Question Seven

Looking back at my preliminary task it is clear that my basic understanding for photoshop and using the tools has developed a lot. I also think that when it comes to using adobe photoshop my confidence has grown and I'm willing to try new things and be more inventive with my work as opposed to sticking to my design with no room to change. Everything on my current product is of a better quality then it was on my preliminary task, this is mostly because of the amount of time allowed to be spent on my preliminary task was literally nothing compared to how much has been spent on my magazine.

For my main task I staged a proper photo shoot using a professional quality camera and professional lighting, opposed to taking photos at random locations and intending to cut the background out. The lack of structure and organisation when making my preliminary task contributed to the outcome being reasonably poor. During my preliminary task I didn't add any effects such as drop shadows or bevelling and embossing the text partly because I didn't know how to and partly because there wasn't time to add the final details.

However when making my final product it was the finer details that I seemed to pay more attention to as they could determine whether the piece of text or image belonged on the particular page. My design sketches were more guidelines and I found that because I had more time I was more relaxed about playing around with the layout of certain pages. When creating my preliminary task it was hard to find inspiration as there aren't many school magazines around. However as the genre of music is so popular and common in magazines all I had to do was research what kind of layout was conventional as well as what type of images I should be looking to use.

Another thing that I managed to adapt from my preliminary task was a set colour scheme. Although my preliminary task did have a  colour scheme of blue and yellow (school colours) it wasn't as strong and consistent as my final product which I think is another aspect which made my piece more successful than the preliminary task.

 

 

 

 

Question Six

Question Five

The obvious main way to attract my Target Audience would be through my front cover as that would be what they'd see first when my magazine is on the shelf next to the others. Therefore I chose a relatively strong picture for my front cover as I needed my model to stand out and really sell the purpose and idea behind my magazine. As previously discussed the type of audience that would appeal to my magazine would be interested in indie/music and have a range of fashion icons and styles I thought it'd be crucial to in a way underdress my model. This is because I wanted the main focus to be on the attitude of her face which relates to the rebellious image of the music genre.

 

 

The lighting contributes to the photo and meant that little editing had to be done as she was wearing bold colours and her make-up was also done so that as little editing and airbrushing would be needed as possible. Even though the audience may not be able to tell I wanted to do as little editing as possible to my model to make her appear as natural as possible to help to subtly connect to the reader. By making my model as similar to the reader as possible will help to form a relationship between the iconic star and reader therefore helping them to escape from every day life. The use of escapism relates to the uses and gratifications theory.

As well as using my model as an iconic figure I also carefully chose which bands would feature in the sell lines on my magazine.

 

I chose bands that frequently headlined festivals and also tried to re-create a buzz for old favourites like Sum41. By having this range of news on the cover I hoped this could only further engage my audience as the future of bands they currently and or used to love should be a keen interest to them. This again relates to the uses and gratifications theory of the audiences thirst for knowledge. I have incorporated band who are famous world wide as well as broadcasting smaller bands who may be more well known to a predominantly british audience. This is because each band brings something different to the genre which will appeal to different ages and possibly genders of my target audience. For example younger members may feel a stronger connection to pop punk bands like Blink182 whereas slightly older members may have more of a love for the classic Britpop bands like Oasis.

 

 

This highlights how I've acknowledge how even within my target audience there are different areas that'll appeal stronger to others as each have their favourites.

I haven't included the use of social networking on my front cover as I've kept that to my subscriptions box on my contents page. My reason behind this is because I was trying to keep a stylish, modern and subtle feel to the front cover. I also expect the audience of this age range to figure that there would be a smart phone ap or social networking page for my magazine as it is one of the most important areas in socialisation today. This supports how I have considered my audiences needs and have taken in to account their knowledge. As well as hoping that they'll acknowledge my front cover enough to look inside my magazine.

Question Four

Question Three

What Kind of Institution Might Distribute Your Media

As it is important to have a variety of different media programmes when posting my music magazine evaluation task questions I decided to use microsoft powerpoint. It's very similar to prezi and therefore easier to use. As it is a software opposed to being online I consider it to be reliable as you can use it even when the internet is down.

