Evaluation Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from that to your full product?

My answer to this question is in the form of an audio below.  I have included my preliminary task and my main task as an accompaniment to the audio.

Preliminary Task

 

Main Task

As I have discussed in the audio, I have learnt a great deal about magazine conventions including composition, font, colour and images.  My technical understanding has developed through my use of Photoshop and my continued use of its tools.

Evaluation Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Additional Comment: When approaching Photo Shop, I watched a tutorial video on You Tube to get me started on the software as I had never used it before.  Here is the link to that video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gDL877V-kPo

Time management 3

Currently, I have two more questions to complete on the evaluation, which I plan to finish over the two-week break.  My evaluation will be completed by the deadline which is the 22nd of April.  My lecturer gave me feedback on my other blog posts and I am going to make improvements to it so that I can dedicate my time to finishing my evaluation.  The improvements to my blog will be done by the deadline which is the 20th of April.

Evaluation Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?

I have answered this question on Prezi.  There is a link to it below.

https://prezi.com/lfjlcs5efgqf/how-did-you-attractaddress-your-audience/

Evaluation Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

I have answered this question on PowerPoint. 

My chosen audience of 16-30 year olds is definitely the age range I would put consumers of my product in.  I feel that my magazine appeals to this age group and that they would be willing to pay for it on a monthly basis.  Despite my magazine being in the Pop genre, it does not apply to singers who would generally appear in 'Teen pop' magazines as they would require far less sophisticated colours such as pink or yellow.

Evaluation Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

When researching media institutions, I came to the conclusion that Bauer Media was best suited to publish my magazine: 'Vocal'.  The other institutions I researched were Time Inc UK, EMap, Natmags, Future Publishing and Conde Nast.  I have decided that Bauer Media would be the most likely distributer of my product because it is a large institution based in Europe, meaning it will have offices in the UK which make it closer to home than places like the US or Australia which will have distributing institutions of their own.  Their portfolio manages not just magazines, but digital products, radio and TV stations.  It is a well established institution and the fact that it manages film magazines means it would apply to my magazine even further as 'Vocal' covers music in film in the issue I produced and if it were a real media product, then it would strengthen its popularity by including items that Bauer Media readers were familiar with.

Left: A listing from my contents page which shows film culture entering the culture of music, which fits in with the portfolio of Bauer Media.

 

This issue of 'Q' was one of my front cover deconstructions and has items that were influential to my product.  'Q' is distributed by Bauer Media and it has grown into the mediums of radio and TV.  'Q Radio' and 'Q TV' are best known for music genres like indie and rock.  'Q' is an example of Bauer Media being a very well established institution as 'Q' has its own awards show: the 'Q Awards'.  Bauer also publishes 'Empire', a film magazine which also has its own award ceremony called the 'Empire Jameson Awards'.  By distributing my product, I believe that it would become a well known magazine far quicker than with any other publishing institutions.        
                                            

Mainstream retail magazines are distributed in a variety of ways.  Paid circulation is most frequently used as magazines need to make a profit if they are mainstream.  Not only are magazines sold in print form in stores, they are also sold in a digital format online.  In a world where technology is depended on so much, the digital format of a magazine is becoming very popular and the availability of subscriptions helps to boost the profit made by publishers.  My product would also be available to download on digital stores such as 'ITunes' which could also advertise it on its feature page.  Magazines can be downloaded via the 'Newsstand' app on 'Apple' devices.  This would be ideal for my product because it would gain interest from a large proportion of my magazines' audience.  The fact Bauer Media is such a well known and popular institution means that selling my product on different media platforms would be easily accomplished and would most certainly make large profits.

Link to the Bauer Media website:  http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/

Evaluation Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

There is a link to a Prezi below which answers this question.

How does your media product represent particular social grou

Below, I have discussed the similarities and differences between the ways I have constructed the dominant image on my double page spread as a representative for a particular social group and the way another magazine has done so.  The double page spread I will be comparing mine with is from 'Q' magazine.  I did this using Photoshop.

Evaluation Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My front cover applies similar conventions to my influences including the placing of the image in the centre and the keeping sell lines to the side.  The reader would be quickly interested in reading the magazine due to its use of shapes such as a plus sign and circles which are conventional in magazines as they make the sell lines appear to be more than just listings.  I have also made my product professional by putting part of the image over the masthead which is conventional of established magazines as they assume the reader knows the magazine's name.  Another convention which I found interesting when deconstructing an issue of 'Q' magazine was the range of font and text size.  This helps the reader identify what is most important and I carried on this idea as my target audience will buy a magazine that stands out to them on the shelf.

The cover of my product develops the convention of the main image being in the middle of the page as the headline and strapline that accompany it are on the right hand side.  One of my cover influences, 'Vibe', did something similar to this, but put far more emphasis on the image.  My other influence, 'Clash', placed the headline in the middle, again putting more emphasis on the image.  The cover that I have created uses the headline and strapline as a companion to the image as it complements it.  I don't believe I have challenged conventions.  I think it follows the expectations of regular magazine readers who will be able to identify the conventions.

