LO1: Proposal

Proposal:

The name of my magazine is Unplugged, this links to the type of magazine (indie rock music) but also to the gossip/information about the bands in the magazine. The purpose of my magazine is to entertain; this is because I am making a music magazine, which tells readers about new bands from the indie rock genre. The mode of address of my magazine will be peer to peer, this is because I want to connect with the audience and my magazine has a ‘gossip’ format which does appeal to a more female audience. My magazine will promote local Sheffield indie music, this is to reach out to the local audience and their interests

Front page:

My magazine will consist of a front page, a contents page and two double page spreads. For my front cover I want to feature a solo female artist, I want to feature a female artist on the front to attract a more female audience, this is because most of the indie rock magazines on the market are based around males. I want my artist to be dressed in brightly coloured clothes, denim jacket, ripped tights, this is to connote the rock lifestyle and relate to the audience. These clothes would relate to the audience because it most of the audience would wear clothes like these, also this relates to Denis McQuail’s theory (1972) as this states the audience form a personal identity based on what the artist is wearing. For my female artist I am going to create a star persona to fit in with the indie-rock theme, she will look like artists such as Marina and The Diamonds, Lana Del Rey or St. Vincent. I am going to take my photograph against a plain white background (taken in a studio) in deep depth of field, this is so the artist stands out and is the main focus, I also want this photograph to be shot at a medium close up, this is because I want her to be clearly visible to the audience and I want her to take up the majority of the page. When editing my main cover image, I want to include a vibrant filter (such as sepia or deep yellow filter) to bring out the colours in her makeup and clothes. I want to use a female artist to reach out to a primarily female audience aged 16-21 because not that many indie rock magazines target this type of audience, this will make the artist an ideal self/partner to the audience. anchored to this photograph of my female artist I will have her name “Electra Rose” along with “Exclusive” this makes the reader want to buy my magazine as they feel like they are getting exclusive/secret insight on this artist. I want the font on my front cover to be san serif and bold, I also want to keep the colour on the masthead black, this is because a lot of the indie rock magazines I have looked at they use black for this, as well I think if I have black in the font it will draw more attention to the main cover image. My masthead will say the name of my magazine (Unplugged) I want the masthead to look unique, I will do this by adding different sized letters, ragged edges and texture on the text this is because I want it to stand out from other indie rock magazines but still keep in that genre. On my front cover to have additional cover line which will day “up and coming female artists”, I will create these artists based on the audience (16-21 females) and type of music they are interested in (indie rock), I want to include this section as most indie magazines do not feature female artists. I will have artist’s names such as “Siena” “Phoenix” “Cruz Lexie”, in this section I will have their name and a pull quote for each, this will be displayed in a black box with white text, this makes it stand out against the rest of the front cover. On the front cover I also want to include graphics to show giveaways/competition, this is to attract the audience and make them want to read my magazine, the giveaways will include a free early access to the next issue. The house style for my magazine is going to be pastel pink, blue, yellow, and use white for text this is because I want to be targeting a slightly younger audience (16-21). I want to target both male and female audience (although mainly females) I will do this by using colours such as blue and pink which shows the audience that this magazine is aimed at both male and female, this is because blue is stereotypically for boys and pink is stereotypically for girls.  Although I want my magazine to target a more female audience, I do still want to target males as well, this is to widen my audience.

Contents:

In my magazine I want to include articles about the band and artists featured, asking questions and interviews, I also want to include information about the band (e.g. Where they come from, what music they play, where their gigs are). The band I am using in this feature is The Mayfair’s. I want to include these things to promote the band/artist and inform the reader of their music. The Housestyle throughout the magazine will be kept the same throughout the contents page. The pastel colours reach out to more of a younger female target audience but also creates a brand throughout my magazine. I want to include a big image of the band I will be including on one of my DPS, this photograph will be taken outside in natural lighting, the band will be stood against a graffiti wall, they will be shot at a medium close up and all be looking into the camera, this will create emotion with the audience which will make the audience want to read more. This background will connote the happy and exciting lifestyle the band have, this is leads the audience to see the band as ideal self/partner. Alongside the headline of each article I want to include a small description of it with smaller images (all at medium close ups) of the other artist, this will again draw the reader in as they see a variety of artists featured. Also by the small description of the articles I want to include page numbers, this is because this provides easy navigation around the magazine for the audience. In my magazine I will have a competition to win merchandise or posters; all the reader has to do is buy the magazine to receive a special code which is then entered online, I want to use this because makes the reader feel they are getting it for free by buying the magazine, this makes the audience buy the magazine. I also might include other small giveaways to attract an audience to purchase the magazine, for these giveaway I would have a small prize because it reaches out to the target audience without costing too much.

