Survey Results

Q1) Do you currently read any pop magazines?
The results showed that all of the people questioned do not currently read any pop magazines. This could be used to prove that the current pop magazines out on the market do not cater for people for ages of 16+. Which also gives me an opportunity to fill the gap in the market so that it would be suitable for older teens as well. 

Q2) Who is your favourite pop artist?
The answers for this question varied a lot in terms of the different pop artists, from Taylor Swift to bands such as the Wanted. The results showed that the artists were mainly in the top 40 in regards to the music charts. Therefore, a music chart is something that I could consider within my music magazine. The genres varied a little, so something I could additionally ask the target audience could be the sub genres of pop music that interest them.

Q3) What do you expect the double page spread to include?
 Most of the answers included the basics such as, headlines, subheadings, the masthead, date, page numbers, buttons. An additional thing that I could include could be a form of competition, which is what one of the replies mentioned, it could be something that would differentiate from different magazines on the market. As I have mentioned before, a chart list may be useful to include as well, so the double page spread may be the perfect place to display this information.

Q4) How long do you expect the double page spread to be?
As expected, the results of this question showed that the double page spread should stretch from 5-10 pages which is a reasonable quantity when taking into consideration that it is for a music magazine, I would say that the second option of 5-7 pages seems too little, and since I want to focus this magazine for a older target market, I would have to include a little more information. Hence, more pages for the double page spread.

Q5) Would you prefer 1 main image or several sub images on the double page spread?
The target audience revealed that in fact, using both a main image and sub images would be a good idea for the music magazine. This is because the 1 main image would follow the convention of regular magazines on the market. The use of sub images on the page as well would mean that additional key information about the artist(s) can be included. With sub images, I would be able to test out many angles and shots too.

Q6) What type of artist should the double page spread be based on?
Most of the results showed that the target audience preferred the double page spread to be based on a group or band. In some ways, that is an advantage for me, because then I would have more information to write for the double page spread as the band includes several artists. However, if I change my mind, writing about one artists wouldn't necessarily be an issue either.

Q7) What type of colouring should the pop magazine include?
Referring back to the results, the people questioned replied that bright and bold colours would be the best option. This could be because it is something generally associated with pop music magazines as it reflects the style of the music. However this is a convention, of a younger target market, therefore I may have to question the market again, using more specific options in terms of colouring.

Q8) How would you make the pop magazine more suited for young adults?
According to the results, more information seems to be key in making the magazine more suitable for young adults. This is preferably because the younger generation generally purchase the magazines for the imagery and not so much the story of the article. Some other things to consider could be colouring, layout and imagery so that the magazine doesn't seem too childish. In terms of imagery, I could keep to the conventions of using a large blown up image on one side of the page and possibly a couple of sub images to give the reader more of an insight.

Q9) Would you prefer an interview or biography for the double page spread?
An interview also seems like the most preferable option, this could be because with an interview, a lot of information can be displayed without losing the interest of the audience quickly. An interview would mean that the information can be condensed to some extent as well, so that the reader would be able to quickly find out the main points of the article.

DPS Article Draft

Its their first interview, yet they have enough stories to tell to make it seem like they have been in the music business for ages. So we group 'the band' together to jump straight to the questions.

So, why is the group named ‘the band’ in the first place?

Frankly, because we couldn't think of a name, all of the group members argued a lot over this. We did have some suggestions over it such as chromatic, the chords, N-Di-Go and the tropical ants. It’s actually, pretty difficult to find a name that everyone likes enough. I think that Chromatic and N-Di-Go lasted the longest, well, a performance each. Until we all decided that we hated all of them. It wasn't just that, because everyone in school always referred to us as the band, and the rest of the names never cached on, so I guess it just stuck with us.

Who is part of it and what part do they play?

