LO2: Release and consent forms

Release and consent forms are used to show that you have permission to use any footage or photographs which involve certain people. Obviously as this is print based media I shall only be using photographs. This release and consent form has been signed by Lewis Wright and Lewis Foxhall to show that I can use my photographs of them in my magazine.

LO2: Risk Asessment

LO2: Location Recces

LO2: Legal and Ethical

 a) IPSO

IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) regulate magazines and uphod the editors code of practice. This includes accuracy, 'invasion of privacy, intrusion in to grief or shock harassment.'

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b)    Obscene Publications Act

This is a law that prevents you from publishing anything that may have a negative influence on readers. This may include graphic images, nudity, anything considered discriminatory, alcohol and drug use.

My audience will predominantly be male, between the ages of 16 and 25 and middle class. Magazines such as Metal Hammer and KERRANG! use a lot of innapropritate language and reference violence and it is likely that my audience could be influence by this.

Metal Hammer issue

3 ways I shall adhere to this law:

1.  As my magazine is a music magazine there is no need for anything containting nudity
2.  Despite the genre being associated with drugs and alcohol I won't be mentioning either to avoid influencing readers.
3. The genre is also heavily associated with violence, the magazine itself is called 'The Pit' which is a reference to the mosh pit but in order to adhere to this law I won't be glorifying moshing as an activity as my target audience (16-25) is very impressionable. I certainly won't be including violent images (such as the one to the right) as it could again affect this impressionable audience.

c)    Libel law

 This law prevents you from publishing anything which is not true. This also means you cannot report anything that would be defamatory - would ruin the reputation of the person you are speaking about.

3 ways I shall adhere to this law:

1.  I will not be slating any of the people mentioned in my magazine.
2.  As my magazine is not a genuine publication and is only being made for educational purposes, a lot of my articles will be made up but I shall still avoid reporting on events that did not take place.
3. 
   

d)    Copyright

Copyright is a type of intellectual property that is used to protect certains kinds of creative work. It is a legal right given to the creator of an original work and allows them rights to control the use and distribution of that work. Therefore, to use someone else's work you need the creator's permission, if you do not do this then you are comitting copyright infringement.

In order to have a piece of work protected by copyright in the UK it has to be original, meaning you have created it yourself, and tangible meaning it can't just be an idea it has to have been created and be an actual physical thing.

3 ways I shall adhere to this law:

1. Getting permission to use brands and logos.
2. Using images/ photographs that I have not taken myself.
3. Using fonts which have Creative Commons licenses or are free for use.

e)    Laws of contempt

 "It is a criminal offence to publish content that poses a risk to justice in proceedings. Prevents magazines from publishing anything that is too sensationalist about an ongoing criminal case."   

f)    Official Secrets Act

LO1: House Style Ideas - Photography

Front Cover

 

This is a shot of Joey Simpson, the lead vocalist of Kissing Candice.
I like this shot because I think it really shows how dark the genre of music is. I also like the fact that this is actually taken at a festival.
Because of the way that Joey is positioned, the image can be placed to the side of the page to make the composition look more interesting. It is also taken slightly from a low angle which makes him appear bigger.
Realistically, I won't be able to dress my models up like this but it is mainly the position of the model which I am focusing on in this shot.

 This shot is of Jonathan Davis, the lead vocalist for Korn.
I like this shot because it is well centered and he is looking directly at the camera. I also like the lens flares because it makes the image more interesting but I won't be including this on my cover because I think it might distract the reader from the main image.
I also like how the model has been photoshopped to make his eyes appear black, which again has connotations of the genre and how dark it is.
Unlike the previous photo, Davis is dressed up very simply and it is more likely that I would dress my models like this.

 This is a MetalHammer cover, the image is of Randy Blythe - the lead vocalist for Lamb of God.
I like this shot because like the Kissing Candice shot it makes the magazine have an interesting composition.
I also like it because it seems very relaxed, he's very dirty looking which I think reflects the music genre and how harsh it is.

 

 

 

Contents Page

This image is of Djent band Periphery. I think this is ideal for the main image on the contents page because it showcases the band in it's entirety.

It is shot at a slightly low angle so that it appears that the band is looking down at the viewer, this makes them seem overpowering and important. I think that this type of shot would be useful on a contents page as it might encourage the reader to go to the particular article that the shot relates to.


This is the contents page for an issue of Kerrang. The main image on this page is the one of Metallica to the left. Again this is taken from a low angle and shows all members of the band. It's also in black and white which is possibly done to connote the legacy and age of the band. I will not be doing this for my contents page as I am doing a local magazine and therefore will not have any 'legendary' bands such as Metallica in my magazine.