Question Two

Above is a prezi which helps to display what audience my piece is aimed at. I chose to do a prezi as they're easy to create and to use afterwards. Prezi is a online and interactive software which makes it more beneficial and fun for the audience as they get to participate in the presentation. For my media music magazine coursework evaluation task I thought it was important to try and answer teach and every question as detailed as I possibly could and I found that prezi is a good way to do this. This is because you can choose your own layout and set the paths to where you want them to go. This is why I feel it's better then powerpoint.

Question One



When planning and creating my magazine I tried to conform to the typical conventions of an Indie/Rock magazine. When doing my similar product analysis I tried to focus on products which I could  base my product on and to help develop my ideas. I gained further knowledge on magazines like Q, Kerrang and NME when doing my Key Concepts Prezi which then enabled me to start my magazine appealing to a target audience of 14-25 year olds. My target audience needed to have an interest to predominantly mainstream music and have similar-ish fashion to the iconic artists who make up the genre.

I aspired for my magazine to be the most eye-catching among the others of its type in the hope to sway their audience on to my magazine making it the most popular. I adapted my masthead from how it was originally going to be built up from speakers and guitar necks to make it easier to read and bolder, I extended the letters to make them taller and added a drop shadow. The colour of my masthead is grey which is a underrated colour, this could imply that the artists within do not get the recognition they deserve therefore this is why the magazine is promoting them. This is reinforced by the bold red background as it represents the passion for music that the magazine will be representing.

My main sell line is centred near the bottom of my page, I felt positioning is crucial as well as size, font and colour. It needed to have some form of diversity from the rest of my sell lines so that it didn't blend in. Therefore I chose the font impact and capitalised the text. The artists name is in red to signify her importance, similarly to the masthead she has a drop shadow on her name. However the colours aren't the same as there needs to be something that differentiates them to avoid confusion and to create hierarchy. My model is positioned in the centre of the page leaning forward towards the audience. I chose this particular image as it's like the model is inviting the audience to join her. The models head covers some of the Masthead which signifies how the magazine consider their stories and artists more important than the name of the magazine. There is a banner that spreads across the bottom of my page which says "FREE RHCP POSTER" the use of the acronym for Red Hot Chilli Peppers signifies that the audience will have preconceived knowledge of what this stands for. My sell lines are situated down either side of the page in the same colour as my masthead. The feature bands such as "Atryeu", "Lana Del Rey", "Kasabian" and "Blink 182".

My contents page highlights the consistent colour scheme of the magazine. I followed a similar layout to NME by separating what bands are featured in my magazine down one side as well main stories and news down the other. Again I've used the centre of my page for the pictures, creating a staircase image with the most important story at the top, again establishing a hierarchy to the audience. I included a subscription box in the bottom corner of my magazine which also has  details of a smart phone AP. I also got inspiration from the Facebook button to create my own for my magazine. By incorporating social networking and APs into my magazine will appeal to a broad teenage audience as they rely on communication a lot via social networking sites.

My double page spreads again uses the same consistent colour scheme of red and grey, which will create familiarity for my magazine. The colours will help demonstrate the mood and add mystery of this weeks artist as the audience may not have heard her story. I created an introductory page consisting of the pull quote; "SOME PEOPLE PRAY I TURN UP THE RADIO" which already gives an insight into the artists faith in music. There are 3 images underneath the quote of my model sitting on an amp which signifies what type of music she plays. On the other side of the page is an introductory paragraph and an anecdote from my artists mother which helps to give a back ground story. I put a picture in behind the text of my artist holding a microphone out to the audience which signifies how her voice has been heard and now it's their turn. I changed the opacity of the picture to help blend in behind the text. My second double page spread features a black and white picture of my artist eating a strawberry. The whole picture is in black and white apart from her lips and the strawberry. I followed a similar style as y first page with my second as I put a picture in behind the text of my artist throwing confetti in the air which helps to display how she is young and celebrating her success. I also have a third and final double page spread being made which features most of the article.