There are currently 7 members of the band, and we try to include many instruments and vocal abilities within the group to improve the performances. And so, we have the three main guitarists, Amber plays the lead, Dorthea plays bass and Kim plays rhythm guitar. Then we have Charlene behind the keyboard/piano and Yvonne playing the drums. All that is left are the actual singers, Emma and Chantelle.

When was the band actually formed?

Well, in year 9 we were put together in a group by a temporary music teacher called Mr Barlow. He collected us from different music classes and we played together. He helped us arrange songs, music and so on, which led to us being able to do it on our own once he left. So really, it’s him that we should be thankful for.

What have you achieved as the band so far?

We won the best cover at Newham’s battle of the bands! We covered ‘We are young’, and we enjoyed making covers so much that we ended up playing songs at the liturgy, charity events and even the school summer and chamber concerts. Our talent didn’t just stay in school, we even performed at a couple Challenge events, and we were part of the entertainment for the community fun day in Becton as well

What are the most favourite covers you have done and why?

Well, it has to be ‘We are young’ again! We had a lot of fun with it; the thing is with covers of songs you can always change the song a little. For example, during one performance, we reggaed it up half way through the song. Charlene changed the keyboard settings to steel drums, we changed the beat and Dorthea began doing call outs with her Jamaican accent. It was really fun we all enjoy playing the song and we would love to play it again sometime. We love mash ups of songs too, like in the rewards evening we did a medley of songs including the theme song for friends. That was really fun to cover as well.

Are you going to write any songs in the near future?

Yes, definitely! In fact, we are writing a Christmas song right now, which we will hopefully play at the Carol Concert.  And hopefully, if all goes well then we will write more songs in the future.

After writing the article for the double page spread, I experienced a lot of difficulty to actually gather the group for a photo shoot, which of course plays a vital part within the magazine. Unfortunately, this left me with no other option but to change the main focus of my magazine. I was very lucky to find replacement models for the photo shoot. However, this also meant that the article and the name or the group had to be changed as it would not have linked to the new models. 

The updated article for the double page spread:

Why do you call yourselves 'Double Vision'?

C: We actually argued a lot over the name of our band. But, eventually we settled for double vision. Because we have the same personality, same likes and dislikes, we are a copy of each other, basically. So it is as if the audience are seeing double. We are 1 person, 1 artist. Well, at least that is what I think. You should really ask Laura.

Must be a headache. So how does it feel to have reached the top?

C:Its unbelievable, we pinch ourselves every time we get to the studio, which reminds us that our career is setting off, this is actually happening! We will keep on making music for as long as it takes. (hopefully) Well seriously, we love music and it’s as simple as that.

L: Pfft. We haven't reached the top yet! We've only begun, so there's a long way for us to go. To be compared to amazing singers like Katy Perry is just- I have no words. We are just normal girls who have been extremely lucky to be honest.

Will you go for Lady Gaga style outfits next?

L: Well, no. Everything has been crazy up to now , but I doubt that we’ll go that far. Lady Gaga is just another level, I REALLY don't want to end up there. We want to stay true to ourselves, we don’t want to change the way we are. Maybe we can change our wardrobe a little, not too much though.  I don't want to end up being one of Lady Gaga's little monsters.

Has your life got more glamorous as your success has grown?

L: I wouldn't say that our life has become ‘glamorous’.  We don't get limo rides wherever we go, I still drive my old car. But it has definitely changed. I can't walk around town any more, without someone tapping me to take a picture.

C: Ooh! I know! We have a private jet! But. The only reason we have a jet is so we would be travel around really quickly. So its not so much for leisure. I will hijack it one day and just go to Hawaii. :)

What’s next for your career?

C: We’ve been working with our manager and producer a lot so far. We are currently coming up with our 2nd album, sorting out all of the lyrics. Its coming, its coming...

L: We are expecting to go on tour at some point as well. I have no Idea when or where so don’t ask. But it will be awesome. We will get to meet a lot of our fans, hopefully. 

Now lets get to know you a little bit! So, what’s your biggest fear?