The lead vocalist, James Hetfield, is at the forefront of this image and he even comes out of the frame to lay over the top of the 'CONTENTS' title. I may experiment with taking the band members out of the page as it looks better aesthetically in my opinion but it is unlikely.

Double-Page Spread

 This is the double-page spread from an October 2014 issue of Kerrang. On this double-page spread the image stretches across the whole of the two pages. However, the columns are kept entirely to one page to avoid the writing from getting in the way of the main image which something I must make sure does not happen when making my own double-page spread. The members themselves are what entice the reader and are recognisable to the reader so it is important that the reader can see them all clearly. This is a wide shot which is used to get all of the members in the frame. Any of my articles which are about multiple people must be accompanied by photographs that include all of those people in the shot. This is so the reader is clear as to who the article is specifically about but it also prevents me from causing any offence to the people in the article.

This is also from an issue of Kerrang. The image is of Corey Taylor from rock and metal bands Stone Sour and Slipknot. He is kept to one page again but slightly bleeds over to the other page. However, the text works around the subject - again this is to make the image clear to the reader. 

This is a medium portrait. As there is only one person in the frame this shot makes it very easy for the reader to see the subject up close.

This picture is of musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Personally I think this would work well as a double page spread due to the positioning of the models and the fact that it is a medium shot. This means that you get to see both members of the band clearly.

Josh Dun (left) is turned away from the camera, and whilst this makes for an interesting shot it would not work in my magazine. Again this is because my magazine is a local magazine and will not feature artists as well known as twenty one pilots. Therefore it is important that my models faces can be seen fully on the double page spread, so that the reader has a clear idea of who they are.

LO1: Production schedules

LO1: Production plan

LO1: Draft articles

Draft Article for Double-Page Spread 1

DARE YOU USE THAT TONE ?! 

"We wanted a band, but we also wanted a laugh. " - Callum Hodson

The Djent scene is something which is moving faster, harder and heavier than ever before and bands like The Hassan Experiment are helping to branch the genre out in their hometown, Sheffield. Bassist Callum Hodson (The Hog) and lead guitarist, sampler and drummer Lewis Foxhall talk to The Pit  about how the idea came about to make a parody band out of a genre which is still in it's infancy and how it's all about the tone!
"Well, it started with Periphery [of course]," Callum explains to me whilst we're sat on a pair of uncomfortable settees just outside the band's studio in Sheffield. Foxhall is looking down at his phone but still manages to squeeze a sarcastic "of course" out.
In Callum's lap is a large bag of Dorito's which he's slowly munching away at, much to Foxhall's annoyance - this seems fitting as much of the band's work revolves around food including their latest single 'Quiche'.
"That was Hog's idea," Foxhall laughs and mutters another "of course". Callum can't help but agree and states how simple the idea for that song came about.
As you probably guessed, the song is about Quiche. "Djent is a new genre," Callum states "And whilst we take a lot of inspiration from bands like Tenacious D and all the rest of it, there just wasn't a joke band out there that we thought was heavy enough. We wanted a band, but we also wanted a laugh." 
"And ironically," Foxhall laughs "we perform better when we're not being serious. Khaleel has one good pair of lungs when he's screaming about quiche." He jeers at the band's namesake - Khaleel Hassan. 

"Quiche has never been more metal!"

 - Lewis Foxhall

 

  Draft Article for Double-Page Spread 2

BREAKING THE BREAKDOWN

"It was time to go in the same direction, but a different way." - Lewis Peters

After the breakup of Broken District earlier this year, there was a lot of confusion as to where the band's members would go next. The Pit gets an exclusive interview 

with new three-piece band Leverage, a direct product of Broken District's breakup and their upcoming debut album 'Triple L'.
The band have invited The Pit down to some woods in the middle of nowhere, honestly we have no idea where the hell we are, but this is apparently where the band does most of their writing. It's quiet, secluded and smells like horse shit.
Rhythm guitarist and sampler Luke Turner is the first to kick off the conversation with a jab at his ex-band "Well I saw it coming," he boasts "None of us had a clue at what we were doing." Lewis Peters is nodding to himself in the corner, his seemingly huge Schecter is laid across his lap. Peters was a key player in changing the direction of the previous band, he points out holding up the 8-String.
"I brought this thing in and everyone decided it was time to go heavier, but no-one knew how. A lot of bands think you can just smash up the gain and become 'ultra-famous' for your 'ultra-heavy' sound but it doesn't work like that." He states, quite ambitiously. "So we talked it out a bit and one-by-one we left. We all wanted to go in the same direction, just a different way."