DPS 1:

My first dps with be on the female artist, this is to open the market for indie rock for girls as it attracts more of a female artist. My female artist is going to be called “Electra Rose”, I choose this name as “Electra” has connotations of brilliant and bright, also it has connotations of lights and stars which could tell the audience how big of a star she will me, therefor showing her as an ideal self/partner.  There will be a big image of her on the left page, she will be stood with a plain background, posed facing the camera with an image just for her face, this is used so she is recognisable to the audience, this connotes emotion to the audience and helps them connect with her. She will be dressed in the same clothes as on the front cover, this is so she is recognisable to the audience. I also want to include a long shot of her stood up leaning on the wall which will be placed by the body copy, this again helps the audience connect with her while they are reading the article. I want the model/artist with quite heavy and interesting makeup, this is because it might make her look more interesting to the reader and therefor they would read the magazine. I will use a pull quote just under her name which is over the top of the photo, this is to make it stand out against the picture and attract the reader. My pull quote for this article will be “Electra is Electric!”. The headline will be across both pages and will say "Electra Rose", this is because she is a new artist so I want people to know her name. I want to keep with the Housestyle by using colours of white, pink and purple to connote love, this also appeals to a more prominent female audience. This will feature information about the artist and an interview with her. I will ask her questions based on her career such as “what is the best part about your job” “when did you start performing” “who’s your biggest influence”, I will make these questions based on my artists persona as I am creating her myself. These types of questions are peer-to-peer mode of address, this fits in with the stereotype about female conversations and makes the conversation more relatable to the audience. I will include subheadings based on what the article is taking about that time, this is to make it easier for the reader to pick out certain bits of the article when glancing at the page, this important as if they see something they are interested in then they are more likely to purchase and read the magazine.  At the top of the page I want to include a slug with “up and coming” to show the audience that she is a new artist.

DPS 2:

For my second dps I want include a band of males (The Mayfair’s), This band fits into the indie rock genre of my magazine so they appeal to the correct audience. The headline for this dps will be 'The Mayfair's' again this is so the band can be recognised and remembered. This band is all males, I want to include this to again show ideal self/partner to the audience, this is because by included both males and females in my magazine it means that it can widen the audience to males and females. The band will be stood on a graffiti wall, all laughing and having fun together to connote to the audience and exciting music/life they live. The boys in the band will be wearing clothes which represent them as a band so they would wear ripped jeans, shirts and denim jackets. The slug will be of the band’s name (The Mayfair’s), this is because they are an up and coming local band so not many people will know about them. I want to include a pull quote under the headline about the bands lifestyle in attract the reader to the article, this will say “No matter how big we get, we will never forget where we came from”, this connects with the audience as this is a local magazine and therefor they come from the same places. I want the colour scheme for this page to be quite neutral, this is because I don't want to take away from the artists and colourful background they will be stood on but also still stick with the Housestyle colours for the text. The photograph will be taken at a deep depth of field, wide shot to show all the band and the graffiti, this is to add an energetic feel to the magazine. I want to feature in this information about the band such as, what music they play? Where they do gigs? Who are their influences? this is because the band aren’t that well known so the audience would want to hear little details about them.

Target audience:

My target audience for this special addition of the magazine would be girls who are interested in indie rock music. I want to make this addition targeted at girls because there is a gap in the market for this audience as most of the indie rock magazines are targeted at primarily boys. The target age for my magazine to be 15-25, this is targeted through the artist/bands I will be using as they are all around this age range. My audience will probably h ave low disposable income as my magazine is free I will target this audience based on my models and Housestyle I use.

