Evaluation Question 1.

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

Evaluation Question 2.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation Question 3.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

"I decided to use IPC as my publisher due to the fact that it publishes a wide variety of magazines, and each magazine has completely different genres of music. The magazines that the company publishes are well known music magazines, such as NME, and this could help boost my magazine. The magazines that are published have an audience of almost 26 million people, and the majority of those figures are female readers, which fits in with my target audience."

IPC Media not only publishes well known music magazines, but will also publish more 'out-there' magazines as well, which is what I wanted my magazine to lean more towards. Their website also gives extensive information about each magazine they publish and the opportunity to subscribe to your favourite magazine, which I think is a good idea, as the process would be quicker than posting a subscription and consequently make people more inclined to subscribe to magazines. All the other magazines that IPC Media are publishing are around the same price range as I put my magazine to be, which influenced my decision because my magazine would fit in with the other magazines. IPC Media also publishes NME magazine, which I think is one of the top quality music magazines published at the moment, and it made me think that IPC Media publishes a high standard of magazine, which could help to boost my own magazines status.

Evaluation Question 4.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation Question 5.

Question 5

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Evaluation Question 6.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Evaluation Questions

Evaluation Question 7.

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

Evaluation question 7

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Final Magazine.

Peer Assessment.

Teacher Feedback.

As Draft Feed Back Sheet Liana b (2)

Contents Page - Draft.

Double Page Spread Mock Up.

For this double page spread I like the use of the one photo for the background, and I think the white title links in well with the artists shirt. However, the image doesn't leave much room for the actual article, as I didn't want to type over the artist, so this is something I will have to think about. Some parts of the text are also not visible, so I will have to change the colour of my text or change the background to make it visible, and easier to read. I also need to include page numbers at the bottom of my pages so that the readers know where they are in the magazine. The page looks a little bare, so I think I should include another colour as well. The lack of text is something else I need to address, maybe moving the text and quote boxes around so that my page looks though it has more information to offer.

I think this double page spread looks quite boring compared to the other two, as there isn't as much going on. I think that the text could be broken up by one of the quotes to make it look less 'wordy'. The text in the right hand column also overlaps the center of the page, which would make it impossible for the readers to read, so I need to think about where everything is going to go so that it all fits on the page, and it is all visible. I could add another colour to the colour palette to make the page stand out more, and look more interesting. Adding a small quote, or a small sentence to introduce the article, could be fitted under the title to make it look more professional. Page numbers are also required.

I like this double page spread because it has a picture of the featured artist for the background, which is what I want to use for my magazine, but you can also read the article quite easily as well. For the title, quote and 'Exclusive Interview' I should use a bolder font to make them more visible,  and possibly have the quote in black as it is hard to read in the present colour. I like having 'Exclusive Interview' down the side of the page, it makes the article look more important. The text on the left hand side needs to be more clearly separated, because at the moment that block of text looks like a lot of reading, so if it's separated it would make the amount of text look less 'intimidating'.

Peer Evaluation.

From the comments and feedback I have received on my posts in relation to my mock ups, I think there are some elements that I need to take into consideration when creating my magazine. My first comments are on my front cover mock ups, where the minimalist look was liked, but I hadn't got my proportions correct, so this is something I must pay attention to when creating my magazine. Using more colour, rather than just having black and white, was also suggested in relation to my first cover mock up, so I will have to add another colour to my colour palette to make my magazine look interesting.


My choice of artist was also praised, they were considered to fit my magazine's music genre well. I am pleased with this because my model was my first choice to be my artist, and my target audience also like the image she presents.


My double page spread article was good, but needed more information as it wasn't very long. Therefore for my final magazine I will have to write more in for my article to make it look realistic, as it needs to fill the whole page to look convincing. To do this I should include more questions in the interview, add extra information to my introduction and make my artists responses to the questions longer. I could also give more information on the places that my artist went whilst on tour.


My first contents mock up received mixed reviews. The photo I had used contained a different model to the one I was planning to use, and they were not right for the genre of music. In my magazine I will have to refrain from using that person, or take another picture of them that will fit the genre of music my magazine features. However, my colour scheme, blue, white and black, was liked by my peers, and they thought it looked effective. It was suggested that I could use another colour, as the page looked quite bare, plus the blue element was liked, so I won't be getting rid of that colour, more just adding an extra one to my palette. It was also suggested that I add some more text to the page, as the lack of writing made the page look unrealistic, so in my final contents page I will include more text to make my magazine look more professional.