Final Piece

Final Piece

Above is my final piece. I have change my front cover and double page spreads a lot since my draft. My front cover now has a slightly different colour scheme from my original draft. I have also removed the red lines and the gradient from the background. Instead I have a slight light behind the image drawing more attention to my cover model as she is considered to be an iconic star by my audience. Some sell lines have been deleted and they're now all down one side of the page. However I have kept the sell line of thefree poster the same at the bottom as well as the 'guitar pick' competition plug.
My contents has stayed around the same, I have just added article information under the titles and have edited my subscription box so that now it contains an editors note.
As for my double page spreads I have added a profile for my artist and have changed the opacity of the photo so that it is clearer. I have also changed the three pictures at the bottom of the page. For my second double page spread I have changed the font and colour of the text so that it doesn't appear to be so merged together as before my font was impact and at times it is hard to read. I changed the colour so that it can be seen over the image behind it. As my text was now darker I could change the opacity of the image to make the slightly darker too. I also made an extra double page spread. This contains the bulk of my article as well as feature images at the top and bottom of the page.

Audience Feedback

Feedback for Magazine


I asked people who fit into my target audience to comment on my magazine so far so that I knew what I needed to change. I got some useful constructive criticism which has now allowed me to change aspects of my page. My contents page got the most positive feedback which meant that I changed that the least. However my front cover and double page spreads need to be edited as sometimes the text of images aren't has clear or effective as they could be. I found getting audience feedback useful as I need to get my magazine looking as professional as possible and I also need it to a appeal to my target audience. Therefore my getting this feedback I can get pointed in the right direction for what my audience do want.

Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to your final product?

Looking back at my preliminary task it is clear that my basic understanding for photoshop and using the tools has developed a lot. I also think that when it comes to using adobe photoshop my confidence has grown and I'm willing to try new things and be more inventive with my work as opposed to sticking to my design with no room to change. Everything on my current product is of a better quality then it was on my preliminary task, this is mostly because of the amount of time allowed to be spent on my preliminary task was literally nothing compared to how much has been spent on my magazine.

For my main task I staged a proper photo shoot using a professional quality camera and professional lighting, opposed to taking photos at random locations and intending to cut the background out. The lack of structure and organisation when making my preliminary task contributed to the outcome being reasonably poor. During my preliminary task I didn't add any effects such as drop shadows or bevelling and embossing the text partly because I didn't know how to and partly because there wasn't time to add the final details.

However when making my final product it was the finer details that I seemed to pay more attention to as they could determine whether the piece of text or image belonged on the particular page. My design sketches were more guidelines and I found that because I had more time I was more relaxed about playing around with the layout of certain pages. When creating my preliminary task it was hard to find inspiration as there aren't many school magazines around. However as the genre of music is so popular and common in magazines all I had to do was research what kind of layout was conventional as well as what type of images I should be looking to use.

Another thing that I managed to adapt from my preliminary task was a set colour scheme. Although my preliminary task did have a  colour scheme of blue and yellow (school colours) it wasn't as strong and consistent as my final product which I think is another aspect which made my piece more successful than the preliminary task.

What have you learned about technologies from the process of construction of your product?

The main form of technology I used when creating my magazine was adobe photoshop. Adobe photoshop is a software that allows me to create professional and realistic product with a much better quality opposed to if I was using a software similar to paint. Adobe Photoshop is the best choice when it comes to making a magazine as it is used by real magazine companies globally.
The most useful skill and one I used most often is being able to accurately remove an image from its background. Once your image has been successfully cut out from its background you can start to edit it in detail by adjusting the brightness - this can help add intensity to the image. Something I liked changing of my images was it opacity, this then made it easier to put text over an image with it still being readable.
Another basic but very useful tool was using the guidelines and ruler as it helped to keep pages symmetrical and also made the format to conform to that of a magazine. I found using this tool particularly helpful on my double page spreads as it made putting the article into columns much easier. Once the page had been split when entering my text I used a text wrapping tool to make sure that everything stayed well inside the lines to help keep order on my page. On some my photos there was a slight shadow cast form the angle of the lighting therefore I needed to use the clones stamp tool to edit the skin tone. This involves taking on shade of skin from a area of the photo where the shadow didn't effect the image and blending it over the shadowed area of the image. I found this tool complicated to use and tried to avoid using images where this tool would be needed as it took a lot of patience to get the picture looking natural again.
When using photoshop as mentioned previously I had difficulties, therefore I had to find a means to which I could get over these problems, a great help was YouTube. This is because it gave me access to a wide range of videos teaching me in simple steps how to use the tool. Without You Tube I wouldn't of been able to pick up short cuts and other skills in order to complete my magazine.
A huge inspiration for me was looking over other magazine websites online and seeing how they broadcasted their products to the public. I found that they indulged in the word of mouth developed on social networking sites which encouraged me to create an advertisement for an ap for my own magazine.
By publishing my work on to a blog I found that it was easier for me to upload research and other pieces of work on to my blog. A really useful website to convert and publish my work was scribd this is because it allows you to embed your powerpoint presentation or word document straight on to the blog without editing it or changing the quality. It also makes it easy to view. Another handy online software is prezi, similar to powerpoint only allows you to structure your presentation with more interaction. It develops your presentation and allows links and images to again be embedded straight of the internet which doesn't effect its quality as is possible when sometimes put on to a word document or powerpoint presentation.
Another useful small piece of hardware was the webcam attached to my laptop as it permitted to display my progress in small videos as well as allowing me to broadcast my proposal in a more direct way.

