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.