Task 1: Generating Ideas

Learning Outcome 1: Be able to generate ideas for an original media product based on client brief (P1 and M1)

Learning Outcome 1: Be able to generate ideas for an original media product based on client brief (P1)

I was given a client brief in which i had to pitch my ideas for producing a new online and print-based music magazine for North London, From the brief i can gather that there is a vibrant music scene developing locally and people need to know about it, which means that the magazine has to be engaging and interesting for the target audience so that they will show an interest into it and want to attend different music gigs. To do this, i will make my magazine look and feel ‘vibrant’. In the brief, it stated that i need to develop a proposal and sample materials/ideas for my magazine pages and to deliver my pitch. From the brief, i can gather that there is a specific target audience that needs to be targeted.Demographics is When media producers study the breakdown of their target audiences the information is used in media marketing to classify an audience into age, gender, race, hobbies, economic, status or class, level of education and other categories. Being based in London is a demographic that i will need to focus on. The majority of the population consists of teens- 28 year old, however, there is also an older age group that we need to consider as well. I will be aiming for students in the E/C1 class (who would be students) as i feel that they are the ones who are most likely ‘out and about’ and most interested in music and live gigs (somewhere to hang out and ‘chill’ with their friends). 

What will be included in my front cover: 

Masthead - This is the name of the magazine and is almost always displayed at the top. The font style and colour will be chosen extremely careful to help sell the magazine, as well as give some indication about the content and the audience. Similarly, the name of the magazine will be carefully chosen.

Tagline - This goes near the masthead, and is sometimes attached to it. It shows what magazine is about or who it might be aimed at.

Central image - This is one of the most important parts of the front cover as it catches a reader’s eye before they look at the printed text. The central image will be relevant to the magazines purpose and audience, and will often be strongly related to the feature article.

In front- cover analysis, much can be said about the central image. So much can be denoted and connoted from this image.

The cover model - For many magazines, a cover model will be used. This may be a celebrity, or well- known individual connected with the magazine’s genre (e.g. a rock star posing for a music magazine); or it may be a photographic model. E.G. Mise -en -scene : who is the model dressed in a certain way, or lit in a certain way? 

Anchorage - This is a term that refers to how images are referred to. In magazines, images will be anchored by captions (directly explaining what the pictures depict), by cover lines, or by articles and headlines. Anchoring an image helps give it meaning, as it helps the reader understand the significance.

Secondary image - They may be used on the front cover to help promote other features in the magazine, usually anchored by a cover line. They are often used in magazines where readers need to be enticed by the picture rather than the cover line text (e.g. celebrity magazines).

Cover lines - These are located at various points on the front cover, telling readers about the magazines contents - and specifically, the articles they’ll find. The front cover often features 6-12 cover lines in an attempt to lure different readers to different things. Cover lines will often use language and presentational devices to be most effective.

Mode of address - Refers to the way that magazines communicate with their readers. Some magazines will use a direct mode of address, communicating with individual readers. This might be through use of the cover model (e.g. pointing directly at the camera), or through the use of 2nd person pronouns (“you”).

Use of colors - Colour: this is used to great effect. Some magazines will alter all the colour schemes from edition to edition (masthead, cover lines), whiles others will alter some colors to coordinate with the central image.

3 IDEAS (M1 discuss strengths and weaknesses of the different ideas)

Strengths- The good thing about this genre is that pop is the most popular music genre in our generation. Typically, when you turn on the radio, it is usually pop music that is playing. Also one of the biggest radio stations is solely around the pop genre (Capital FM). This is good because if i made a magazine about the pop genre, i know that it will successfully as from research it is extremely popular and i dont feel like you could go wrong with it. Within the pop genre you also have acoustic pop which are artists such as Ed Sheeran. Acoustic pop targets a more specific target audience and also is very popular within this generation.

Weaknesses- Pop doesnt cater to a niche audience. There are already a lot of pop magazines out there and it would be hard to compete with that. That also makes it harder to get people to fund the magazine because there is nothing unique or special about it. 

Strengths- A strength with R&B is that it is a popular genre, it's not quite niche and it's not quite mainstream so therefore it can/ is able to cater to a wider variety of people- it's very established, unlike grime which is not quite there yet. 

Weaknesses- There is not a wide audience for R&B magazines and there are not many producers for it either. This shows that it is not the most popular genre and that if i was to base my magazine around R&B that it may not be successful. If no one has been/is interested in producing R&B magazines then maybe there is a reason for it.

 Strengths- There won't be that much competition as there aren't many jazz magazines around. I also believe that there will be a loyal following to the jazz magazine. It is much more unique and niche. 

Weaknesses- Nowadays, Jazz is mainly aimed at older people and those with a disposable income, this is because it is quite a classic music genre. It also is not as popular as the other genres. Therefor it might not be suitable for a magazine as it will only target one group of people instead of having the option open to target a wider variety of people.