Survey

I've set up a survey on surveymonkey which can be accessed with this...
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/359C9D9
I have emailed all the musical theatre people I know, from all areas of musical theatre and asked for them to pass it on to any friends. Luckily, I know really quite a few musical theatre people and so the responses are stacking up nicely already!

Potential Names

For the magazine

• Masque
• Starlight
• Masquerade
• Luvvies
• Behind the Magic
• The Prologue
• Show Business
• Musical Theatre (M.T)
• So You Think You're A Star?
• What Next?
• The Bizz

For the pirate musical

• Anchor
• Crossed Swords
• A'hoy
• A Pirates Life for Me
• The Gallows
• Raise Your Flag
• Treasure Chest
• Captain [name]
• Yo Ho Me Hearties

I will try to be even more creative and add to these but I'm going to include this within my questionnaire to find out which appeal to my target audience the most. But all the names do link with musical theatre or pirates, which is going to be essential for the marketing of the magazine.

Ideas for Content

• In depth review of new pirate musical (this will be the double page spread that I create and it will feature on the front cover)
• Backstage - this will be a regular feature, each week focusing on a different area and a different show
• A what's hot, what's not type thing. Maybe covering new dance wear that has been released. Don't know if this would work.
• Section on audition techniques again a regular thing. Varying between university courses (dance, drama, music, music production, musical theatre, performing arts), auditions for film and TV and even techniques for festivals
• Latest news on upcoming events surrounding the genre
• Review/article from somewhere else in Europe
• Review/article from somewhere outside of Europe
• Interview with one musical theatre performer about their lifestyle
• A few sections on different types of musical theatre e.g. opera, ballet, tap
• Advertisements throughout of related businesses, shows and schools/colleges/universities
• 'A performers body' an article on how to stay healthy, avoid injury
• Information on how to get experience - volunteering, internships
• Review of at least one new C.D released by those in musical theatre
• 'Revive the classics' looking at older musicals, films made of musicals
• Competition e.g. tour around a theatre before seeing current show
• Q+A

My Target Audience

Age - 15-50. A large age range as there are a variety of themes and I want to aim it at those looking to get into the business which is really any age at all.
Gender - Mixed
Ethnicity - All. Aspects from around the World
Lifestyle - Variety. I want to cover those who have the money for all the top performing arts school but a majority for those who don't as this is actually quite a large market.
Socio-economic group - Variety. Anyone from any class could have an interest in musical theatre. For example, Alfie Boe was classed as a C2/D but he had a passion for musical theatre.

And of course, a keen interest in musical theatre, but any aspect...

• lighting
• sound
• overall performance
• production
• film
• marketing
• directing
• choreographing
• singing
• composing
• acting
• dancing
• lifestyle

This range of area I would like to cover within my magazine issues means that it will appeal to a mass market within musical theatre. From research I have found very limited magazines covering musical theatre and absolutely none with key information on 'how to make it' which for a majority of those interested in musical theatre, is a tricky and key question.

Conventions I am Going to Use

Here are some of the ideas from all the magazines I've analysed that I would like to try and use in my own magazine



From Musical Stages:

• Articles and reviews from all around the World


• A really in-depth analysis of at least one Musical


• Adevertising relevant shops, universities, events

From Dancing Times:

• The page numbering system which gives magaznine title and issue as well as the number


• Idea of splitting up the contents page with features and regulars but I will do this in a different way - Maybe colour code it?


• Articles from all around the World


• Advertising relevant events and competitions

From NME:

• Picture on cover being main feature and use of overlapping
• Arranging contents page so that main features stand out
  

From Kerrang:

• Picture on cover being main feature and use of overlapping
• Several pictures on all pages

KERRANG!

My final analysis is of KERRANG! Which claims to be the World's biggest selling weekly rock magazine. the magazine was first published in 1981. It is published in the United Kingdom but also other countries - including Spain! In the UK is is priced at £2.20.

According to the National Readership Survey it is 0.2% more popular than NME but is also read by more males than females. 1.1% of all males and just 0.5% of all females. It's largely more popular amongst those in the age range 15-44 than 44+. And from the front cover of the February 19th issue, you can probably tell why...

It is similar to the front cover of NME in that it is all capitalised, very busy, 'loud' and the image takes up the entire cover with text written over it. A difference between the two covers is that this one includes other, smaller close-up pictures around the sides. For example in the top right hand corner and down the left hand side. All of which are actually to illustrate free posters or competition prizes. By doing this it draws the reader's attention to the freebies and prizes, possibly persuading them to buy the magazine. The cover uses several different colours. The red and orange could be linked to fire; passion. All of the colours are bold and stand out. The cover also includes a rhetorical question to draw the reader in.

As you can see from this double page spread (6-7) the content isn't very professional, more informal. This feature article on Panic at the Disco is predomionantly made up of pictures rather than text and information. The information that is in the far right column is in small text especially when compared to the quote pasted across the pictures. This shows that the typical reader is maybe not interested in every fact or detail but more in seeing the action and the overall gist of the articles. Maybe aimed at people who do not set aside much time to read? The captions for the pictures are comical, adding to the informal tone.

All structures, layouts, colours and text in this magazine appeal to its target audience and is perfect for its genre...maybe not so much for musical theatre though.

NME

To look in more detail at magazine styles and typical readers I am also going to analyse two magazines of other styles starting here with NME.

NME stands for New Music Express and it has been published weekly since March 1952. It was always printed on newsprint until 1998 when the cover became a glossy mag, full with colour. It covers all new music. So since 1952 it has covered up-coming styles like punk rock and hip-hop whereas now it is majority about indie bands and indie music.

According to the National Readership Survey, it is considerably more popular in men than women, which judging from the style, it is evident why. It is thought that 0.9% of men read NME every issue whereas only 0.3% of females do. It is priced at £2.30 per issue and is available from several countries as well as on subscription.

The language used is very informal with the odd rude word meaning that this magazine is aimed at mid-teenage+. Being extremely stereotypical I would imagine the readers of NME to like to be up-to-date, always in the know, maybe to impress but they maybe don't know all the bands included in the magazine. I would think them to be individual and a bit 'out-there' as NME seems to conform to this image.

To the right is the front cover of the 19th February issue and to the left is the contents page. As you can see, neither are very simple, both busy and 'loud'.

Everything on the front cover is printed in capital letters and the pink is so bright it's hard to miss the cover! Even though it is all in capitals there are still things which stand out more than others due to side and position. For example, 'The Strokes' immediately grabs your attention as it is positioned across the centre in very large font. This particular band name is placed there as they are the main feature of this issue. I do like the layout as it is very modern however I would have to experiment this sort of style with musical theatre. Not sure it would work?! I think that it is clever that the background is made up of a picture of the band and that the text is printed over this. However the picture is layered on top of the logo, concealing some of it. This is because the magazine is so established people will know what it is from the layout.

The contents page, at first glance, doesn't appear to be very organised at all. And at a closer look...well, it isn't really. The page numbers are spread out and the main numbers are actually in descending order. In some ways the layout of the contents page works as it makes all the main features stand out. For this particular magazine it works, but I can't see it conforming to the expectations of a Musical Theatre magazine.