Question 7: Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?

 

By doing my preliminary task I have learnt many skills to help me produce my full final product. The main thing being learning the different conventions of a magazine and what the names of different parts of the magazine are called such as 'mastheads', 'cover lines', 'selling lines' and others. These have all helped my magazine reach a higher quality standard as I now understand where to place cover lines, what shot I should use for my front colour, how important the font I use is to the way my audience sees it. Having looked at my preliminary task I feel that I have improved a bit because the layout of my cover was a bit messy and rushed and the image could have been resized better. The end result of my preliminary task looked more like an incomplete product.

I also learnt how to create a double page spread which was not present in my preliminary task and this also helped me learn how to challenge myself more using the photoshop software. My preliminary task only needed me to use the text and resize tools to complete the two pages. I didn't have to edit my pictures for my preliminary task and this might have reduced the quality of my images. I felt more challenged to do so with my final project.

I put in more research and time after my preliminary task and I feel that this has helped me bring my final project to the standard that it is now. I feel that because I done my audience research I was able to understand what readers want to see in the media that they read, this helped me narrow my target audience and focus more at looking at magazines that have a similar audience to the product I had in mind. I learnt how to ensure that my audience wasn't a broad one which would confuse everyone unlike my preliminary task which has a specific audience and will be found only in colleges. By having a magazine that would be circulating I found that it is important to make your magazine attract a certain type of social group.

I still do think that if I could make another magazine having done both my preliminary task and the final product I would be able to make it more professional.

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

 

Since starting this project I feel like I have learnt quite a lot about new technology and software to successfully construct a magazine. I already knew my way around cameras and the process of capturing an image but I found that I have learnt the importance of head space when taking a medium shot of a subject that will be used as the front cover of my magazine, looking at my images after taking them I found that I had quite a lot of negative headroom present in my images, this means that I need to learn how to centre my images using the metering function in the camera. I also learnt more about the importance of soft boxes and extra lighting used in studio shoots, I learnt to how to measure the distance needed from my subject and the soft box. I learnt how to use the different functions a Canon EOS 400D, which is the camera that I used for both my preliminary task and the final magazine. There are many pros that come with using a high quality DSLR camera like the 400D, the main one being the quality of the images produced. Most companies/institutions that provide a visual service use DSLR's rather than manual SLR's which take up time to get the image developed and it's also expensive in the fact that we would have to buy chemicals to get the images processed and there is no guarantee or way to see how your images have come out until after you have developed them. So by using a Canon EOS 400D I was pleased with the result and quality of my images. 

Through this project I have also learnt how to use most of the tools in Photoshop CS3. I did find it a bit challenging at some points of editing my pictures such as changing the background of my pictures, I tried too but the colours didn't work too well and came out blotchy using the paint bucket tool in photoshop. My teacher advised me to leave the background as it was because the lighting I had in the picture was good so I just adjusted the brightness and contrast a bit using the image adjustment tool.

The other tools I learnt to use in photoshop were the text tools I used to write my text with; I also explored using the line tool to create some boarders/lines to divide my text like the ones I used in my contents page. These were very easy to use as they are similar to the Microsoft word text tools. To enhance these I used the special effects 'stroke', 'inner shadow' and 'outer shadow' effects. These all helped make my text more colourful and stand out a bit more in the double page spread where the white text can clash with the white shadows of the denim jacket.

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

Having looked at the feedback I got from my audience research, I took into account what my friends had said about what they would like to see in the content of the magazine. To ensure this I used a model that I felt could relate to all types of classes and looks interesting, the clothes I dressed her in were also a way I thought would make my target audience attracted to her. By having a strong yet relatable model on my front cover I feel that it's a way for the readers to associate what genre the magazine is and what it has to offer the public. Another way in which I feel I have attracted my audience through the model is the items of clothing she is wearing. By having her dress in dark, simple clothes I feel that most of the indie/alternative audience would be able to feel like the artist is 'one of them', I came to this conclusion after realising that most front cover models especially those classed in the indie genre dress quite simple unlike those out in the hip hop/r&b genre who over accessorise and use primary block colours in their clothing.

Another way I feel I have addressed my audience is through the cover lines which are present on my front cover. I have included some artists such as Santigold and Bombay Bicycle Club who are quite popular at the moment in the indie/alternative genre. By doing this it should make it much easier for the reader to recognise the artists and therefore the genre that my magazine is targeting. I have also used a classic convention of having a giveaway cover line on my front cover, this helps draw the reader in because everyone wants a free gift especially since we're in a recession and some may not be able to afford tickets to see a band that they love.

The font I used was very simple and easy to read. I used the Impact font for my cover lines and all other writing present in the magazine. By using a simple font it would clearly make it easier for the reader to read the magazine articles and also make them comfortable while reading instead of stressing while straining their eyes trying to read it. I also used the red stroke effect to make some of the fonts on my front cover stand out a bit and also used an inverted stroked cover line talking about the regular specials the magazine has to offer. I purposely used inverted colour format to attract my reader to other free giveaways the magazine has to offer.

