Magazine Double Page Spread Final

This is the final design for my music magazine double page spread. This piece had the most amount of changes from the original mock-up design. Firstly I ended up changing the layout of the smaller images and the body copy. This was partly because I noticed there would be too much writing if I had stayed with the original design. This would have possibly turned some people away from wanting to read the article and made it seem more boring, so I cut down the amount of text space and filled in empty space with another image because according to the music questionnaires I made, many of the people I questioned liked buying magazines for the images inside. I also made my main image take up most of the double page spread just like most double page spreads do. 

I included a header as a way of telling the readers which section of the magazine they are currently at and used the same colours, text font and arrow design to create a symbiotic link between this piece and my other two. For the headline, I made sire it would span a page and a bit so that it would be a clear indication that this is a double page spread. After analysing many other double page spreads, I found that the headline is usually in the form of a quote, sometimes by a member of the band. This would grab audiences attention because it will make them feel like their getting to take a peek in to the mind of the band member, so that is why I decided to let my headline follow a similar flow, and let it be a quote by a band member. I continued the use of purple as on the from cover to help strengthen the symbiotic link.

I included a stand first which is common in double page spreads at the start of the articles. I basically summarises what the article in one sentence without giving away the actual content. The stand first can also be the thing that convinces people to find out what the actual article is about, if they find the stand first interesting. For the main body copy, I wrote a short article about the rise of my band ended up separating the text into two columns. This would not only give me more room to write, but it also made the layout of the text look more professional. I topped if off by inserting a line between the two columns as is done in many other articles with columns. In the middle of the article, I inserted a 'pull quote'. This is commonly used as a technique to interest readers in reading the full article. The way this is done if by making the quote something that the audience would feel surprised or shocked to read about. This way, they become interested and want to continue reading. I included some more quotes at the bottom that would surely grab attention, or they could also be 'boxed text' because they have nothing to do with the 'body copy'.

Lastly, the smaller images I included because they are to do with the article and make the double page spread more image heavy which is appealing to my target audience. I did the same thing as I did with my contents page's images and placed them on white rectangles so that it looks like instant photos so that readers fell like the photos are recent. I also included a keyline with all of the smaller images because it makes it look like the images are jumping out of the page and make them more appealing to look at.

Magazine Contents Page Final

This is the final version of my magazine contents page. As my mock-up design, I kept certain elements the same like the title of the page, the categories of the articles and the types of articles present. I wanted to keep the title of the contents page the same font and colour as the mast head of my cover so that a symbiotic link can be created. I also decided to continue with the same colour scheme as on my cover to strengthen this link. I gave the yellow category tags black diagonal lines that kind of remind you of caution or police tape which brings up the feeling or trouble and rebelliousness. 

For the types of articles, I referred back to the feedback I got from by questionnaire. I checked which types of articles did my audience enjoyed reading the most and what did they prefer a magazine to have inside it. According to that information, I decided on how much of what type of article would I want my magazine to have. That is why there are more pages for new, reviews and guides, and less for things like competitions and quizzes.

On an issue of 'Kerrang' I was that instead of having the date of issue on the cover, they placed it in the contents page, and I think that that way it makes the contents page look more organised if all of the information about the physical copy of the magazine can be found one one page. It also means that the cover won't look as cluttered. I noticed that all magazines have a section where it gives it's customers the chance to subscribe to the magazine, so I thought that would be a nice way to fill in some in the corner of the page with something that was not part of the point of a contents page, but was just as important for a magazine to get more readers.

Lastly, I discovered that on most contents pages, there was a 1:1 ratio of image to text so I also attempted to make my contents page image heavy. I used pictures that have need taken from different parts of the magazine and placed them as smaller versions on the contents page. This would give readers a teaser of what they can expect to see in this issue. Nest to each image I placed a number of the page where the image was taken from, so the readers can just reference the number to the text and go to their article of interest straight away. And finally I placed my smaller images on top of white rectangles to make them have an instant photo looks so that the audience can feel like they just missed the action but the pictures let them see what it was like. These pictures are relating to the fans of the magazine and my target audience. The numbers next to the image links with the article they were assigned to, to show how some rock fans and my magazine fans show their appreciation and enthusiasm for music. I think my contents page fulfils it's purpose of helping the reader navigate through the magazine and gives a few ways of doing this.

