Final post

To the examiner,
Please do enjoy looking through all my hard work over these past months!
As you will be able to see the level in which i started my blog has greatly improved towards the end and my final piece, all my inspirations for my magazine are on this blog.
Again enjoy! Thanks, Charlie

Evaluation Question 7

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

 I have hugely developed my skills by using programs like Photoshop, Blogger, Scribd, Prezzi, Blogger, Internet, Microsoft and my computer.

When I started work onto my preliminary task my knowledge of Photoshop and such programs were at a very low standard and I became limited with the effects I could use. I could only just roughly cut out a photograph and add limited effects. These skills have gradually increased towards the end of my preliminary work and throughout my draft work. I can now efficiently use Photoshop and go in to much more depth when creating my media product. I feel that from working on my preliminary it has given me the experience and skills to produce a professional finished music magazine. For example I have the ability to edit photos at a high standard and take them, I also know how to use the blemish tool to correct my photographs and I also have huge reliability on the contrast and brightness tool. I also am much more efficient; getting simple tasks such as editing objects and layers completed quickly. 

My knowledge of magazines in general has widely improved; this was mainly gained through my research and planning stages on my prelim and final. This also occurred when I was analysing my magazine covers in great depth. This was when I was learning about magazines and how they affect the audiences they appeal to and the special features, techniques and conventions that they use to do this.

 I have learned from doing my prelim how things should be layout on the page such as the grid method that is needed to be used when producing a magazine. This all in all will make my magazine aesthetically pleasing to the audience’s eye, and make them want to read my magazine. Although my knowledge for this only grew after my completion on my first draft, this is when I got teacher feedback and was able to spot all these errors like picture positioning etc.

 The preliminary magazine was very brief and the contents page was very poor compared to my final magazine now, it lacked in pages, photographs and did not follow and conventions of a contents pages already out there. There was very little information on the front page, and I didn’t really go into much depth when it came to a DPS, in fact a double page spread was never produced for the prelim. The photographs lacked professionalism and had no real link to the school magazine and headlines.



Prelim

 

From just looking at the front cover, contents and DPS you can see my development from my prelim work towards this final magazine, particularly my understanding of magazines which are already out there and the conventions they use to attract an audience,  as I feel this is the part I have learnt most about.

Evaluation Question 6

Evaluation Question 6 on Prezi

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

In my media product I feel that I have attracted my audience well.  The main aspect which will attract students who are female is the general genre of my music magazine, indie is a new genre which is ‘in’ at the moments students are into the indie styles and fashion, they will also be interested in the sorts of bands I have mentioned and the types of indie culture in my magazine. The front cover is pretty simple and stands out a lot, I have used a 19 year old model, she is female and well dressed and well presented, she is a new up and coming artist which would attract readers due to them wanting to keep up with the latest trends, as ‘Steph’ is a new artist this would engage readers. This new artist then carry’s onto my double page spread and will then explain a bit about her and then have an question and answer interview which will also make the readers more interested in her and can relate because also, the interview is to do with the artist from when she started, so the audience would find it interesting reading about how someone actually got into the music business in the first place which is a hard thing to do these days, because of the less opportunities students are given.

 I dressed my model Steph into indie clothes which I went out and bought, I also styled her hair quite natural and with a lace bow which is also pretty indie, also I felt that all of this would appeal to my audience and make them want to read my magazine.

 

The image on my double page spread is good big and fills half the page, I then have a panel/banner down the right hand side of my artist ‘Steph’ in different outfits and different shots/poses, I feel that this will attract more readers because I haven’t just thrown any one picture on the page I have incorporated more than one and changed her costume and her pose, and they are also quite clear professional photos. 

My contents page is simple using elements from magazines such as Q, NME and DAZED, I used a simple but effective column strategy, and used bigger fonts for the more important text, with smaller text elsewhere. I have now used blue, cherry red and white all the way through my music magazine so I have incorporated this into my contents page and double page spread. I have gone for a casual look towards the text which again links in my target audience who are students, and the fact they are chilled and calm, so an easy font but effective one works well here. 

