Foundation Portfolio - Main Task

The foundation portfolio main task involves producing a front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All the images and text used must be original, produced by me and have a minimum of four images.

As the beginning of this task I looked at how the media key concepts could be apply, I have done this by looking at the acronym LIIAR.

Language

The language which I will be using through out the magazine will be informal, fun and entertaining. The style of writing is going to match the genre of the magazine and set a theme running through out it, such as the title of the music magazine Kerrang which is a onomatopoeic and derives from the noise made when smashing an electric guitar. The colour of the font has to relate with the genre as the magazine will then look more effective.

Institution

There are a number of different music magazine publishers. Below is some publishers which I have researched to find out which music magazine publisher hasn't already produced a magazine with the same genre which I will be producing.

Bauer: The Bauer publishing group was founded in Hamburg 1875 by Johann Bauer. The publishing group has 238 magazines world wide in 15 countries as well as TV and radio stations. Bauer is the largest consumer magazine publishing company in the UK.

Bauer publishes three music magazines these are: Kerrang, Mojo and Q.

Kerrang! remains the market-leading music weekly with a devoted audience of rock fans driving sales of 60,289.

MOJO’s sales are up on the period to 106, 367 and is second only to stablemate Q in the sector. Combined Q and MOJO deliver almost half (43%) the share of the monthly music market. MOJO – which brings classic music to a new generation and new music to established fans – consistently delivers a bespoke fix of high quality journalism and iconic photography to music fans alongside.

Q retains its pre-eminent position as the number one music monthly brand in the UK and across Europe of 112,532.

Future plc: Future is an international special-interest media business, founded in 1985. Future produces about 100 magazines, over 70 websites and magazine exported to 90 different countries. Future sells more than 4 million magazines each month, they attract more than 18 million unique monthly visitors to our websites. They are also the number one for selling guitar magazines selling over 550,000 a month.

Future publishes twelve music magazines, these are: Classic Rock, Computer Music, Future Music, Guitarist, Guitarist Australia, Guitar Techniques, Guitar World, Guitar World Legends, Metal Hammer, Rhythm, Revolver and Total Guitar.

Ipc: IPC Media is a leading UK consumer magazine publisher. Almost two in every three UK women and over 45% of UK men read an IPC magazine. That's almost 27 million UK adults and produces 80 magazines.

Ipc produces three music magazines, these are: Guitar and Bass, NME and Uncut.

Guitar and Bass: Essential reading for the serious guitarist, with dozens of guitar tests, playing techniques, an exclusive bass section and in-depth features on guitar heroes past, present and future.

NME: The NME is the longest published and most respected music weekly in the world. Every week it gives its readers the most exciting, most authoritative coverage of the very best in contemporary music. The award-winning www.nme.com, launched in 1996, has grown to be the biggest commercial music news site in Europe.

Uncut: Uncut is the UK’s most authoritative music and movie magazine. Uncut celebrates all that is great in rock and film, both new and old, cult and classic.

Ideology

The aim for the music magazine will be to inform and entertain the targeted audience which I will chose. In my magazine I will be including the latest news on both new and recent and old bands/artists, upcoming shows and interviews.

Audience

The main target audience for the magazine is going to be aged between 18-24 years, both male and female.

Representation

As the main target audience is aimed between 18-24 years and both male and female, the magazine needs to represent this age group by making the language fun and entertaining but at the same time serious.