The Uses and Gratification Model

• Here, power lies with the audience not the producers
• This theory emphasises what audiences do with media texts- how and why they use them
• Far from being duped by the media, the audience is free t reject, use or play with meanings as they see fit

Audiences therefore use media texts to gratify needs for:

• Diversion
• Escapism
• Information
• Pleasure
• Comparing relationships with ones own (and lifestyles)
• Sexual stimulation

• The audience is in control and consumption of the media helps people with issues such as:
• Learning
• Emotional satisfaction
• Relaxation
• Helps with issues of personal identity, social identity and aggression and violence

Target Audience

 

To find my target audience I looked at existing rock magazines and what age group was the largest reader for them. The three magazines I chose to look at were Kerrang!, Mojo, and Q. I gathered all of my information from the Bauer website and found that overall the largest audience was 15-24 year olds. Because of this my magazine will be aimed at this age group which means I will use colloquial language and keep the magazine very informal. Due to the wide large age range in my target audience, a 'typical reader' does not really apply

After studying these graphs I also decided that my target audience should be interested in rock music and the lifestyles of famous rock artists (as this is what my magazine would be based on).

Due to the colloquial language of my magazine, perhaps the upper class audience would not be as interested in my magazine as middle/ lower classes would be. However, in my magazine (contents page) there will be information about upcoming festivals/ concerts. due to this, the lower class may be uninterested as festivals can often be quite expensive (out of their price range), which makes the magazine less appealing.

I have chosen these conventions because already existing rock magazines share similar target audiences, which may help my magazine become more successful, as this has proven already popular.



My Magazine Logo

For my Magazine logo I took the idea of Kerrang! Magazine and developed the idea of the broken glass effect. I came up with a few different name ideas such as; amplify, distortion and riot. Out of all of these I asked a few friends and found that riot was the most popular name choice.

I had also found that red was a bold colour and was used frequently in existing magazines to make a bold impression. Keeping all of these ideas in mind I started designing my magazine logo.

The first step I took was choosing an image of broken glass to use in my design, I used the Kerrang! logo for inspiration: this is the one I finally chose;

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next step was picking a red colour that I liked the most that would stand out on my final magazine;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I had to choose a font which fit with my music type and style of magazine;

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually I chose my favourite font and combined all of my previous ideas together to create my final magazine name;

Rock Music Mood Board

The Uses and Gratification Model

The Uses and Gratifications Model

• Here, the power lies audience NOT the producers
• This theory emphasises what audiences do with media texts- how and why they use them
• Far from being duped by the media, the audience is free to reject, use or play with meanings as they see fit.

Audiences therefore use media texts to gratify needs for;

1. Diversion 
2. Escapism
3. Information
4. Pleasure 
5. Comparing relationships and lifestyles with ones own

The audience is in control and consumption of the media helps people with issues such as:

1. Learning 
2. Emotional satisfaction 
3. Relaxation
4. Helps with issues of personal identity, social identity and aggression and violence

The History of Kerrang!

Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. Named after the sound made when playing a power chord on a distorted electric guitar, Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts. In the early 2000s it became the best-selling British music newspaper. Kerrang! initially focused on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal phenomenon and on the rise of other hard rock acts. Launched as a monthly magazine, Kerrang! began to appear on a fortnightly basis later, and in 1987 it went weekly. During the 1980s and early 1990s the magazine placed many thrash and glam metal acts on the cover (like Mötley Crüe, Slayer, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Poison, and Venom) but later discarded them when grunge acts such as Nirvana rose to fame. Readers often criticise the magazine for repeating this process every time a new musical trend becomes popular.

Taking My Photos

Arrangements for my Photos:

• My photos will be taken on a Cannon camera
• My Friend will be taking the photos of me
• Using natural lighting
• Plain clothing
• Front facing image
• Photo of guitar
• Photos will be taken at my house