The contents page of my magazine uses the conventions of divided columns for the listings and a separate box for the competition section.  I have used three columns which are 'Features', 'Regulars' and 'Album Reviews'.  This appeals to regular readers, new readers and people who don't care what magazine it is, as long as it is a music magazine.  The competition section is kept to the bottom right hand corner of the page.  It is kept out of the way, but still serves its purpose by using colours that are not on the rest of the page, including yellow and a light shade of blue.  The influence to do this came from 'NME' which became an influence of mine after I deconstructed a contents page from one of its issues.  The effect of this convention is that it separates what is actually inside the magazine and what you have to compete to get, making readers feel like they have gotten more out of a page which is essentially a guide.

It is not necessarily a challenge to the conventions of contents pages, but the way I have used colour certainly develops them.  The primary colour scheme is blue, green and red, however I have used a darker shade of yellow for the title, 'Contents'.  This enables the colours from the cover to be passed on whilst still having its own scheme of colour.  For many magazines, it is conventional to change the colours on the contents page depending on what is inside the issue.  I have developed this by using colours from my cover in text boxes on the contents page.

My Double Page Spread has the full article on the second page.  All but one of my deconstructions did this.  The one that didn't was an issue of 'Kerrang', however it still kept the full article on one page, it was just that it was the left page.  Both my influences which were 'NME' and 'Q' kept the article to the right page which I feel my helps my double page spread as it makes the composition organised and allows the audience to navigate easier.  The fact the article consists of the traditional three columns keeps the reader interested they feel that they can follow the interview easier as it is not squashed together.  As blue is not classed as a particularly 'bright' colour like pink or yellow, I wanted to add a colour like that.  I chose to add a little splash of orange because it prevents the reader from looking at the page as unhappy.  'NME' chose to do this for a double page spread which influenced me and it really fit in with the colour in the image on that article.

A challenge that my double page spread presents to the conventions is that the headline and sub-headline which accompany the image are in their own box underneath the image, instead of over the image.  I  made this decision as I wanted to give it a more vintage look to try to make a statement that the artist being interviewed does not fit in with most current singers as he has his own unique style.  This challenges rather than develops conventions as it brings forward the idea that magazine design depends on the style that best fits the article, rather than the style that is used conventionally.

Audience Focus Groups

I have sent my magazine to people in my target audience and they have given me feedback on what their thoughts are.  This informs me what members of my target audience think of my finished magazine design.

The first person is a female who is aged 25.

The second person is a male who is aged 19.

Final Magazine Design

This is my completed magazine, consisting of the Front Cover, Contents Page and Double Page Spread.  I have made changes and additions to all three sections and I am pleased with the finished result.  I believe that the conventions of music magazines are more identifiable with this final design and that my target audience would buy the product.

When clicking on the Double Page Spread, the article may be difficult to read.  In this case, it is best to zoom in on the page.


Front Cover

My final front cover design has changes from my second draft.  I have included a banner at the top of the page and included different, more interesting fonts for the sell lines 'Life on Mars' and 'Adele'.  The 'Hozier' and 'Perfect Score' sell line are also more interesting as they use different fonts and stand out on their own- they do not rely on support from other items on the page.

Contents Page

My final contents page applies more color to some of the listings.  I have also changed the images by adding red which matches the colour of the page numbers.  This makes people want to look at the page as often the contents page is not looked at.

Double Page Spread

I have made the article neater by aligning the introductory paragraph.  The interview is more engaging also due to the different font I have used for the pull quotes.  The headline and sub-headline on the first page has also been changed as the font and design did not look applicable to my target audience.  The new look of the double page spread definitely fits in with my audience.

Front Cover Photo Retake

 

The front cover image I used on the second draft was not suitable as my lecturer told me its revolution was too low.  I borrowed a high resolution camera from college and took the image again.  The image on the left is the one I will be using on my cover as the photograph on the right is far too blurry.  My chosen image is high in quality and will make my final cover design look far superior to the other drafts in which other images were used.

Evaluation Questions

For the evaluation section of my coursework, I will be answering these seven questions.

 

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

2.     How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

4.     Who would be the audience for your media product?

5.     How did you attract/address your audience?

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

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

Screenshots 2

These screenshots are from the second draft of my magazine.

Double Page Spread Draft 2 (with feedback)

The improvements and additions my lecturer told me to work on have been achieved.  The feedback I received on this draft was positive.  The layout was mentioned as being effective as the blue text boxes stood out and helped create a clear composition.  The pages look better because they include conventional elements such as the inclusion of the writer and photographer and a note that the person being interviewed has something they want to sell, which in this case is a CD.

For my final design, I am going to take the advice of my lecturer and introduce a different font into the page, change the design of the headline and align the introductory paragraph.  This will make the magazine appeal to its target audience more than it does here, especially as it will look more professional and tidy.

Contents Page Draft 2 (with feedback)

 

 

I have addressed the changes proposed by my lecturer, however there are still some aspects for me to work on.