 

LO1: Flat plans

This is my flat plan for my front cover, which is a slight pastiche of this issue of Kerrang (below). In this issue of Kerrang I can see that the image is centered, but leaves enough space for the straplines to the right and sticker to the left.

So with my flat plan I made sure that my main image did the same thing so that I have plenty of reference when creating my final magazine.

I did not use the same colours that are used in Kerrang's cover as I thought that Red with black and white would better connote the dark and dangerous themes associated with metal type music.

This flat plan is for my contents page and is loosely based on a contents page from another Kerrang issue.

From this issue of Kerrang I used the basic layout of having an image set to one side, opposite the page numbers.

This is the flat plan for double page spread. I took the 

LO1: House style (font, colour scheme, photography ideas)

Mastheads

 

This is a moodboard I created of various different magazines within the rock and metal genre.

The only colour that is ever used is red, most of these logos are in black. I think red is used as it is often associated with danger and violence and these things are also associated with the rock and metal genres.

Besides the colours being the same, these logos are all very different from eachother. I think the reason for this is because the Mastheads are all based around specific subgenres. I particurlarly like the Metal Hammer logos because they are different based on the time they were made. Rock Hard has a similar style of logo, they are both very blocky with large bezels and have 'spikes' coming off the edges. This is probably because at the time (Late 80's) Thrash Metal was a very popular genre of music and therefore these logos take inspiration from the logos of bands such as Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer etc.

Metallica Logo

Metal Hammer's newer masthead is much cleaner and simpler but still has a similar look. This, I think, is because modern rock/metal bands also have cleaner and simpler logos. The main similarity between this and the mastheads of KERRANG!, Rock Sound, Revolver and most of the other mastheads is that the text is entirely made up of capitals. I think this is mostly so that it jumps out the reader. Because of this, my masthead will also be in capitals. Outburn, Rocksound and KERRANG! all have mastheads which appear slightly messy/ broken up and so I think I will also incorporate this in to my final masthead.

Like all these mastheads though I will be looking at bands in the specific subgenre my magazine is based around. Examples below.

 

Djent bands

 Alot of these bands use very thin serif fonts, but I shall be using bold fonts in order to make it stand out more to the reader. 

 These are some fonts I have looked at for each of my masthead ideas. I most of all like the last font (Builder) because it looks slightly Gothic and Modern and is eye-catching.

Creating Masthead

Various stages in the development of my masthead

Current masthead idea

Colour Schemes 

 

This is one of the ideas I have for colour scemes.
The colours are all relatively dark, because it reflects that genre of music.

The red and yellow will be used to make things stand out, I chose these colours because they both have connotations of danger which again reflects the genre of music.

Most of the text will be white on a dark bacground, I will be using black for a lot of banners on the front cover because I think it will make the text look much clearer.

For the text, I've decided to use quite flat colours to give the magazine a more modern and much cleaner look. In order to make the text more eye-catching, particularly on the cover page, I will be using drop shadows on the text.

Red and yellow are often used to connote danger. So I'm using these colours to connote the dangerous lifestyle associated with this genre of music.

 

LO1: Examples of existing magazines

I am making a music magazine, specifically focusing on the rock and metal genres.

Front Covers

This is an issue of Metal Hammer magazine. The cover was made by 'The Walking Dead' artist Charlie Adlard and I like the way his comic book style comes through on the magazine making it less like your typical music magazine.

I also like the way that the free CD carries on the main cover image, helping it to blend in.

The main colours used in this are Red and yellow which both have connotations of danger. This is an important use of colour as danger is often associated with Rock and Metal.

  This is the front cover of an issue of Rock Sound magazine. I like that this one doesn't overcrowd the cover with lots of text and just has a large banner.

I also like the way that the main banner is at an angle and connects to the cover's border. This is something I could add to my magazine as it's a simple effect but looks good.

Again the main colours used here are red and yellow.
There is also some blue on this cover to make other minor features stand out.

This is the front cover to an issue of Kerrang. On this cover the image is set slightly to the left and unlike the other magazines the image's background is also featured on the front cover. The subject (Corey Taylor of Slipknot) is however in colour and the background is not. If I do feature the background on my front cover then I may also experiment with this so that the subject is in full focus.

It is very clear that the image has been taken at a gig and so that suggests to the reader that this particular issue may focus on a particular gig, this is reinforced by the sticker which tells the reader "THE UK'S BIGGEST GIG GUIDE!" is inside.