How did you attract/address your Target Audience

The obvious main way to attract my Target Audience would be through my front cover as that would be what they'd see first when my magazine is on the shelf next to the others. Therefore I chose a relatively strong picture for my front cover as I needed my model to stand out and really sell the purpose and idea behind my magazine. As previously discussed the type of audience that would appeal to my magazine would be interested in indie/music and have a range of fashion icons and styles I thought it'd be crucial to in a way underdress my model. This is because I wanted the main focus to be on the attitude of her face which relates to the rebellious image of the music genre.
The lighting contributes to the photo and meant that little editing had to be done as she was wearing bold colours and her make-up was also done so that as little editing and airbrushing would be needed as possible. Even though the audience may not be able to tell I wanted to do as little editing as possible to my model to make her  appear as natural as possible to help to subtly connect to the reader. By making my model as similar to the reader as possible will help to form a relationship between the iconic star and reader therefore helping them to escape from every day life. The use of escapism relates to the uses and gratifications theory.
As well as using my model as an iconic figure I also carefully chose which bands would feature in the sell lines on my magazine. I chose bands that frequently headlined festivals and also tried to re-create a buzz for old favourites like Sum41. By having this range of news on the cover I hoped this could only further engage my audience as the future of bands they currently and or used to love should be a keen interest to them. This again relates to the uses and gratifications theory of the audiences thirst for knowledge. I have incorporated band who are famous world wide as well as broadcasting smaller bands who may be more well known to a predominantly british audience. This is because each band brings something different to the genre which will appeal to different ages and possibly genders of my target audience. For example younger members may feel a stronger connection to pop punk bands like Blink182 whereas slightly older members may have more of a love for the classic Britpop bands like Oasis. This highlights how I've acknowledge how even within my target audience there are different areas that'll appeal stronger to others as each have their favourites.
I haven't included the use of social networking on my front cover as I've kept that to my subscriptions box on my contents page. My reason behind this is because I was trying to keep a stylish, modern and subtle feel to the front cover. I also expect the audience of this age range to figure that there would be a smart phone ap or social networking page for my magazine as it is one of the most important areas in socialisation   today. This supports how I have considered my audiences needs and have taken in to account their knowledge. As well as hoping that they'll acknowledge my front cover enough to look inside my magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

People are attracted to magazines due to their interests, fashion, style and their need for knowledge in certain worlds (celebrity, fashion, music). My magazine focuses on the world of music, it's aim is to reach out to those who listen to the particular genres of indie/rock. I tried to make this as clear as possible by maintaining a red and grey colour scheme as the red is powerful yet the grey is more neutral. This applies to the two different sides of my audience. The red will appeal to those who have confidence and will show their extrovert personality through a possible outrageous dress sense. However the grey will apply to those who are in it more for the music rather than having aspirations to dress like the artists.

