Construction

Audience Feedback for Double Page Spread:

Above is a picture of my A3 draft double page spread that I scanned in. I gave the sheet to people within the age bracket of my target audience (16-25 years) and allowed them to comment on their view of the page so far. This was extremely important for the progression of my double page spread because it enabled me to take the comments on board and integrate some of them into my double page spread. Comments such as "backgrounds aren't related" are all things that I took into consideration, as you will see from the final images of my double page spread.

Audience feedback for content of Article:

Overall, from the feedback that I have gained from my article, there are some changes that I will consider making for my final product. Although there were many good points such as "article suits the intended audience" and "connotes informality of genre well", others also said that I could possibly add banners either at the top or bottom of my double page spread, to possibly cater the page numbers. 

When constructing my final product, I will possibly add banners although I will not change the content of the article because most of the feedback received said that It did not need to be changed as it was appealing and followed conventions of rock well.

Construction of Double Page Spread:

  Print screen 1:



For my first print screen, I added my article text to one half of the double page spread. Although it is laid out in a conventional way, it leaves little room for the headline/strapline so I will have to shorten my interview and possibly re-position the text slightly. I also need to consider using different colours for the questions/answers, whilst sticking to my house theme.

Print screen 2:

The second print screen shows my main image added to the double page spread on the opposite page to the article. I believe that the image follows a number of rock conventions and is of good quality. I have not yet adjusted the text in my article as I wanted to see what the page would look like with both the image and text present on the page.

Print screen 3:

For my third print screen I have added the headline 'Oscar Chatterji' and also a sentence at the end of the interview highlighted in red to make them read on further into the magazine. As it is highlighted in red, it stands out and attract the readers attention. As red is a colour associated with rock, I will think about using it in more text in future drafts, whilst also remembering to stick with the house style of my magazine.



Print screen 4:

The fourth print screen shows several changes to my double page spread. I have added a standfirst to introduce the artist of the article to the audience, providing them with a short description of who they are reading about. I have also given both the headline and questions a black background to sit on with white text, allowing the audience to differentiate between questions and answers etc.  

Print screen 5:

The fifth print screen of my double page spread draft consists of several changes. I have darkened the image to give it a much more intimidating and serious vibe, fitting of the rock genre. I have also included a pull quote underneath the image of Oscar and filled certain words in red to attract people's attention to them and possibly give them a vague understanding of the artists personality. Again, in the standfirst, specific words that are relevant to the artist himself have been highlighted to outline their importance.

Print screen 6:

For print screen five I played around with standfirst and pull quote. I added black boxes behind the text by using the 'rectangle tool' and made important parts of the text yellow instead of red. This is because I wanted my double page spread containing the artist 'Oscar Chatterji' to have a different colour scheme. Although my house colours still somewhat remain in the double page spread, I thought it was important for my artist to have his 'own identity' within the magazine, rather than just 'another typical' rock artist. I also shortened the standfirst because my audience are quite young, therefore will be less interested in large amounts of writing. Again, using the rectangle tool I created a banner that runs across the top of the page containing page numbers and an 'Exclusive!', which is highlighted in yellow linking with the artist and gaining the readers attention.

Print screen 7:

Print screen seven shows some minor adjustments to my double page spread. Firstly, I changed the colour of the article background to a colour between grey and yellow. I did this because I felt that the white background, would not be a good reflection of a genre seen by many as chaotic and harsh. Therefore I wanted to make the colour similar to sandpaper to give it a rough and gritty look. Nonetheless, as my construction continues to develop and depending on my audience feedback, I may change the background of my double page spread. The page numbers were also something that I changed. Before they looked very streched and unprofessional, whereas now they are in a much clearer typeface, making them easy to read.

Print screen 8:

After reviewing my target audience feedback from my first draft of my double page spread, many people were content with the information that it contained but thought it could be presented in a better way. One of the suggestions was that I could have the brick wall over both pages, and have a three column article in a transparent box on the left side. This idea appealed to me also, and so I cut Oscar out of the picture using the 'Magnetic Lasso' tool and made the brick wall bigger, covering both pages. I then paste Oscar back in and made him larger to take up more of the page and increase his status within the spread.

Print screen 9:

I then went on to add two grey boxes in the bottom corners of the page which would eventually allow the page numbers to sit on. These boxes are grey because the banners throughout my magazines pages are also this colour, and I wanted to keep the same theme throughout. I then made a large black square using the rectangle tool, and decreased its 'fill capacity' to 50% in order to give it a transparent look. I then added the article text and made it smaller by decreasing the font size. Evidently there were some visability issues when trying to read the questions due to them being white, therefore in my next print screen I will see how I can eradicate this problem.