I chose not to include pictures of 'Art by Law' because I thought it would seem to repetitive if they were on every single piece of work. However, if I could do this again, I would probably include them, since they are the feature article. It could also help create a stronger symbiotic link.

Magazine Cover Final

This is my final version of my music magazine cover. I have kept many of the features I drew on my mock-up, but I either changed the positions of some of those features e.g. the upper banner, or I added something that I was not planning on. I got the idea for the banners from 'Kerrang', but instead of showing offers, my banner shows the different artists that my magazine is celebrating. I also played around with the colours for some of the text and the text's background to see if any combination would help text stand out more whilst still looking good in the overall frame. The colour of the background I got inspired by an issue of 'Kerrang' with an image of the Foo Fighters on the cover. I think this rich colour is simple and beautiful, but it dose not take any attention away from the main image. I included smaller related images on the cover like they are sometimes included on the cover of NME. I was hoping this would give audiences something like a teaser so they would want to know more about what is inside the magazine. For the main sell-line, I wanted it to grab peoples attention by using the word exclusive and using all big bold letter. The spiky effect I added because it gives the impression that this information exploding and would make my audience want to find out what is so special about this particular sell line. I added a puff in a shape of a guitar pick to remind the audience that this is a rock magazine because you often see guitarists using picks.

I also added the bar code at the bottom corner like in most magazines to make it look more professional and more realistic. I chose this particular font for the title because the feedback I received from my target audience  liked this font best out of my chosen ideas. I made sure the title was bit and would stand out well by putting it on a contrasting background like other magazines like 'Rock Sound' do. I was also taking into account the feedback I received from the questionnaire by making the masthead and main image the main things that grab attention.

Double Page Spread Mock-up

This is my double page spread mock-up and it is what I hope my final piece will look like. I have tried to stick to the codes and conventions of double page spreads by adding features like 'pull quotes' , a 'header' and a 'stand first'. I will also use my knowledge of what I have learned from analysing other contents pages and continue trying to make a symbiotic link between this and my other two pieces. I have not include my body copy because I am not sure if I will keep the layout the same and if to put more or less images.

Contents Page Mock-up

Before creating my final contents page, I drew a mock-up to be able to see how I can place the content like pictures and text and experiment what colours I would use in my final design. I also was able to apply what I learned from analysing other magazine contents pages.

Cover Mock-up

Before making my final magazine cover, I drew a mock-up version to get a better idea how I can structure the different features, what other information and text I could put on the cover and experiment with different colours and fonts.

Location Research

Looking through other music magazines, I was hoping to get a better understanding of the locations where most images were taken for artists that appear in the magazines. I did this to help me get ideas on possible locations I could use for my rock band's photo shoot. 


At first I was thinking of doing an English country side shot. I would be a celebration of Britishness and an image in hard light would make the subject e.i. the band, look more natural and almost flawless. This could give an impression that these guys are naturals at what they do. But I chose not to use this location because the band members' looks and clothes would not have not in with this serene scene. They would have stuck out too much instead of looking like they fit right in.




Next I thought why not shoot at a pub. It's another location that celebrated Britishness and the band members would fit into the scene more. Rock music magazines tend to celebrate their music through the use of stereotypical British locations e.g. countryside, pubs or famous landmarks. But then I thought that maybe this location would suit an older target audience seeing as the band members are even under the legal drinking age. So other people might not like the idea of kids in pubs acting like adults, so I chose to look into another location.





The third location that I thought about using is something urban with graffiti. The graffiti creates an effect of rebellion which screams of youth culture.  I liked the idea of under a bridge because that way, it makes it seem like it's the band's personal hangout spot, like your trotting on their territory. It would also be referencing today's youth culture of having these special hangouts. The band members would also fit right in to the scene. Even though for covers the background would usually be plane, I hope I could use this for a smaller related image.





