Sketches

Here are the sketches which were initially created before I had constructed my magazine. I have briefly described what I would like each page to achieve as well as the reasons why I have included to place things.

Drafting #5

This is the most recent update of my magazine. I made many changes since my last drafting from December, including coming up with a name idea and introducing social networking to my contents page.

Cover
The name I have chosen to use for my magazine is Alternate. I'm still not 100% on the name, however I like how it represents the genre of my magazine quite simply and it's not too long or too short therefore it spreads along the page nicely. My magazine is based on the indie genre, however it can also alternate with some rock and punk, too - this is an ambiguous title for me as it is the 'indie/alternative' genre but it also alternates too.
I also added more coverlines to fill up empty spaces and make the cover look more complete. The coverlines I used, such as 'handwritten lyrics' is actually a page I featured inside the magazine therefore it made sense to add it to my front page so I could take advantage of it. I also added a circle shape for one of my other coverlines (which is also referenced in the contents page). I felt that it was necessary to add a circle shape as it stands out amongst the rest of the cover as everything else is in line and very square-shaped. This also filled up more gaps and has helped my cover look more complete and realistic.
The banner at the bottom now features text claiming that the magazine is "THE UK'S BIGGEST MUSIC MAGAZINE". I felt it was essential to feature this text as it attracts the audience in and is also very striking - the mix of black and white text on the red background leaps out against the page and attracts the audience.
Lastly, I've added a barcode as it is one of the main conventions of a music magazine therefore it was mandatory to make my magazine look realistic.

Contents page
I have changed the font of the 'contents' title as well as adding an issue number and the date of the magazine above it. This fills up the big space that was inside the box before and also includes all the conventions of a typical contents page. On the other page next to it, I included social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to increase audience interactivity and personal relationships as well as filling up the empty space. There is still quite an empty space beneath this, however I plan to possibly add a subscription box, more social networking websites or possibly a picture of the cover inside an iPad which represents an app that is available for smartphone users (generally the majority of my audience).
I have also added a mini review of a concert that I attended at Brixton Academy on January 9th 2014 - The 1975. Using self taken gig images looks more effective than professional images and also removes any copyright as I took the photos myself. The mini review also gives the audience a taster of what is inside the articles.

Article
For the article, I have added titles on the header and footers of the pages '('exclusive' and 'Aurora Storm [artist name]). This is a typical convention of music magazines and it also makes the page look more complete and less tedious, as well as indicating what the pages are about when flicking through the magazine. In addition, I added page numbers on the footers to allow the audience to see what page they're on s well as the magazine's website which intrigues the audience to log onto it. These page numbers correlate to the numbers featured on the contents page.
My pull quotes have also been improved - I have changed the font to the same font that is used for the title of the magazine and headers/footers and titles which symbolises how I am following the house style of the magazine. I also made the lines above and beneath the pull quote red, as well as some attention-grabbing words to red as well which makes the pull quote stand out even more. This is very effective for my article as it needs to grab as much attention as possible, which I think it does successfully.
The box out text was very bland in my last draft, therefore I was keen to make a change to it. I changed the font and colours of the text which immediately made a big difference.
Underneath the box out text was quite a large, empty space - I have replaced this with text and an imagep promoting my artist, Aurora Storm, being featured on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge which is quite well known to my genre of music.

To summarise, I have simply changed few things such as fonts and added extra details to make my magazine look more professional and realistic.

Image manipulation: before and after

Before

After

For my main article, I have used two box out features: to feature one of the box outs is text stating that Aurora will be on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. The Live Lounge is where an artists covers two songs - one of their own and a song that they would never sing usually. The Live Lounge is quite iconic within the indie and pop genre as it usually ties the two genres together.
I played on the Live Lounge to make the magazine seem more realistic and appropriate to the genre and audience that it is targeted at. I simply grabbed an image of the Live Lounge online and went on Photoshop to remove 'Vol 5' and replace text over it with Aurora's name. This makes the artist look superior as it has her name on it and also symbolises the advertising for her to appear on the show which makes it seem like an important event. The colours in the image also match my colour scheme therefore I felt that it was significant for my article as it gives it originality.

The 1975 Gig - Brixton Academy Photos

The 1975 are an English, Manchester-based alternative rock/indie rock band from Wilmslow in Cheshire. The group consists of Matthew Healy (vocals, guitar), Adam Hann (guitar), George Daniel (drums), and Ross MacDonald (bass). Their self-titled debut album was released on 2 September 2013 through Dirty Hit/Polydor; it debuted at No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart on 8 September 2013.

Having a keen interest for this band, I chose to go and see them live at Brixton 02 Academy on the 9th January 2014. I decided to take photos to use for my magazine as self-taken gig photos can tend to sometimes be more effective than professional ones as it appeals more to my target audience. It also reduces the amount of copyright material I have in my magazine and makes my magazine more original and authentic.

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