unique selling point

my magazine will be an upper-class hip-hop magazine that takes it away from the gangs and baggy clothes and introduces a new breed of rapper that is at heart a true rapper but also has embraced the 'gentleman look' with suits, instead of guns it will be bottle of champagne as an example.

analysis of magazines feature article

although this example isnt a double page feature like the one that i am creating it follows the ideas that i have very well. it has the colour scheme of the magazine that i am using red black and white. also the interview is set out in the Q&A format which i think is the best way to put an article into a magazine.

analysis of magazines contents page

once again i like the colours that the genre pics the red black and white. as it makes it clean and fresh that represents the genre. i would like to use more images on my contents page to invite the readers in more and get them interested in the articles more. the artist is wearing baggy clothes to represent the genre, but i would like to bring it a little more up-class with my artist in a suit rather than baggy clothes.

Circulation figures for similar magazines.

Circulation figures for major hip hop magazines.

• Subscribers receive KING every other month. The magazine has a circulation of approximately 255,000. Published in New York, New York, this magazine is a popular consumer publication
• Summary: XXL is an urban lifestyle magazine that covers all aspects of hip-hop culture. Circulation: 209,459. Number of Issues per Year: 9.  Pricing 1-Year Subscription Price: $19.97,Single Issue Price: $4.99 
• As of 2007, Vibe had a circulation of approximately 800,000. Advertisers ran the gamut from record labels to fashion houses to various cognac brands
• At its financial peak in 2003, The Source claimed an annual profit of $10 million, based on an audited circulation of more than 500,000 copies a month

Feedback 27.1.11

Adam, well done. This is good work. Please ensure that you also upload the sekcvt/plan for the contents page for your prelim task and also try to reflect a little more fully on the task. Good analysis of a front cover. Please do the same for a contants and feature article. Carry on with this research for homework. Also, please book a workshop time for next week for an evening that works for you. See Mike or Nikki for this.

Mrs A

from this magazine cover i like the close up photo but i think i will use a medium close up to get more of the artist on the cover. also i like the colour scheme of the cover with the red, white and black that is something that i may consider. i will definitely use the barcode with both the date and web address on it.

preliminary Task

i learnt to cut out images in greater detail to provide a better image on the cover. i also liked the post-stick cutout that was like a border for the news story's. i did not really like the title i will figure out a better way to do the title for my magazine.

conventions of magazines

There are a few different conventions of magazines that nearly all magazines follow:

Image and header:

• The image on the front of the magazines must correspond to the content and target audience of the magazine.
• The name of the magazine (header) must also correspond to the content and target audience of the magazine.
• The colour scheme of the magazine must also create a house style that is appealing towards the target audience.

Mode of address:

·         This is the way that the text creates a relationship with its target audience.

·         The most common mode of address is direct address this is created when the artist on the cover is looking straight out of the magazine, this invites the reader in

·         Indirect address is when the person looks away and is not the convention although it has been used in some magazines.

·         Mode of address can also refer to the writing in the magazine and how it addresses the reader normally in a friendly and informal way.

Stars and celebrates

• Music magazines normal will have an artist on the cover to increase sales.
• The audience admires the stars and with them on the cover they will want to know what they have said in the magazine.

Magazine covers

• The front cover of a magazine is the main advertisement. Because of this it must represent the magazine as a whole.
• It should be bright, intresting and eye catching to entice its readers into buying the magazine.
• The colours should both represent the target audience and also the music that the magazine is about.
• Normally there is a variety of fonts on the cover to make it visually interesting and eye catching.
• The title of the magazine is normally at the top of the page(this logo will also create the brand image of the magazine making it instantly recognisable  for its readers)
• Sometimes a slogan is used under the main header to explain the magazines content.
• One main star on the front either in close up or medium always as a direct address
• The leading caption normally dominates the cover. This will be the advertise the main article with the cover star.
• Subheadings of all the other main storys that are in the magazine usually appearing on the left and right sides of the magazine.
• Date and barcode on cover and normally now with a web address.

Contents page

• Should be bright and colourful- encouraging the reader to read on.
• Images dominate the text. Images with page numbers dominate the page.
• Again direct address is used in all images
• The title or header usually appears on every page(usually at top corner)
• List of contents- usually under usual section.

initial ideas

My initial ideas are to create a hip hop magazine that will feature a new break out star on the scene. I will create an artist that corresponds to the conventions of the genre. I will discover what these conventions are by studying and reviewing similar magazines, e.g. VIBE and XXL. I plan on the front cover being a medium close of my star with a shadow in the background but with the shadow wearing a crown while the star wears a different hat this will be created by taking two different pictures with one creating the crown shadow and the other the artist and the cut them out on Photoshop and place them together.