Strengths:
Overall I think my magazine was a success in terms of how i wanted it to turn out. I thought i did better than i thought i could. I have positive feedback which I am pleased about, people have said they like the layout of the front cover and think the black and white picture works with the rest of the magazine. They also said that it has all the necessary information a magazine front cover should have, which is what they want in a magazine. They liked how i followed conventions and didn't make it too busy on the page., they thought the colours stood out against the black and white. As for the contents page, they liked this a lot more because of having one main image on the page which is totally different from the front page. They also like the way i wrote CONTENTS and some even noticed the little detail of the T behind the shoulder.
The double page spread, some people liked how i didn't finish the article there so it can be carried on to another page. They liked the image because it wasn't the usual posing in front of a camera, it was very natural and they looked confident. Others liked the layout on the page, half text half image, simple and not too busy.
Weaknesses:
On the other hand some people gave me some constructive criticism. They didn't like the black and white image they thought that maybe having a colour image would bring it to life a bit more instead of black and white. As for the contents page, others thought that maybe it should of have more images on it to just give a bit more insight into whats in the magazine and maybe something more to look at. But for others having more information made up for it. As for the double page spread, some people said that this image should have been in colour to add a bit more colour to the page but i think it works well.
Overall i think all comments have been mainly positive and everyone i asked said they would buy this magazine and the price is reasonable. Even if some weren't, it was mainly constructive criticism to think about if i was to do it again.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Q7 . Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?
When we first started with our preliminary task I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing, but as we progressed with I became more confident that by the time we came to do out real task I had a clear idea of what to do. With the preliminary task we used the students in our class for the photos, and the school grounds, which didn’t make it too difficult and the only thing you had to think about was where to position them. For this task we had to use a medium close up which I didn’t like very much because I wanted to show more of the person. So having the freedom in our main task to take whatever pictures we wanted suited me better. In the main task I realized I had to think in more depth how I wanted my photos to look like, I knew getting the people together wasn’t a problem it was just working out where to take them. So I decided to take them just under Tower Bridge on some steps in front of what seemed to be an abandoned work area. I didn’t want it to look glamorous because this wasn’t the image I was trying to get across I just wanted them to look like normal people. I decided not to use props because I just wanted a natural image and didn’t want it to look tacky. I think deciding to take my shots in black and white proved quite effective in my final outcome.
For the preliminary task it was harder to come up with ideas because our teacher had given us a brief to stick to which I found quite difficult because I couldn’t really add my own ideas as such. With the main task I had a lot more freedom therefore I could use my imagination more into creating this magazine. As well as this I didn’t like the fact we had to make it for a college in the prelim task so I had fewer ideas, but I found a music magazine more interesting so it gave me more ideas.
Even though we had to do drafts of what our magazine might look like, by the time it came to actually making them my idea changed completely. Probably because I knew my idea was going to change anyway so I just did a rough sketch. So I didn’t really refer back to these because otherwise it would restrict my ideas, I just worked with as it came along, adding and changing things each week every time I had a fresh look at it. I didn’t edit any of the photos because I could get carried away and end up ruining my image, which in all is a waste of time, so I kept them how they were when I took them and decided to make everything else around it stand out.
Finally the preliminary task helped me to get better at Photoshop and to have a chance to experiment with certain things before hand, so I could get straight into creating the real thing. I think the prelim task helped me a lot and made me realize that Photoshop isn’t as hard as it looks.
For the preliminary task it was harder to come up with ideas because our teacher had given us a brief to stick to which I found quite difficult because I couldn’t really add my own ideas as such. With the main task I had a lot more freedom therefore I could use my imagination more into creating this magazine. As well as this I didn’t like the fact we had to make it for a college in the prelim task so I had fewer ideas, but I found a music magazine more interesting so it gave me more ideas.
Even though we had to do drafts of what our magazine might look like, by the time it came to actually making them my idea changed completely. Probably because I knew my idea was going to change anyway so I just did a rough sketch. So I didn’t really refer back to these because otherwise it would restrict my ideas, I just worked with as it came along, adding and changing things each week every time I had a fresh look at it. I didn’t edit any of the photos because I could get carried away and end up ruining my image, which in all is a waste of time, so I kept them how they were when I took them and decided to make everything else around it stand out.
