Magazine Assignment 1

For the print magazine, I chose to analyse the Fader

Print Magazine (Fader)

The fader cover

The Fader is a music lifestyle magazine, with a focus more specifically on hip hop. The purpose of the magazine is to entertain (interviews, posters, etc), as well as inform (about new music, upcoming music events, lesser known artists). The main target audience is mostly male, from 16-30, with interest in the hip hop genre. The magazine appeals to this audience by using language such as popular slang that young people utilise and by including artists who have a similar overlap in fan base that are popular for this age. The design and layout focuses mostly around the artist’s image, and their own signature style (see Fader’s Tyler cover, where the colour scheme follows the pale and pastel aesthetic expressed through his music and clothing). The layout of these magazines are both very simple and minimalistic. This makes the magazine as a whole easier to read (mostly black text on white backgrounds), along with helping to emphasise certain articles by using colour. The primary purpose  is to entertain the reader with images and insight into their favorite musical artists and also inform about new releases, new artists, etc. The Fader is a premium magazine. It costs £6.67 per issue and is generally only available through online purchase. This means that it is more targeted towards specialist listeners rather than your average person. The premium quality is reflected in the aesthetic of the magazine, which is more mature than a standard cheap music magazine.

Distribution
Print magazines are primarily available from supermarkets, convenience stores, through mail order and as of recently, through internet order. They may sometimes also be sold within clothing stores if it is a brand magazine. Readers can either pick up each issue from stores if they only buy the magazine occasionally or they can sign up to be send every new issue through post. This is usually incentivize by the magazine distributors with discounts or special offers for those dedicated enough to subscribe to it.


Double Page Spread (Fader)

The dominant image of the artist takes up the entire left page, with the artist’s name appearing across the pages using two different text styles and colors going from white to black. This creates a contrast between the pages, from dark to light. The image of Kid Cudi is a medium close up and uses low key lighting to create a dark image, allowing the white text to pop out more. The lighting used has a brown/tan tint to it, which could signify nostalgia as he recants his upbringing, an integral aspect of the article.

He has his arms folded with a serious expression on his face, making him look more “matter of fact”. This signifies to the reader that his music is his main  focus in life, and that he takes it very seriously, refusing to go back. The medium close up and dark lighting has been used to create intimacy with the reader, almost as if you were sitting down and having a interesting conversation with him. He is wearing gold chains and a dark striped T shirt. The chains show that he has already made it within the industry, and can enjoy luxuries. The shirt is not particularly flashy, and embodies his humble, yet proud persona. On the right page, there is a pullquote from the artist’s interview. This draws in the reader, as what he’s saying makes him more relatable to the average person. The main body of text does not take up a lot of space, with just two columns, the first of which is over half of the size of the longest. Both the byline with the author’s name and the quote fit nicely between the dominant image and the columns of text. Small lines have also been used to split up the different elements of the article nicely, making it more readable and easier to navigate. At the bottom, there is small black folio stretching the length of both text columns containing the name of the magazine along with the release date. This also fits in with the consistent black/white color scheme of the article. The main target demographic for this style of magazine would be around 16-25, but an article like this contains a lot of text, and may be best suited to the more patient, mature people within that demographic. The layout used on this page is very simple and easy to understand and extract information from. 

The main body of text follows a very conventional vertical blocks approach (with a noticeable dropcap to signify its beginning) which many newspapers and magazines have used for ages. The text is written in a formal way to give the article a more mature tone and allow the reader to understand the nuances of the complex man who is Kid Cudi. The main article font adds to the sensible tone of the article as well by utilising a light bodied sans serif font. The “Kid” plastered over the image is done in a pleasant calligraphic style, with the next part of his name, “Cudi” in a college sports style font. The combination of these two opposing themes represents the duality of Cudi and his personality. One side of him is a smart, fancy man, where the other is more fun and laid back. This is communicated to the reader upon first glance quickly due to its size and scale and allow the viewer to understand the type of person that Cudi, even if they don’t know him.


Front Cover (Fader)

The cover is minimalistic, focusing primarily on only two colors (the orange background and Tyler’s blue hoodie). The main focus of this issue is Tyler the Creator, with no other artists or selling points appearing on the cover, giving all of the space and attention to Tyler. The largest text on the cover is the magazine title at the top, which is next to the short but to-the-point phrase “The Now Issue”. This tagline is used on all new covers and signifies that Fader is up to date on the latest music and artists. There is also the artist’s name up front, which may help identify him to those who can recognize the name but not the face.