C: Like any other girl in the world, I am absolutely terrified of bugs. Spiders, ants you name it. I can’t stand them!

L: I have a weird phobia. I am afraid of clowns. I cant go to a circus, I can't go to McDonald's, they freak me out. They look really evil, and I've been afraid since I was little so its bad that the phobia still hasn't disappeared. Don't laugh at me. I'm sure others have the same problem as me!

Enough CLOWNING around. What is your favourite dish?

C: I'm sorry is that even a question? I just eat everything. Food is the most glorious thing in the world!

L: You are so fat! Do you see what I have to live with? We go to a restaurant, and she orders nearly everything on the menu. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?

C: Personally, I would say that you should never give up. We have been shot down so many times for trying but we never stopped. Now look where we are! Making music, being interviewed for magazines, going to concerts.

L: Because if you give up, you’ll never know how far you’ve gotten. So just push on. It is difficult. I'm not going to lie. But then again, what you put in is what you get out.

Pencil Sketches of Double Page Spread

This was my first attempt of a double page spread. The purpose of these sketches was to get a better idea of the layout of the page. I think that the idea of centring the headline at the top would be a good idea, since it would draw the target audiences attention straight away. In the same way, I think that it would be quite necessary to include additional images, with the main image on the page. This would be able to display different angles, locations and editing techniques. The only thing that I am not too happy with, would be the layout. As shown above, the text would take up the majority of the page, however the conventions of pop magazines seem to be that the image has to take up half of the page. This is simply because pop magazines are usually image heavy rather than the actual text.

My second attempt took the previous issues into consideration. For instance, I experimented with the layout in terms of dividing the page more, so that the image and text are equally spaced out. I wanted the music to be the primary focus of the magazine, however, having seen this experimentation, I feel that it would be best to conform to the general conventions of focusing on the artists instead. The only thing that I feel I need to experiment more on is the colour scheme. Since these sketches only concentrate on the layout, the pallet of colours will play an important part and so I would have to experiment with this during my drafting stage. 

Double Page Spread Analysis

Music Video Analysis - Katy Perry, Wide Awake

According to Katy Perry herself, she explained that the music video displayed flashbacks of each of the 'Teenage Dream' album, with a chapter for each single. And the story of 'Wide Awake' was the final chapter.

Within the music video many elements of mise en scene are used in order to represent a story of Katy Perry's career, which is typically what the main objective of this video was. Katy Perry's music videos differ in the fact that a lot of fantasy elements are always involved. Within this music video it is represented through a giant labyrinth and her way of escaping it. Not only this, but her videos always have representations or some sort of iconography in order to signify certain emotions or events in her life. The title itself , 'Wide Awake', has a couple connotations, one of which could be that through her struggles and obstacles she finally woke up to reality. From the fantasy transition of her album that is shown as chapters in the music video.

The location: In the music video, the location is set in a labyrinth with different effects to give it a fantasy feel. During the video one of the scenes is her being trapped between the walls of the labyrinth. This could be to suggest the struggles she may have stumbled upon during the course of her career. Pushing her to fail, which she resisted in the end.
The props: The props within the music video also had key representations, such as a poisoned strawberry, a curious cat, prince charming, and a little girl. Perhaps they were representations of certain events in her life or even representations of her songs. For instance, the prince charming that got in the way of the exit of the labyrinth could perhaps be implying that her marriage was untrustworthy, and that the divorce led her on to a more happier life. The poisoned strawberry, could be a symbol to signify trickery to some extent, the strawberry seems innocent but in actual fact is poisonous, this could be a connotation of the many record labels that signed her and then cut her off. It represented a false opportunity to the music business. 

