Evaluation

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

The things that I found on the front cover of the magazines that I looked at were that the title was one of the few things that stood out when I looked at the front cover. This is why I used a bold and interesting font for the title.  One of the other things that I noticed was that the main image would be of a band/artist that was featured later on in the magazine.  I used this information by having a picture of a famous ‘artist’ on the front cover and then later on in the magazine there would be an article on them. Also I found out that the main image on the page should take up over tow quarters of the page. This shows the audience that the artist/band are this issues of the magazines main selling point. Another point that I found out was that the main image of the front cover, covers the title a little bit, this also shows that the image is of the main selling point of the magazine. I did not used this idea on my magazine as I thought that it not look very good on my magazine as the colours clashed and also it lest the audience that are not familiar with the magazines name see the whole title.

This is my final design of my magazines front cover, I used the ideas that I gained from the deconstruction to help me deconstruct that front cover. I think if I was to do this again I would cover a bit of the title with my main image as I think that this gives a professional look to the magazine. I also think that as a result of the image covering the title the image would then be bigger and then the image would have a bigger impact on the audience.

Then for my contents page I also used the deconstructions that I did to help me to make my contents page.  The ideas that I got from deconstructions were that the magazines contents page all stuck to the same colour scheme that they used for their front covers. This is why I used black and red like on the front cover I think that it is really important to use the same colour scheme the whole way through the magazine as then the magazine has a professional look and the magazine then links all together as it all looks alike but not the same. Then next idea that I got from the deconstructions was the way in which some magazines layout their contents pages by having a list format. I also used this format as I think it is a really good and useful way of presenting the information. This is because the information is clear and eye catching. I really like my contents page as I think that the layout is very professional.

 Then for my double page spread I also used the layouts that I saw when I deconstructed magazines. The main idea that I got from my deconstructions was that the main image should take up about half of the page. This is why I have the picture as the whole page with the block with writing in on top of the picture. Another thing that I noticed was that the magazines used the same colour scheme through out the magazine and on some on the double page spreads. This why I have used the colours black and red on my double page spread. I think if I was to do this again I would have my writing in a more creative bock as I think that I looks a little boring and there for not eye catching to get my target audience attention. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media magazine target audience is young people aged 16-21. I think that it is important in a music magazine that the audience do not feel as though they should not be reading the magazine. This is why I have used a less formal format when writing though out the magazine with some slang language so that the audience feel comfortable with the magazine. Thought out the double page spread my target audience are represented by a teenage female ‘artist’ who is very popular in the music world at them moment. She represents my target audience as a person who is very passionate about music and admires her fellow musical bands and artists.

What kinds of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I think that my magazine would be published Bauer Media group. This is because this publishing company publishers music magazines like Q and Kerrang! I believe that my magazine has some similarities with the Q magazine, such as the target audience and the use of colour and the genre of music that the magazine features in their magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media project?
My target audience for my music magazine would be young people aged 16-21, these young people would be interested in the chart music or contemporary music. I chose to do this target audience as I am one of them and it was easy to find people who are in this target group. I think that the colours scheme that I used is suitable for my target audience as the colours are eye catching which will attract this age group. The images that I used I think are suitable for my target audience as they are interesting and different (double page spread). I think that this is important as this will attract my target audience. Also the information that I have included I think is suitable for my target audience this is because I have not included any thing too complicated or used any formal langue this is import as my target will feel comfortable reading the magazine.

How did you attract/ address your audience?
I attracted my target audience by using the famous musical acts names on the front cover, I did this because this is one of the ideas that I got from deconstructing current and popular music magazines. I also used the colour scheme to attract the audience’s attention by having the red, black and white which all work really well together. Another way in which I attracted the audience was by having a large image on the front cover, this is one of the ideas that I got from deconstructing some music magazines. I addressed my target audience by using langue that my target audience will understand and feel comfortable with. I also addressed my target audience by including musical acts in my magazine that they will know and like. I showed my target audience my final front cover, contents’ page and double page spread to see how they thought I had attracted and addressed my audience.

