojo off it’s perch as one of the best selling rock music magazines. Charm will contain content that focuses on classic rock as well as up and coming rising stars (i.e. up and coming YouTube stars such as Against The Current and classic rock such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones).



Content

Charm will boast exclusive articles, album and concert reviews, and interviews with big-name artists

as well as up and coming rising stars and high-quality, in-depth features. Charm’s unique selling point is the

magazine celebrates the classics and embraces the new. This unique ethos will appeal to both the younger

bracket and older bracket of Charm’s target audience.

Style

After careful analysis of other music magazines from the genre, the four colours that Charm will use for

its colour scheme are:

• Red - the colour of energy, passion and ambition.

• Black - the colour of power and authority. It creates a barrier between itself and the outside world thus

offering the feeling of protection. Black connotes sophistication and seriousness for the older, more mature

audience yet is favoured by the youth market who are still trying to find their own sense of identity.

• White - the colour of perfection, purity and completion. White has a calming effect due to connotations of

simplicity, organisation and symbolises a clean slate - a blank canvas ready to be written upon.

• Yellow - the colour of mind and intellect. It connotes optimism, creativity, wisdom and logic. Yellow is the

colour of expression.

The font style which was chosen for the masthead of this idea is based on the font styles that Mojo

music magazine (Mojo’s masthead is a combination of the Lithos Black font and the Metro Black 2 font - the

“J” is Lithos Black while the other letters are Metro Black 2). Charm’s masthead will use the Lithos Black font

for all it’s letters as it connotes the genre and era of music the magazine will cover. The ‘groovy’ character

letter styles is a representation of the music mentioned in the magazine and the era & style of the music itself

(Signifiers - De Saussure).

The font style for the content of the magazine, the font style will differ depending on the era of music

being talked about. Serif fonts will be used for articles that cover music from the classic era whilst sans-serif

fonts will be used for sections covering contemporary music.

Similarly, the colour of images will be used to connote the era of music covered. Black and white

images will be used for legendary artists from the classic era whilst coloured images will be used for

contemporary artists.

Audience

Aimed at intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic, Charm’s content will be eloquently written,

designed to inform and educate the target readership. The ABC1 demographic means that these people have

disposable income which makes them ideal targets for the magazine. Charm will appeal to older audience who

grew up listening to the genre of rock music and will also appeal to the younger audience who prefer the

classics. Additionally, up & coming stars (i.e. Against The Current) – appeal to younger audience as they are a

pop rock band who cover popular songs as well as write their own. Thus, this could appeal to younger

audience through offering incentives such as a free song/ep/album from iTunes – this appeals to younger

audience as digital content is far more prominent than physical media. A physical CD could also be included

with issue to appeal to older audience who are more inclined to physical media.


GRAPHIC LAYOUT (FC)

GRAPHIC LAYOUT (DPS)

PROPOSAL: IDEA 2 The second idea for my music magazine (based on researching my magazine of inspiration, Mojo, and through conducted primary research) is to create a music magazine called “Muse_ic”, which will focus primarily on covering artists from the classic era of the 1960’s through to the 1990’s as well as contemporary rock artists from time to time. Similar to Mojo, content will be eloquently written; designed to inform, educate and entertain the target audience, who will be primarily intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic - focusing on both younger audiences (the 16-25 bracket) and older audiences (the above 40 bracket).

The house style will be established through the colour scheme of Red, Black, White and Grey (like Mojo). Font for the masthead will be Lithos Black (which is very similar to the font that Mojo uses for it’s masthead) and the font for the main body will be serif fonts for all articles, interviews and features.

“MUSE_IC” PROPOSALIdea 2 Proposal - Muse_ic

Idea 2 Proposal - Muse_ic Brian Miguel Aquino Insua



Idea 2 Proposal - Muse_ic


IDEA 2 PROPOSAL - MUSE_IC

Introduction

The idea for this music magazine (based on researching my magazine of inspiration, Mojo, and through conducted primary research) is to create a music magazine called “Muse_ic”, which will focus primarily on covering artists from the classic era of the 1960’s through to the 1990’s as well as contemporary rock artists from time to time. Similar to Mojo, content will be eloquently written; designed to inform, educate and entertain the target audience, who will be primarily intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic - focusing on both younger audiences (the 16-25 bracket) and older audiences (the above 40 bracket). To provide a better visualisation of the brand I am aiming to create with this magazine, I will be producing sample materials in the form of a draft front cover and draft double page spread in addition to other sample materials (such as draft articles, test photography and a production plan) as part of a larger promotional project for Muse_ic.