Artist Photos.

These are the photo's I took for my draft magazine, where all the photos, bar one, are of my artist. The first two photos are photos that I took to create an album cover, and the rest of the images are for my front cover, contents and double page spread.

Double Page Spread - Draft.

Final Colour Scheme.

I have finally decided which two vibrant colours I will be using for my magazine, a turquoise-blue and a dark red. Both of these feature on my front cover draft, and with the white and black elements I think it makes the cover look bright and interesting. The red makes the blue look more feminine, as just using the colour blue was something I worried about, as I thought it made the magazine look quite masculine, and this wouldn't attract my target audience.

Double Page Spread Article - New.

 

Front Cover - Draft.

Representation Of Social Group.

My magazine's style and image that is portrayed will represent a certain social group from within society. It links in with target audience in that fact that the magazine will also be aimed at this social group, as it will appeal to them also. The social group that my magazine will appeal to is middle class teenagers, between the ages 15-19, and mainly females, though some males may also be interested. Their fashion sense/style would slightly lean towards the indie look, or clothing that is considered 'out there' and not something people would expect to see. Music will be something that features quite heavily in their lives and some will most likely play an instrument. The social group will be attending school/college and may possibly have a job.

Contents Page Mock Up.

The style of this contents page is modelled on the Q contents page that I analysed for my research. It has the image to the right side of the page, allowing the more important information to be more easily visible to the magazine buyers. The colour palette consists of the same colours as my first magazine front cover mock up, therefore having the colour scheme run throughout the magazine. Under each article the magazine offers I have included a one line summary of what the article is about, giving the readers more information as to what they may like to read. I have split my left hand column into two sections, the articles for this weeks issue and things that will be there in every issue. This lets the readers to browse through the new articles more easily, as they won't have to look at things that will be in every issue. However, the contents page looks quite bare and gives the impression that the magazine doesn't hold much information. To counteract this I would have to make my text smaller and think up of other articles that may be included in my magazine.

Compared to my first contents page, this mock up is a lot busier and has more examples of articles that the magazine would include. It also includes more images, which I think makes the page look more interesting. I like having a column to inform people what artists and bands are featured in the particular issue, though I believe I could have made it better by adding the page numbers corresponding with where the artists were in relation to the articles, as it would make it easier for people to find their desired reading. The colour palette is red, white and black, but used in this context I don't think it looks as 'rock and roll' style as when it is used on a front page, so therefore if I can use the colours correctly I may be able to avoid that scenario. I don't particularly like having the actual contents in one column on the right hand side, so I think I will have to move some images and text to gain the look I want, which would have the contents column on the left hand side.

Double Page Spread Article.

Artist Profile.

Name: Hayley Quinn
Age: 18
Genre: Indie-pop
Home town: Leicestershire

Hayley Quinn was spotted by a talent scout in a Leicester night club, were she had been playing regularly for the past 6 months. Her own singer-songwriter, Hayley has received momentous praise from the most toughest music critics, who have raved about her unique sound. Her musical influences include The Bottle Rockets, Razorlight and Jay Farrar.

Her clothing style is original, as many of the clothes she wears are items she likes and feels comfortable in. Her accessories are so admired there is a talk of Hayley creating her own accessories range, which fans have been very excited about.

Hayley has already released an album, 'New Ways of Thinking About Them', which featured the popular song 'Mischievious Person'. After this great first response Hayley went on a world tour to promote her album further, where she was supported by Saving Amiee, and has just recently released a second album called 'False Situations'.

Magazine Publisher.

I decided to use IPC as my publisher due to the fact that it publishes a wide variety of magazines, and each magazine has completely different genres of music. The magazines that the company publishes are well known music magazines, such as NME, and this could help boost my magazine. The magazines that are published have an audience of almost 26 million people, and the majority of those figures are female readers, which fits in with my target audience.

Front Cover Mock Up.

The magazine cover shown here uses my chosen colour palette, I think the three colours compliment each other well, and the blue really stands out on the page, which was what I was aiming for. The font use for my coverlines is a little too thin, and consequently it makes it harder for people to read, so I will have to stick to more thicker fonts. The image fits the page nicely, having the mid shot allows more detail to be shown, and the more of the outfits that the model is wearing will be seen, which will help to advertise the genre of music the magazine features. The coverlines are in what I consider to be a good place, at the bottom of the top third of the page, meaning that people will be able to see some of what the magazine offers when it is sitting on a shelf.