Again the main colours used for this front cover are red and yellow.
There is also some blue on this cover to make other minor features stand out.


This cover is from an issue of Alternative Press. The models are central and there is only a small amount of text on the cover compared to the other magazines. They also don't use banners so the text does not stand out as well as on the other magazines in my opinion.

The colour scheme is also different for this magazine. Instead they use red purple and green as their primary colours. This is perhaps due to the fact that the main focus of this issue is 'Green Day' and purple is a colour that contrasts well with green.
Personally I don't really like the use of colours on this magazine and so I probably will not be using these colours on my cover.

This is an issue of OutBurn. This is the least known magazine on this list, which is possibly due to the fact that there are only 5 issues published each year.

Because this is a lesser known magazine, the subjects do not cover the masthead like on the other magazines' covers. My magazine will also have to have an uncovered masthead as it is the first issue and it is only a local magazine.

The colours used here are green and blue. I do think that this cover used too many fonts which makes it look a little messy and confusing so on my own front cover I shall be using just 2-3 fonts in total.

Contents Page

This contents page is from an issue of Alternative Press. On this contents page the subject (Billie Joe Armstrong) is set to the left with the article about that Billie Joe set to the right, this is the largest text on the page so that it is clear to the reader that it is related to the main image.

The rest of the text is below the image and gives the reader a brief introduction to what the article is about.

The colours used here are (yet again) red and yellow, though there is some beige used to make the titles of the articles stand out also.

This is the contents page for an issue of Kerrang. The main image and article are set to the left, with the title anchored to the image in large block capitals - this is to make it clear that the text and the image are related.

I personally like the yellow banner at the top of the page to make it clear to the reader that this is the contents page. This is quite an important page as it works as a directory for the reader so by having a large banner like this the reader can find it easily when just flicking through the magazine.

On this page there is also an editor's note at the bottom of the page. This is used to introduce the reader to the magazine and in my opinion is just a nice little touch.  

And of course the colour scheme here is again red and yellow.

This is the contents page for an issue of Metal Hammer. This contents page is split in to two halves. On the top half their are multiple images with page numbers so that the reader can find the articles that link to these images.

Below is the full directory. This means that like a normal contents page they can find the articles and they also have a little insight to what the article is about before they go to that page.

The only colour used here is red. This is perhaps to make it seem a little darker which of course has connotations of the music genre. 

This is from Q Magazine. This is relatively similar to the Kerrang contents page but the image is on the right and the contents is on the left. 

This is also much more simplified which is perhaps as the magazine is aimed at a slightly older audience.
This means that there are no big bold titles 

The only colour used here is red, this is perhaps to give it that simplified look. As the Q logo is also red, the red is used to carry through the House Style.

This is a contents page from an issue of Rock Sound. This, like the issue of Q, is incredibly simplified. On the right side you have your main image and then on the left is the contents.

Again, the colours also very simple with blue being the only colour used here. This seems to be used as it matches the colour of the shirt worn by the subject (Jacoby Shaddix).

 

 

 

 

Double Page Spread

This double page spread is taken from Kerrang. The subject on this page is Corey Taylor. I like the way the image goes over both pages but is still very clear to see and so this is something I shall try to accomplish when making my double page spread.
The only colour used here is red, which again has the connotations of danger associated with rock music.

This double page spread is taken from an issue of Metal Hammer. The image for this one sticks to one page and you can see the subjects full body, this is also so you can see the 'throne' he is sitting off. There are multiple quotes on this double page spread as well to catch the reader's interest and highlight a specific part of the article.
The whole spread has a fantasy type feel to it and that is most likely why Gold has been used as the only colour. Also note that the article use Serif fonts rather than San Serif as they also have connotations of Fantasy and History.

This is a much simpler double page spread from Rocksound. Again the main image takes up two pages. Unlike the other two images it does not remove the subject from the background either. This gives the whole double page spread a darker feel in my opinion as the only splash of colour is the yellow sticker on the left.
I think this makes it look a little more sophisticated and straight forward to read, but it's not very interesting aesthetically.




This is another double page spread from Kerrang. The main image here is also of Corey Taylor whilst performing with Slipknot at Download Festival. It is instantly very clear what this article is about due to Download's well-recognised logo anchored to the image Corey Taylor on the left page.

The colour scheme here uses a lot of yellows and oranges as these have connotations of fire and explosions. So as the word 'Explodes' is used in the title these colours are very good at enhancing the the theme of the article.