Lastly, I decided to use this kind of location for my double page spread's main image. It had everything I wanted including hard lighting which will give the band members a glowing look; the nature may not be in the countryside but it still looks like a classic English park; and the gazebo will help to make the members look like they fit in. The shape of the gazebo will make the members have a fell of intelligence and not just be a classic stereotype of youth. And even though the style of the gazebo and the style of the band may look completely opposite, I think it will create a nice contrast.

Comments on Font Ideas

I uploaded all of my font ideas onto a forum and asked people to tell me which they think is the best for a rock music magazine. After people wrote their ideas, I decided to take screen shots of them.
In the end, most comments liked font no. 3. I also liked it because of the gritty scratched up look and the rebellious danger kind of feel. It was also easy to read and compared to the others, was most reflective of my target audience.

Music Questionnaires Analysed

After giving out all of my questionnaires, I got them all back and analysed the results.
I discovered that my target audience, besides from liking rock, another popular choice was POP, metal, indie and R&B so maybe my magazine can occasionally stray away to artists that are in rock and some of the other preferred genres. I also discovered that some of the most popular types of rock were alternative rock, hard rock and soft rock so maybe I could give my magazine a slightly rough but cool feel for the brand identity.


From 1-10, music affects my target audience life on average of about 7, so I know music does play a role in my target audiences' lives and moods, if not a major one. It also shows my target audience have a genuine interests and passion in music and would enjoy my magazine.


As for favourite artists, there is a wide variety amongst my target audience, but one thing is definitely clear, that the reason why the audience like those artists is either because the artists inspire the audience with their music and make them feel special or reflect their personality, or the audience likes the band's uniqueness  or the strong meaning behind the lyrics. Some of the most popular choices were 


I also found out the half of my questioned audience play an instrument. Most commonly guitars, bass and drums. I could possibly have adds for best places to buy quality instruments. 


I discovered that my target audience attend gigs either frequently or sometimes. Some of my target audience don't always have time to attend them, and some say that live music is usually not as good. But people who get the chance to attend like the fact that you get to hear live music and be with friends in an exiting. They also like that you get to meet the bands face to face and meet like minded people at the gigs.  


I also discovered that my target audience on average read music magazines sometimes and that they are willing to pay anywhere from £2.50 - £5.00 for a quality music magazine. I can use this information to set a price for my magazine.


My results show that the main things my audience enjoy about music magazines are the articles,  music news, photos and freebies. I will use this information and turn them into possible sell lines I can display on my cover e.g free posters/CD. I can also use this information in the contents page to decide how many pages to do on each or the features.


Lastly, I found out that the features of a magazine that are most likely to grab the audiences attention are a mixture of the title, the main image, colours used and text. I will make sure that my magazine cover has colours that can stand out and text that can grab peoples interests. I will also make the main image look as professional as I can and the same will go for my mast head, which will be made big and bold so it can stand out well.


Hopefully this information I have gathered will help me in improving my design for my 3 pieces.

Font Ideas

These are some of the fonts I chose that I think would make good fonts for my magazine's masthead. I have also written what I like and don't like about them and why would they be good or not as font for the masthead.

 I like this font because it flows and has a surreal look. But I think it would be too hard for people to see off the shelves because it’s not that bold. It also looks a bit too feminine, and my magazine is aimed more at men. This means if they see the magazine’s cover, it might not appeal to them as much.

I like this font because it’s bold and has a more rocky feel. It would be easier to spot of the shelves and I think it would appeal to men which are my primary target audience. But I think that this font to more suitable for heavy metal magazines and does not fit my magazines personalty like I would want it to.

 I like this font because it stands out well and has a rough, slightly violent feel. It has a similar look to Kerrang magazine but the scratchy texture is less severe. I think this would appeal to my target audience and has that rebelliouse rock n roll attitude. But it looks a bit too square and doesn’t have it’s own charater which could cause readers to get bored of it.