Print screen 10:

To deal with the visibility issues, as print screen 10 shows, I added black rectangles behind each of the questions making them easier to read and adding to the typical dark conventions of rock. Also, I added the page numbers and a pull quote to fill the space in the middle of the article, and to entice the reader in. I made this pull quote red as it stands out from the rest of the article, aiming to catch the readers eye and draw them in. There is however a big space that needs filling in the bottom right corner of my article which I could potentially fill by putting links to Oscars Twitter/Facebook, adding intertextuality to my magazine.

Print screen 11:

Lastly, I did in fact add information about my artists Twitter and Facebook to fill the remaining space in my article, giving the magazine intertextuality and also fans the chance to delve further into persona through social networking. I then added the same headline and stand first that I had prior to the audience feedback because I felt that there was no need for change in colour, font or the text itself. I am happy with the outcome of this piece and am confident in saying that it looks like a fairly professional piece.

Construction of Contents Page:

Print screen 1:

For my first print screen of my contents page, the image shows a simple layout ready for the content. I immediately began by changing the background colour to grey because white was too plain and unfitting, as the rock genre is known for its dark intimidating colours. I included a black banner across the top of the page ready for the heading with a 'drop shadow' effect on it, making it seem 3D. The vertical line running down the page was placed in order to give me a rough guideline as to where the features would eventually be placed. Lastly, the editorial box is placed in the lower half of the left section, ready for text and also an image, allowing the reader to feel a personal touch has been given by the writer.



Print screen 2:

My second print screen showed some minor additions to the contents page. I added the heading 'contents' using the same typeface ('Google Spies') as the one used for my masthead on the cover. I did this because I want to keep consistency running throughout my magazine, not just with colours but with text too. I am very fond of the typeface Google spies as it appears to be run down and scratched, similar to the masthead of 'Kerrang!', a very successful rock magazine. I also included the issue number along with the cover date next to the contents heading because this is an important convention. It tells the reader what number the magazine is, allowing them to work out how many publications there were before that, and also the date it was published.

Print screen 3:

Next, I added text to my editorial in order to give the reader a sense of unity between themselves and the writer. The editorial is a key convention, as it briefly tells the reader what can be found within the magazine and it also adds a personal touch which most fans would appreciate. On the right side of the border, I have added rectangles using the 'rectangle' tool which have all been given drop shadows, again to make them seem 3D and sharpen the edges. The five banners which stretch completely across to the border will have text in displaying sub headings for the artists/content that will appear below. I made the rectangles black because it reflects the genre/audience well because they are both stereotypically dark and carefree, and also because the text that will appear on them will stand out because I will use other conventional colours such as red, yellow etc.

Print screen 4:

In print screen four I have simply added the page numbers ready for the different features in my magazine. I have done this by creating a large number of square, black boxes, and put them to the side and level with the rectangles. The colour of the numbers are yellow making them stand out and easy to read. Although yellow may not be seen as a typical colour associated with rock, I believe that it portrays my young target audience of 16-25 year olds, because it is a bright colour and they may be seen as outgoing carefree people, standing out (much like the yellow numbers).

Print screen 5:

During print screen five there are some minor additions which are the sub headings. These sub headings are 'news', 'features', 'album reviews', 'gig list' and 'poster special' and will all include different content which can be found inside the magazine underneath them. The headings are in red, allowing them to be clearly visible and not muddled with numbers. In my next print screen I am hoping to add the actual artists and features also.

Print screen 6:

Print screen six shows that I have added the most vital conventions to my contents page. This is the actual 'content list' itself which tells the readers what is in store for them further in the magazine. The text I have used is the same as the text for the sub headings which is 'Impact' and I think it is very good as it connotes the informality of the magazine because it is a sans-serif font. The colour of the font is grey which ties in with the masthead on the front cover, and also the contents heading on this page. This suggests to the reader this set of information is just as important and should not be missed. There is a noticeable gap underneath some of the artists which will soon be filled with extra information about the artists available in the next print screen.

Print screen 7:

Here I have added the short descriptions of each artists appearance in the magazine to give the reader some information, whilst not giving too much away. The aim of this, is to make them want to read on by almost teasing them, entising them to purchase the magazine if they already haven't. The colour of the text remains the same as the text above (grey) because I wanted the reader to be aware that it is talking about the same topic as the line above. This also keeps the colour scheme quite down beat and intimidating, unlike a pop magazine which would have much more vibrant colours to express the childish/girly nature of the magazine.

Print screen 8:

Next, I added six vital conventions to my contents page and these were the images. The main image which is larger than the rest, holds ideologies of rock. This is down to a number of reasons which are, he is wearing dark clothing, he has his ear pierced and he also has a a guitar to his side, seen by many as a symbol of rock. The pierced ear and the way he is standing connotes a 'carefree' attitude which many of the target audience may already have, or will now want to have because they idolise certain artists. The other images are also important as they are all aspects of the rock genre, and also reflect the target audience' lifestyle, particulary with the pictures of the conerct. This emphasises their 'outgoing' and 'wild' personas from attending such events. Lastly, the editorial image is important as the reader can see who has written the short paragraph, and appreciate the personal touch from the writer.