My cover model isn't dressed outrageously however her pose displays attitude which conforms to my reasons above. My model looks about 18 years old which relates to my Target Audience further as they will be of a similar age group as my original TA was from 16-24 year olds. I've aimed to appeal to a conventionally younger audience as I feel the music in my magazine won't always appeal to an older audience. As  my audience is predominantly young adults they will most likely still be students or having part-time jobs therefore their social class would be C1,C2 or D.
Although my cover model is female my magazine aims to appeal to both boys and girls. Girls will most likely aspire to be like her whereas boys will find her look attractive. Her look is important to the magazine even though it's quite minimalistic. Her make-up and hair separates her from the genre of pop, as her eyes are heavily outlined, she isn't wearing any eye shadow to tone it down; which would be conventional on a pop magazine, therefore this adds to her rebellious attitude. In the corner of my magazine there is a smaller picture, this model is male and unconventionally is wearing white, however he is also wearing a grey slouchy hat and headphones which emphasise his indie fashion and his love for music. Again he is looking straight at the camera presenting a certain sense of attitude.
My audience will try and connect with my magazine on a more personal level and may turn to it for answers on how to present themselves. By using artists of a similar age to them on the front cover will help to reinforce their own image. The articles with my stars will contain anecdotes so that my audience can also connect with my stars emotionally and try and relate to their lifestyles. My stars will come across as real and down to earth as possible as they are still young and are still reasonably under the radar. Despite the fact that my main article is on a younger new star there will still be big well known artists in my magazine as my audience will have an interest for the mainstream bands too.

What Kind of Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product and Why?

There are many different distribution companies that I could use to distribute my magazine however not all would be suitable. I researched on the internet to try and find the one that fitted best. The Prezi we made previously really helped me with my research and my decision as well as the internet as a lot of the information I'd already found previously. I narrowed down the companies I would choose from to IPC, Conde Naste and Bauer.


IPC distributes Uncut magazine as well as NME, as well as TV Times and Look. IPC seem to distribute a variety of magazines. Considering the fact that NME would be one of my main competitors, it wouldn't make any sense for me to allow that company to distribute my magazine. Considering NME is already a popular selling magazine IPC will not want or need to distribute another indie/rock magazine. This is highlighted by how they also distribute the R'n'B magazine Uncut. 


Next I look at their rival company Bauer Media who have over an audience in the UK of over 19 million people. Bauer Media distributes the magazines Grazia, Empire and Take a Break, as well as 282 magazines worldwide in more than 10 countries. However they also distribute Q magazine which as a magazine is very diverse in what it produces, however a lot of it's content will be similar to what is featured inside my own magazine. Due to Q magazine it would be very difficult to expect Bauer Media to take on my magazine as well. Although I think even if I did choose them they wouldn't be the best option as the Q Magazine fan basis is so high it'd be hard for them to sway the public towards my magazine. 


I did consider looking at independent distributors but that is really uncommon within indie/rock magazines. Independent companies tend to focus more on Hiphop magazines like VIBE, therefore it would be unconventional for me to chose such a small company. 


This is why I've picked Conde Naste to distribute my magazine. This is because unlike IPC and Bauer Media they don't already distribute indie music magazines. However they do distribute other successful magazines such as Vogue, GQ and Easy Living. Therefore I know that they're reliable and will  be able to get as much public appeal towards my magazine as possible. 

Contact Sheet

How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups

When creating my magazine I tried to consider what fashion style of my model, type of font and bands used would appeal most to the indie, urban and care free image of my target audience. I wanted the genre to be clear and easily noticeable upon first glance when looking at my magazine. This is why I chose the name "Amplified" as it has connotations of loud which related to the music and the sometimes outgoing fashion of my Target Audience. I was also consistent in my colour scheme of grey and red as the subtle tones are not only common in what target audience may wear but also suits the style of music. The affect of the drop shadow highlights how the genre isn't quite so mainstream and how its originality is underrated.

I made sure not to use bright colours like orange and pink as I didn't want to conform to the expectations or conventions of a pop magazine. I also made sure that my models facial expression displayed attitude as I didn't want her to have the 'happy go lucky' image of a pop star. On the front cover of my magazine my model is looking straight in to the camera with a pouting smile on her face. The way her image is the centre of attention and dominates the page displays the rebellious attitude expected from the audience. The angle of the shot is that it's looking down on her yet she is making eye-contact with the camera. This highlights how she is being perceived as the underdog yet she intends to defy expectations by flaunting her success.