This magazine cover is minimalistic in the amount of information it displays on the front cover, which is an aspect I want to use in my magazine, however I don't know whether it would work for a first issue. The greyscale photo stands out against the white background and looks professional, and this allows me to use white font as well as a brightly coloured font. It would also allow me to have brightly coloured drawings, which was an element I wanted to include in my magazine front cover. The price I have placed in the top right corner in a red front, but I don't think it is visible enough so I would have to change the colour of font or move the price to a different part on the cover. I like the white font on the image because it stands out, but combined with the red font I think it makes the magazine look as if it concentrates on a rock genre of music, which is not the impression I want to give.

 This front cover shows the minimalistic look again, only having the basic information and one image. The image on this mock up is a close shot of a face, however the image doesn't interact with the masthead which is a reoccurring theme in every magazine, as it makes the whole page look more 'together'. The mock up is also missing the issue number, and I need to include this on my final product. The text on the design is also in the wrong place in context to the masthead and image, so I will have to think more carefully about where I am to put my coverlines and advertisements. The cover also looks quite plain due to the lack of colour used, however the reason I didn't include colour is that I wished to see how the image would look if it were the only colourful thing on the page. I have decided that I am going to include other colours on my front cover though, as over all it makes the magazine look more professional, and also more interesting.

Magazine Masthead.

After a lot of thought I have decided to call my magazine Dewy, as indie music is all about new music and orginality. Therefore the word 'dewy' means new and consequently ties in with the not only the genre of music, but the connations it stands for.

Test Shots.

This is an over the shoulder shot that I was considering using for a photo in my contents page. However this test shot has made me think that it wouldn't be a good shot to use for a contents page photo as the pose is usually used to attract people's attention. I also think that if I were to use this shot then I would have to focus more closely on the model and have less background showing.

This is the pose that I was thinking of using on my front cover as I wanted to go for the artistic theme for the front cover. In the photo I want my model to be holding a bunch of balloons of varying colours, hence the pose. I think this shot is a good shot for capturing detail, such as facial expression, but also allowing enough room for props to be visible in the photo.

This photo is the same pose as the previous photo, but from a different angle. This shot allows more room to see the props and consequently, the clothing that my model will be wearing, but some detail would be lost due to the fact that only half the face is visible. Possible buyers may find this off-putting and therefore I think I would rather use the photo above if I choose to continue the idea of using those certain props.

I was considering using this pose for my front cover as it is a bold pose, and consequently wouls draw peoples attention to the magazine cover.  I would consider using this pose for my front cover for other pictures I may use on there rather than as the main image. 

This is a pose I was thinking of using for a contents page photo. The pose is a mime of someone holding a guitar, which would fit in well in the contents page as it could be used to promote other articles, and gain the readers interest.

The Golden Spiral.

The Golden Spiral was in fact something that was first discovered by Pythagoras. In geometry, the golden spiral is a logarithmic spiral whose growth factor b is related to φ (the golden spiral ratio). The Golden Spiral was firstly derived from the 'golden rectangle'; a unique rectangle with a golden ratio. When you connect a curve through the corners of these rectangles, that is when the golden spiral is created.  To be specific the golden spiral gets wider by a factor of φ for every quarter turn that it is making.

Therefore, this means that the spiral shows us where the eyes are drawn first and the place that people automatically find most pleasing. If the theory was to be put in relation to photography it would seem that the centre of the spiral is where the main focus of the image is. As the spiral moves away from the centre, this is moving away from the point of focus to smaller details that people do not notice as much. I will have to test this out on several of my tests shot to ensure that the golden spiral theory works with my photographs and consequently make them more aesthetically pleasing.

Audience Profile.

My target audience is going to be teenagers between the ages of 14-19, who are interested in music, but mainly the genre of Indie music. I think my magazine would lean more towards teenage girls as I can relate to that group more than others, and therefore I find it easier to advertise my magazine to them. Here is some information on the type of person who would fit into my target audience:

This is Jemma :) She's 17 and lives in Braunstone, Leicester. She goes to Lutterworth College where she is currently taking her A-levels which include: media studies, english literature, english language and food technology. I have chosen to use Jemma as an example of my target audience because she is in the middle of my age range and listens to the genre of music I am featuring in my magazine. As well as listening to indie artists such as Snow Patrol and Kate Nash, she also listens to 'soft rock' like Coldplay and Muse. As this is the main aim I am going for in my magazine it makes Jemma fit into my target audience easily. Jemma gets her music from sites such as Spotify, and is a regular user of her iPod, and consequently uses iTunes frequently.

