Corrected version

1. Reasoning Behind the Genre of
my Music Magazine
Including deconstructions of
80s/80s style glam pop magazines

2. I have decided to create an 80s style glam pop magazine because through my research I
have found that generally speaking, music magazines are in decline, particularly pop
magazines. Due to this fact, I wanted to target a niche market that might be more
interested in a music magazine than the masses seem to be, who a large number of
music magazines are aimed at, such as ‘Q’ and ‘NME’. I chose 80s glam pop over any
other genre because I felt it would be a fun style of experiment with, and also those
who would be most interested in it will be people who were around in the 1980s,
especially those who were young at that time because it will be more relatable for
them. This is beneficial for me because this age group will probably be more likely to
buy a music magazine than the younger generation because they have been more
common throughout their lifetime and the purchase is probably something that will be
nostalgic for them. Furthermore, generally the older generations are less interested in
technology and will therefore be less likely to access content via the Internet, and more
likely to want to read about that content in a music magazine. However, I will also
target a young audience to try and get them interested in music magazines, in an
attempt to save a dying industry. I will do this by using young and up and coming stars
as a feature of my magazine who will be more relatable and interesting for a younger
audience. Broadening my target audience in terms of age will hopefully make my
magazine sell better as I have chosen a niche genre to base my magazine around, so my
target audience is already restricted.
Before I can create my own music magazine, I need to study the genre in detail. In this
PowerPoint I will be deconstructing magazine covers which are similar to the ones I
want to create. This will teach me what to include and what not to include when I make
my own.

3. Bold, colourful masthead in the top left hand corner,
layered on top of the photograph. From my wider
research I know that this a convention of most
magazines, no matter what the genre, although it can
vary whether the masthead is layered over the
photograph or underneath it.
This is a cover from‘Pop’. It is their “80s excess issue” so it is fairly similar to the style of magazine I want to create and can teach me how to style and
position my model. However, this is a one-off theme for them, whereas it would be the constant theme in my music magazine.
The model is wearing unusual, bold clothing which
wouldn’t have been worn by ‘normal’ people in the
80s, and wouldn’t be worn by ‘normal’ people
today. Although this type of look is usually
associated with fashion magazines, clothing is also
important in creating the look of a music magazine.
This model is wearing the white bodysuit and
headpiece to create a statement look – something
that is important for a music magazine because it
will stand out on the shelf and capture attention
from the audience. Once the outfit has captured
the audience’s attention, the audience will then
look at the cover properly and see how her outfit
fits into the theme of the magazine – it is
something that 80s pop stars might have worn
during their performances if they were being
outgoing. Also, her makeup is bold, particularly her
lip colour which is a classic 80s look. The barcode is in the bottom left
hand corner, on an angle to save
space. This is something that I
will use in my music magazine as
its positioning saves space but
still allows the barcode to serve
its purpose – to allow customers
to buy the magazine in shops.
The taglines are located down the left and right hand side of the magazine as this is a
magazine convention. However, these tag lines are somewhat unconventional because
some are on angles and the size of each one varies greatly. This is probably a technique
to make the magazine stand out and attract attention because it is different. As it is a
special edition of the magazine, the unconventional taglines may also have been an
attempt at differentiating the special edition from the regular editions that they
produce.
The cover lines are all written in the same font and the
same colour. This is to create a theme in order to make
the cover aesthetically pleasing.
Above the barcode there is information about this
particular issue of the magazine, including the issue
number and the price. This is to inform the audience. It is
written in small typography because it isn’t part of the
aesthetics that the designer of the cover is trying to
create, and it isn’t something that they would want to be
noticed straight away. It’s not important to most
consumers what issue it is, unless they are loyal readers or
collectors. However, the price is important to anyone
wanting to buy the magazine, but the cover is intended to
impress the audience and make them decide they want the
magazine before they look at the price. Despite the small
typography, the text is placed somewhere that is easy to
find for those looking for it, as the barcode is easy to spot.
The shot used as the main focus of the cover is a
medium shot, which is unusual compared to
other 80s glam pop/rock style magazines that I
have looked at. However, I suspect that this is
because of the outfit the model is wearing – it
wouldn’t be represented fully if the shot was
close-up, and so a medium shot was used
instead. It is still an effective shot, despite it not
being the usual bold close-up as the audience can
see her outfit and her striking makeup.
The model has a traditional modelling facial expression,
with her eyes looking directly at the camera and her lips
slightly parted. This is a facial expression used quite a lot
on music magazines similar to the style I have chosen to
create because it makes the model seem as though
they’re looking directly at you, as though you can really
learn about them, making the cover intriguing. Usually
the model will be a celebrity as it will encourage more
people to buy the magazine so that they can find out
new information about this celebrity (celebrity
endorsement).