For my contents page I kept the layout very simple, I used a white background and a similar colour scheme to that I used on the front cover to make it more interesting for my reader to read. I purposely didn't place my topic titles in a boarded shape because I wanted to make the contents page feel less barricaded and more open planed. I like the simplicity of my contents page and some magazine such as Q magazine also use a similar concept with their contents pages. I included a short editor's note which talks about what the team have been up to while the issue was in the process of being published and also to give a little hint to what the reader should expect in the magazine. Every magazine has an editor's note to inform the reader what the magazine holds and to give a personal touch to the final edit of the magazine.

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

As I have stated in question two, the target audience for the magazine would be teenagers aged between 14 and 28. I came to this decision after doing my audience research which is up on the blog. Also through extra research I've found that the main age group that consumes magazines similar to mine are young adults who still enjoy going to gigs and haven't hit 'mid-life' crisis.

I decided to target this audience because they are more likely to buy my magazine because they are kept informed with what some of their favourite artists/bands are up to through reading our interviews or reviews. The magazine will also be looking at culture issues such as new night clubs, new fashion trends and the latest that is going on. It's usually people in the age range that I'm targeting that are interested in this type of news. In terms of social groups the indie/alternative group would be my most targeted audience as they will have better understanding of what is being discussed through out the magazine as well as wanting to know what gigs and events will be going on.

In recent years ethnicity in the indie/alternative culture has become more diverse so it will be enjoyed by people from different backgrounds, however in terms of social class people that fall under the middle class umbrella would be able to afford my magazine on a monthly basis but this doesn't mean that working class people will not be able to buy one or two issues of the magazine if they really enjoy it. That might be the only limitation when it comes to my targeted audience.

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

 

Having researched a number of publishing institutions I was able to narrow down my decision on who I think would be best to publish my magazine. My first preference was ipc media. This is because they seem to be the most experienced in publishing magazines similar to mine such as NME. But having thought about it properly they wouldn't benefit anything for having my magazine as they already have something that fits into that genre. I then looked at Condé Nast; they focus mainly on fashion and culture magazines. I thought this would fit in well with my magazine as it's been heavily influenced by culture magazines. But because my magazine is a music magazine it would benefit the publishing company allowing them to expand their audience and increase their own publicity through advertising my magazine.



These are some of the magazines the institute publish and distribute. As well as having Codé Nast publish my magazine I would also make it an app seeing as technology has improved over the years and people can now download all types of apps from games to books. This would broaden our target audience internationally as well as nationally, for this we could use Apple as our app/online distributing site as they do get a lot of hits on their site and it's the main source of all downloads of any form.

In terms of circulation I would target music stores such as HMV, Indie stores such as Beyond Retro in Brick Lane, Book stores, grocery stores and convenience stores. This would mean that people will see it on the magazine shelves everywhere they go and this way they would be able to remember my masthead and eventually read/buy the magazine.

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

 


My music magazine mainly targets the teenage audience within the age rage of 14 and 28, both male and female who enjoy listening to indie/alternative music. I tried to represent this social group through a number of ways including what my model wore, the props used and the angle of the photo and the pose of the model.

I dressed my model in a simple black top with black skinny jeans, a black unzipped jumper and a baggy jean jacket. This look shows that she comes from a middle class background as most artist who dress simple are quite well off but would rather dress simple to express their alter egos or to connect to those they feel would listen to their music more if they don't show off how wealthy they are. The simplicity of the outfit is similar to other musicians whose music fits into this genre such as Lykkie Li, The Drums and Mikill Pane. Her outfit also gives out a sense of being shy and laid back which usually ties in with the indie/alternative genre. Her make-up however adds a bit of masculinity, the dark lips and eye make-up shows that even though she is a bit laid back she can still be a bit edgy and serious, therefore making the audience think that her music also has been influenced by the rock genre. Indie music has derived from rock and pop and it can sometimes be confused with soft rock, some listeners of soft rock can also relate to indie bands such as the Arctic Monkeys who are considered both a rock and an indie band. Her outfit can also be associated with the 'hipster' sense of style and you'd be likely to see some one dressed like her walking around Brick Lane and Shoreditch which is considered to be an indie area because it's full of vintage stores, art galleries and cheap pubs and night clubs.

The crazy 'I'm not bothered to look after my hair' look is another way in which my target audience can relate to the magazine as the black musicians who are indie/alternative singers usually have quirky hairstyles that look untamed just like my models hair.