Tyler’s face is covered by a blue hood and his hands, giving a sense of mystery behind him. The colors that he is wearing along with the background color signifies his personal style (lots of pastel and pale colors, very basic but vibrant and bright design), and this helps to make the cover more personalized to Tyler. Direct address is used as Tyler is looking directly forward at the viewer with an unsure expression on his face, this creates a level of interest and draws more people in. In terms of lighting, there isn’t a complex setup involved here. Lights are pointed towards his head and his face shining out of the blue hoodie.

The formula is quite standard in terms of layout, but there is a lack of sell lines, relying only on Tyler and the Fader name to sell the magazine. The genre does not stand out immediately, and the lack of genre defining elements on the cover give the cover more ambiguity and intrigues viewers to buy the magazine to see what it is all about. 

In America, african american culture is typically associated with a more urban and street outlook on life and style. African americans are also typically expected to be proud and untimid by the media, and stand up tall and confident. Tyler subverts all of these known conventions by dressing himself in bright, poppy clothing and concealing himself by hiding his face within the hood, rounding his shoulders, and pulling his head back into his body. This represents his personality. He does not fit in with the stereotypes and shows that nobody else has to either. He also isn’t the most confident or socially ept person, a concept that his persona and his musical themes demonstrate. This idea can also be effectively taken from the front cover. The look of discomfort on his face almost creates a strange aura between him and the viewer. The viewer will most likely be also made slightly uncomfortable by the cover, but at the same time they will want to investigate the type of person he is and discover the type of merit that his art holds. The fact the he is also so close to the camera and that he has a blank wall behind him may also signify that he feels alone because too much intimacy scares him. The blue hoodie that he is covering the majority of his body with further pushes this point. Blue is a color that is typically associated with loneliness and sentimentality. Orange (used within the background) is connotated with enthusiasm and fun. Tyler facing away from this colored wall could signify that he, figuratively and literally, turns his back on these concepts in order to isolate himself for the sake of perfecting his art. This ties back into the rest of the mise-en-scene as well (facial expression and pose mainly). 

Technical Considerations of Print and Digital Magazines
The technical considerations of print magazines include:
Size – magazines sizes are important. Most magazines use A4 or A5.
Contents page – this should tell the viewer what page number they need to navigate to in order to find the content they’re looking for. It is also important for articles to include running heads, so that readers can find articles they want to read at a glance.
Bleed line – without this around the magazine, certain elements may be cut off when it is printed
Gutter line – this will make the navigation experience easier
Colour settings – ensures that all images are in full colour
Fonts – choosing the right font will stylise the magazine more, making it more unique and better looking. Fonts should also be consistent throughout the entire magazine
Distribution– the magazine needs to be sold in an appropriate place so that it will sell to the target audience. It should be placed where it can be spotted by people who might be interested in buying it.
Layout – there must be continuity in the layout and headings should be the same on all pages

The technical considerations of digital magazines include:
Colors/fonts – might not look the same on every device. Some stylistic features could be lost
Support – not all devices work well with digital magazines. They might display wrong and certain elements may not be viewable
Rotation – when rotating to landscape from portrait, the reader will need to scroll across the screen to view the full page. This can feel unnatural and be a nuisance.
Distribution – digital magazines can be distributed in a lot of different ways. The main services used for this are Amazon and Barnes and Noble. However, certain distributors require you to utilise their templates, causing the magazine to look less stylised and more generic
Losing files – some audio and videos might be redacted from the internet, causing the magazine to lose some of its meaning
Zooming – if the viewer has to zoom in and out to read certain portions of the magazine, it can be discouraging

The digital magazine that I chose was Crack magazine. Crack is a digital music magazine which is available for free. Due to this, it heavily features advertisements and product placements in order to make the revenue to run the magazine. The purpose of the magazine is very similar to Fader. It contains artist interviews, images and previews of new releases to entertain and inform the viewer. Crack is aimed at a similar audience as the Fader, with the main demographic being 16-30 year olds. Crack also tends to use a lot of formal language also like Fader, and as well is aimed at more mature youth or older people interested in the hip hop genre. 

