Evaluation: Progression

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

I am now much more confident using Photoshop than I was when I was doing the preliminary task. As you can see, my preliminary task on the left looks very basic and the font I have used for the cover lines aren't conventional. Whereas my music magazine coursework on the right looks more professional and you can tell I have improved since I first started. The colours are bland and I didn't use Photoshop to edit the model's skin. It doesn't stand out much, whereas my music magazine is much brighter, the colours work better together and it's a lot more detailed.

When I started my music magazine, I felt like I had gained the knowledge through practice on how to achieve a professional overall result. My font looks more professional and the cover lines are set out like a conventional magazine. The cover lines on Q magazine (image on the right) are set out similar to mine, therefore I have followed conventions when creating my cover. I also did a lot more research when creating my music magazine as I wanted to know what my audience would like to see.

Even though I followed a house style in my preliminary task, the colours are boring and don't stand out as much as my music magazine, with which the colours are much brighter and better quality. My preliminary cover has a masthead, but it doesn't stand out and it's also quite smaller. Through my research for my music magazine, I learnt that the masthead should cover a fifth of the page and also that the price should conventionally be on the bar code, which is what I failed to do for my preliminary task. The text underneath the masthead (the selling line) doesn't stand out much; the font is basic and small, which is hard to read. The font on my music magazine has an outline and the font is much more professional. Overall, my music magazine includes more detail and the colour scheme is much more effective and catches your eye, whereas the preliminary cover includes basic colours that wouldn't stand out with the rest of the magazines on the shelf.

During the process, I have learnt that by having a high quality photo and by editing it on Photoshop, you can create a professional look. I've also learnt that by using the right colours that contrast each other, you can help catch the audience's eye. I've also learnt that by linking the cover lines with the genre of music, and also the artist and their outfit, you can tell straight away what kind of genre it is.

 

Evaluation: Technologies

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

Throughout the process, I have learnt how to use Photoshop to a reasonable standard and how to improve my images to make them look professional. I am confident in using the quick selection tool to cut things out and make the model's skin look much brighter and flawless. I struggled when I first started using Photoshop as I was new to it and needed practice, which I have gotten throughout the process. When I was making my college magazine in the preliminary task, I struggled with the editing and making it look professional.

I used a similar process for my contents page image and my front cover image.

I have learnt that by using a good quality professional camera, you can take an excellent quality, clear photo which is what you need when creating a magazine. I used Photoshop to edit my photos (the process is above) and I used Microsoft Publisher to create my double page spread, so I could write my article in columns. On the front cover (image on the left) I used the quick selection tool to cut around her head, so that I could bring her forward so she's slightly covering the masthead; I found through my research that this was highly conventional of magazines. I got the masthead font and the 'kiss' stamp from a website, as I thought the font would go well with the genre and era of my magazine. I created 50% opaque red boxes around some of the text, so that the text didn't get lost with the newspaper background. 

 

Evaluation: Audience

4. How did you attract/address your audience?

 

 

Questionnaire:

 

 



I found this questionnaire I did when I was researching very useful as it gave me an insight into what people my age would like. I found out that most of them prefer pop and rock, their favourite era is the 80s, which could be down to their parents. I also found that most of them buy music magazines monthly and that half of them would definitely buy my magazine. They helped me during the process as I knew what young people would like. Also, the fact that it's for people my age is useful as I can relate to them and I know what people my age are interested in.

 

My magazine is £3, which is a reasonable price for people my age, as I found that most people are students and don't have a stable job, therefore £3 a month is a good price. My audience would be mainly young people who are mature and can make their own decisions and don't have to 'follow the crowd' which would explain their music interests. The outfit that my model is wearing on all three products of my magazine represents individuality; it's quirky and 'out there' and you'd need confidence to wear it, which my audience can relate to as they would be confident about their music interests.

Evaluation: Audience

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

My audience will be mainly young people in the D social grade, however if older people occasionally buy it, we are looking at the C social grade as older people are more likely to have a stable job. During my research, I created a questionnaire in order to find out what kind of things young people like to see in magazines. This helped me during the process of creating my magazine as I had an idea of what they'd like to see, such as album reviews and when magazines talk about great albums from the past, which at the time I thought fitted in well with the type of magazine I was wanting to create. My magazine has an informal way of addressing the audience, as I realised that if young people are my audience, they should be able to relate to the magazine; I also included a competition to win tickets to a festival, which is stereotypically what young people like to do.

I originally intended my magazine to be the 'SAFETY' level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, as I thought that my audience would be independent however, I realised that my audience would probably be on the 'SOCIAL' level, as the majority of my audience would be young people and also some older people.

My magazine will be aimed at people who appreciate all genres and eras of music that have been produced throughout the decades. The group that my audience would go in would be the inner-directed category, as instead of listening to chart music like most teenagers they would prefer to listen to music that has been around for a longer period of time. However, they might still enjoy today’s music, but appreciate that it has evolved from music from the past.

