Treatment sheet.

The Magazine: Reverb!

Target Readership: My magazine is aimed at 15 to 19 year olds who are particularly interested in the music genre of indie/punk. The people reading this magazine may be in a band themselves and may then play an instrument. I am going to aim this magazine at teenagers in the middle class, so I can afford to make this magazine a little more expensive. However it will be produced weekly so I don’t think it should be much more expensive as no-one would buy it. Another reason that this magazine is aimed at the middle class teenagers is that they are more likely to play an instrument as they can afford lessons and the instruments. Reverb! May inspire aspiring young musicians to move on and join a band to take their music further because it will feature up and coming bands who have only recently come on to the music scene. As well as all of this the magazine will have gig and concert reviews inside, this will make some fans of the bands want to go and see them next time they tour.

Form and Style: Is going to be an A4 size magazine it will gave a glossy finish so that it looks more professional and so that it appeals to the middle class more. The main picture on the front cover is going to have up and coming young bands that aren’t much older than the readers of the magazine. Just to add further motivation to their musical careers. My contents page is going to feature a lot of pictures and writing so that the reader feels they have got good value.

Themes and Typical features: There will be a number of typical features in this magazine, one of those will be a page or two on unsigned bands another will be reviews of gigs that have happened in that week. Reverb! will also include the latest news about bands that are in the limelight that week. The writing in the magazine itself will be targeted at the specific audience the magazine is aimed at.

Potential Advertisers: Because my magazine is aimed at teenagers most of the advertising will be aimed at them. Companies like ASOS, Ticketmaster, HMV and other clothing, music and ticket selling companies.

Editorial: The majority of the team will still be young, gig attending, youthful writers and photographers. They would be around 21-22 because they will still be associated with 16 to 19 year olds either through music and/or fashion. As well as this there will be features from readers writing in.

Double page spread analysis.

This is a double page spread from a Kerrang magazine. The page itself is divided into two main sections, one is three pictures and the other is six columns of writing. This provides a good effect because it splits the page up instead of it being just text. The headline on this page of 'I couldn't handle it...' is a quote from the singer, this is effective because it is intriguing and makes the reader want to find out what he is talking about. The quote stands out as well because it is in large white writing which is a contrast to the rest of the page.

The drop cap at the start of the first paragraph is a good way to start the interview because it is eye catching and helps to draw the readers attention. As well as this, the arrow at the end shows that the article is continued on the next page. Also at the start of each paragraph the first two words used are in capitals, this helps to show the sart of each paragraph and to make the page clearer.

The picture to text ratio is about 60% to 40%. This is only because the writing that is used is very small and the three pictures are larger. These pictures are unusual in the sense that one of them is overlapping pages, splitting the picture right down the middle through the gutter. The pictures used are different because You Me At Six are dressed smartly in them, this is completely different to how they usually dress.

Contents page analysis.

This is a contents page from a Kerrang magazine. It's quite cluttered but looks very good anyway. The big picture helps to break the page into two main sections. Also the picture is good because it is better than having a whole page of plain text.


The main colour scheme is white and yellow. These colours are quite bright and lively. The word 'Contents' stands out because it is in yellow and it stands out against the black background. The contents page also features a number of smaller titles such as 'Feedback' these also stand out because of the yellow writing on the black background. As well as this all the main writing on this page is in capital letters, this makes the page easier to navigate. These small titles also help to sell the magazine because the reader/buyer can open the magazine to this page and read them and, if they like them then they can buy it. Each of the band featured in the magazine are written in bold black capital letters, this is used for easier navigation and to encourage the readers. All the main artists in bold makes the reader feel as thought they are getting good value for money.


The contents page also features a lengthy caption from the editor. This is a good feature as it is a personal touch and also provides a lot of information. This caption has a few page references in it as well, once again making this page even more useful.

Questionnaire

Right! I need to find out what people our age like in a magazine.

1. Gender?
2. Age?
3. Favourite music genre?
4. Favourite magazine?
5. How much would you pay for a music magazine?
6. How often should i publish my magazine?
7. What colour scheme should i use?

Thanks :)

Textual Analysis, Mixmag magazine.