Working Title

The working title for this idea will be “Muse_ic”. I have chosen the verbal code “Muse_ic” as the brand name of this magazine due to it’s connotations. The “Muse” is based on Roman and Greek mythology. She is the Goddess of Arts and Science and the daughter of Zeus, which connotes inspiration for the creative artists. This will subsequently appeal to the audience by connoting that the magazine will investigate and inform (Katz’ Uses and Gratifications) about the inspiration behind great music, with the underscore connoting the magazine’s contemporary influence.

Format & Frequency

In terms of the format of the magazine, Muse_ic will be a monthly rock music magazine which aims to produce high-quality exclusive eloquently written content. Very similar to Mojo’s format, Muse_ic will contain special unique sections such as cover story-inspired tracks to be included when the consumer buys the magazine in the form of a CD, editor’s notes and fan mail, a legacy section (focusing on the legacy left behind by recently passed artists), a guide to the month’s best music and more. For the length of the magazine, as the magazine will produce monthly issues of high-quality content, there will be approximately 30 standard A4 size pages within the magazine, excluding the front and back cover. The use of standard A4 magazine paper is to save on printing costs as using a different paper size would cost more.

Genre

The genre of music that Muse_ic will focus on will be rock from the classic era of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Muse_ic aims compete directly with Mojo to become one of the best selling rock music magazines. Muse_ic will contain content that focuses mainly on classic rock as well as contemporary rock (for instance, classic rock such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and contemporary rock such as The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys).



Content

Charm will boast exclusive articles, album and concert reviews, and interviews with big-name artists

as well as up and coming rising stars and high-quality, in-depth features. Charm’s unique selling point is the

magazine celebrates the classics and embraces the new. This unique ethos will appeal to both the younger

bracket and older bracket of Charm’s target audience.

Style

The house style will be established through the colour scheme of Red, Black, White and Grey (like

Mojo). Font for the masthead will be Lithos Black (which is very similar to the font that Mojo uses for it’s

masthead) and the font for the main body will be serif fonts for all articles, interviews and features.

• Red - the colour of energy, passion and ambition.

• Black - the colour of power and authority. It creates a barrier between itself and the outside world thus

offering the feeling of protection. Black connotes sophistication and seriousness for the older, more mature

audience yet is favoured by the youth market who are still trying to find their own sense of identity.

• White - the colour of perfection, purity and completion. White has a calming effect due to connotations of

simplicity, organisation and symbolises a clean slate - a blank canvas ready to be written upon.

• Grey - the colour of neutrality. Being both motionless and emotionless, grey creates a sense of calm and

composure, relief from a chaotic world. Grey is associated with the grey hair of old age - it is the colour of

maturity and responsibility.

Audience

Aimed at intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic, Muse_ic’s content will be eloquently written,

designed to inform and educate the target readership. The ABC1 demographic means that these people have

disposable income which makes them ideal targets for the magazine. In particular, Muse_ic will appeal to the

older audience who grew up listening to the genre of rock music and will also appeal to the younger audience

who prefer the classics. The coverage of artists and music from the classic era of music will appeal to the older

audience due to the nostalgic factor - that nostalgic association with the past. This could appeal to the

younger audience because many grow up listening to their parents’ music and consequently develop a liking

for it. The coverage of contemporary artists should satisfy their appetite for discovery (audience

psychographics).


GRAPHIC LAYOUT (FC)

GRAPHIC LAYOUT (DPS)

Summary

FINAL MAGAZINE IDEA

FINAL MAGAZINE IDEA• The final idea for my music magazine based on

researching my magazine of inspiration, Mojo, and through conducted primary research, is to have a music magazine called “Charm”, which will focus on covering artists from the classic era of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s as well as covering new up and coming artists. Similar to Mojo, content will be eloquently written; designed to inform and educate the target audience, who will be intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic - focusing on both younger audiences (the 16-25 bracket) and older audiences (the above 40 bracket).

• The house style will be established through the colour scheme of Red, Black, White and Yellow. Font for the masthead will be Lithos Black (which is very similar to the font that Mojo uses for it’s masthead) and the font for the main body will be serif fonts for articles that cover music from the classic era whilst sans-serif fonts will be used for sections covering contemporary music.

FINAL MAGAZINE IDEA• In terms of layout, front cover layout elements will be

similar to Mojo in the sense that the masthead will be placed in front of the main image. Similarly, the promotion will also be located at the top-left corner of the magazine front cover. The magazine will also offer a promotion in the form of a physical cd and digital incentives (for instance, iTunes codes) to entice consumers to purchase a copy. Likewise, cover lines will be located on the right-hand side of the front cover - same style as Mojo - and use different colours to differentiate and emphasise the artists. The main headline will be on the left-hand side of the front cover - matching Mojo’s style.

• Double page spread layout conventions are inspired by Mojo. For instance, the main image will bleed onto the second page in order to unify the DPS. Moreover, the pullout quote will be embedded on the stand first, matching Mojo’s style. The stand first will be below the main headline and differentiate itself from the main body of the article through font style (stand first will be in bold font). Drop Capital will break up text-heavy main body and serve as a visual imperative to provide a starting place for consumers to start reading.