I know students are interested in spending their money on clothes and music, I found this out through looking into NME’s student readership page. Most students I know like to live the life and go out to festivals and gigs when they can get the money so for this reason I have dedicated a section for festivals and gigs, so that all students are up to date on the latest biggest music events. I have created a section to win music tickets in my magazine because students at university and college are known for being short of cash due to school fees and living costs this then would give them opportunities to go to great gigs.

Evaluation Question 4

Evaluation Question 3

evaluation question 3 on Prezi

Evaluation Question 2

Eval 2 pp

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Evaluation Question 1

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

During our research and planning stages we looked at a lot of music magazines already in the industry we also looked at work from students from previous years which were posted on the walls in our classroom the magazines which looked better or gained the highest marks where those that followed the conventions of a real magazine. This is what is needed because it will make the audience automatically want you magazine because you have followed the conventions nothing can really go wrong with it. You would need to find the perfect model for your front cover and know how they needed to be dressed and also how they needed to be presented on the cover. We also know that magazines are designed to be aesthetically pleasing, and draw you in to the most wonderful part of the pages; some magazines may challenge these conventions but this is only if they know the certain thing they have changed will appeal to there target audience.
 Some conventions rely fully on the rule of three this means the way the page is divided into a grid, the colour scheme and the fonts. The masthead fills the top box across, and the picture should fill most of the page if it’s a good image. Most magazines have more than 80 pages so this was another thing we had to consider when creating our magazines. Picking a colour scheme would rely on the genre you have chosen for example I have chosen cherry red and light blue to portray a retro indie pop feel towards the magazine.

When I decided to make my magazine I had to do a lot of research before I could even start, this was good because I didn’t want my magazine to be no good, I took all the conventions of my favourite magazines into account, this was because I know these methods work and are pleasing to the eye for an audience. NME was my main inspiration because it is a personal favourite and I am also included in my target audience.

My mast head is a conventional masthead, it is big and bright and fills the top part of the page, it includes my colour scheme and looks really effective and it is the largest text on the page. My font is big and fits in very well with my genre I have chosen which is indie; it is also straight to the point which is good because I want my magazine to be easy and fun as well as great an d portrays information well. I layers my masthead behind my photograph as I feel that you are still able to read it but it gives my magazine a 3D effect this is also following conventions of magazines already out there.

I feel that my photographs were a key part to my music magazine they were possible the hardest to produce but it was hard to get across a professional photograph without a professional photographer, so reaching this high level was hard. This meant that I would take out the background to make the photos as professional as I possibly could because I felt this could work.

I wanted to use a female model for my front cover so that this would appeal more to the female audience; I then looked at photographs of teenage artists and a lot of the photographs where similar to the ones I would like to use. Clothing for the front colour was a key aspect I achieved this by using a plain black dress top with two watches, gold and silver, a lace white bow in her hair and also a quirky red necklace saying love in her mouth on a gold chain. This followed the conventions due to how most magazines I have looked at have a quirky aspect on the front on the model or near.

Overall, my media product heavily relies on the use and development of conventions in real magazines. I haven't really challenged the conventions as I felt this would just make my magazine be no good. I have followed the conventions because I feel it will then appeal to my specific audience and be a great overall magazine.

My final music magazine (all)

Draft screen grabs

As you can see i am part way through my contents page, i have put all my images in boxes so that it gives it a fresh look and feel towards it.

I have cut 2 of my photos out and left one with a background this is because most of the pictures i had taken had been taken with a solid white background, but i had one photo with a orange brick wall which i still think the mise-en-scene links and fits in with my indie genre.

Draft screen grabs

As you can see i have used the same outfit for the front page and for the DPS this is because you see this in most music magazines and also because i thought my other photographs were not as strong as my front cover and this helped it along because i used the same costume.


The photo i have used for my front cover i have used flash on my camera and the DPS i have not, you can tell it gives differnt effects which both work well i think, i have slightly edited both photographs changing the hue and highlighted some areas etc. i feel that overall i have a strong front photograph with a good photograph for my DPS.


