Print and digital magazine assignment
- 1. Dominant image – The dominant image is a close-up shot of Rou Reynolds who is a member of the rock band Enter Shikari. Rou’s facial expression shows confidence and he is looking directly at the camera making him eye level with the audience which is effective because it could suggest the audience is part of the band. Rou is wearing glasses in this picture which is unusual because he doesn’t normally wear them. This challenges conventions of rock music because it makes the lead band member seem academic and professional which is unusual for rock bands.. Skyline – The skyline promotes things featured in the magazine. It uses the word ”Klassik” which is spelt wrong. This is effective because it shows that the target audience are people of a lower social grade, around D or E and “Klassik” would attract to that audience. This is following typical conventions for a rock music genre. Essential information – This shows the barcode, price (and prices in different currencies), date and issue number. Masthead – The masthead is large and is all in capital letters followed by an exclamation mark which fits the conventions of the rock genre because rock music is loud. The masthead is also at a low opacity which allows you to see Rou Reynolds full face without putting the masthead behind the dominant image. Main sell line – The main sell line is Enter Shikari which is a rock band. The dominant image is one of the lead members of the band which means this sell line compliments the dominant image well, this is effective and fulfills the purpose of the magazine because if someone recognises the band they are likely to buy the magazine. Tagline – There is no tagline in this Kerrang magazine because Kerrang is already a well known brand and one of the biggest music magazines with a large audience who will read on because of the quality of the Kerrang magazines. Sell lines – These sell lines are promoting other rock music/bands which the target audience would be interested in. This is effective because it could attract more of an audience if they are familiar with these bands but not Enter Shikari which is the main sell line. Print
- 2. PrintThe genre of this magazine is rock music. The target audience of this magazine are people who are interested in rock music as the magazine is a rock genre magazine. The fact that it has posters in the magazine suggests that the target audience are in their late teens or early 20s so around 14-21 and a low social grade around E, D or C2. However, the use of swear words could mean the target audience is a bit older like 18-21 but the same social grade. However, the target audience could be younger (below 16) because it is a print magazine meaning you have to buy the magazine from a supermarket as oppose to buying online. This means you can buy the magazine with cash rather than online banking because most young people don’t have bank accounts. The purpose of this magazine is to inform fans about new / upcoming artists and provide the audience with things like posters. The distribution channels for print magazines like this one are newsagents, supermarkets and delivery (online subscriptions). If you go to a supermarket to buy a print magazine you may not be able to find the magazine you are looking for.
- 3. Print Pull Quote – The pull quote is by the band’s lead vocalist Jeremy McKinnon. Using him as the pull quote is effective because the target audience can imagine him saying it since he is the biggest voice of the band. Dominant image – The dominant image is a photo of the entire band. It is a wide shot from above which slightly challenges typical rock music codes and conventions as usually the band / artist is eye level or looking down at the audience. The facial expressions show that each member is having a good time and they are happy. The lighting is focused on the band members even though the environment in the image is dark. Byline – Credits for article and photography.Article title – The article title is the band name near the bottom right of the double page spread, so if someone is flicking through the pages they will see the band name and want to read on. It is in a font that looks hand drawn which looks unique and stands out. Main body of text – The main body of text is white and in a small font over a black background. This double page spread only challenges codes and conventions slightly by using a picture of the band as the dominant image where the audience is above the band, because normally the band would be eye-level or looking down at the audience (as if they were on a stage) It also challenges codes and conventions by the location of the kicker as it is usually the first paragraph of the article. Kicker – The kicker is the first paragraph the reader will read. It is in an usual place as it is usually the first paragraph of the main article. Strapline – The strapline is used to get the attention of the reader. Caption – Uses humour to appeal to the audience.