Front Cover (Crack)

Crack seems to be aimed at a technologically forward thinking, fashionable audience with its high tech aesthetic that can be observed on the cover, along with the vinyl record equipment and clothing advertisements throughout the magazine (for companies like Carhartt WIP) 

The style, like Fader, is incredibly simple and defies a lot of the standard codes and conventions (lack of sell lines, bar codes, etc). The cover only features the name of the magazine, issue number, the main artist of that issue, and the artists name. A subtle black-blue-white gradient is used for the background, which allows Lil Yachty’s hair, outfit and chain to pop out a lot and attract the viewer’s attention. He is dressed in a bright yellow jacket and has shining jewelry on. Yellow as a color typically represents happiness and high levels of energy, which Yachty’s persona and music contains an absolute abundance of. His head is tilted to the side with his hands up to his face holding his chains. The jewelry informs the viewer that he is part of the subgenre of hip hop known as trap, which commonly features lyrics related to bragging about expensive material possessions, and his bright colors also shows that he adds his own fun and more lighthearted twist to it.

His pose creates an innocent and unthreatening look, which is what Yachty is all about. Although you can get a general idea of the type of music that he makes from the cover, a lot is left out to attract someone to read the magazine and the article about him. His eyes are closed which makes him seem like he’s not really there, and intentionally creates vagueness and ambiguity to entice an audience.

The “Lil” in Lil Yachty’s name is harder to read as it white text on an almost white background. This is intentional as his appearance is what defines his music and not many people who know his name will not know his face. It also might represent how Yachty is so well known at this point that the “Lil” in his name need not apply, and that he has made it to the point where he is referred to just by Yachty.  The photo is taken from a medium close up range, which allows the viewer to be intimate with Yachty but also see him holding up his chains as well as the color on his jacket.

The Crack logo is hollow with a very thin yellow outline to match the jacket color. It is this way to not draw the viewer's attention away from the primary image and to allow the artist to take the main stage on the cover. The logo is in a bold, blocky font, with a low key sans serif font used for the artists name. This creates a nice contrast between the two styles which is also cohesive throughout the rest of the magazine.

Distribution
Digital magazines are distributed through the internet and accessed through either mobile apps or websites which allow the reader to read the magazine when connected to the internet. Some services even allow the reader to download issues of the magazine to read offline. If the digital magazine is payed then users will be billed with every new issue release and notified of its release. If it's a free digital magazine then users can still sign up to receive notifications of new releases on different services.

Double Page Spread (Crack)

This double page spread includes an article on Mac Demarco. First, the viewer is presented with a full body photo of Mac sitting in a very well lit and welcoming environment looking very relaxed, slouching back with his legs spread out and his hands interlocked. Mac has a slacker personality which can be heard in his slowed, twangy music. He also usually dresses in a lot of used, thrift store clothes, and in the photo, he is wearing an old pair of overalls and beaten-up vans, which demonstrates that he chooses not to live a lavish and rich lifestyle, even though he could afford to. The quote from the article featured above the picture reflects this (saying that he is frugal) and describes the type of person he is to the viewer even if they are not acquainted with him. The smile on his face and the tagline “everybody loves Mac Demarco” tells the reader that Mac is a very joyful and positive person. 
This article is very conventional (the text layout, the one photo on the left side of the article, the highlighted quote to let the viewer get the artist’s perspective) and is more focused around the information and the text than the style. The box with the quote up top is hollow and overlaps onto the photo (a stylistic trademark for Crack magazine). It is all in black but still stands out so that it will catch the reader’s eye without distracting them from the photo of Mac, which is arguably the most important element of the article. The same sans serif font is used all throughout the article and gives it a clean, classic black and white look that is easy to read and understand for the reader. Mac Demarco’s name is underlined which makes it stand out and signifies the headline of the article. Above the main paragraphs are the credits. Both the photographer and the writer are given equal credits. This is probably because the image has an equal value to the actual words in the article

Evaluation
In conclusion, both digital and physical magazines function similar to each other, and although print media is still preferred by the majority of people, digital magazines can follow the codes and conventions of magazines that have been set for years. They can also both be aimed at the same audience, however you should consider that if the magazine is aimed towards an older demographic (50+), it is probably more important to focus all on print media as this demographic is way less likely to even consider digital. Younger people are more technologically engaged and therefore a certain part of this demographic may prefer a digital version so you should offer one if possible. 
Both the Fader and Crack are very similar to each other. I would even say that Crack takes some stylistic inspiration from Fader in terms of its layout and aesthetic (very minimal covers, lots of focus on just one artist). Both of the magazines are aimed towards the same audience (16-30, interest in hip hop and indie music) and serve the same purpose, with informing readers on their favorite artists as well as up and coming artists that they may not have heard of before. The Fader looks more professional which is to be expected considering its premium price point, however, Crack is a good free and digital contender which may be suited to a more on the go and technical oriented audience who cannot afford Fader or just don't want to pay for it. When Crack magazine launches, its readers can immediately access it online and don't have to wait for it to ship like Fader. 



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