Finally the preliminary task helped me to get better at Photoshop and to have a chance to experiment with certain things before hand, so I could get straight into creating the real thing. I think the prelim task helped me a lot and made me realize that Photoshop isn’t as hard as it looks.
Q6 What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Making my magazine I used mainly Photoshop and I have become more confident with using it. Firstly with taking my photographs I had to become aware of the lighting and area as well as how to position my models. By doing this I learnt how certain light can affect the outcome of your photo my either making it too bright or too dark or even sometimes blurry. So becoming more aware of this made me more conscious to take good quality photos. As well as this I had to be more careful of the fact of blurring my pictures as this was a problem at first because I couldn’t keep my hand still. I used my own camera which gave me the option of black and white shots so I tool that possibility and was pleased with my outcome. Even though you can change the hue and saturation on Photoshop I thought taking it in black and white at the original place might make it look better in terms of the natural lighting. The image didn’t need any adjustments so I went straight onto creating my magazine.
The name of the magazine RUN, even though using a simple font I added a few effects to make it stand out a little off the page. I did this by double clicking on the layer and getting a list of options of different effects I could add. I decided to add a stroke around it in purple to make the black stand out from the image and I think it works well. I also bevel and embossed it and gave it an inner glow. As for the band name I typed AIR and LOCKE on two different layers, then once I had placed each one where I wanted, I linked the layers together therefore making one layer. I decided that just the name would look a bit plain and not striking enough so I made for separate black boxes to go behind the name and also linked those to make one image then I double clicked on that layer and made a white stroke around it. I found that adding a stroke around something was really simple but really effective at the same time because it made it stand out. Allowing myself to make simple shapes and join them together proves quite successful in my opinion, for something that was quite quick to do.
As for my contents page, I used similar strategies for example around the word CONTENTS I added a black stroke just to make it stand out a little and on the phrase WEEKLY FEATURES. I wanted the T to be behind the models shoulder, so I cut out part of her shoulder using the magnetic lasso tool and paste it into a different layer therefore making part of her shoulder a layer of its own. This enabled me to move that layer in front on the T without touching the rest of the image. I think this proved very effective even though it’s a subtle change.
I didn’t really use anything major to change how my double page spread looked. I just resized the fonts to make some stand out more than others. I didn’t make any changes to the image as it was already taken in black and white.
Using Photoshop allowed me to create all my ideas and even make them better with advice from friends and the teacher by learning new ways of doing things. It defiantly made it a lot easier to create what I wanted to make an effective magazine.
The name of the magazine RUN, even though using a simple font I added a few effects to make it stand out a little off the page. I did this by double clicking on the layer and getting a list of options of different effects I could add. I decided to add a stroke around it in purple to make the black stand out from the image and I think it works well. I also bevel and embossed it and gave it an inner glow. As for the band name I typed AIR and LOCKE on two different layers, then once I had placed each one where I wanted, I linked the layers together therefore making one layer. I decided that just the name would look a bit plain and not striking enough so I made for separate black boxes to go behind the name and also linked those to make one image then I double clicked on that layer and made a white stroke around it. I found that adding a stroke around something was really simple but really effective at the same time because it made it stand out. Allowing myself to make simple shapes and join them together proves quite successful in my opinion, for something that was quite quick to do.
As for my contents page, I used similar strategies for example around the word CONTENTS I added a black stroke just to make it stand out a little and on the phrase WEEKLY FEATURES. I wanted the T to be behind the models shoulder, so I cut out part of her shoulder using the magnetic lasso tool and paste it into a different layer therefore making part of her shoulder a layer of its own. This enabled me to move that layer in front on the T without touching the rest of the image. I think this proved very effective even though it’s a subtle change.
I didn’t really use anything major to change how my double page spread looked. I just resized the fonts to make some stand out more than others. I didn’t make any changes to the image as it was already taken in black and white.
Using Photoshop allowed me to create all my ideas and even make them better with advice from friends and the teacher by learning new ways of doing things. It defiantly made it a lot easier to create what I wanted to make an effective magazine.
Q5 How did you attract/address your audience?