I like this font because it’s similar to the first font, but it’s bolder and has a more rough effect. I think this would appeal to both the male and female audience without appearing too feminine.  My only concern is that it might not bold be enough to catch attention and the effect on the text makes it a bit hard to read by taking out parts of the letter.

I chose this font because it is bold and would stand out well on shelves. I think it would appeal well to the target audience and has the right style that would fit in well with my magazine. The rough effect is just the right amount so that it doesn’t make the text less readable and I like that the ‘E’ looks like its being pushed out. However I wonder if this font might appeal a bit too metal music instead of rock, but I still find it attractive.

I chose this font because I think the style of the text is what I would like my magazine to have.  I like the style of the ‘A’ and the overall rough and worn out effect of the text makes the font achieve an attitude. I think I would appeal well to my male target audience and just enough to the female target audience. The effect on the text could be a little too much and I don’t like the ‘A’ being solid but that may help to make the text stand out.

Double Page Spread Analysis

I analysed two double page spreads form two music magazines that have a similar style of music to mine. I did this so I could get some ideas of what my double page spread could feature about and so that I could get used to the features and their names of a double page spread. 

Contents Page Analysis

I analysed two contents pages from two different magazines similar to my style of music. I did this to analyse how a contents page helps it's readers to navigate through the magazine and what feature I could include in my own contents page.

Magazine Cover Analysis

I analysed the front covers of two of similar style magazines as my own. I hoped that this would help me get to know the conventions of a cover page, see what kind of similarities and differences they have and analyses how they both try to attract readers attention.

This is an example of what one of my questionnaires looks like after it has been filled out by a member of my target audience. I hope this will help me decide if I need to make any changes to my magazine's design.

Music Questionnaire final

After receiving feedback from my peers, I discovered that many of them thought that all the general questions should be given at the start of the questionnaire and all the questions that ask about magazines need to go  at the end, so I rearranged the question structure a little bit. I also discovered that I forgot to give a box for opinions on why or why not do my target audience like going to music concerts. I appreciated their input and put their suggestions into action.

Music Questionnare Pilot

I decided to make a music questionnaire because I would help me find out more about my target audience and what their thought are on what is a good music magazine. I asked a range of open and closed questions so people filling them in would not get bored and I asked questions that I knew would help me decide if I need to make any changes to the magazine, particularly the from cover. This is my pilot questionnaire that I will show to a few people and ask for their opinion and if any changes need to be made to improve it.

Investigating Mise-en-Scene

This is an image of Billie Joe Armstrong. Within this image both back lighting and profile lighting are used, creating shadows and almost a silhouette. The fact that most of his face is covered in shadow could mean that he wants his identity to stay hidden from the public or possibly from the law since the background is on fire meaning they could have done something daring that’s prohibited. In summary, the shadow gives him an enigmatic or nonchalant look.  The light on his face is a different colour to what you’d expect; meaning it’s coming from a different source we’re not aware of, adding to the enigma and making our eyes concentrate on the light that shines on part of his face.

The background seems to be on fire which is making the artist stand out. This could be highlighting the fact that the band wants to stand out in the music industry and the fire could represent their fiery passion for music and the phrase ‘we’re so hot, we’re on fire’ comes to mind. The brightness of the fire could also embody their talent and that their bursting with ideas. In addition the fire could represent a sense of rebellion.

The artist’s hair is made up in a messy fashion giving him a rebellious look which could reflect his personality and the genre of music that he plays. His body language of spreading his arms wide shows that he is bold, reedy for anything to come at him and not anxious about expressing himself. These kinds of personality traits are stereotypically assigned to men. You can also faintly see a microphone which is an example of music iconography.

This is an image of the Foo Fighters. In this image you can see that the band members starnd out because of their black clothes against the light grey sky backgroung of natural lighting. This can emphasize the fact that the band whiches to stand out and be seen as something that is completely uneqie and different. The sky background could symbolize that the band want to be free and be able to express themselves withought being restrained like birds in a cage.