My model is wearing a simple, fitted green dress which helps to highlight her confidence. I expect that this would relate to my target audience as they will be comfortable in how they dress no matter how 'out there' their outfits are. As my model is female I made sure I had a male model on my contents page to display what they'd wear. I used two different models highlighting either end of the style, one wearing a shirt and a flat cap again looking straight into the camera to display confidence. Whereas the other was dressed in white portraying a more innocent look yet highlighting his interest in music by wearing headphones. The use of the male models highlights how this magazine should appeal to both sexes whether its through fashion or attraction.

Audience Feedback

This video contains camstudio images of how my magazine constructed and the progress its made and is followed by comments from the audience. I have taken into account what my audience have said and have made changes to my magazine since. The audience feedback was filmed on a DSLR canon camera to make it as high quality as possible.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

When planning and creating my magazine I tried to conform to the typical conventions of an Indie/Rock magazine. When doing my similar product analysis I tried to focus on products which I could  base my product on and to help develop my ideas. I gained further knowledge on magazines like Q, Kerrang and NME when doing my Key Concepts Prezi which then enabled me to start my magazine appealing to a target audience of 14-25 year olds. My target audience needed to have an interest to predominantly mainstream music and have similar-ish fashion to the iconic artists who make up the genre.

I aspired for my magazine to be the most eye-catching among the others of its type in the hope to sway their audience on to my magazine making it the most popular. I adapted my masthead from how it was originally going to be built up from speakers and guitar necks to make it easier to read and bolder, I extended the letters to make them taller and added a drop shadow. The colour of my masthead is grey which is a underrated colour, this could imply that the artists within do not get the recognition they deserve therefore this is why the magazine is promoting them. This is reinforced by the bold red background as it represents the passion for music that the magazine will be representing.

My main sell line is centred near the bottom of my page, I felt positioning is crucial as well as size, font and colour. It needed to have some form of diversity from the rest of my sell lines so that it didn't blend in. Therefore I chose the font impact and capitalised the text. The artists name is in red to signify her importance, similarly to the masthead she has a drop shadow on her name. However the colours aren't the same as there needs to be something that differentiates them to avoid confusion and to create hierarchy. My model is positioned in the centre of the page leaning forward towards the audience. I chose this particular image as it's like the model is inviting the audience to join her. The models head covers some of the Masthead which signifies how the magazine consider their stories and artists more important than the name of the magazine. There is a banner that spreads across the bottom of my page which says "FREE RHCP POSTER" the use of the acronym for Red Hot Chilli Peppers signifies that the audience will have preconceived knowledge of what this stands for. My sell lines are situated down either side of the page in the same colour as my masthead. The feature bands such as "Atryeu", "Lana Del Rey", "Kasabian" and "Blink 182".

My contents page highlights the consistent colour scheme of the magazine. I followed a similar layout to NME by separating what bands are featured in my magazine down one side as well main stories and news down the other. Again I've used the centre of my page for the pictures, creating a staircase image with the most important story at the top, again establishing a hierarchy to the audience. I included a subscription box in the bottom corner of my magazine which also has  details of a smart phone AP. I also got inspiration from the Facebook button to create my own for my magazine. By incorporating social networking and APs into my magazine will appeal to a broad teenage audience as they rely on communication a lot via social networking sites.

My double page spreads again uses the same consistent colour scheme of red and grey, which will create familiarity for my magazine. The colours will help demonstrate the mood and add mystery of this weeks artist as the audience may not have heard her story. I created an introductory page consisting of the pull quote; "SOME PEOPLE PRAY I TURN UP THE RADIO" which already gives an insight into the artists faith in music. There are 3 images underneath the quote of my model sitting on an amp which signifies what type of music she plays. On the other side of the page is an introductory paragraph and an anecdote from my artists mother which helps to give a back ground story. I put a picture in behind the text of my artist holding a microphone out to the audience which signifies how her voice has been heard and now it's their turn. I changed the opacity of the picture to help blend in behind the text. My second double page spread features a black and white picture of my artist eating a strawberry. The whole picture is in black and white apart from her lips and the strawberry. I followed a similar style as y first page with my second as I put a picture in behind the text of my artist throwing confetti in the air which helps to display how she is young and celebrating her success. I also have a third and final double page spread being made which features most of the article.