Drafting Process for Effigy

I experimented with different colour schemes. Once I had decided on the font colour for my front cover I decided to continue you colour theme through, this meant changing the background colour to compliment the salmon pink font. I also added credits to the right hand side of the page continue the eye across the whole page, making the product feel more complete.

I used a temporary image on my front cover to decide on my font and colour scheme. Once I had taken my own photo I adjusted the template to suit the masculinity of the image, I did this my changing font sizes and layout; the uniform writing adds to the square masculine feel. I also changed the cover lines to make them relate to the main image.

Original Images for Effigy

Font Ideas for Effigy

 I believe the sans serif fonts will give and edgy look to my magazine. Also by using sans serif the magazine will remain uni sex whereas serif could be seen to portray my magazine as a magazine for females.

Double Page Spread Ideas

I like the image focus of these double page spreads which is exentuated by the minimal amount of text. This gives the page a quality, high-end feel as the space feels luxurious. Also the amount of space connotes freedom as the reader gets to interpret the image in thir own, individul way; this is not as possible with words.

Contents page ideas

I like the image focus of these contents pages. The division made by the photos on the last image help to guide the eye through the information. It would also reinforce my photography focus as the layered, poloroid effect connotes photography. The black and white effect of the second and fourth image create a very sylish finish. The focused studio lighting of the third image makes the magazine look high-end. Although my magazine does not have a specific AB demographic audience, a professional finish is always important to give a magazine credibility.

ideas

My magazine will be simular to the magazine "The Face" as it will be a music magazine influenced by fashion and fashion icons within the music industry. The focus on fashion and life style means my magazine will be under the catergory of "The Glossy". My target audience will be uni-sex as the cover model will vary gender as it does in "The Face". The images used will be stylised to attract a teenage to early thirties target audience who are interested in photography and fashion as well as music. I will not have "how to get the look" features as I believe my target audience would not like to be seen as copying but they can still get inspiration from the images that they can persnalise. They're may also be references to certain products or designers for the aspirational audience.  The ideas and images on my magazine cover will be daring and strong as with "The Face".

My magazine will include interviews with influential artists within the music industry. It will cover a range of music genres but it's main focus will be on  indie and the different sub genres. My magazine will not include as popular artists as "The Face" as my magazine is more aimed at individualists. It will be a magazine that is visually attractive and "image heavy" as I believe this is what my target audience are interested in. The "image heavy" content of my magazine means that it will be easy to attract advertisers as they rely on people being visually stimulated throughout the magazine. Also the style of the magazine should make it easy to sell to advertisers as they will buy into the consumer marget my magazine promotes.

"The Face"- Success and Failure

"The Face" was discontinued in 2004 after Wagadon had sold it to EMAP. This meant that the magazine lost it's original stylised focus and became one of many with lots of competitors. This change in production and approach to the magazine became evident in the magazine front covers. I would like to recreate a magazine with a similar style to the original 80's and 90's additions as I believe the zeitgeist of the times has created a gap in the market for the same quality focus the magazine once had. Trends, fashions and music taste from the 80's are current again so I believe there is a demand for a magazine to capture this. If my magazine front cover is in the style of the original 80's "The Face" it will be interpreted differently by a modern audience to how it was in the 80's as at the time it was contemporary but now it is retro. However I believe buying and reading my magazine will give people the same stature as it did in the 80's as it is very much for aspires who wish to recreate the lifestyle and image of artists and celebrities within the magazine. I believe that this is how "The Face" gained such a following in it's height and became a "fashion bible" as well as a music magazine. By combining the two lifestyle choices of music and fashion the magazine created a cult for aspires and attracted two audiences. Shortly after EMAP took over the magazine it became less stylised and lost the target audience of arty, fashionable people and became more about the music. The competition from mainstream and specific music magazines lead to the magazines failing.

The image to the left is of a more recent issue of "The Face". I feel as though this image lacks originality and identity, therefore I will my magazine front cover gives my magazine a clear identity and attracts a specific target audience through it's identity. I will create this by using artistic images and a varied layout. The cover to the right is of an 80's addition of "The Face". This cover is striking and artistic and would immediately appeal to it's target audience. This stylised image is what I wish to echo.

Textual Analysis of existing magazine

The red, white and blue colour scheme of the masthead connotes a patriotic idea which was very much on trend at the time of the magazine issue date (1981). However the patriotism is contradicted by the mexican poster in the background. This alludes to the image being impromptu and breaks the generic conventions of magazine front covers. The patriotic masthead being juxtaposed to the mexican poster is a post-modern idea as it shows the magazine is aware of the normal convenctions but is daring enough to break them. The red of the poster in the background further connotes that the magazine is daring and passionate.