Mojo Front Cover & Double Page Spread

MAGAZINE OF INSPIRATION

ANALYSIS

MOJO FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

• The verbal code of the main headline denotes that “The Genius Returns”. The word “The” connotes that Kate Bush is the “one and only”; conveying how special and unmissable her return is. Furthermore, the noun “Genius” reaffirms the idea that her return is unmissable and at the same time places her on a pedestal – once again conveying how special and talented an artist Kate Bush is. Likewise, the use of the word “Returns” conveys the importance of her comeback; thus generating fanfare and hype for her reappearance.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the language techniques used engage the reader and entice them to read further. Furthermore, the exaggeration of “The Genius” connotes how unmissable her return is, further enticing readers.


• Additionally, the “20 Page Special!” verbal code connotes the exclusivity and magnitude of the story (Galtung & Ruge - News Values), denoting that 20 pages are especially committed to covering the story. The fact that the text is written in capitals and in pink and placed in front of a white background is designed to be eye-catching; engaging the reader and enticing the consumer to purchase a copy of the magazine (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives). Similarly, the emphasis on the verbal code “Special” reaffirms the exclusivity and the number of pages devoted to her story reinforces the importance of her stardom and again reminds the reader of the magnitude (Galtung & Ruge - News Values) of the story.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) further entices consumers by conveying the exclusivity and magnitude of the story (Galtung & Ruge - News Values).


• In addition, the promotion on the very top left of the copy is a non verbal code designed to catch the reader’s eye and entice them to buy a copy of the magazine by offering the consumer incentives (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) – for instance, a collection of songs on a CD included with the magazine. Mojo includes a physical CD as an incentive to appeal to their main target audience, which according to Hartley’s Subjectivities, are predominantly male and in their 40’s and 50’s with a social profile of ABC1 (Those who grew up with predominantly physical media as opposed to digital media).

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) to entice consumers to purchase a copy of my magazine by giving the impression of a better deal - through the use of the word “free”, the consumer will think that the deal is better.


• Another element used by Mojo magazine is technological convergence. On the binder of the magazine itself, information about the issue number, date and the web address is displayed, linking to the magazine’s online presence, Mojo4Music. This allows consumers to be able to find more content online and allows Mojo to be able to bring their community of consumers to their online web presence.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as by having a presence online, my magazine will be able to create a rapport with the target readership.


• The denotations of the masthead “Mojo” connotes the idea of “mojo” as a noun defined as a magical charm - this conveys the charm of the classic rock era and, as a brand, appeals to Mojo’s primary readership of men in their 40’s and 50’s (Hartley’s Subjectives). The masthead is the largest element on the magazine, connoting the importance of the brand (as if to say Mojo presents…). Written in large, bold white capital letters with a dark outline is designed to be eye-catching and thus engaging the attention of the reader.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the masthead - the name of the magazine - builds and establishes the brand identity. The cosumer will then associate the name with the unique selling point of the magazine.


• The denotation of the strap line “The Music Magazine” is a simple yet strong statement connoting the quality and stature of Mojo in the sense that the word “the” suggests that this is the place to be and that the consumer won’t need to go anywhere else. The fact that the strap line is in front of the masthead reaffirms the branding and the promoting the brand as the only destination for music lovers.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the strapline conveys to the consumer the unique selling point of the magazine - this should entice the consumer to then purchase a copy of the magazine.


• The denotation of the main image is that of a middle close-up of Kate Bush - a technical code that utilises the Star Appeal (Richard Dyer- Star Appeal) of Kate Bush to entice consumer to purchase a copy of the magazine. The fact that she’s looking straight at the camera entices consumers to buy a copy as she is looking directly at the consumer - involving them and appearing to relate and empathise with them.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the Star Appeal (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal) will attract readers and entice consumers to purchase a copy of my magazine.


• The verbal code of the cover lines, which are found down the right hand side of the magazine, are secondary stories. The colours of the text as well as the size of the font to add emphasis to the bands. The captions underneath the artists are short and snappy statements designed to interest the reader and encourage consumers to purchase a copy of the magazine in order to satisfy the curiosity created by the cover lines.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as these inform the consumer of the other main stories - additional content - within the magazine, which will inform or entertain (Katz - Uses & Gratifications Theory).


• The price, which is located by the bar code on the bottom right hand side of the magazine, denotes the magazine is £4.80 which is a premium price for a monthly music magazine. This is because Mojo magazine is predominantly aimed at audience profile ABC1, meaning consumers are more wealthy and educated in comparison to other magazines.

• For my magazine, I intend to change this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) by starting with a lower price point in order to entice consumers and compete with Mojo, building up a reputation before increasing the price.