I tried to address my audience with a very simple but effective magazine. My front cover used a black and white image which would instantly attract someone’s eye because you would usually find a colour image on the front page. So with using a black and white image, it has made the font around it stand out more, especially using white as it is quite striking against a mono tone background. Sticking to 3 main colours, black, purple and white keeps it simple therefore focusing more on the image and the text around it much easier. Whereas if u have too many colours and text all over the place it makes it harder to focus on what you want to read. I used Standard English throughout my magazine, because it doesn’t need to be in slang and it’s inappropriate for my magazine. I mentioned bands which are featured in the magazine, to attract readers and to make them actually want to pick it up and find out what’s written about that certain band or artist. Keeping the information very brief on the front page is a way to make the reader want more, so I didn’t give too much away about what the different articles are actually about.
I used the font …. Because I thought it was very simple and not too stylised, I kept this font through out all my pages. The only time I changed the font was for the band name, this is because I wanted it to stand out from the rest and not blend in because they are the main feature. I chose two different fonts … and … and placed them together. I chose a slanted type font for the word AIR because I wanted to seem like it was a bit more flowing like air is, whereas LOCKE was more about being strong and bold.
The models I used for my main band, I chose because they look quite indie in the way they dress and have their hair, all with a sort of fringe. They are dressed very casual because I wanted to give a laid back look, and used the lamp post as a prop for them to lean on which gives the impression they are a relaxed band. The clothes they are wearing also coincide with the season the magazine is released in. This would all attract the audience because this ‘look’ is mainly how indie kids dress and behave, they acted chilled like they have no worries and this is the look I wanted to get across. Something they could relate to.
As for my contents page, I think using a female artist to take up the whole page will definitely attract a male audience but also females who like her music. here I followed through more with the purple because I thought it would stand out better against the natural background. I have also kept the same style font again to make it easy to read as there is more writing on this page than the front cover.
She is an attractive model therefore bringing maybe more attention than usual to a contents page. Like I said before I placed her in this way to make her look a bit shy and like she isn’t giving much away, this is to gain more interest for the reader. But also it might give the impression she is insecure about herself which might be easier to relate to for some girls, rather than someone who is very confident and in your face. This might be intimidating for some people especially girls. As for the clothes she is wearing, again I wanted to create a laid back look so leggings, a vest and an oversized cardigan defiantly gives that impression in my opinion as indie artists aren’t really glamorous. So to attract more people to actually looking and reading a contents page, I used quite a striking main image to take up the whole page.
The double page spread I feel attracts the audience because of the larger font at the top of the page introducing the article, then the slightly smaller font with some more information before going into the main article. This part in some way is important because it’s the first thing they read when they open on the page, so if it doesn’t sound that interesting or isn’t attractive then they will jus turn the page. As for the image, they in the same clothes but obviously in a different position which looks quite pensive as if looking into the future. I sat them on some steps with a type of sign you would use to block off a road behind them. I wanted to show that they aren’t glamorous at all and don’t live for that kind of lifestyle but live for their music. I think it comes across in this image, and again a laidback approach. In any of the pictures I didn’t ask them to stand in a certain way it was all very natural which I think contributes a lot to the magazine because it makes it more personal.
I used the font …. Because I thought it was very simple and not too stylised, I kept this font through out all my pages. The only time I changed the font was for the band name, this is because I wanted it to stand out from the rest and not blend in because they are the main feature. I chose two different fonts … and … and placed them together. I chose a slanted type font for the word AIR because I wanted to seem like it was a bit more flowing like air is, whereas LOCKE was more about being strong and bold.
The models I used for my main band, I chose because they look quite indie in the way they dress and have their hair, all with a sort of fringe. They are dressed very casual because I wanted to give a laid back look, and used the lamp post as a prop for them to lean on which gives the impression they are a relaxed band. The clothes they are wearing also coincide with the season the magazine is released in. This would all attract the audience because this ‘look’ is mainly how indie kids dress and behave, they acted chilled like they have no worries and this is the look I wanted to get across. Something they could relate to.
As for my contents page, I think using a female artist to take up the whole page will definitely attract a male audience but also females who like her music. here I followed through more with the purple because I thought it would stand out better against the natural background. I have also kept the same style font again to make it easy to read as there is more writing on this page than the front cover.
