Fonts

I have chosen the fonts for my magazine from the website: http://www.dafont.com/. This website has hundreds of different fonts in different themes that are available to download and use. The first three fonts are examples of what would really work in context to my magazine design. Using hearts in the font would further stress the title of the magazine 'I ♥ pop'. I have left a space between the 'I' and 'Pop' as I plan to photo shop in a heart like in the final example. The last example would not work on my magazine as it is not in keeping with my genre and would give a formal, classic theme to my magazine. The existing magazines below have sparkling star shapes on the corners of some letters, this makes the font appear sparkly and will attract attention, a similar thing could be done with my font however instead of using stars I could use little hearts around some of the letters, for example: the last font above, to re-enforce the name of the magazine.

I have uploaded two examples of master head fonts from two already existing and widely popular pop magazines.

Both 'Smash hits!' and 'Top of the pops' have a curvy, easy to read font rather than something that would be considered formal, for example Times new roman. This is something I would like to include in deciding my chosen font, by making my font clear yet fun and appealing to the age range will create a first impression with the buyer and encourage them to buy it.

'Top of the pops' magazine have the models on the cover of the magazine slightly covering the master head, because this is subtly done and the rest of the master head remains clear the reader will still be able to read the name of the magazine yet this also draws more attention to the main pull of your magazine.

Both magazines also use colour to reinforce their fonts, and either black or white as a border to the font to make it stand out from the page. The combinations of font colours are also tied into the rest of the front page, for example: background colour, text box colour, any images, picture or logos are all in keeping with the colour theme to add continuity to the front page.

Either above or below the master head, both 'Smash Hits!' and 'Top of the pops' have a tag line. This is something I will include on the front page of my magazine also as it is catchy and will encourage the buyer to buy the magazine 'squeezing stars juicy bits' as it will make the buyer want to read the gossip, and will also remain in the buyers head.

Flat Plans - Double Page Spread.

My double page spread will be based around a interview with a girl band called 'Girlz'. I have linked my chosen double page spread article to my target audience that states 87% of readers are girls. The interview will include questions about a talent show that the group recently won, becoming a new pop star and releasing a single. I will use the same logo on my double page spread for the girl group as I have on my front cover. I will include a brief introduction before the article and then lead onto the interview. I will use a column style for my writing and have relative pictures of the girl group around the page. I will lay out my interview with a question from the interviewer followed by the response/ responses from the interviewees. I will use different colours for the different names of the group members to make the magazine easy to read for the target audience and to make it easily apparent when someone different is talking. I will use bright colours in the text and increase the brightness and contrast in my pictures to follow the pop genre. Any group photos will be edited to have a white background that blends in with the page. I will space random facts/ information and quotes from the interview in explosion or love heart bubbles around the page, this will mean that the reader will open the double page spread and immediately have a idea about the article and will want to read more.

Flat Plans - Contents Page.

On my contents page I have included 'contents' in the love heart of my magazine main header for an aesthetically pleasing look. One of the main purposes of a contents page is so that the buyer can open the magazine and instantly see what this issue is about and includes. I have used a contents strip which lists all the featuring articles which will also be accompanied by there page numbers. My main sell is also surrounded by love hearts with individual images of the band mates. Again to add to the continuity I have added a slogan underneath my main header. I have then added a double strap line to the bottom of my magazine where I will include what is to come in next weeks issue and then in the other there will be other exciting article that will be included. I will include a ‘kissing’ celebrity image, as celebrity relationship gossip is always popular in magazines.

Flat Plans - Front Cover

I have chosen to call my magazine ‘I Love Pop’ but I have decided to develop the title to have a heart where the ‘love’ is to replicate the Iconic ‘I Heart NY’ slogans that are widely available on a huge range of merchandise and has been adapted to many different things, not just NY. The symbol of the heart will then be the centre of my magazine and I will theme everything form the text and text boxes, to the magazine’s slogan to stay fitting with the title.

The overall theme of my magazine is a winter/ Christmas addition. I have included snow, snowflakes and the pop group that is advertised as my main sell will be dressed in winter clothes. My articles also contrast with the winter theme ’50 Christmas list essentials’ ‘Winter What’s Hot!’ ‘Cheeky Christmas Kisses!’ ‘Secret Santa Prizes’ but using a Christmas theme I am adding continuity throughout the magazine making it more personal and a base to work my other elements of my magazine around e.g. the contents page and elements of my double page spread.