 

Because my audience is so diverse, it shows that I have gone against conventions. I like the way that my audience is diverse, as it shows that it's different and has the ability to attract a few different audiences. The audience is mainly young people (with the median age being 24) however, older people might buy it as they would be familiar with the music. My audience would be a mixture of males and females, depending on which artist is on the front cover. If a female pop artist was on the cover, it would probably attract more females whereas if a rock band was on the cover, more males would buy it that month.

 

Here is some video feedback I received about my products.

Evaluation: Distribution

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

As you can see, here is my magazine and a special 80s edition of Q magazine. As I have said previously, my magazine is influenced by special editions of music magazines when they are about old music, however instead of a special edition, I will bring my magazine out every month and it will be about old music every issue. Smash Hits magazine published a Michael Jackson special when he died in 2009 and they included their old style front cover, which they used when they first started making the magazine. It interested me and I wanted them to make these kind of issues monthly.

However, because not many magazines like mine are on the market, I would choose BBC Magazines as my distribution because, as I found out through my research, they don't publish many music magazines anymore. They used to publish Smash Hits until they stopped making it and Top Of The Pops, however that genre of music is mainly pop for young girls, whereas my genre is classic pop and rock; the audience that my magazine would attract would be completely new for BBC Magazines and also my magazine wouldn't have to compete with other magazines that are similar, because the BBC mainly publish magazines about homes, food and lifestyle. Also, the BBC have a good history in selling magazines; Top Of The Pops is a well known magazine and sold a lot of copies, therefore my magazine is more likely to do well if the BBC were the distributors.

If I chose Bauer Media Group, which publish Q magazine, I wouldn't benefit from it as much as I would if I went with BBC Magazines, because Q magazine is slightly similar to mine; we both use similar colours, therefore my magazine wouldn't stand out that much. Also, our audience is similar, therefore the company wouldn't benefit from publishing my magazine as they would have two magazines competing against each other. By choosing the BBC, the company and myself would benefit from it as there wouldn't be any competition with other magazines in the same institution.

Evaluation: Social Groups

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

The genre of my magazine is a mixture between 'classic pop' and 'classic rock', therefore I chose the outfit that Sabrina is wearing in the picture because it's very retro looking and it stands out well behind the newspaper background. The young people who would buy this magazine would be interested in the competition advertised for 'Tribfest 2013' as the festival is full of tribute bands from the 60s onwards and the audience would be interested in that kind of music. The masthead has an 'arcade' look, which again symbolises this type of magazine as it's very vintage looking. The picture on the front shows Sabrina going against the conventions of front cover photos and it reflects her personality (being edgy). She looks like the stereotypical teenager, going against conventions and being rebellious, which is what the target audience would be able to relate to. My audience would go against conventions as they are interested in music from the past, therefore they would be part of the D social grade, as it would mainly be people in full time education. However, even though the D social grade represents inner directed teenagers, I think maybe the C/D social grade is more appropriate as if older people sometimes buy the magazine too, they are more likely to have a job. Older people may buy the magazine if they recognise the artist on the front cover as it may bring back memories from when they were younger and listened to that music. Therefore, my magazine challenges conventions as the audience is very diverse. My audience would be inner-directed, as they aren't influenced by others and have their own particular music that they enjoy, instead of the mainstream music that is out today.

Q&A Music Mag Research by Zoe Oglesby on GoAnimate

Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate.

I did a questionnaire earlier on in my coursework to find out what kind of music people my age like and what they like about music magazines, so I could develop my ideas further into creating my magazine.

My music magazine has a retro/vintage style so that it reinforces my genre. I styled my model as if the photo was taken years ago; her outfit is retro and her sunglasses make her look like she's a pop star. The newspaper background makes my front cover look unique and it challenges conventions as magazines usually have a blank background. The masthead is in a polka dot font therefore it looks like an old fashioned arcade, which connotes the retro theme. My audience would be confident in their interests as they like music that isn't in the charts.

I stereotyped my audience by advertising a competition on the front cover for winning tickets to Tribfest, which is a festival with tribute bands from the past. I recognised that if my audience enjoy old music, then they would enjoy tribute bands of their favourite bands/artists as they would be the closest thing to hearing them live, as many of the bands they like might not be around anymore.

Evaluation: Double Page Spread Analysis

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

 

 

Overall, my double page spread includes many conventional features, but it also challenges conventions too. I have included a high quality photo taken with a high quality camera, as magazines tend to have high definition photos that look very professional. I've placed the image on the left page and the article on the right, as that's also conventional of magazines. On the front cover, I advertised a timeline of the artist's life, which would appear after the interview on the next page. I placed the conventional photo credits at the bottom of the photo to display who took the photo and the source (from her original album promotion in 1993). I've challenged conventions by only including one picture, as I found during my research that some magazines have more pictures placed around the article. It's also rare to see the artist's name at the top of the right page, as usually they are in large print either across the image or before the article, as a masthead. However, I saw that Q magazine sometimes place the name in small font as they know that the audience would know who they are anyway (image on the right).