She is an attractive model therefore bringing maybe more attention than usual to a contents page. Like I said before I placed her in this way to make her look a bit shy and like she isn’t giving much away, this is to gain more interest for the reader. But also it might give the impression she is insecure about herself which might be easier to relate to for some girls, rather than someone who is very confident and in your face. This might be intimidating for some people especially girls. As for the clothes she is wearing, again I wanted to create a laid back look so leggings, a vest and an oversized cardigan defiantly gives that impression in my opinion as indie artists aren’t really glamorous. So to attract more people to actually looking and reading a contents page, I used quite a striking main image to take up the whole page.
The double page spread I feel attracts the audience because of the larger font at the top of the page introducing the article, then the slightly smaller font with some more information before going into the main article. This part in some way is important because it’s the first thing they read when they open on the page, so if it doesn’t sound that interesting or isn’t attractive then they will jus turn the page. As for the image, they in the same clothes but obviously in a different position which looks quite pensive as if looking into the future. I sat them on some steps with a type of sign you would use to block off a road behind them. I wanted to show that they aren’t glamorous at all and don’t live for that kind of lifestyle but live for their music. I think it comes across in this image, and again a laidback approach. In any of the pictures I didn’t ask them to stand in a certain way it was all very natural which I think contributes a lot to the magazine because it makes it more personal.
Q4 Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my media product is mainly teenagers, so 13-19 year olds who are interested in indie music. Even though it might also appeal to older or younger depending on how important certain music is to them. It is really open to everybody but it mainly focuses on teenagers because of the style of the magazine and even the ages of the artists involved, being in their late teens.
Teenagers might also be able to relate to how they dress and in fact they dress similarly to the people in the bands.
Even though it is mainly directed at indies it is open to anyone who is interested, therefore the magazine is willing for new people to become interested in it. Everything in it i suppose could appeal to anyone depending on what type of music they like, some people might be interested in other music as well as indie but might want to know more about indie music. So this magazine could inform them about this.
Teenagers might also be able to relate to how they dress and in fact they dress similarly to the people in the bands.
Even though it is mainly directed at indies it is open to anyone who is interested, therefore the magazine is willing for new people to become interested in it. Everything in it i suppose could appeal to anyone depending on what type of music they like, some people might be interested in other music as well as indie but might want to know more about indie music. So this magazine could inform them about this.
Q3 What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
IPC would probably distribute my magazine because it only has one other competitor which is NME, but they target more than one audience whereas my magazine only targets indies.
My magazine would be beneficial to this publishing company because even though there is already a music magazine with them, mine targets a specific audience who might feel that there isn’t any other magazine out there that targets their kind of music. Well now there is. Also I think that because it doesn’t follow the usual convention of coloured images for the front cover for example, it might give a new edge to the company introducing this type of style. Another reason is that if many indie’s didn’t buy any of the magazines belonging to this company before, then they will now which means a larger audience buying their magazine, thus more money. Maybe seeing my magazine become part of this company might inspire others who have magazines which are specific in a genre of music or something else, to come forward and try to get their magazine distributed by this company.
My magazine could have a subscription along with it which would allow dedicated readers to get their copy before everyone else and on regular basis, without having to worry to go to the shop and buy it. It would defiantly be distributed in shops such as, WHSmith, newsagents, corner shops and even in music stores like HMV. This would boost sales because if it is in a musically orientated place then maybe it might sell better and maybe encourage them to buy an album whilst in the shop.
I don’t think distributing in Nightclubs or Youth clubs is a very good idea because especially in night clubs most people are there to have a good time and get drunk, not read a magazine. And youth clubs are more about getting kids to socialise rather than exclude themselves.
Maybe we could start by giving them out for free as a trial period for a month to see how well they go. This could potentially bring in some new interests because if someone picks one up in a rush to get on the tube then starts reading, they might find they actually like the sound of the music and be persuaded to buy some songs.
My magazine would be beneficial to this publishing company because even though there is already a music magazine with them, mine targets a specific audience who might feel that there isn’t any other magazine out there that targets their kind of music. Well now there is. Also I think that because it doesn’t follow the usual convention of coloured images for the front cover for example, it might give a new edge to the company introducing this type of style. Another reason is that if many indie’s didn’t buy any of the magazines belonging to this company before, then they will now which means a larger audience buying their magazine, thus more money. Maybe seeing my magazine become part of this company might inspire others who have magazines which are specific in a genre of music or something else, to come forward and try to get their magazine distributed by this company.