 

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

At the beginning of my music magazine project I started off by researching some music magazines both online and in store, to get a better insight of what the main features of a music magazine are. In some aspects I did stick to the classic conventions of a music magazine. For example having a large masthead of my front cover, having a selling line and an issue number all featured on the front cover. I also put a barcode on the front page to make it look more official. However, unlike most music magazines I kept the layout of mine fairly simple by having all of my cover lines on the right hand side of the page so the page doesn't seem as messy as a normal music magazine front cover, such as Q or Beat magazine. I decided not to have my cover lines all over the front cover as when I buy a music magazine I'm attracted more to the image/model on the front cover rather than the cover lines which I find are too 'in your face' and slightly intimidating. Instead I used similar techniques to culture magazines such as i-D and Indie magazine. They usually have one main cover line that is related to the model on the front cover or the topic of the issue. Having said that, I stuck to the rules of a perfect music masthead by having a boldly coloured and big masthead written in Engravers ET. The font of a masthead is important because that is what attracts the reader to the magazine and makes it stand out on the shelf. Most magazines tend to use simple classical fonts such as Arial, Sans Serif or Impact.

My music magazine selling line is one convention I made sure to keep. Selling lines I've found make it easier for the reader to associate with the magazine as it tells them what the main focal points of the magazine are. My selling line reads 'New music. Interviews. Reviews.' This attracts my audience because it tells you what the contents of the magazine are without giving you too much detail.

There is also an issue number on my front cover which is another convention I kept whilst producing my magazine. This helps the audience keep track of how many issues there are currently if ever they want to collect multiple issues of the magazine. Issue numbers also make it easier to track copies of that issue are still circulating that have been distributed.

My barcode was placed on the top left hand side of my front cover under my selling line. This is one convention that all magazines even culture an art magazines have, however not all magazines place their barcode at the top of the page some put theirs at the bottom of the page. I placed mine on the top left so it balances out the content present on the front cover of my magazine seeing as I put all of my cover lines on the right hand side.

 

                                

To further attract my target audience I have included some cover lines. Cover lines give the reader an idea of what the main articles in the magazine are. In order to attract the readers' eye the cover lines have to be bold and bright, I used red because people are always drawn to looking at something that is red because it usually means that something is hazarders. Making the opening lines of a cover line red it tells the reader what the topic subject is, that is why I have made the sub stories under the cover lines black so it doesn't distract the reader too much or lose their interest. A cover line that attracts my reader even more is one that advertises free downloads as a regular special. With download prices being quite high people are always attracted to a free legal deal and this would make my readers more open to listening to new artists that they might not have heard of before.

Like most magazine the models used in the front cover the image is taken in a medium close up shot. By having a medium close up it allows the reader to feel like they can relate to the artist/model on the image, as they can see their outfits and are attracted to what they wear. Especially if the artist dresses similarly to the targeted audience. I tried to keep my models clothes simple yet still relatable to the indie/pop culture. The way she is pose as well welcomes the reader as she is exposing her chest which shows that she is confident and allowing people to approach her. As you can see my main influence for this magazine came from culture magazines rather than a standard well known music magazine which has a similar target audience to mine.

For my contents page I developed and used some of the same conventions that you would find in a real magazine such as Kerrang. I have used another image which gives the reader a sense of what other issues are discussed in the magazine apart from music. However I didn't section off the feature titles and have them in boxes, instead I decided to go with my clean layout and have them all written out like the rest of the contents titles. I have however set the feature titles apart by using a different colour and a font size larger. I have also put in a short summary of what the magazine team got up to which is similar to the editors note that you usually get in a real magazine where the editors note isn't present.

Unused images

There were a couple of raw images that I took for my magazine that weren't used due to me not centring the camera while taking the image, the backdrop being cut off in the image or the model was moving during me capturing the image so her face or a part of her body looks distorted.

Final double page

This is the final music double page spread.

Final Music Magazine Contents page

This is my final contents page. Unlike my original idea, for this page I used the white background which every magazine uses. I still tried to keep the text simple and easy to read by not putting borders around the features mentioned.

Music Magazine Final Front Cover

This is the front cover of my music magazine. I didn't want to use a lot of coverlines as I feel it will mess up the neat look I'm going for in my magazine. I used contracting colours and contrasting fonts so the magazine would be able to stand out when on a shelf in the store.

Draft Music contents page

This is the draft music magazine cover I created. this goes with the draft fron cover bellow. I tried to subvert the norm of a magazine by using a black page rather than a white one. In my magazine I kept all the contents simple, easy to read and plain. This was the idea I had for my whole magazine.

Draft Magazine Cover

 

This is my draft music magazine front cover. I made it simple on purpose and I didn't put in a lot of information because I was looking for a clean look and one that my target audience will be able to relate to. I tried to use contrasting fonts and colours to make the magazine stand out a bit. My main influence for this style was magazines such as Dazed and Confused and i-D magazine. They usually use up to two coverlines on their magazine front covers.