 

The feedback I received pointed out that my contents page was well aligned, sectioned and organised, but that the text for the listings could be a little smaller.  Another point for me to consider is how I sell my images in terms of font and colour.  The reason for this is because the text blends into the image, meaning the articles cannot interest the reader to their full extent.  The numbering system also needs to be looked at as I made the mistake of using the page number twice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Front Cover Draft 2 (with feedback)

 

I have made changes to the colours by incorporating different shades.  I have also changed the image to make the magazine appear much more professional.  Another piece of feedback I have acted on is the fonts, which I have varied more and used to emphasise certain words or pieces of text.

 

The feedback I have received on my second draft is that the image looks like it has a low resolution, therefore I will need to take it again, but with a better camera.  Also, the cutting of the image will need to be improved on the next image.  It is easier to smoothly cut around the image if it is taken on a plain background.  The next image will also need to be taken closer to me so that it is a medium shot.  The reason for this is because my influences and deconstructions point out my intention to do this.  Another piece of feedback is that the main selling line is a little unconventional and that the colour scheme stops things 'popping out'.  Regarding the sell lines, my lecturer pointed out that I could use some stronger fonts'.  I will also need to align the sell lines properly and make sure that the artists are focused on more to grab the readers attention more.  A final point to consider was adding a subtle background colour to avoid the cover looking too stark.





 



 









Time Management 2

I am managing my time by prioritising my magazine updates.  I will be drafting my magazine again and give it to my lecturer for feedback.  I am planning on being close to finishing my entire product by the middle of March in order to begin the evaluation.

Screenshots 1

These are screenshots from the first draft of my magazine.  I will be taking screenshots again after I have finished the second draft, so that I can discuss how I have developed my design.

Double page-spread Draft 1- Feedback

Based on the feedback I have received on my double page spread, I am going to have to make some alterations.  Firstly, the size of the article text needs to be smaller as it is in professional magazines.  I will need to improve the alignments too so that the page looks neat and so that the columns are in line with each other.  The additions I am going to make are the inclusion of the photographer and writer's name (which will have to be made up) and at the end of the article, I will mention the artists album and that it is available to buy.  The introductory paragraph contains my name, however it was suggested that I make it stand out amongst the rest of the paragraph to establish the person being interviewed.  The caption for the image on the right page will need to be moved further into the corner to put more focus on the actual image and the final question will need to be converted to block capitals as I mistakenly did not do this when drafting the article.

Double-page spread Draft 1

Double-page spread- Draft

This is the draft of my Double-page spread.  I have stuck to the colours I planned to use which I think help it relate to the color scheme of the front cover, but it looks more interesting because I have included a small amount of orange for the drop cap.  I have used a conventional layout by keeping the article on just one of the pages and by using three columns for the text.  The buzzword 'exclusive' also adds to the appeal of the page.  I am pleased with the images I have used and I feel like my article fits in with my target audience and the type of music magazine it is.

Double page spread Article Draft

Eventful.  That's one way to describe the year Ben Carter has had.  His latest album shot straight to number one and his sell out tour was the event of the summer.  But just what does he have to say about it all?  We sat down with the songwriter to get an insight into life on the road, chart success and what word best describes him...

How has the last year been for you?

With the tour it's been very quick.  I haven't had time to think.  I'm extremely grateful to all of my fans and cannot express how much their support over the last year has meant to me.  To be honest, I don't think the singles would have been released so quickly had it not been for them.  It has been a wild year and I don't see how future years will top it.

Was the tour stressful at all?

You know, life on the road is hard.  It's like getting on and off a bus at the same place.  That's not to say I did not enjoy it- I absolutely loved it.  I keep getting people asking me what the best arena was or where was the best crowd and I just told them that I didn't know.  When you are up on the stage performing you are concentrating so hard on pleasing your audience that you don't actually realize what is going on in front of your own eyes.  I loved every minute of the tour and can't wait to do it all over again!

What word sums you up perfectly?

Prepared.  I know that sounds like a boast but it isn't.  I like to be ready for anything unexpected.

What do you feel makes the album so unique?

The fact that it is all either personal or inspired.  People can tell that.  The fact that it is not plain pop music makes it stand out.  I worked very hard on it and am glad that it all payed off.  I was prepared from criticism but I'm overwhelmed at the praise.  The style is something I focused very heavily on.  It wasn't all naturally me- I did have some inspiration!

Where do you get inspiration from?

I was really inspired by Elton John when I was younger, but I ended up listening more to The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.  The reason for that was because I wanted to write music that was a mixture of the two bands.  I'll never forget though how the music I originally listened to has impacted me.  It really contributed to my passion for music.  A lot of artists might want to start from scratch and develop their own type of music, but it's not a crime to be inspired.  In fact it's better because your love of music grows and grows until their is no other career choice you could even consider.

What is the next move you plan on making in your career?

I will take a short break then start working on the next album.  I would like to work with some other artists on the next one so I can travel to places I've never been before and meet new people.  I have even thought of doing a bit of jazz on the next album, as long as people don't think that is too much of a change for me.  I'd hate to think I had lost interest from fans.

You're not going to make us wait too long for the next album are you?

No.  It will be out within the next few years.  What people need to remember is that the longer they wait, the more it will be worth it!