MOJO DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

• The verbal code of the main headline in this double page spread is written in capitals and in large, bold font in order to catch the attention of the reader (Galtung & Ruge Visual Imperatives). Furthermore, the main headline is typically a short, snappy statement (a rhetorical question is often used as a main headline) designed to draw the reader’s curiosity and entice them to read further. For example, the word “thrill” is used in order to connote excitement and pleasure whilst the connotations of “the chase” makes the reader question what is being chased.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) in order to catch the attention of the reader as well as grow the reader’s curiosity to entice them to read the article.


• The verbal code of the stand first is typically found underneath the main headline and above the main body of the article. Its role is to provide basic information/a background on the topic of the article, summarising what the article is about. In this stand first, the words “Genius Alchemy” are used to cater to the target audience of intelligent and affluent individuals. Moreover, by highlighting the key names in the stand first, the magazine draws the readers attention and utilises Star Appeal (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal) in order to connote their importance and entice the reader to read further.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) in order to inform and educate (Katz - Uses & Gratifications) the reader by providing context for the article.


• The verbal code of the quote is embedded in the stand first rather than the more typical visual imperative of a pullout quote as the target readership for the magazine are more intelligent and affluent. The denotation of the quote, “ ‘Kate knew exactly what she wanted’ discovers Mark Blake” entices the reader to read further to uncover how.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) except to use a more powerful quote as to grip the reader’s attention and entice them to read further.


• The visual imperative (Galtung and Ruge - Visual Imperatives) of the main image, which takes up the entire page, utilises Star Appeal (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal) to entice readers to read the article. The fact that Kate Bush in heavy make-up and is striking a pose which immortalises Kate Bush. Additionally, the image bleeds onto next page - which links both the image and the article - thus unifying the double page spread.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the Star Appeal (Richard Dyer - Star Appeal) can be used to further entice consumers to buy a copy of the magazine and read further, serving as a visual Imperative (Galtung & Ruge Visual Imperatives) to illustrate the points made in the article as well as to draw and engage the attention of the reader by breaking up the text and linking the article.


• The verbal code of the caption provides context on the main image. Typically in smaller, bold font, the caption simply supplements the main image and provides a background for what the image is about.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) in order to inform and educate (Katz - Uses & Gratifications) the reader of the context of the image.


• The visual imperative (Galtung and Ruge - Visual Imperatives) of the block capital provides a visual imperative to break up the text-heavy body and creates a starting point for the reader to start reading the article. Furthermore, the fact that the block capital is a letter “I” increases the curiosity of the reader and entices them to find out what the “I” begins.

• For my magazine, I intend to repeat this convention (Steve Neale - Genre Repetition & Difference) as the block capital breaks up the texts and serves as a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) giving the reader a starting point.

Hand drawn drafts & draft article

PRE-PRODUCTION MATERIALS

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1• Repeating Mojo’s example (Genre’s

Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale), the promotional sticker will be placed on the top left hand side of the magazine - as this is where the consumer’s eyes wander to first. Usually denoting the inclusion of some sort of incentive accompanying the purchase of the magazine, the promotion is a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperative) designed to entice consumers to purchase a copy of the magazine - this is signified (Signifiers - De Saussure) typically through “free” incentives. In order to differentiate the promotion and increase it’s visibility on the page, the promotion will be in its own box, with a bright, standout colour and large, bold font.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1• Similar to Mojo (Genre’s Repetition

and Difference - Steve Neale), the magazine cover story will be placed on the left-hand side of the page, next to the main image. This subsequently links both the main image and the cover story together. Written in bold, large text, the cover story is designed to be eye-catching - denoting a story with magnitude (Galtung & Ruge - News Values) - a story which can only be found in the magazine. Thus, the cover story has to jump out at the consumer - by having a font and colour that will catch the consumer’s attention.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1• Replicating Mojo’s example (Genre’s

Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale), the cover lines will be found towards the lower right-hand side of the magazine. Like Mojo, emphasising the artists through differentiated colours will engage provides a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) with which to engage the reader. The article names of the cover lines are short, snappy and memorable statements written using language devices and techniques (such as rhetorical questions) in order to exaggerate and increase curiosity - thus enticing consumers to read further.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1• A feature found on Mojo magazine,

the featured artists at the very top of the magazine above the masthead differentiates Mojo magazine from other magazines within a shop as this section will be the one of the only visible sections on the shelf. Thus, it is important that the unique selling point of the magazine is advertised (Signifiers - De Saussure) - done here through the featured artists portion at the top of the page. Mojo has made this element eye-catching through the use of a box with a background colour that allows the text (in this case, the artist’s names) to stand-out.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1• The incentive of the included physical CD

compilation is a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) that entices the reader to purchase a copy of the magazine. The suggestion that the CD is “free” (Signifiers - De Saussure) entices readers to purchase a copy of the magazine as the inclusion of said incentives makes the deal more appealing as it gives the consumer the impression that it is a good deal - more value for money. My magazine will repeat this (Steve Neale - Genre’s Repetition and Difference) (in order to appeal to the audience - namely older, mature audience, who still consume music through physical media i.e. CDs) in addition to placing a digital incentive inside the magazine in order to attract the audience who consume music through digital media - mainly youth market (Hartley’s Subjectivities) (such as an iTunes code).