4. This is another cover from ‘Pop’ magazine. Again, it is from their “80s excess issue” so it is fairly similar to the style of magazine I want to create.
However, this is a one-off theme for them, whereas it would be the constant theme in my music magazine.
Bold, colourful masthead in the top left hand
corner, layered on top of the photograph. From my
wider research I know that this a convention of
most magazines, no matter what the genre,
although it can vary whether the masthead is
layered over the photograph or underneath it.
Although the logo on this cover is the same design
as on the previous cover, the colour has been
changed so that it fits the new colour scheme being
created on cover.
Again, the cover lines are located down the left and
right hand side of the cover as this is a convention of
all magazines, but the taglines of this cover are
slightly unusual as some are on an angle and they are
all pushed up together and are different sizes. This
could be a technique to create interest by mixing up
their usual style, or potentially to give the special
editions a sense of identity, as they all follow the same
format although they use different photographs and
colour schemes. There are several different covers
under the title of ‘The 80s Excess Issue’.
The barcode for this cover is located in the bottom left
hand corner so that it doesn’t detract from the main
focus of the cover – the striking photograph.
Information about the issue number and price is
located next to the barcode. The typography is small
so that it doesn’t get in the way of the powerful
image and ruin the aesthetics of the cover, but it is
written in a clear font and in black so that it stand out
against the gold of the model’s clothing and is more
easily legible to make it easier for the audience. This
is information that they need to provide for their
audience so it is placed somewhere easy to locate –
next to the barcode, but it is discreet so that the
cover can ‘wow’ the audience before they look at the
price so that the audience is more likely to decide
that the price is worth it.
The model is wearing very bold
makeup, including a dark
smoky eye which was a big 80s
fashion trend. It is striking and
draws the audience into their
eyes making the cover appear
intimate.
The necklace featured in the
image is bold and eye-catching
which helps to attract attention
to the photograph and thus the
magazine. Many of the models
in 80s-style magazines are
wearing bold jewellery and so
this is something I will try to
replicate in my photographs.
The shot used is a close-up and this allows the
audience to see in detail the makeup that the
model is wearing which plays a big role in
creating their 80s look, and also the unusual
clothing that the model is wearing, including the
lace shirt and the thick white headband.
The model’s pose is bold and striking, and
they appear to have direct eye contact
with the audience.
The colour scheme is red, white and black and
this appears to be a popular combination of
colours in the music magazine industry in
general. This could be because it makes the
covers clear, yet striking and somewhat exciting
with the addition of red. Red can also connote
love, which is what the creators of the magazine
want their audience to feel towards their
magazine, and white, the predominant colour
here can symbolise purity, connoting that the
audience can obtain honest information from
reading this magazine.