- 4. Dominant image – The dominant image is a medium shot showing the Arctic Monkeys band. They are looking down on the reader and they go over the masthead which shows superiority. The facial expression of each member is very serious and confident. This is effective because the target audience are younger people (teenagers / young adults) who look up to the band. It makes the Arctic Monkeys seem powerful which is complimented by ”Now we can do anything!” in the sell line. Main sell line – The main sell line is Arctic Monkeys which is the band in the dominant image. The phrase ”Now we can do anything!” shows superiority and power. This is effective because the target audience are younger people (teenagers / young adults) who may look up to this band. Sub images / skyline – The skyline shows smaller artists that are similar to the Artic Monkeys. They use sub images which are close-up shots of the artists. This is effective because it will promote and give more attention to these smaller artists because the audience will read on through the magazine. Masthead / tagline – The masthead along with the tagline are only partially visible because Mojo is a very popular music magazine which already has a large audience. The dominant image of the Arctic Monkeys goes over the masthead and tagline to show dominance and superiority. Digital Sell lines – These sell lines are other artists who the target audience may be interested in. They are put in the front cover to promote the artists. The fact that these artists are on the side and smaller than Arctic Monkeys shows that they are less relevant artists and are less of a selling point than Arctic Monkeys. This front cover doesn’t have a barcode because it’s a digital magazine therefore it doesn’t need to be scanned by anything in order to be purchased.
- 5. Digital The genre of this magazine is rock music. The target audience of this magazine are people who enjoy rock music which is shown by the popular rock band Arctic Monkeys on the front cover as the main sell line and dominant image. The audience are most likely teenagers or young adults (14-21) and are social grades E, D or C2 because C1 and above are professional. The purpose of this magazine is to inform and entertain the target audience. It includes upcoming events and new artists/songs to listen to. People could hear about events from this magazine and make plans to go to them with friends and potentially meet new people. It entertains the audience by providing articles about certain artists that they are interested in including interviews. The distribution of digital magazines is online. You have to visit the publisher’s website to purchase and download the magazine. The good thing about this is that it saves time because you don’t need to go to a supermarket to buy a magazine like with print magazines, but the downside of this is it takes up storage on your device and it requires an internet connection or may be difficult to use with a slow connection. It also means you can’t purchase the magazine with cash and requires a bank account or some form of online banking.
- 6. DigitalPlug – The word ‘incoming’ shows that something is coming up involving Liam Gallagher who is in the dominant image. They did this because if someone recognizes Liam Gallagher the first thing they will read is “incoming” which will intrigue the reader and they will want to read on. Dominant image – The dominant image is a mid shot to wide shot of Liam Gallagher who is a recognisable artist. In this shot the audience is looking up at him which is conventional for music magazines because it is as if they are on stage. He is singing into a microphone with a famous stance which suggests the picture was taken during a concert which could also intrigue fans of him because they want to see him at a show. The props used in the image are maracas which are being played by Liam. Article title – The title of this article uses the same colour scheme as the plug, red and black. The red highlights the name of the key artist on the double page spread which could catch the eye of the reader whereas if the entire heading was black or red it wouldn’t catch the eye as easily. The article includes a drop cap within the kicker (first paragraph) to help the reader with navigation and allies within the columns of text. Pull quote – The pull quote continues the red/black theme that is repeated throughout the double page spread, and it says ”but I couldn’t handle him full- time.” which sounds harsh and dramatic which could cause people to start talking about it and sharing the magazine with other people. Caption – Shows information about an upcoming concert (date and location) and uses personal pronouns such as “you” which uses direct mode of address to appeal to the reader. This double page spread doesn’t challenge codes and conventions of rock music magazines very much, although the pull quote could be taken in a dramatic or bad way which is unusual for music magazines because usually they would only promote the artist and not say anything controversial. Language and register – “First look” gives an exclusive feel to the reader as if nobody has heard it before. The double page spread doesn’t use any sub images which shows that Liam is the main focus and enough to appeal to the audience to read the full article.