All of the band members are wearing matching colours. This could mean that all the members believe theiy are equal and all have the same vision of what they what their music to bring to the music world. Since the colour is black, you’d expect the scene to be more sad or gloomy, but it actualt looks lively and energetic. So the band are purposfuly contrasting themselves from what the audience would think. Their body language indicates that their vigorous and full of life. This stresses the point that their ready to burst onto the scene and devote their strenght to their music.

All of the  band members also have a simillar messy hair style and facial hair. This makes them seem more ruged and gives them a ‘fighting back’ look. The scene also has a lot of  music iconography like the guitars, drumbs and amp. These items alre also closely linked with rock music because you usually see them in rock music videos and always at performances.

This is an image of MIKA.  As you can see, he is looking straight into the camera with a vicious expression. This makes him look bold and daring. The expression on his face almost looks like that of a cross spoiled child which makes us think of the riches of famous rock stars and that they have those riches at their disposal. He is also leaning into the camera with a kid of ‘bad ass’ attitude like he’s ready to fight. These personality traits that he is showing are stereotypically assigned to men.

The clothes that MIKA is wearing show that he likes the style of classic rock bands of the 60’s that wore similar outfits like the Beatles, but he has added his own twist to the outfit by attaching things like crocodiles to the shoulders and flowers and polka dots to the front. This adds to the childish imagery he is sending across and maybe even pointing out his personality that he is still a kid at heart. His hair is made up in a messy fashion to give him a rebellious look like many other rock artists.

The background of this image is of a messy and cluttered room. The mess adds to the childish look because children are known for not wanting to clean up their rooms. Or it could be laying emphasis on the stereotypical rock star attitude of trashing a hotel room after a performance. Either way, it gives of a rebellious feel and makes the artist look nonchalant about the current state he is in. There is also the some music iconography with the amps in the background, and the glasses with the Union Jack show a celebration of Britishness by the artist.

Costume Ideas

The band members will wear costumes that will highlight their rebellious spirits and emphasize their fiery rock n roll attitude. Dark colours will be made to contrast with bright colours to make a visual statement that the band wants to stand out from the crowd and be recognised as something unique, but also that they want to leave their imprint in the world of rock.

Elements of the costumes will be co-ordinated but at the same time trying to keep the feeling of individuality and an ‘I don’t care’ attitude by letting the band members explore and improve their individual looks whilst at the same time encouraging fans to embrace their own uniqueness and applauding their individuality.

 To create glances of aspiration, they band members will ware clothes with childish or miscellaneous icons like skull and crossed bones or text that states random sayings that can be reflecting their personalities or almost controversial topics to show that band ‘aren’t afraid to go there’ and their confident enough to publicly display their opinions which most people are to scared to do. Or modern patterns like black and white stripes will be worn to symbolise criminals or people outside the law because one connotation of black and white stripes are criminal uniforms, which adds to the rebellious feel. But they also aren't afraid to ware something stupid just for the heck of it, and be set on making it their own 'thing'. It also shows they are up-to-date on some fashions. 

Women would ware pants or skirts depending on their personality, but they would not be de-feminized by the clothes, instead they would achieve subtle sex appeal by showing their legs through tights or show their character through the colours they like wearing. Their accessories also consist of bracelets, rings and necklaces, but that is to give them a a more feminine feel and show their income status if they want to show off. 

 Band members will also accessorise with small things like watches/bracelets or necklaces to show their more easygoing and modern side along with jeans which are commonly seen in rock bands. The clothes will also have a slightly worn look to show that the band members are in their comfort zone and performing is like second nature to them.

Mission Statement

Anthem a new exciting and stirring music magazine that celebrates and promotes current artists in the music industry. The name Anthem summarises the fact that this magazine will feature musical content. At the same time the name symbolises that the magazine will become known throughout the nation just like its national ‘anthem’, it will sound-off loud for all to hear.  

There is a brand new generation of artists with great talents that just want to burst out and make it big. These artists have a strong determination to make an impact on the world and these are the type of people I would enjoy having featured in my magazine and something I know the readers would enjoy reading about in Anthem magazine.

