Vicky Lawrence proposes a magazine called "Alter Sound" focused on alternative rock music. She describes the magazine's genre as predominantly alternative rock but also including other rock subgenres. Her target audience is males and females aged 16-24. For the front cover, she plans to feature a close-up of someone holding a rock instrument in genre-appropriate fashion. The contents page will list sections like news and features alongside 3 images. A double page spread will interview an artist with their image and a quote teasing the article.
2. Magazine Title
• I have decided that my magazine is going to be called “Alter
Sound” due to the findings of my research.
• This seemed like a suitable name for my magazine based on
the music genre I am planning my magazine to be focused on,
which is alternative rock. Other magazines of a similar genre
that I have looked into have had a similar sounding masthead,
or a title that suited the genre and stereotypes of the genre in
some way.
• Also, this seemed to be the most popular name among my
focus group and as these people are my target audience, I felt
that their opinion was one I needed to take into account.
3. Genre
• The genre of my music magazine is going to predominantly be
alternative rock but I am going to include other aspects of rock
within the magazine, to try and expand the audience I am
aiming my magazine at. I am doing this as from my
questionnaire, I found out that many of my target audience
listen to many different sub-genres.
• I have decided to focus my magazine on the genre of rock
because I enjoy listening to this music and I am interested in
this music culture. I felt that this was the best genre for me to
base my magazine on as being a fan of this music, I was already
familiar with many artists to include in my magazine, the
typical fashion and my target audience.
4. Target Audience
• The target audience of my music magazine is both males and
females between the ages 16-24. I have decided to aim my
magazine at both genders because I think that the rock music
culture is widely accepted by both males and females, and
therefore by doing this, I am widening the target audience to
try and get more people interested in my magazine.
• Also, I am aiming my music magazine at the age range of 16-24
because I am aware of many people around this age who like
the type of music that my magazine focuses on and this is an
age range that most people will buy music magazines, as
teenagers are stereotypically more interested in music.
5. Photographs
• For the front cover of my magazine, I am going to use a medium close up of
someone with a musical instrument. I am going to make sure that the person
I include on my front cover is dressed in the typical fashion associated with
the music genre my music magazine is focused on so the target audience will
be able to see what genre of music the magazine includes.
• Also, I am planning on including 3 or 4 photographs on the contents page of
my music magazine. One of the images is likely to be a long shot of the
person included on the front cover, to show that they are part of a feature
article in the issue. Another image will be of a stage where some artists and
musical instruments will be captured through an extreme long shot. I am
also going to try and have an image of a new band and show them through a
medium long shot.
• For my double page spread, I am going to take more photos of the person
who is on the front cover, which will somehow connect to what the
interview is about.
6. Front Cover
• I am planning to have the masthead of my magazine in the Blackout
Sunrise font and position it running across the top of the page.
• The main image on my front cover is going to be of someone
dressed in fashion associated with alternative rock and they are
likely to be holding a musical instrument closely linked to
alternative rock, such as a 4 string bass guitar.
• Also, I am going to include cover lines which discuss popular bands
that are associated with the sub-genres my music magazine is going
to cover to attract the target audience I want for my magazine.
• The barcode and issue number will be placed in the bottom right
hand corner of the front cover to follow the codes and conventions
of a typical music magazine.
7. Contents Page
• On the contents page, I am planning on recreating the style of
the masthead on the front cover on the contents banner.
• I am going to split the contents of the magazine into different
sections based on their topic, and I am then going to give them
each sub headings. For example, there will be news and
features sections.
• Additionally, I am going to include around 3 images on this
page which are likely to be of artists, stages, instruments or
just music fans that all suit with an article within the magazine.
• I am planning on including an editors note on the contents
page as this is a feature that is needed in a first issue of a
magazine to introduce the readers.
8. Double Page Spread
• On the left hand page of the double page spread, I am planning
on placing an image of the artist or band that the interview is
with; artists will most likely be shown through a long shot.
• The title of the article is going to be postponed above this
image, across the top of this page.
• I am planning on including a grab quote over a part of the
image too to give the audience an insight into what is in the
article on the adjacent page.
• The right hand page of this article is going to hold the main
article content, which is going to be an interview with the band
or artist.