The magazine also includes a barcode, price, date and issue number. I have included a slogan under the main header ‘At the heart of pop!’. As I am following the theme of Christmas I will be keeping to a colour scheme of white, red and green real winter Christmassy colours that are instantly recognisable.

As I have chosen a double page spread to be of a girl band called ‘Girlz’ I thought It would be a good decision to make them the main image and sell of my magazine. I have put them on a park bench so I have the opportunity to super impose some snow and possibly Christmas lights in the trees – other things we create links with to the Christmas festive period. Their clothes will be wrapped up warm to mirror the winter weather.

Analysis of existing magazines.

Top of the Pops magazine is a classic, iconic and prevalent choice to when considering evaluating a pop magazine. Its genre is suggested in the main header and people are customary to the name of the magazine due to the music program in which it has been created around. This particular magazine cover has followed a theme of purple; From the research I have previously done it has showed that the main buyer of this magazine is young girls. However if I was hoping to widen my target audience I would stay away from colours that are commonly associated with a certain gender. The yellow has also highlighted and drawn attention to the other articles, and is also complimentary to the purple. The text of the main header has been given a sparkly font, this theme has also been tied into other areas on the front page; such as sparkles dotted around the page and a sub-header ‘You’re a STAR!’ by putting ‘star’ in capital lettering we consciously are a wear of the theme. The use of ‘You’re’ is direct address to the reader and makes the issue feel personal. They have included: the TOTP logo in the top right corner, barcode, issue number and price, the BBC logo, website address and a tag line ‘more gossip...’ They have also combined music articles and news with other articles highlighting celebrity music ‘secrets’ or any ‘hot’ gossip. They have cropped the image in able to see the background behind and around it. They have also assigned the image to the right and have placed sub-headers to the left. There is also information over the image at the bottom of the page, making the front cover look busy and crowed. This invokes the thought of a jam packed magazine; this is also implied by the large number 56.

Another example of a popular media, music magazine would be ‘Smash Hits!’ This magazine has a lot of similarities to ‘Top of the Pops’ but also many differences so comparing the two will only give me a better wealth of knowledge when thinking about creating my own. Unalike ‘Top of the pops’ the colour scheme is a lot less gender specific, if anything has more of a male dominated theme with the heavy blocked fonts and a black and grey colour contrast of the t-shirts and the white back ground. Also the main image is of a popular boy band who is again is arguably less gender specific and less age specific than High School Musical. I think the main image works well with a dominant figure in the foreground and the rest of the band in the back ground; this draws our attention the front of the magazine but also has the appeal to pick up the magazine to take a closer look at the photo. Yellow and white sub-headings and the text of the main sells have again been used to mirror ‘Smash Hits!’ logos. The magazine also includes numbers e.g. ‘10’ and a busy front page to imply the impression of a jam packed magazine and again the basics of a logo, barcode, issue number and price, website address and a tag line ‘squeezing...’ and also has a tag line along the bottom to show other sells that the magazine has.

I have also have analised a contents page. As part of my task I will have to create my own so looking at a magazine where the pop industry has influence its layouts, launuage, images, fonts, colours, articles and much more will further increase my knowedge of what i should think about/ enclude in my own.

To break up the contents page list of articles they have used busy, bright colours to enhance the energy and enthusiasm that the pop genre portrays. Images that are associated with the articles have also been given relative numbering with the corresponding colours that link with the contents numbering system so the reader can easily navigate though the magazine; contributing to ‘easy reading’.

The contents page also includes the name of the magazine ‘Mizz’ with contact details and credits listed below. This has all been positioned on the right hand side in a red text box to separate the magazines articles and information from the important information about the magazine which is included in every issue. In the top right corer the words ‘Welcome’ are presented in a decretive, bright font along with a message about what to be expecting from this issues. The bottom left corner along with iconic logos such as the recycling symbol and other relative ones, there is a advertising sell about Dyslexia, to add a sense of seriousness and understanding to the magazine or something that may have a dramatic effect to many readers.

As my magazine will include a double page spread, again by reviewing one from existing pop magazine will give an idea about how to construct and arrange articles, what fonts are used and how colours are integrated. From the large image we as the reader can instantly tell what the double page spread is about and what to expect from the article. The main image is kept left with the introduction directly underneath and the interview to the right with relative pictures surrounding it. By tying in greens and pinks with neutral colours the interview look unfussy yet bright and enthusiastic. The colours chosen tell that this magazine is aimed at girls. Also the way they have highlighted the interview question creates easy reading.