The magazine will be distributed monthly at a price of £2.50. It will be available for purchase at all large newsagents and supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsburies and WHSmith. It will also be available in most music retailers. The readers will also have the option to the magazine via the magazine’s website www.anthem.co.uk or through post.

Anthem is primarily a music magazine, which will be reflected in its content. The magazine will include content like interviews with new up and coming bands; reviews of gigs, albums and singles; inspiring articles of bands that have made it and want to share their experiences with the new generation. There will also be the reader’s favourite artist profiles thus the magazine will fulfil the general interests of its readers. Articles will include things like top 10 songs of the month and feature articles on one specific artist along with competitions, reviews and music news. The readers like live music so the magazine will also include news of up and coming gigs. The magazine will also occasionally commemorate a specific time in history where rock was embraced all around the world thanks to artists like Elvis and The Beatles.

As a magazine, Anthem promises to deliver information on the latest music news on artists, albums, gigs and competitions. Anthem also promises to entertain its audience will excusive interviews and inspiring stories of successful artists that hope to inspire the readers to follow their musical dreams. The magazine will also promise to reward its readers for staying faithful and continuing to purchase the magazine. Once in a while, the magazine will have some kind of cover mount, such as a code for a free download, CDs of featuring tracks by current artists, or smaller cover mounts like guitar picks. The CD's could sometimes be by 'yet to be discovered artists', that the magazine is helping to promote and pull in readership that is looking for new sound, at the same time helping to support the aims of the magazine. Some of the artists we are looking forward to presenting are The Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Gorillaz and Simple Plan.

There are also chances for readers to win prizes with each issue of the magazine. Some might give the opportunity to win tickets to gigs, others might give the readers the chase to become VIPs at a concert and meet their favourite artists and everyone has a chance to register with the website to receive all of the up to date information and exclusive offers.

This magazine believes that it is important to celebrate music because it is such a dominant part of our lives. It will feature a range of artists, but just because the music industry tends to be dominated by males does not mean we will limit the content to mostly males because we believe that females have had the same impact in the music business as men, so there will be articles of female artists that will not try to de-feminise.

The magazine will encourage the reader to embrace their musical side and feel uplifted enough to help them recognise their own strengths and potential.

The style of Anthem can be described as unique and modern with a touch of youthfulness and free spiritedness. The readers will find it stylish and informative, but also that it can be friendly and almost childish at times to show off a slightly juvenile side. The style of my magazine therefore matches the style and qualities of my audience ensuring that they can feel that they can relate whilst enjoying reading the magazine. 

Target Audience Profile

The readers of my magazine are both male and female between the ages of 16 and late 20-ies. They have a range of different qualities that when put together allows them to be unique with their own scene of style. The readers are sociable and are not afraid to strike up a conversation which shows off their confidence and general interest in current events. They have their own vision about music and are not afraid to promote it, but also accept that others have their own visions and respect the diversity. The target audience are not the type to follow fashion trends and instead wear clothes that express their personality and possibly point towards their interests. They believe that fashion is not a way of developing their uniqueness and not about following the crowd.

Since the age range is so wide, some readers might still be in education or working on their degree, so they will not have a lot of disposable income. They are hard workers, but always try to find time where they can brake away from their routine and have some time for themselves.

The group of readers that have finished education are settled in a secure job with good income that lets them treat themselves on a regular basis. They like their jobs because it’s not just pencil pushing, but where they can express themselves and give ideas that are rewarded for their contribution. Because of the good income, they are able to feel independent and secure. Some of the target audience may be in a long-term relationship, but they choose to live alone because they don’t believe in the old fashioned ideas of what a relationship should be like.

The readers of my magazine have a common interest of trying out new things and having new experiences. They love making spontaneous decisions to add a bit of excitement to their lives and hate the feeling of boredom. They love being with their friends and going to pubs and clubs to have some fun and meet new people. They enjoy exercising and eating a healthy diet, but sometimes forget about those things and end up indulging themselves with fast food like pizza and chinese and having lazy nights in watching their favourite TV programmes like ‘X-Factor’, ‘MTV’ and ‘True Blood’ or ‘Hollyoaks’.

