Graph 3 analysis

From the graph you can see that the majority of the people that took part in my questionnare use the social networking site Facebook, therfore I feel that adding a Facebook link to my magazine or a Facebook magazine fan page would be worth while as the questionnare young people use Facebook regularly.

Graph 2 analysis

A second question I asked in my questionnare was ' What gender are you'? From the results above you can see that 12 females took part in my questionnare and 8 males took part. As the questionnare was handed out randomly I think that looking at the general results I should target both male and females in my music magazine as there wasnt a big difference between the number of males and females.

Graph 1 analysis

One of the questions I asked as part of my preliminary research was 'How old are you'? As shown on the graph majority of the people that answered the questionnare were in the age group 14-16. This suggests to me that I should perhaps target my magazine towards 14-20 years olds, even though majority of the people that took part in the questionnare were 14-16 year olds there was still a proportion of people who were 17-20 year olds. Therefore I feel that I should target my magazine to 14-20 year olds.

Summary of results from my questionnaire

Here are the results from the tick box questions from my primary research. A mixture of females and males were asked as well as a sample size of 20 people in total.

1.      What gender are you?

Male = 8          Female =12

2.      How old are you?

14-16 = 11       17-20= 9

3.      How often do you buy magazines?

Weakly =1   Monthly =11    Yearly =7   Never =1

4.      What magazines do you buy?

Music =8    Lifestyle = 3    Other=10  None=1

5.      What social networking sites do you use?

Facebook =16   Twitter = 1    Other = 1

6.      How much are you willing to pay for a music magazine?

50p-£1 = 5     £1-£2 = 6     £2-£3 =6    £3-£4 = 2   4+ =1

7.      Are you willing to buy a music magazine?

Yes =9    Maybe =9  No = 1

Questionnaire as part of my primary research

As part of my AS Media Coursework I am creating a music magazine. I have decided to design a questionnaire as part of my primary research. I would be grateful if you could take some time to complete this questionnaire.

Music Magazine Questionnaire.

1.      What gender are you?

Male                          Female

2.      How old are you?

14-16                        17-20

3.      How often do you do you buy magazines?

Daily                Weekly             Monthly              Yearly

4.      What type of magazines do you buy?

Music                 Lifestyle              Educational               Other

5.      What features do you expect to see in a music magazine?

6.      What type of music do you listen to?

7.      What music channels do you listen to?

8.      What social networking sites do you use?

Facebook                  Bebo                 Twitter                  Other

9.      What are your hobbies?

10.   How much are you willing to pay for a music magazine?

      50p-£1               £1-£2            £2-£3            £3-£4           £4+

11.   Are you willing to buy a music magazine?

Yes               Maybe             No

Music Magazine Double Page Spread

This double page spread is taken from the music magazine ‘NME’. Looking at the general layout of the double page spread I can see that it is clearly laid out. For instance the article is written in columns on the bottom half of the left hand page whilst the right hand page consists of the main image which is a medium close up of the artist Lily Allen. The top half of the left hand page is taken up by the title. This type of layout makes it very easy for audience to acknowledge what information Is on the double page. It also is effective because it doesn’t look overcrowded therefore less bombarding with information.

The right hand side of the page is purely taken up by the image of Lilly Allen. The size of the image is heavily emphasized which immediately draw the audience’s attention to be on her as she is the main focus of the article. The main image shows Lilley Allen with her hands on her hips looking directly at the camera which shows that a direct mode of address is being used to draw in the reader as well has connoting a laid back attitude as she is leaning forward with her hands on her hips. Mise-en –scene shows that she is wearing a red checkered shirt. The blackness of her short cropped hair is also emphasised as well as the dark eye makeup which suggests she is trying to portray a pop/ rock type of image. Her features allow audience to identify with her as she resembles a laid back pop/rock artist. The fact that checkered shirts are highly in fashion also allow the audience to identify with her as she is young and modernly dressed.

The title of the magazine is unconventional as it is a direct quote ‘People think I’m an attention seeker but I am just being honest’. The quote is used in a way as it subverts and challenges stereotypical conventional views that are often associated with artists and allows audience to empathise with her as she is talking about what people think about her thus making them want to read on further as to what she expresses in the article. The quote also gives the audience an insight into her personality another feature audience can use as a means of identification. The quote shows her to be quite humble and down to earth however goes against the subliminal message of the image which shows her to be quite bold and boisterous.

The article is conventionally written in that the format is typically in columns with a headline before the actual article starts. The font is clear and concise on that the size of the font is just right as it is not too small and not to big. The title however is unconventional as it represents the images persona. The black background of the writing and the white font add to the boldness of the double page spread. It also ties in nicely with the rock/pop image Lilly Allen conveys thus fitting the ambience/ theme of the actual music magazine itself.

Music Magazine Contents Page Analysis 2

The contents page of Q magazine has many typical conventions associated with other music magazines. The contents page of Q has two main purposes; the contents page is used as a means of identifying with the audience and is used to inform the audience of the content of the magazine and what is expected in the main body of the magazine. These purposes allow promotion of the magazine as a whole and provides a brand identity which allows the audience to identify with. As with any type of magazine, the contents page of Q has a clear and concise structure/layout this is so readers know exactly what is included in the magazine and what pages to find the articles/posters or information on. Conventional features of the contents page include the title and date in the top left hand corner which is iconic as it shows how recent the issue of the magazine is.

The contents page has one main font which is Calibri and uses two main colours which is black and white. The black text is on a white background which makes it stand out and the white text is either on a black background or a red one, this is so the text is separated which makes information clearer to read and doesn’t bombard the audience with too much information at one time. The contrast in these colours also makes the copy stand out amongst the rest of the contents, this draws in the audience’s attention. Hand in hand with the fonts and colours used in the text catchy sell lines such as ‘He’s showing off: Liam Frays mum hits nail on head’ also grabs the audience attention as the phrase is intriguing which perhaps suggests audience would want to find out about the full version of the story.

The text of the contents page is in a column and continues down to the bottom of the page. The layout of the text allows room for the main image which is a long shot of four casually dressed white males standing on a hill top. The men are all wearing t-shirts and jeans which detonate causality a element of which audience can identify with. The background also suggests that they are quite rural(country) as they are standing on a hill top another feature the audience can identify with. The overall image is useful as it again grabs attention and draws audiences in.

At the bottom of the page is a smaller image of a person named; ‘Nick Cave’ leaning against a pillar. He is wearing a suit which shows classiness. Although this image has no connection or resemblance to the rest of the magazine it shows that the magazine has a wide range of content . The title above the image tells the audience that it is a review. A smaller caption alongside it which says ‘The world’s biggest and best music guide’ gives the audience an insight about the review. This could be another feature which audiences  may be interested in.

The contents page of Q magazine is different to the contents page of Vibe, this is because both magazines appeal to different audiences who are interested in different aspects and genres of music. Because of this reason the main sell lines are different in that they try and draw their readers in in different ways. An example of this is in Vibe’s contents page they have a whole section devoted to fashion whereas Q has a section devoted to reviews. The layouts of both magazines are also very different which show that they are trying to appeal to their target audience. Vibe has three contents pages which is useful to the target audience as information is spread out whereas Q has only one contents page with quite a bit of information on it however is broken down with the use of different fonts and background colours.