This is Mixmag, this magazine focuses on a specific genre of music, Dance music. The title 'Mixmag' is relivant, as 'Mix' is a term associated with DJ's and dance music. The headline features taboo language which may be appropriate as the readers might use it themselves. Also it stands out as it is in the centre of the front cover and it is bright colours. 'Guetta load of this' is a play on words as the artists name is David Guetta. Another key feature of the front cover is 'Special end of year issue' this is another tactic to bring in readers as they may see that and buy the magazine. The audience of this magazine is a younger one than that of Q and perhaps Kerrang! The strapline, 'The world's biggest dance music and clubbing magazine' tells the reader what music reviews and articles will be in the magazine itself.

The colour scheme of this magazine is white and yellow. This shows that it is live and exciting magazine. The front cover is busy and has a lot of text on it, this is too show the reader that there is a lot of information and writing inside. This is good as it means that the readers can buy the magazine if they see something they are interested in on the cover.

The picture used is a mid/ close up shot of David Guetta who is a popular artist. This is used to draw in potential readers who may enjoy his music. The photo is some what surrounded by a lot of text but it still stands out as it is infront of a plain wooden effect background. The photo is also a bit mysterious as he is wearing sunglasses so you cant tell whether he is looking at the camera, although it is more than likely that he is.

The price and barcode is featured in the bottom corner as the magazine is priced at £4.20, this means that the magazine has to appeal to its specific audience, because someone who isn't particularly interested in this genre of music wouldn't pay that much.

Textual Analysis, Q magazine.

This is an edition of Q magazine, the main focus of this magazine is AC DC. This magazine is aimed at an older audience than that of Kerrang or NME. The bands featured in the magazine are a lot bigger than some of the bands in Kerrang which means that it may have a wider audience as more people are interested in them. Q magazine is more sophisticated than some of its rivals, it uses plain writing and not too much colour. The colour scheme is very simple, the only stand out colour is the red surrounding the Q, this shows more than anything else on the cover as it is very bright compared to the grey and black main colours. The outfit of the guitarist, Angus Young, also stands out not only because it is in the centre of the magazine but because it is burgundy. All of the writing on this front cover is is captials and is very big. This helps it to stand out , it also needs to be large so that it can be seen behind the photo. The text is a basic font but the colour has been changed each time in order to separate the Title,strapline and main focus.

The photo is a long shot as you can see his whole body. The photo is different as he has been caught mid-motion as opposed to just sitting or standing looking at the camera. The grey background helps to almost highlight the picture.

Textual Analysis

This is a recent issue of Kerrang magazine. This is a music magazine aimed towards teengaers who are into a specific genre of music. The main feature of this magazine is You Me At Six, their name is in big bold writing in the centre of the front cover. The other main focus is the title Kerrang!. These are both in white so they stand out more than other writing on the cover. The colour scheme of the front cover is, red, white and yellow. These are all bright colours. The main photo is a group and medium shot, all members of the band are looking right into the camera. There are also a number of smaller photos that are also medium shots.

On the left hand side there is a list of bands, this is to attract readers who may be interested in these bands. The front cover of the magazine is trying to give as much information about what is in the magazine itself, it does this by using 'Plus' and an actual + sign. This is too show that there is a lot of material inside.

The strapline at the top, sticks to the main colour scheme of the cover. All the writing on the front is in capital letters, this helps it to stand out even more. It also helps to provide a clear layout that is both exciting and professional.

Main Task

For my main task i have been asked to create a magazine cover, contents page and a double page spread of a music magazine. Before i start creating my own piece i need to analyse a couple of real magazines. As well as this i need to create an action plan.

Week 1:

• Textual Analysis'
• Action Plan
• Update blog

Week 2:

• More textual analysis
• Make questionnaire
• Initial ideas for magazine

Week 3:

• Questionnaire results
• Draft layouts for magazine
• Start photographing for front cover
• Internet research on circulation figures.

Week 4:

• Start designing the front cover
• Finish any unfinished pieces of research
• Treatment sheet

Week 5:

• Start designing contents page
• Finish front cover if necessary

Week 6:

• Start designing double page spread
• Finish contents page if necessary

Week 7:

• Finish any unfinished work.
• Analyse project.