5. A close up shot is used for the whole of the
cover. This is attractive for readers because it’s
as though they are getting the opportunity to
be close to a celebrity –Grace Jones. Being so
close to her face also connotes trust, as we
rarely let people so close to our face in real life
because it creates an uncomfortable situation
which will encourage people to buy the
magazine as it will make them feel good about
themselves.
Bold masthead with clear typography to make it
easy to read. A bright blue is used as the font
colour to fit in with the neon craze that was
around in the 80s and to stand out on the shelf
and catch the eyes of potential buyers.
The model is wearing bold makeup in bright
colours to comply with the style of time – she is
fashionable so that she appears ‘cool’ and
someone that customers would want to read
about.
Unusually, this cover doesn’t have a bar code.
This could be because this magazine is from the
80s and barcodes weren’t used for transactions
as commonly then as they are now, although
they did exist.
The tagline about Grace Jones is separate from
all of the other taglines to make it stand out, as
her celebrity endorsement is one of the main
selling points of the magazine because many
people are interested in her life and want to
listen to what she has to say. The typography is
clear to help the message stand out when it’s
on the shelf and to make it easy for customers
to read. The font colour is white so that it is
easily visible on top of the photograph as most
of the colours in the photograph are quite dark.
The font is the same as the majority of the tag
lines to create a theme in order to make the
cover more aesthetically pleasing.
The typography of this tagline is different
to the rest of the taglines on the cover – it
is a different colour and all in capitals,
whereas the rest of the text is in lower
case. This is done so that this tagline stands
out above any others and this is also helped
along by its position on the page – it is the
highest tagline on the left so naturally the
audience will read this tagline first.
Although this is a lifestyle magazine, I can see plenty of similarities between it and other music magazines which I have looked at such as ‘The
Rolling Stones’ or ‘NME’, particularly in the photograph used as it is a close-up, intriguing photo. I decided to deconstruct this magazine because
Grace Jones is on the cover – and 80s glam star.
The model isn’t wearing any clothing that is
visible in the shot, however she is wearing big,
bold bangles which cover any areas which
would be inappropriate to show. These
bangles attract the audience’s attention
because they are so bold and unusual, but
they also work to frame her face, whilst in
keeping with the 80s style. Once the audience
has been attracted to the bangles initially,
they will follow them up to her hands which
have been positioned to frame her face at
either side. This is something that I want to
recreate in my own cover photo because I
think it is effective.

6. This is a pop magazine which is actually from the 1980s. It isn’t specifically based on glam pop but I feel that by taking influences from a genuine 80s
pop magazine, I will be able to reach the older end of my target audience more effectively as it will help my magazine to resemble one that they may
have bought in their use, helping to make the experience nostalgic.
Bold, colourful masthead in the top left
hand corner of the page in logo format to
create similarities between each issue
Classic colour scheme only involving four
main colours – red, black, white and
yellow. The black and white make the
typography easy to read, whereas the
yellow and the red brighten the cover up,
making it vibrant and more eye-catching.
Large typography to attract attention to the
celebrity endorsement
Barcode for practicality when selling the
magazine. It is at the bottom of the page so
that it doesn’t detract from the design of
the magazine. It is also a common place for
barcodes to be located so it is easy to find
when it is needed.
Cover lines spread fairly evenly down
the left and right hand side of the
cover
A large image in the centre of the page of a current pop star. This
image is a medium shot as the artist featured is actually a group
and this is the most effective way to fit them both on the page,
whilst still allowing their poses to be serious and their facial
expressions to be clearly visible. The photograph coincides with
the text that is layered over the photograph above. The
typography is actually more a caption, although people buying the
magazine are extremely likely to already know what the Petshop
Boys look like.
Banner created at the top of the page
using the masthead and smaller images of
other pop stars. It is unusual to use extra
small images on the cover, and also
unusual to incorporate the masthead into
a banner, in comparison to more recent
magazines.
Badge style text boxes to make the cover more
interesting. Pin badges were part of the pop
culture at the time as well, so they fit with the
theme of the magazine.
Text box is the only thing in yellow to draw
the audience’s attention to one of their
selling points
The Petshop boys are wearing fashionable 80s
pop clothing to make them appear cool and
something boys would aspire to look like.
Key summary words in
capital letters to draw the
attention of the audience
to these words in an
attempt to capture their
attention.
Text incorporated into the
logo – a more interesting
and eye catching way to
present text