Lighting and Costume: Both the lighting, colours and the costumes showed a transition throughout the music video. It began with dark colours and lighting, perhaps to suggest the uneasiness, the fact that she was oppressed by others and the struggles she went through in the beginning. However, as the video progressed, it began changing to a more colourful and happier atmosphere. In the end of the music video, she finally finds the exit to the labyrinth which could be suggesting a break through, that Katy finally achieved her goals or successes, no matter the obstacles that came her way.

Magazine Contents Page Analysis

Artist and Record Label Case Study

Katy Perry - Artist Case Study

Katy Hudson was born on October 25th, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California. She is an American singer, songwriter and actress, who is better known by her stage name of 'Katy Perry'. She mainly focuses on pop and electronic genres within her music. She was signed with numerous record labels including Red Hill, Island, Columbia and Capitol Records through her journey in the music career.

Career

-In Nashville she began recording demos and was taught by country music veterans how to craft songs and play guitar. Later on she signed to the Christian music label 'Red Hill' where she recorded her first album.

-At 17, she left her home for Los Angeles to work with Glen Ballard on an album for 'Island Records'. The album was due to be released during autumn 2004, but she was dropped by the 'Island Def Jam Music Group'.

-She then signed with 'Columbia Records' in 2004. However the label was not amenable with her vision and so she was dropped from the label later on (2006)

-Katy was then enthusiastically recommended to 'Virgin Records' which set off her music career.

Hollywood Records - Record Label Case Study

-Hollywood Records is an American record label that focuses on pop and rock music genres. It was originally founded in 1989 by Michael Eisner in the United States.

-It is the record label for many well known  artists such as Plain White T's and Breaking Benjamin, Queen, Miley Cyrus ect.

-However, the label struggled to launch successful artists and in 1991, the record label experienced significant financial loss.

The only major success was the agreement to be the catalog distributors of 'Queen', but was hugely affected by the death of the vocalist Freddie Mercury.

Case Study Magazine - Top of the Pops

 When was the magazine founded?
The 'Top of the Pops' magazine was launched in February in 1995. It was a supplementary magazine for the popular television show, 'Top of the Pops'. However, even though the television program was soon cancelled in 2006, the publishers still continued with the releases of the magazine because it was popular amongst the target audience. Who are the publishing house?
At the moment, the publishing house for the the 'Top of the Pops' magazine is the Immediate Media Company. Immediate Media Company is a combined publishing house, it is a combination of former assets of Origin Publishing, Magicalia and BBC Magazines. This is also the publishing house for many other well known magazines in the market such as Top Gear, Good Food, Radio Times, Gardener's World and so on.

How does the magazine attract its audience?
Previously, while the 'Top of the Pops' television show was still showing, most of the audience for the magazine was received because of the actual television program. The magazine is partly published as part of the BBC, therefore some of the target market can be achieved this way as well. Any more viewers can be attracted through the magazines own website, which includes additional information that may not necessarily be included in the actual magazine copy (i.e. competitions)
What feature articles are included in the magazine?
The feature articles usually found within the magazine are usually based on artists or bands that are the most popular at the time of release of the magazine. It includes information about their latest music, and their career in general. I think that the problem with the pop magazines nowadays is the fact that they concentrate more on the artists life or any gossip about them than their actual music like for other genres of music magazines. Therefore when making my own I will have to ensure that it differs to the fact that it includes more information about the actual music (i.e. top of the charts)
What kind of advertising is in it?
The most commonly found advertisements in this magazine tend to be based on celebrity merchandises. This would include things such as perfume or new albums or songs found on sale. It is also quite common to find popular clothing brands advertising their latest fashions as well, as these types of product would suit the target audience.
Frequency of release for the magazine?
The 'Top of the Pops' magazine is usually released as a monthly publication. This way the magazine can have enough information gathered about the artists. Because it is a monthly publication, the magazine will tend to be much thicker as more information is included. 
What is the average price of the magazine?
According to my research, the average price of this magazine can vary each month depending on the amount of content found within. However the average price of this magazine is usually found to be just over £3 and never exceeds the £5 boundary.

History of Pop Music