I used a red 'love' necklace and put it in my models mouth, this shows some quirkyness to my magazine cover and i feel that alot of magzines do a simular thing and that this also fits in with my colour scheme so works really well.

draft evaluation questions 1-7

Evaluation Questions 1-7

screen grabs



I decided to use a variety of fonts using both blue and red, i also incorporated a little black so that my text would stand out, i used blue font at the bottom because of my red headline of my artist 'steph powell' i then used blue at the top to use a variety.

draft screen grab

First draft

Firstly i thought this original piece was good with one main image with surrounding smaller images, but the image was meant to have a clear look towards it which turned it yellow, i feel as if this let my DPS down a little and for this reason i have changed it into a banner theme and again changed my colour scheme to cherry red and blue, with much more professional images and i feel that this brightens up the page and gives it that fresh look.



Second attempt with better images



DRAFT feedback from miss somel and mr rai

I feel like this is good constructive criticism and i will take it on board and make my improvements.

i will change my colour scheme so that it looks more professional and more like a music magazine and not a journal.

i will also change my contents page so that things link more, i feel as if i didn't link the pictures to the writing much.

i will also take greater quality photographs so that it looks professional and fresh.

i will also make my columns on my DPS equal of size so that they also look professional.

i feel that if i do most of these things on my final music magazine i can increase my grade from a 3C upwards.

screen grabs



I originally wanted my title to consist of two colours, orange and blue as you can see in the picture below i feel that this does not work.

So i then decided to go with a cherry red and blue title, this Incorporated with my main image more, and also stands out a lot more as a music magazine and looks really nice



Final Photo Shots

AFL

Draft Magazine

photographs of test shots

Here I have taken one image and played around with it on Photoshop giving it different effects.
The first one is a kind of cartoon/poster effect I liked this effect because it gives it a different effect from others and stands out more. I feel that the effect only works if you can still see the image through the effect like this one. The effect is different but all my other pictures would have to be linked to this effect for it to work well and fit in with my genre which is indie style.
The second effect is a black and white stamp effect I like this because it’s different and it also has no colour it makes the picture stand out more but it wouldn’t go with my indie genre or colour scheme. It also gives it a gloomy look and would be good for a rock type magazine or a low colour scheme, with other images black and white.
The third one has a glow which makes the picture brighter and more clear, its more aesthetically pleasing than the normal picture and would fit in with my genre, next time when i do my magazine i would change some of the photos to this effect as i think it works the best and fits in with my indie genre.

Some other changes i would make are on the double page spread, the black headlines with white writing in them, they look a bit boring and could be made better somehow either by using better fonts etc. This could be done on Photoshop and not take much time but overall would improve the double page spread.The photos i have used are good but the camera i used was not good so i would need to make sure that next time i took pictures i used a higher megapixel camera so that my images are more professional and look a lot better than they do.


I would also consider taking more photographs with a better camera and changing my model, still female but dress her up in a more indie style and also make the colours go a little bit more, i like that fact my model is wearing a hat and i may keep this idea.



Title of my magazine

Firstly I decided on the name VIBE for my magazine  I felt like vibe was a nice word and fitted in with my indie genre but then I soon realised that it was already a name of a magazine and that I couldn’t possible take that name as the competition between the two magazines would be impossible.
I then though of the word BURST, this was because my music magazine is of an indie genre and I thought that the individuals would burst at the fact that there is now an amazing magazine. Also Burst is a word that would get stuck in your head and get passed around easily it also wasn’t already a name of a music magazine.



Here are a few designs and colour schemes i would like to incorporate within my magazine.

Test shots and notes

Here I have taken test shots of two different models, I won’t necessarily be using them for my actual magazine but they are here to help me get an understanding of what I want my models to look like and what sort of areas for shots I would like to use.

From these test shots I have decided to use a female model on the form of my magazine this is because I would like it to appeal to females more than males and also the way they look and the clothing they can wear fits in more with my genre.

I will be using a kind of naturalistic background for some of my shots because I think this fits in well with my genre and the way the photos look. I will also be using plain backgrounds so that I can cut them out or keep the plain background so the main subject stands out.

I will be using quite close up shots so that you get the full feel, but I will also be using mid shots face on to portray the whole face and better quality picture.