Jemma likes to spend her time with her friends, whether going out or just spending some time talking. This gives her a chance to share similar interests, which is a quality I am looking for in my target audience, as this would help boost magazine sales. Her clothes tend to be items that she feels comfortable in, but she also likes items with a 'quirky' streak, such as tops with moustaches on. My magazine is going to include a similar streak of difference via clothes, which should hopefully interest more people in my target audience.

Jemma feels that a music magazine should contain interviews with artists, information about up-coming artists, articles about new albums/singles, and any other pieces that would be relevant to the genre of music she is interested in.

Magazine Covers - Artistic.

This magazine front cover is very artistic in the way that it is void of colours and seems to be completely drawn, which is something not usually used on music magazines, because they tend to stick to the idea of using a photograph. Even though the image looks as if it has been drawn on, the whole page looks 'seemless' as it all fits together easily. The use of no colour in the image makes it look more interesting and allows the bottom part of the magazine to stand out more clearly as the colours would jump out off the page. The image could be seen as a type of parody, because the way the two women have been drawn is not what would be considered flattering, and it tries to make them look silly. The magazine could be trying to portray that not everyone is as perfect as models usually used on the cover of magazines, and therefore allowing people to see that they don't focus on perfection in their magazine.

In this edition of Interview colours are relied on very heavily to make the magazine stand out. The use of the colours makes the magazine look very bright and vibrant, which is very eye-catching and would look more interesting to people than other, duller, magazine covers. The colours could also be used to signify the fact that Rihanna is considered to be a colourful character, or that her music is very bright and lively. It also makes the masthead stand out on the page as the white font contrasts to the bright colours used and therefore makes it easier to read. Similarly, the black font on the cover ties in with the black of Rihanna's outfit, but at the same time stands out from the bright colours, making it easier to see/read. Having the flowers gives the image a slight edge of innocence, which is a connotation people usually make with flowers, but it could also give the idea of seduction, which would tie in with Rihanna's pose and expression.Colour is used predominantly to gain interest, and I think the magazine uses this technique very well.

This is another magazine front cover that relies on colour to make it stand out against other magazines. The pink lighting ties in with the pink font, mainly used for the masthead, and is included in the magazines colour palette. The blue lighting contrasts with the pink lighting, giving the effect that the artist has two sides, which the magazine has represented by using the two different colours. The background colour contrasts with the image and makes the image seem brighter and vibrant. The pastel colours also makes the image stand out, but also makes the text easy to read and clear to see.

Magazine Pitch Evaluation.

From the feedback that I received from my magazine pitch I know that I have to changed my magazine name to something else, and to use the final font for my masthead. out of my options that I had chosen. I am also thinking of using the colour scheme red, white and blue, because I think the colours stand out and give the vibrant edge I wanted. I need to think more about how many images I am going to use overall in my magazine, and other people that I could use for these shots, the style that I would dress them in and how I want them to pose. The feedback also made me think that I need to use props in my images, to make them more interesting and different from other magazines, as quite a few people are thinking of using a grey scale photo on a white background. To the idea of having a 1950's theme for the particular issue when down quite well with the audience and they seemed quite interested in how I was going to achieve that look. I also need to think more about what I am going to do for my double page spread article, and I am leaning more towards an interview with my artist as I think it would be more interesting to my target audience. Another thing I need to consider is where I will shoot my other images, as I don't want all my photos to be on a white background.

Overall I think that my magazine pitch went well because not only did it confirm my idea that I need to change my magazine title, but it gave me an insight into other elements I need to think about and plan, in effect, making me more prepared for creating my magazine. The feedback I received made me more inclined to carry on with the 50's theme and the style of my main image that I was thinking to use.

Magazine Pitch.

Main Image.

For my main image I am thinking of using a medium shot of just the top half of my 'celebrities' body, and also changing the photo into black and white. From the photo I would then pick out a recurring colour, maybe the red hair colour and then the red lipstick for example, which would stand out against the rest of the image. I want the style of clothing to be a late 1950's American, but with modern aspects. For example, the model for my main image would wear a jacket like so:

 The hair and makeup would also reflect the 50's era, which I would link to the main article, therefore this means my main article/double page spread is going to be about 50's music. For the photo I want the model to be looking into the camera, therefore when on the front page it gives the impression that the photo is looking at potential buyers and would pique their interest.