My magazine could have a subscription along with it which would allow dedicated readers to get their copy before everyone else and on regular basis, without having to worry to go to the shop and buy it. It would defiantly be distributed in shops such as, WHSmith, newsagents, corner shops and even in music stores like HMV. This would boost sales because if it is in a musically orientated place then maybe it might sell better and maybe encourage them to buy an album whilst in the shop.
I don’t think distributing in Nightclubs or Youth clubs is a very good idea because especially in night clubs most people are there to have a good time and get drunk, not read a magazine. And youth clubs are more about getting kids to socialise rather than exclude themselves.
Maybe we could start by giving them out for free as a trial period for a month to see how well they go. This could potentially bring in some new interests because if someone picks one up in a rush to get on the tube then starts reading, they might find they actually like the sound of the music and be persuaded to buy some songs.
Q2 How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine is mainly and indie band magazine, therefore appealing to people who are interested in this type of music. This is mostly teenagers who are into The Killers or Snow Patrol for example. The way indie kids dress and behave relates to how my magazine is 
represented. Skinny jeans and checked shirts with either vans or converses and a fringe sweeping across their face is usually how they are represented. I think I have shown this in the image I have taken for my magazine cover, the way each of them have fringes and generally wear clothes that would represent indies. Also the way they are positioned in the photo leaning against a lamp post gives them a laidback look which to me that’s the impression most indie bands give when performing and being interviewed. I also picked an area which looked pretty modern for a back drop, with a modern building. My magazine would probably fit in against something like NME which also appeals to teenagers who are into rock and indie or alternative. I think I have made the front cover very realistic in terms of following the conventions of a real Indie magazine like NME. 
As for my contents page, I wanted to give it maybe a Lily Allen look which I think I did. Probably the contents of what I wrote that is featured in the magazine would appeal to Indie followers, because of the bands that are mentioned. The way she is dressed in the photo represents someone who is laid back and casual like most Indie artists. Lily Allen gives a laid back look with the clothes she wears and doesn’t really care about how she looks when not performing. I had her look away from the camera as to not reveal all about her. The lightning bolt sign on her face was just to give her an edge as if she’s a bit ‘out there’ like Lady GaGa for example, someone who is not afraid to be who they are.
My double page spread follows on mainly from the front page, still giving that laid back look by the way they are sitting and looking into the distance as if thinking back on what they have accomplished and looking ahead to the future. This was the message I wanted to get across, as the article is about them becoming a huge success and the strain of the world tour ahead of them.
Overall I think I have made indie kids feel part of this magazine by my choice of images and how I chose to represent my artists.
represented. Skinny jeans and checked shirts with either vans or converses and a fringe sweeping across their face is usually how they are represented. I think I have shown this in the image I have taken for my magazine cover, the way each of them have fringes and generally wear clothes that would represent indies. Also the way they are positioned in the photo leaning against a lamp post gives them a laidback look which to me that’s the impression most indie bands give when performing and being interviewed. I also picked an area which looked pretty modern for a back drop, with a modern building. My magazine would probably fit in against something like NME which also appeals to teenagers who are into rock and indie or alternative. I think I have made the front cover very realistic in terms of following the conventions of a real Indie magazine like NME. 
As for my contents page, I wanted to give it maybe a Lily Allen look which I think I did. Probably the contents of what I wrote that is featured in the magazine would appeal to Indie followers, because of the bands that are mentioned. The way she is dressed in the photo represents someone who is laid back and casual like most Indie artists. Lily Allen gives a laid back look with the clothes she wears and doesn’t really care about how she looks when not performing. I had her look away from the camera as to not reveal all about her. The lightning bolt sign on her face was just to give her an edge as if she’s a bit ‘out there’ like Lady GaGa for example, someone who is not afraid to be who they are.
My double page spread follows on mainly from the front page, still giving that laid back look by the way they are sitting and looking into the distance as if thinking back on what they have accomplished and looking ahead to the future. This was the message I wanted to get across, as the article is about them becoming a huge success and the strain of the world tour ahead of them.
Overall I think I have made indie kids feel part of this magazine by my choice of images and how I chose to represent my artists.
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