FRONT COVER SKETCH V1• The price, which is typically located at

the bottom right hand-side of front cover, by the barcode, is an important aspect in regards to appealing to the magazine’s target audience. For instance, Mojo is aimed at predominantly wealthy and intelligent men in their 40’s and 50’s (Hartley’s Subjectivities). Thus, the price for the monthly magazine stands at £4.80 - which is quite a premium. However, with Mojo’s reputation for high-quality and quantity premium content, in addition to their primary target audience, Mojo is able to remain one of the top-selling music magazines. Whereas my magazine has not yet established a reputation, thus the price will be lower (in the £3.00 bracket).

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V1

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V1• The main headline will be

presented in big, bold text designed to catch the attention of the reader. In order to entice the reader to read further, the language and language devices used in main headline should increase the curiosity of the reader. For example, the use of a language device such as a rhetorical question will make increase the reader’s curiosity and subsequently entice them to read further. (Signifiers - De Saussure)


• The stand first supplements both the main headline and the main body of the article and will be underneath the main headline and provide context for the main body of the article. The stand first will set the scene and summarise the topic of the article, conveying to the reader the most important details.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V1• The pull-out quote is a quote

from the interview that is typically controversial/shocking and is used to entice the reader to read the article further. Usually presented in a manner that stands out to the reader, the pull-out quote is a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) and typically bleeds onto the second page of the double page spread, which links both the pages together.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V1• The main images on the double

page spread provide a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) that illustrates the points being made in the article. The images supplement the main body of the article, breaking up the text as well as providing visual illustrations that support the points mentioned within the article itself. The colour of the main images tend to connote the era that they are from. For instance, black and white images connote a much older era compared to coloured images.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V1• The main body of the article is

written for the target audience, which is intelligent individuals from the ABC1 demographic primarily aged between 16-25 and also appeal to those aged 40 and above (Hartley’s Subjectivities). This is done through the use of complex language and language devices. In terms of font for the main article, serif fonts are used as they connote intelligence and traditionalism, whereas sans-serif fonts connote a more contemporary and modern feel.


• The role of the caption is to provide context for the images, informing and educating (Katz - Uses & Gratifications) by containing background information or quotes that supplement the images . Typically, captions reinforce the points made within the main body of the article.


• The house style is consistent throughout the magazine. This is done through the colours used in the magazine as well as the consistent elements on every page. For instance, conventions such as the page number followed by a link to the website or the name of the magazine establishes the brand of the magazine.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The masthead is the name of the

magazine. Typically located near to the top of the magazine front cover, the role of the masthead is to establish and advertise the brand of the magazine. The masthead should also convey to the consumer the genre that the magazine focuses on. For instance, “Mojo” connotes the ‘classics era’ of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The name of my magazine will be “Charm” as the magazine will focus on artists from the ‘classic era’ as well as new artists. The font used will be Lithos Black, which is similar to the font style used by Mojo.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The strapline is the motto of the

magazine. Typically located underneath the masthead, the role of the strapline is to advertise and convey the unique-selling point of the brand. For instance, Mojo’s strapline is “The World’s Best Music Magazine”, which connotes the high-quality of the brand. The strapline for my magazine will be “Charming people, charming music”, which conveys the unique-selling points of my magazine, which are to celebrate the classics as well as embrace the new.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The main image is the largest

visual element on the front cover. Typically a medium close-up shot of an artist, the main image uses Star Appeal (Richard Dyer) to entice consumers to purchase a copy of the magazine. Mojo typically focuses on one artist from the classic era of music but my music magazine will focus on up and coming artists as my research shows that my target audience would find that slightly more interesting.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The cover story is the unique

selling point of the issue. Typically containing words such as “exclusive”, the cover story is the main focus of the issue and is always linked to the main image, for the purpose of using Star Appeal (Richard Dyer) to sell the issue to consumers. Mojo’s cover stories often revisit legendary artists from the classic era of music. Charm will focus on new artists, with legendary artists primarily being cover lines.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The puff promotion is typically located at

the top left of the magazine as this is the first place consumers look. Similarly, when the magazine is stacked on a shelf, this element will be visible and hopefully entice consumers to purchase the magazine. Mojo’s puff promotion is a physical CD that is placed in a case on the front of the magazine. This incentive is designed to entice consumers with the “Free” CD. My music magazine will also include a physical CD as, according to my research, CDs are still a somewhat popular method of consuming music. However, with digital media consumption on the rise, digital incentives will be included within the magazine (for instance, iTunes downloads).