- 7. Pros and cons of print vs digital magazines Print Print magazines are good because they are accessible at any time due to their portability. Unlike digital magazines, you are not required to have battery life or an internet connection. Articles have described print magazines as private ”me time” without being invaded by targeted digital ads being served up in real-time based on your browsing history or digital footprint. When buying a magazine, you aren’t required to use a bank account as you can use cash whereas you can’t use cash to buy digital magazines. However, they are bad because unlike digital, they can be lost or damaged easily. They can also be a lot more expensive than digital magazines, and you have to buy them from a store rather than accessing them through a device. Digital Digital magazines are good because they can fit on screens as small as mobile phones, meaning they don’t take up any room and can be resized which can be useful. They can be accessed through apps are websites which is a lot easier than going to a store to buy them like print magazines. They can’t be damaged or lost unlike print magazines, as they are always stored online and as long as you have an account on the app / website you bought the magazine on, you won’t lose it. Analytics can be used on digital magazines such as how long people spend on a certain page which can help improve future issues of the magazine. However, they are bad because they require internet connection to download them or access the website they are saved on. This means unless you have mobile data you can’t read the magazines remotely. Also, workers for print magazines are put out of employment when they switch to digital magazines Conclusion In conclusion, I believe that digital magazines are more beneficial because, as long as you have an internet connection, you can access the magazine anywhere and analytics can be used to improve the magazine by the publishers. Digital magazines are also a lot easier to purchase than print magazines because you don’t have to physically buy one from a store, you just buy it online through a phone or computer.
- 8. Technical considerations of print and digital magazines Print Technical considerations of print magazines include the size of paper whether it should be A4 or A5 and how text should be formatted and what colours or fonts should be used in it. All Photoshop files should be saved in RGB mode which allows a variety of colours to be used and allows one image to be used for several media including print and web. Using an RGB image in Adobe InDesign you first need to specify the appropriate colour settings. Bleedlines should be used to ensure you don’t cover the whole canvas because some words or image could be missing when printed. Use an even gutter line for columns making it easier for the reader to navigate through the magazine. The contents page should highlight key pages and have correct page numbers, Articles should use a running head so the reader can see what article they want to read. All pages should be numbered throughout the magazine and be correct. Content needs to be laid out evenly and headings should be kept on the same page as the text that follows them. Unlike digital, readers will not be scrolling down a page but flipping pages. Readers should be able to buy a copy of the magazine at supermarkets, festivals and music shops. Digital Technical considers of digital magazines include some apps don’t fully support all digital magazines, therefore the look of the magazine will not be as intended by the editor when moving from portrait to landscape as the reader will have to scroll to continue reading the page or article. Some devices do not support digital magazines and therefore some buttons the reader would usually use of their device will not like with the magazine which will be uneasy for the reader. Some colours and fonts won’t translate into digital and won’t look exactly the same which could impact on the message or meaning which is embedded into a text by the reader. For digital distribution there is Amazon which exclusively uses Mobe, and Barnes and Noble use epub. Options for distribution are more limited for digital magazines. The desire to be creative is lost due to the limited digital distributors. You would be forced to use their templates and formats. How the reader will navigate through the magazine, skip pages, how audio files or videos will be displayed. Losing secondary source files and the video/audio being withdrawn from the internet would impact on your readers experience and relevance to the article/review. The reader may have to zoom in and out to read smaller text when on a small device like a smartphone.
Editor's Notes
- #4: Strapline the new sound Article title – hand drawn looks unique and stands out – fans might recognize Wide shot, high angle - Drop cap to start main body of text The kicker challenges codes and conventions ‘with the forth..’ Caption – uses humour to appeal to the audience
- #6: Genre – rock magazine
- #7: Caption – personal pronouns “you” using direct mode of address to appeal to the audience Strapline – under the title helps the audience gage whether they want to read the article or not Drop cap within the kicker – helps the audience navigate the article Image – indirect mode of address, mid shot to wide shot, see his outfit, famous stance at the mic, and props – No use of sub images – liam is the main focus and sell and enough to appeal to the audience to read the full article Language and register – attempts to give the audience an exclusive feel ‘ first look’ etc….