Their not really interested in shopping but love cycling and occasionally participating in hiking or paintball to fuel their want for excitement and danger. Some of the target audience may even be aspiring musicians and even play a musical instrument like guitars or keyboards, and try to buy music magazines as often as they can to keep up with the music news.

  

Music is a passion of the target audience, and one that they are proud and serious about. They listen to music on a daily basis and can’t think of a time where music is not accompanying them through their day. Weather they are listening to their iPod whilst on their daily commute or watching their favourite music channel when they get home, or even listening to the radio as they drift off to sleep; music plays an active role in the reader’s life. The readers enjoy listening to live bands, and are always the first to buy tickets to their favourite concerts. They listen to mostly rock style music because it can both excite the audience and the soft rock can be a nice way of ending the day.

The reader likes listening to old classic rock bands like Queen, The Beatles and Elvis, but they also enjoy the sound of current rock bands like Simple Plan, Arrowsmith and Metro Station. They like these artists not just because of their music, but because of their refreshing and inspiring confidence and uniqueness.

The readers of my magazine are currently reading other magazines like Kerang, but are looking for something that is more laid back with a wider range of artists. But the target audience also like reading non- music magazines like Empire because movies are another thing that happens to give them joy and pleasure. They enjoy horror, action and comedy genres the most. They prefer watching these movies with friends, but will occasionally curl up in a soft couch and watch them at home. They are also constant internet users and like to spend some of their free time on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, watching videos on YouTube and even playing video games by themselves or with online buddies.  

Codes and Conventions of Rock Music

Rock has many sub-categories and the most contrasting are hard rock and soft rock. These types of music are all considered rock, but grasp the complete opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to style of the music. 


These are examples of what hard rock and soft rock can sound like and the obvious differences in the style.

Some of the codes and conventions of rock music are things like the bands instruments. Whenever you see media with rock music, you will nearly always see iconography like microphones, guitars and drums. This makes us think of the loud, electric music when it is being played. You can also see pictures of fans smiling and bright stage lights beaming down on stage. This lets us know that the fans are having a good time and adds excitement to the atmosphere.

Another code and convention is that sometimes the artists can wear dark eye make-up, which makes them seem dangerous and rebellious.  Unlike in soft rock where make-up is softer or non-existent so show a kind of more natural beauty side which is reflected in the softer music. which makes them seem dangerous and rebellious. 

         

This style of rock also comes from the fashion convection which usually includes items like jeans, jackets and shirts in dark colours, or bright light colours if it is soft rock. This supports the stereotypical male gender by making them seem strong, dangerous, daring, confident and courageous at times.  Back in the 80's and 70's it was more common for rock bands to wear matching costumes eg. KISS and The Upper Crust.

But now rock bands are more commonly seen wearing clothes that are unique to the other band members. This creates a feeling of originality, individuality and may even inspire fans to show off their own unique styles.

One more feature of rock is the style of hair which is also usually quite messy and the artist themselves can look disorganised, but they manage to contain a kind of nonchalance and mysterious look about them that can reflect in the music as well. Whilst in soft rock, the artists can have messy hair, but to a lesser extent.

 

In rock, the body language can be quite fierce and with a kind of ‘in your face’ attitude.This makes the artists seem aggressive and with a 'ready for a fight' look. It also means that the audience get railed up as well. Fans of hard rock tend to go a bit wild with 'rock on' gestures and head banding, emulating the wild acts of their heroes on stage. Or like in soft rock, the music can be very relaxing and make the audience easy up. There is nothing being forced on the audience and becomes very easy to listen to. These two contrasting types of rock can have two very opposite effects on the listener. 

In hard rock, the theme is often of explicit displays of emotion through aggressive and gory lyrics and are on dark and depressing subjects. Whilst soft rock can deal with lighter or even sorrowful subjects like love, loss or freedom. The lyrics are not shouted or yelled and there are more times when there is harmony in the music.  I like that this genera has such variety which means I can take my magazine in many different directions.