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The cover lines are the secondary

stories within the magazine. These are typically found towards the right side of the front cover and convey the various other stories of note found within this particular issue of the magazine. Typically, magazines differentiate artists by using different colours/font styles in order to engage the attention of the consumer and utilise Star Appeal (Richard Dyer) to entice consumers. Mojo’s cover lines are usually legendary rock artists from the classic era (such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones) but also cover contemporary artists.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The physical CD included on the

front cover of Mojo is an designed as an incentive for consumers to be tempted to purchase a copy of the magazine as it appears that the inclusion of the CD makes it appear as if there is more value for money. The use of the word “Free” in the puff promotion further entices consumers towards the magazine. The CD includes a collection of tracks linked to the artist featured on the main image and cover story of the issue. My music magazine will repeat (Genre’s Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale) this idea.

FRONT COVER SKETCH V2• The barcode and price of the

magazine is typically located at the bottom corner of the front cover. This feature displays information on the issue’s month and year as well as the price in Pound Sterling, and other currencies (such as US Dollars and Canadian Dollars for Mojo). Mojo’s premium quality content and monthly release means that the price stands at £4.80, which is quite high for a monthly music magazine. In order to compete with Mojo, Charm will retail at £3.99.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V2• The main heading of the article is

generally located towards the top of the double page spread. The main heading is a short, snappy statement that draws the reader in through the use of complex language and language devices such as a rhetorical question. Mojo’s cover story is a 20 page special that focuses on counting down all the albums that Kate Bush has released during her illustrious career and ranking them. Charm’s cover story will focus on the rise of rock pop band Against The Current, including an exclusive interview with the band members.


• The stand first is typically located beneath the main heading and is a short summary of the article, providing context and the basic, necessary information for the reader. The stand first sets the scene for the article and summarises the most important details for the reader.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V2• The pullout quote is a

controversial or shocking statement that is emphasised in order to increase the curiosity of the reader and entice them to read the article. Typically, the pullout quote bleeds across both pages within the double page spread. However, Mojo’s target readership is more affluent and intelligent. Thus, the quote has instead been embedded within the stand first.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V2• The main image is a visual imperative

(Galtung and Ruge - Visual Imperatives) that supplements the main body of the article. Typically, the main image bleeds on to the second page of the double page spread thus linking the two pages together. The main image is typically a medium-close up shot of the artist. Mojo’s double page spread main image is of Kate Bush looking directly at the camera and is shot in a way to convey her stardom and legendary status. Charm’s main image will be of Against The Current “hanging-out”, which supports one of the answers given during the interview.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V2• The role of the caption within

the double page spread is to provide context and background information for the images displayed within the double page spread. For instance, Mojo magazine utilises captions to explain what the image is about and/or what is going on in the image. My music magazine will also use captions in order to explain the images that will be presented in the double page spread.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V2• The main body of the article is the

full article itself. Mojo’s main body is written in an affluent style in order to cater to its target readership of intelligent, educated men (Hartley’s Subjectivities). Similarly, written in a serif font gives the impression of traditionalism and intelligence (again, catering to the target audience of older, intelligent and educated men) (Hartley’s Subjectivities). My music magazine will repeat this style (Genre’s Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale).


• The drop capital is a visual imperative (Galtung & Ruge - Visual Imperatives) that is designed to provide the reader with a starting point with which to start reading the main body of the article. Furthermore, the drop capital is a visual element that breaks up the text-heavy main body.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD V2• The house style is consistent

throughout every magazine, defining each unique style and brand. The house style is achieved through the colours used (the colour scheme) and the consistent elements on each page. For instance, Mojo magazine always have name of the magazine next to the page number at the bottom of each page. The use of the colours and the branding creates the house style, making it unique and recognisable, differentiating it from other magazines. My music magazine will repeat this idea. (Genre’s Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale).

Draft ArticleQ&A with Against The Current

DRAFT ARTICLE• Stand First

YouTube sensation Against The Current are a pop rock band comprised of a talented trio of teenage musicians. Started in the early summer of 2011, the band started posting cover videos and has subsequently gone on to develop a following on YouTube of over 600,000 subscribers with the band’s music videos viewed accumulatively over 37 million times. Collaborations with fellow YouTube sensations Alex Goot and Kurt Schneider has taken their music to the next level, with the joint collaborations receiving more than 58 million views to date. After touring the US and Asia, we caught up with them in London before their UK tour.

At just 19 years old, Chrissy together with her band mates, have toured in major cities across the world – including Montreal, Toronto, California, New York, Jakarta, Manila, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Melbourne. With shows at London, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow to come, the band has come a long way since uploading their first cover song in 2011.