Print screen 9:

Finally, the last print screen shows my completed contents page. Before I could be happy, I added more page numbers in the corners of the pictures because it was unclear where the readers could find the images within the magazine. Overall I am happy with the outcome as I have not left a lot of blank space which is conventional of successful rock magazines as they have a 'packed' and 'chaotic' layout. After analysing contents pages from magazines such as 'Rock Sound' and 'Kerrang!' I feel that I have made a good attempt at constructing my own, following a large number of conventions throughout.

Construction of Front Cover:

Print screen 1:

The first print screen of my front cover shows my masthead and bottom banner which will eventually contain artists included in the magazine and also a barcode. The masthead 'Rock Radar' is big and bold stretching across the top of the page leaving no white space. The text is white and it sits on a black background making it stand out, allowing people to read the masthead and recognise the genre. 

Print screen 2:

Next, I added the artists that will feature in the magazine onto the banners. Again, just like the masthead I made the text white so that it stands out and fits in contrast with the black banner(s) that it sits on. I also added a 'Plus' in the bottom left of the magazine that sits on a red rectangle. By using a different colour to black, the aim is to attract people's attention to this, so that they will then see the other artists featured in the magazine, possibly persuading them to buy it.

Print screen 3:

My third print screen shows some minor additions to my front cover. I have added a barcode in the bottom right corner, following conventions of all music magazines, not just rock. I also added small rectangles along the bottom banner between the artists featured in the magazine, allowing readers to clearly distinguish between separate artists. Lastly, I added a yellow line which runs horizontal across the top of the page between the banner and masthead to separate the two.

Print screen 4:

In the fourth print screen, I have added banners which will contain the headline, strapline and cover lines. The headline and strapline banners lay at an angle across the centre of the page, eventually allowing the text to stand out. There are six cover lines, with three of the banners being red and the remaining three being white. I felt it was important to use red, white and black in different areas of the page, giving the magazine a house style look of typical colours associated with rock. The banners for the cover lines also lay at an angle, giving the magazine a 'messy' and 'chaotic' feel to it, very conventional of rock.

Print screen 5:

Next, I added the headline, strapline and cover lines to my front cover. The headline 'Jack Jeffery' is big and bold making it one of the first things the reader sees. It is also coloured red which again, makes it stand out and easy to read because red and white are contrasting colours. The straplines are coloured white and sit against a black banner making them clear and visible. The taboo language is also highlighted red, making it clear that those are the words of the artist. The text for the cover lines are either white or black depending on the banner they sit on.

Print screen 6:

Print screen six shows that I have added a circle with bold yellow writing saying 'WIN!' on it. I have done this by using the 'eclipse' tool on Photoshop and then the paint bucket to fill it black. I played around with some colours including white and red for the eclipse, but I felt that these colours were too light and would give the impression that I am subverting colour conventions of rock and not following them. Also, the yellow 'WIN!' stands out from the rest of the text on the cover and so it will draw people's attention in, hopefully persuading them to buy the magazine depending on the prize at stake.

Print screen 7:

The next screen shot involves me adding to the eclipse using two short, white rectangles white lay across it. By making the rectangles white, they are very visible against the black eclipse. The text is black and tells the reader what is up for grabs, with the important words filled in red. 'Leeds festival' is a very big event especially in the United Kingdom, and so many rock fans who enjoy seeing their favourite artists live will more than likely be interested in this, especially because they are outgoing due to their young age (16-25). 

 Print screen 8:

Before I added the final image to my magazine I felt it was important to make sure that the colour scheme looked correct. Deciding that there was too much black on the page, I changed some of the black banners to grey. I felt it was important to not go over the top with the black, but some still remains on the page. The masthead remains on a black banner, and so does the headline 'Jack Jeffery'. However, I have changed the 'Jack Jeffery' to grey instead of red, although I do not think it suits it as there will be a large amount of grey.

Print screen 9:

Having re-took the final photo because it did not give a good, realistic representation of the rock genre, I added it to my front cover. I knew it was important to have the person in my image looking very conventional. As you can see, he is wearing dark clothing, has an earring in and is also holding a guitar. He is also using direct mode of address to draw the potential buyer of the magazine in, because there is a sense of unity between the two from the way he is looking.

Print screen 10:

Finally, last print screen of my cover showed some minor adjustments before I could be happy with the finished product. I made the image larger as I thought it was important for the artist to take up a large portion of the page in order to be the center of attention. I also changed the headline 'Jack Jeffery' to red making it stand out from between the strapline, giving it a much more dynamic feel. I also enlarged some of the text slightly in order for it to be clearly visible to the reader, and I also added the price tag of £2.99 as this was decided the most appropriate from my market research.