“I really like the picture on the cover; it was the first thing that I looked at. It’s cool”

“I really like the way in which Chelsea has used the black, white and red through out her magazine; it really links all the magazine together”.

“I found the magazine really easy to read, it did not have any complicated words and it really suited me. I love it, I want to buy it”.

“I think a good way that I was attracted to Chelsea’s the magazine was that it looked like a real music magazine and she had some really famous names on the front cover just like some real magazine have”.

The first thing that I did in my project was to look at and to deconstruct popular music magazines. I did this to help me get ideas of things that I should and should not include in my music magazine. 

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I used photoshot and publisher when creating my front cover, contents page and my double page spread. I have learnt how to crop, and cut parts of the picture out. I have learnt how to get rid back grounds on my images. This is really useful as the backgrounds that I shot my photos on had shadows and different shades of the colour.  We had to present all of the coursework on bloger.com so I had to learn how to upload my text, pictures and videos. I found the programme hard to use a first but quickly learnt how to use all of the buttons. 

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

I think that I have learnt a lot of things about how to construct a music magazine. I now know what thing I should and should not include in a music magazine I know what important features should stand out. In my preliminary task I don’t think that my front cover was eye catching enough and it looked at bit boring. This is why in my final front cover my title was in a black box, by doing this I made the title stand out much more. It is important that the title stands out as it is one of the first things that the audience look at. Another thing that I have learnt is that using white on a light background is a bad idea. The sub headings that I wrote in white on my preliminary task did not stand out enough on the light back ground. This is why for my final front cover I decided to have a white back ground like Q magazine sometimes have. The white background made the subheadings stand out a lot more. I also changed the colours of my subheadings from white and back to red and black. I think this was a good decision as the subheadings stand out so much more now. I feel like I have learnt a lot from my preliminary task to my final design especially on my contents page, the title (Contents) is in a black box just like the title on the front cover, this helps to liken the magazine together, I got this idea from magazines such as Kerrang! And Q, they have the title of their magazine and the title of the contents page in the same format. I have also added pictures to my contents page and related them to what page is picture is from, I did this because I saw when I deconstructed popular magazine that doing this was the norm and really help the audience when trying to find what page the image is from. 

Construction: Front Cover

Construction: Contents Page

Construction: Double Page Spread

Research and Planning: Organisation of actor, locations, costume and the props

For this task I had to organise alot of things before my photo shoot so that I had everything that I wanted to use available to me when I wanted it.


The first thing that I had to organise was my actor. In my photo shoot I wanted to have a young female artist, this is why I used Lily. When I asked Lily she said she would love to but she works on Mondays, tuesdays and wednesdays so when I were to start planning my photo shoot I would need to plan it on a thurday, friday, saturday or a sunday.


The second thing that I had to organise before I started my photo shoot was the location of my photo shoot. For this I wanted to have a plain background so it would be easier for my to edit out when it came to editing the photos. With this in mind I planned to have the photo shoot at my grans house. This is becasue she has a large plain white wall in her house. So when I start to plan when we are going to shoot the photos I will need to check that it is okay with my gran that we can use the white wall and that we will not be in the way or get interupted.


The next thing that I had to organise was the costume that my actor (musical artisit lily) would wear for the photo shoot. I wanted her to look natural and relaxed becasue this is what I would expect her to wear if she were a real musical artisit. I decided on jeans and a black t-shirt.

Next I needed to organise the props that I wanted to be in my photo shoot. First I found an old acustic guitar in my room then I asked my friend if I could borrow his electric guitar. I wanted to have a picture of her looking relaxed, to do this is would have a photo of her with an acustic gutiar. I also wanted a my cuting edge/ eye catching and interesting photo, in this photo I decided that it would be the opposite to the first calm photo. I this photo she would be standing and have an electric gutiar. Then I found a stool that she could sit on to give a difference in the hight and look of the photos.