DRAFT ARTICLEQ1.) You guys have established quite a name for yourselves. How did this all start?

• Chrissy: “I joined Against The Current in the early summer of 2011. I met my bandmates Will and Dan through one of my best friends. They needed a singer and I fit the bill.”“I’ve never really been in a band before. But I had dreams of being in one. I come from a family of music lovers. Though my parents don’t play any instruments or sing, they’ve always encouraged me and my little brother to hone our music skills.”

• Dan: “Our first year as a band we didn’t really do much. Just wrote music, practiced, hung out and dreamt big.”

• Will: “Our channel didn’t really get much attention until we released our first single, Thinking. And then we did a collab with Alex Goot, covering Good Time by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen and that really got the ball rolling. That was in like July of 2012.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ2.) With your rise to prominence on YouTube, how has social media impacted you guys?

• Chrissy: “Social media has played a huge role for us. If we had been born in an era where social media didn’t exist, I don’t know how we’d get our music out there.”

• Will: “Social media is a really big deal and has really helped us to connect with our fans who really made us and got us to where we are. We wouldn't be anywhere without them.”

• Chrissy: “I feel like we and the ATC family both work together to make our music.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ3.) How has collaborating with other YouTube stars impacted you guys?

• Chrissy: “We’re really lucky to be able to be friends and work with such incredibly talented people. We get on so well with Alex (Goot) and Kurt (Schneider). We’ve had a tone of fun making music and shooting the videos. It’s great to be able to just chill out afterwards and laugh with each other.”

• Will: “I always look forward to working with them. They’re cool dudes and their fun to work with.”

• Dan: “They’ve taught us a lot about the film making side of things too. Especially Kurt. He’s an awesome guy and a great producer.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ4.) Congratulations on your recently released first original EP. With minimal exposure to the mainstream media, how tough was it to get noticed without signing with any major music labels?

• Chrissy: “It was incredibly tough. It took time but now we have the best fans in the world.“

• Will: “The ATC family rocks!”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ5.) As with all artists, there will come a time when you will have to change your musical direction to adapt to the ever-changing mainstream market. Will you?

• Will: “I don’t think we are going to change who we are, as in like how we sound. If people like it and it becomes a thing, then we are definitely ready.”

• Dan: (Laughing) “We’re not sellouts.”

• Chrissy: (Chuckling) “I think also, the mainstream market has changed so much. There are so many bands with more alternative sounds. It’s not just manufactured pop songs that become extremely popular. If the mainstream community is going to take into our music, that would be incredible. We are not going to change ourselves in an attempt to break into that community. But if that just so happens to be popular, and what people like to listen to, then that would be great.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ6.) Today’s music labels tend to venture into foreign markets by producing songs in foreign languages. You’ve just been on a tour in Asia. What are your thoughts on singing songs in different languages?

• Chrissy: “I think it would be awesome, but I would be really afraid of being offensive for pronouncing everything wrong. Yeah I would probably end up being offensive because I pronounce everything wrong accidentally, and I’d never want to offend anybody.”

• Will: “I think a lot of artists grow up multilingual and so they can like get the pronunciation right.”

• Dan: “Yeah, like our buddy Jason Chen. He’s incredible at covering Chinese songs with perfect pronunciation”

• Will: “If we ever get the opportunity to release our music in another country and like dub our own songs, what would be really cool. We’ve got friends who’ve done that.” he added.

DRAFT ARTICLEQ7.) Chrissy, what is it like being the only girl in the band?

• Chrissy: (Laughs) “They’re like my brothers so I don’t feel weird about being the only girl. I’ve always had more guy friends than girl friends anyway.”

“I barely notice the difference sometimes,” She adds.

“The guys are kind of girls sometimes. Will takes hour showers and takes a long time to get ready and then Dan is super particular about his hair. Even when I take a while to get ready, I’m still usually not the last one finished.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ8.) In addition to your music, you have a very popular vlog and tutorial channel. Chrissy, what inspired you to do that?

• Chrissy: “I’ve always wanted to do make-up tutorials but I didn’t think there was an audience for it. I never went for it because I didn’t think anyone would care.” She explained.

“But then one day, girls started leaving comments asking me about make-up or hair routine. It inspired me to finally create a second channel for that sort of thing. I also use it to spill my soul in a vlog. I think it’s just a really fun way to interact with all those people who support me on a more personal level. I want to be accessible to fans and for people to get to know who I really am and what I’m like. I never want to just put a face on.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ9.) YouTube has become a business platform for music labels. What is the key thing that you’ve learnt from being in the YouTube business?

• Chrissy: “We’ve been working without a middle-man all this time so we pretty much learned how to run it on our own; our finances, our marketing – all that stuff.”