The male model has a subjective gaze connoting he is too cool to pose as he knows his own status; he is not trying persuade anyone to like or engage with him as he knows they will try to anyway. Another reading of the pose is that the magazine hasn't planned the shot and the model is unaware of the camera, this would relate to the post-modern idea of breaking the convention of every image being pre-meditated to have an effect on the audience. However this spontaneous look does have an effect on the reader as it suggests to them that the magazine is un-convenctional and un-conforming; it is rebelious. The medium long shot of the male is not the only main image on the cover as the poster in the background is of the same size as the model. This proportional layout also breaks generic magazine conventions as there is usually only one main image that takes up a large proportion of the front cover. This could connote that the magazine has more than one focus, music and fashion;the magazine looks at the bigger picture of a whole lifestyle rather than just one aspect. The unconvenctional visual concept also shows how daring the magazine is.
The natural, low key lighting could connote that the model is of lower class as there is no sharp focus spotlight to connote importance. Also the naturalistic lighting suggests the model is down to earth and relatable to the target audience of teenagers and young adults. The colour image uses many shades so that the image replicates real life, this gives the audience a realistic iamge to aspire to achieve. The clothing of the model shares simularities with the model in the poster behind. This could connote that the magazine is promoting immitation of media products and wants its readers to idolise and immmitate models and ideas within the magazine.The cigarette prop connotes that the model and the magazine are rebelious and don't always stick to rules. It also gives the aspirational audience something to aspire to do; a particular lifestyle choice they could make which has been influenced by the magazine. The hand held radio emphasises the music focus the magazine holds and could influence the audience into becoming more music orientated by acting like the model. The bold, sans serif font used for the cover lines and the mast head connotes the magazine is not affraid to make bold statements. It also echoes the simple workig class image of the model suggesting achieving this look is possible. The are no rhetorical devices and very few cover lines. This may connote that images speak louder than words within this magazine and that the magazine sells itself without having to entice the audience with words. However is could also connote that the magazine chooses style over content and may lack quality articles.
"The Face" connotes that the magazine and there is only one. Also it suggests that the magazine is important, essential.
Overall i believe the preferred reading of "The Face" February 1981 is that the mgazine is alternative, rebelious and cool. It is for an aspirational audience that are concerned with images that they can aspire to be like.

Images for my audience profile

Demographics / Psychographics

Demographics:
Band: ABC1
Age: 15-35
Uni-sex Readership: 40% male, 60% female
Single 65%, Living with partner 25%, married 10%
Students/graduates with part time jobs

Psychograpics:
Individuals/aspirers

My readers appriciate individual fashion often based on vintage designs but with their own modern twist. Although their consumerism habbits arn't predictable a high percentage of my readers make very extravagent purchases that are key to their look along with lower priced or second hand items. They often use soap and glory cosmetics along with traditional brands such as vaseline. They read broadsheet newspapers such as the guardian along with high class fashion magazines such as vogue. These upper class, extravagent media products do not mean that all my readers are more mature or wealthy but it does mean that they are aspirational, even though some may not like to admitt it. They shop in some high street shops such as H&M and Topshop. They spend money in cafe's such as starbucks and costa or little tea rooms. They like music from the past aswell as some new artists which have a unique sound, these may be big in the charts or un discovered artists. My readers like to go out on weekends with their friends, either to gigs, parties or launch nights for venues. They like to be where the action is happening often have lots of friends from different social groups due to their social habbits. My readers would buy the magazine for themselves as they are independent. They male readers arn't affraid to stand out of the crowd and may do so by their clothing such as wearing bowler hats. The males can appriciate female fashion and see women as  a whole rather than for their looks; they are not the "nuts readers".

Featured Artists

All artists that I feature in my magazine will be styled individually to suit the genre of magazine. Some artists won't have to adapt their identity or their photoshoot as their style will already be fitting whereas more mainstream artists will be styalised in such a way to make them more inkeeping with my magazine.

Here is a list of the possible artists that could be featured in my magazine:

La roux, Florence and the Machine, Pete Doherty, Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, Mouldy Peaches, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Biffy Clyro, The Cranberries, Damien Rice, Editors, The Fraellis, Goldfrapp, Iglu and Hartly, Jamie T, Joshua Radin, Kings of Leon, Mystery Jets, Owl City, Yeah Yeah Yeah's.

This list is quite diverse as I believe this suits my target audience of individuals. They often like a variety of music which is often not in the hard rock or pop genre. If the niche magazine became very established more mainstream acts such a Rhianna or Beyonce may feature in my magazine as this could raise the credibility of my magazine and give them more of an identity.