Imaginary entity:

Kourt is a 17-year-old teenager who loves indie rock music. She has pink and blue hair and loves wearing vintage clothes. Kourt’s favourite shop is CowVintage, this is because she can get all her vintage clothes with amazing quality. Her favourite bands are Catfish and the Bottlemen, Two Door Cinema club and The 1975’s. Kourt gets her makeup from LimeCrime and shops at Lush as they are 100% cruelty free. She goes to lots of gigs in Sheffield because she loves the music and atmosphere. Kourt hangs with her friends in the part before going to gigs as she is edgy. She is 100% vegan (from birth).

 

Possible masthead ideas from:

http://www.dafont.com/

Resources and Personnel:

For my magazine I am the editor, photographer and graphic designer as I am creating the magazine myself. To create my magazine, I will need hardware such as an Apple Mac computer, I will use this to upload photographs and form my magazine, other hardware I will use will be a canon camera, and this is to take my photographs on. Software I will use to create my magazine will be Adobe Photoshop, I will use this to edit my photographs on, I will also use Adobe Illustrator to put my magazine together. I will need personnel such as models, I am using Fiona Murray as a model to star as the female artist, she will be used on the front page and the first dps. I will also be using the band ‘The Mayfair’s’ these will be featured on the contents page and the second dps.

Marketing and distribution:

Unplugged is an indie rock music magazine based on local bands from the Sheffield area, it includes upcoming artists/bands, gossip, gig news and information on the best artist/bands. Unplugged will be available online as well which will reach my target audience of 15-25 year olds, this is because my audience are digital natives and so regularly use the internet/technology to access information. Also Unplugged will be available online as my competitors such as Kerrang, Exposed and Q all use an online platform as well to reach a similar audience. I aim to have a large online viewing as most of my audience will access my magazine this way.

Unplugged will have a circulation on 1,500 copies throughout Sheffield, these will be available in train stations, music shops, cafes, travel amenities and local businesses; this is because my magazine is free and needs to be available to the public.i would like to place my magazine in places such as Tilly's Café, this is because it is a local business and therefor local people are more likely to read my magazine in here I will have a circulation of 1,000 because my target audience is niche as it is Sheffield based and primarily based on indie rock music. I estimated readership will be 3,000 I think this because it will be available in local public areas and so everyone magazine will be viewed at least 3 times. My magazine will be monthly, this is to keep the audience up to date on upcoming gigs and artists.

I want my magazine to be distributed in local businesses and shops, this is because my magazine is locally based and by placing it in these areas it means that local people will see it and could go to the local gigs I will be advertising. I want my magazine to be placed in train stations (Sheffield train station) as there will be a wide range of people passing through which widens my audience. Also I want to place it in local events areas such as The Leadmill, this because these areas are more likely to sponsor me to advertise them, this will increase my revenue stream. furthermore I want to distribute my magazine in local music shops such as 'Music Junkee' and 'Real time music' this is because we both have the same audience and as my magazine is a music magazine it can be read by music lovers.

In my magazine I hope to advertise local businesses and events areas, this is so they will allow me to place my magazine in these areas. These local businesses (such as Tilly’s café) appeal to the same audiences that I am targeting (ABC1 audience from the Sheffield area), this is because appearing in these social hub the audience must have disposable income to spend; although my magazine is free the events I will be advertising are paid events. I can also advertise local places such as 'The Leadmill' or 'O2 academy' in my articles are throughout my magazine this is because a lot of my audience will attend gigs and events in these locations.

These prices are based on magazines like mine, Exposed/Toast/Q, although I lowered my rates because my magazine is new and so it will not be as well known as the magazines I have looked at.

 I gain a revenue stream though advertisements. 

Printing specifications:

I will add a 3mm bleed onto my magazine to ensure all of the content is included onto the pages, this will be applied to both advertisements and articles.

Full page: 215mm x 285mm (trim) 218mm x 288mm (bleed) 190mm x 260mm (safe area)

DPS: 400mm x 285mm (trim) 403 mm x 288mm (bleed) 380mm x 260mm (safe area)                            6mm (for spine)

Half page vertical:   107mm x 285mm (trim) 110mm x 288mm (bleed) 90mm x 260mm (safe area)

Half page horizontal: 215mm x 142mm (trim) 218 mm x 145mm (bleed) 190mm x 140mm (safe area)

i have chosen these sizes for my magazine because they are similar to the magazines I am trying to pastiche; all the indie rock magazines I have looked at have this printing specification.