• Will: “I realised how powerful networking can be and like just how important it is for us in our line of work. If we didn’t do out first collab with Alex (Goot) a few years ago, our Kick starter wouldn’t have panned out.”

• Dan: “Everyone knows everyone... Even in this kind of business.”

DRAFT ARTICLEQ10.) Finally, do you guys have any advice for aspiring artists?

• Chrissy: “Try not to fit a mould. Just be you. Do what makes you feel like the best version of yourself. If you want to wear crazy clothes, do it! If you want rainbow hair, do it! Write lyrics and music that reflect the way you feel not what you think people want to hear. Because that’s when it becomes worth it: when people appreciate and support you just being you. Be proud and confident in who you are.”

• Will: “And keep on practicing and working hard.”

• Dan: “Exactly. Keep on Truckin’.”

Target Readership (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications, Hartley’s Subjectivities, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Psychographics)

TARGET AUDIENCE

KATZ’ USES & GRATIFICATIONS THEORY

• Content will also be eloquently written - primarily designed to inform and educate as well as entertain the target readership.

HARTLEY’S SUBJECTIVITIES

• Target Readership: (intelligent individuals in the ABC1 demographic - focusing on both young [the 16-25 bracket] and the old [the 40+ bracket]) - with content (such as adverts, features, articles etc.) appealing to men more so than women (similar to Mojo).

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

• Content aimed to fulfil and satisfy the basic needs of consumers, primarily the need for discovery (learning new things, satisfying curiosity, finding new artists to keep interested and be entertained) and the need for escape (escape from reality or to relax).

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

• Content aimed at Explorers (seek discovery - energy, individualism and experience - values difference and adventure) (younger demographic) & Resigned (seek survival - rigid and authoritarian values - interested in past and tradition) (older demographic).

S U M M A R Y

Learning Objective 2

• Using existing music magazines for inspiration, generated mind maps for ideas and connotations on the masthead, content, strapline, colour scheme, images, fonts, target audience, frequency and price, front cover layout, double page spread layout and style.

“Mojo” - noun - defined as a magical charm - connotes the charm of the classic rock era - synonyms include charm, magic & supernatural.

“Kerrang!” – onomatopoeia – simulates the sound of a guitar – connotes genre of music being focused on – generates excitement and engages attention.

“Q” – one letter connote simplicity– a cue note is a musical notation that acts as a guide that signals the entrance of other instruments – connotes the idea of being a guideline for music.

Kerrang - The World’s Biggest Selling Weekly Rock Magazine

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• Using existing music magazines for inspiration, generated mood boards for visualising ideas on the masthead, strapline, colour scheme, images and target audience.

Mojo - The World’s Best Music MagazineQ – Discover Great Music

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• Presented and explained the ideas gained from analysing the music magazines of inspiration on the masthead, strapline, colour scheme, images and target audience.

“Magic” - adjective - defined as wonderful, exciting - noun - connotes power influenced by mysterious or supernatural forces - appeals to audience by taking them back to the era of “magical” music (appeals to those who are interested in the past/traditionalist values (Resigned) - Psychographics).

“Muse_ic” - “muse” = Roman & Greek mythology - daughter of Zeus - goddess of arts & science - noun connotes inspiration for a creative artist - appeals to audience by connoting magazine will investigate and inform (Katz’ Uses & Gratifications) about the inspiration behind great music - underscore connotes contemporary influence.

“Charm” - noun - connotes power or quality of delighting/attracting/fascinating others - appeals to audience by reminding them of the “charm” of the classics era - appeals to those are oriented in the past (Resigned - Psychographics).

“Great Music Awaits”

“Music with Charm”

“Celebrate Charming Music”

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• Proposed two ideas for a music magazine through a project proposal document (outlining the working title of the magazine, planned format, genre, style, frequency and target audience) and mockups of the planned graphical layout of the magazine.


Idea 1 Proposal - Charm Brian Miguel Aquino Insua





Idea 2 Proposal - Muse_ic Brian Miguel Aquino Insua




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• Outlined and analysed my final magazine idea, including the ideas for the magazine masthead, strapline, content, style, colour scheme, layout, fonts, format, frequency and target audience.

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• Analysed the front cover and the double page spread of the magazine of inspiration, Mojo, for it’s conventions and the connotations of those conventions, gathering ideas that can be implemented in Charm.

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• Presented and analysed pre-production materials, namely four hand-drawn drafts for the front cover and double page spread (two versions for each) and a draft article for the planned double page spread.

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• Outlined and analysed the planned target audience of Charm music magazine through audience theories, namely Katz’ Uses & Gratifications, Hartley’s Subjectivities, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Audience Psychographics.

brian - unit 13 lo2 - generating ideas

Education

weekly magazine content

music magazine simple

stature of magazine

rock music

q monthly magazine content

final magazine idea

quality of content

rockpopmainstream music