So when I decide on the day that I was going to do my photo shoot, I gave a possible day to my gran and lily and they both aggreed to the day so I got all the props ready and we did the photo shoot on the 17th of December.

In the two images above, I have used the two different guitars to show the two very different sides of lily. The calm singer and the edgy rocker.

Planning: Layouts of Front cover, Double page and Contents

After I decided on my title and the colour of it, I moved on to deciding on a possible layout for my magazine.  First of all I wanted to create some possible ideas for my front cover.

This is the first possible front cover for my magazine. Just like the kerrang magazine that I deconstructed I wanted to have the title as a banner across the top of the front cover. I think having a banner across the top lets the reader know immediately what the magazine is called. If I was to have the title across the top like this then the red of my title will stand out really nicely, attracting the reader to my magazine. I think only having one main picture on the magazine front cover really draws the reader in. Like the Q magazine the front cover only has one picture on the front cover with sub headings around the picture.  This is really effective and I may use it on my magazine front cover. Having the sub titles around the picture and on the picture in some cases is a way of attracting the reader to the magazine. Also because there are a lot of sub titles on the front cover this means to the reader that there may be that the magazine has a lot tot offer and a lot in the magazine.

My second choice for a magazine front cover layout is to have the title in the top left hand corner like the Q magazine. I think that having the title in the top corner is really good as it is the first thing the reader will look at. The main picture will run from the top page to about ¾ down the page. This is really good as this is a big space for the picture to sit in giving me a lot of choice with what type of shot I want the picture to be. I will also have another picture on the front cover this will draw the reader in as there is more on the front cover which will give the reader the idea that the magazine has a lot of information in. The sub headings around the two pictures will also give the reader the idea that there is a lot going on in the magazine.

I have decided to go with my first choice for the front cover lay out. The title is one of the main aspects of the front cover that draws the reader in, and that is why I think it should be the main thing on the front cover. The picture occupies a large space and this will give me a large choice when I am deciding what shot I am going to use for the main picture.

After I decided on the layout for the front cover I thought of possible ideas for the layout of my magazines double page spread. The first layout that I looked at was this one. I like this one as it has a lot going on, on the page and I think that my target audience will like it and have the idea what there is a lot going on. The main picture will take up a lot of the room as I think a lot of people will see the picture and be attracted to the pages. Having the pictures down the left hand side will make the page more attractive and more fun. I really like this as there is a lot going on and the page and I think that it is different from what you normally find on a double page spread which gives the magazine a uniqueness. 

The second option of double page spread is this one. I like this one as it is very interesting and I think this one will attract the reader’s attention. The way that the story is all one side I think is really appealing because it is so attention-grabbing and the way that pictures are set upon pictures is different that it is interesting. I do think this double page spread option but I like the other option more as I think that it will be easier to design and I think that it is also more affective.

After the double page spread I started to think about the design options for my contents page. The first one is this option; I think that this is a possible option as the contents page as this is a nice plain layout that I think will suit the style of my magazine. The contents page will have a picture of the front cover on. This will help the reader to remind them of important features in this magazine issue from looking at the sub headings of the front cover. The contents page will have the same colour scheme as the front cover and the rest of the magazine. This will help to like the magazine together as a whole.

This is the second option of possible contents pages, This contents page will have a the page numbers and information about the page down the left and right side. The pictures will be down the middle attracting the reader’s attention to the page. Having the picture of the front cover on the contents page option two I think is a really good idea as well as it reminds the reader what was on the front cover. I really like this design of contents page, and I am going to use it for my final magazine contents page layout. I really like it because of the way in which the contents page is a bit different and has a interesting way of displaying the information the contents page.

Planning: The Timeline

This image is a scaned copy of my paper timeline, I made this to help me to complete my tasks to the deadlines. I kept the timeline with my so that I knew when everything had to be in. The timeline has really helped me becasue I have not been rushing to complete my tasks and as a result they have all been compted to a high standard.