I made the choices I did because I wanted my double page spread to look like part of the same magazine as my front cover and contents page, so I used the same colour scheme; red, black and white, which creates continuity and shows a conventional "house style" rule that magazines tend to follow. I tried to make my double page spread have a simple layout, so my audience would be interested in reading it; the photo that I have used has the same newspaper background as the other photos from the front cover and contents so that the audience know it's the same person and it's consistent. This pose is very different compared to the other two; she looks more innocent in this photo with a high angle shot, which links to the article as it's about her cracking under pressure, so it shows her vulnerable side. Also, she doesn't have sunglasses on in this photo, which suggests that we are "getting to know her" which is what the article is about, as though she's revealing her personality and we see her for who she really is.

However, if I was to create it again, I would maybe include a pull quote going across the image as that way, it would encourage the audience even more to read it. I would also include more images in the text as that way, it would attract the readers more because if the audience is young people, then they would probably prefer to see more pictures.



My first hand drawn draft was very basic. I placed the masthead on the left, going above the photo as that was my idea at the time. I also wanted to include a pull quote, but later changed my mind, however I would include a pull quote if I was to do it again. However, I stuck to having columns, a stand first and pull quotes as that is conventional of magazine articles. However, in my first draft, I was going to advertise what was on the next page at the bottom, which is an idea that I ended up scrapping.


I developed from this draft (on the left) as I realised it was too basic. I didn't like the name of the artist on the photo and I needed to add photo credits and shorten the interview, as it looks too cramped. I liked the colour of the text, but I wanted to improve it, so I came up with this draft (on the right.)


I received peer feedback from my draft and made improvements. I was told that the background colour behind the text didn't look conventional and didn't suit the colour scheme of my magazine, which I agreed with, so I changed it. I also added a page number to the article, as that is conventional and also made the photo credits conventionally smaller and moved the artist's name further to the right. After acting on my feedback, I came up with this (on the right). I'm glad I acted on my feedback as it looks much better than before. The white background looks more conventional and suits my magazine more.

Evaluation: Contents Page Analysis

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

Overall, my contents page includes many conventional features but I have also challenged conventions, such as by having a black background behind each subheading; it makes them look solid and thick. The image I've included of my main artist also challenges conventions as I have used a similar 'old fashioned' effect as I did on the front cover, which shows they are part of the same magazine. The sepia effect is unusual, but I like it as it stands out because it's different, which was the main aim of my magazine, because of the genre and era of music that the magazine is about. I noticed during my research that typical contents pages don't have the word 'page' or 'pg.' before the page number, therefore I followed that convention by not including it in mine. I picked the same colours as I did for my front cover to create continuity and a house style and to make these colours my magazine's signature colour scheme. The font used for each subheading is the same as my front cover also, so you can tell they join together as part of the same magazine.

I made these particular choices during the production of my magazine so that it looks conventional and so that the magazine is recognised as belonging to the front cover. I included the colours red, black and white as they are the colours of the house style I've chosen to have running through all three products of my magazine. I included a box layout, as that is conventional and I tried to make my contents page look different by having cartoon font in the subheadings, which I used for the front cover also.

If I was to start again, I would include more of a variety of original images, such as pictures of rock bands, so that I have a variety of males and females, seeing as my audience is both genders. I would also include more pages on the contents page, as it's conventional to have many pages listed. I would include a pull quote to go with the image of my main artist also, as it would encourage the reader to read the article (which is known as anchorage).

My initial ideas were very basic (my hand drawn draft on the left) and I struggled the most with creating the contents page, mainly because I found it hard to make it look professional. However, I like how it turned out in the end and I'm glad I used a box layout, as it makes it look more conventional and structured. I also kept changing my mind about where to place things on the contents page and felt like I couldn't fit everything in, but overall I'm fairly happy with the result. 

I developed my product from the teacher feedback that I received from one of my previous drafts (above). I changed the layout to make it appear more structured and also moved the images around so that it looks more neatly put together. I changed the page number of my main artist, as I was told the page number was "too far back" in the magazine, therefore I changed it from 45 to 20. I also was told that I had too much text on the image of Sabrina, therefore I removed some of the text and also made the font smaller and moved it further towards the bottom of the image (image on the left). I also received peer feedback, which my classmates suggested I made the lanes neater and referenced my celebrity photos, however I ended up replacing them later on with original images. I got mostly positive feedback, saying they liked how my famous existing artists included related to the mise en scene of my magazine.


This was the end result of my contents page. I changed the effect of the main image, so it's similar to the front cover photo. I included more original images, including a picture of a concert to represent the competition from the front cover. I changed the font of the subheadings so it's the same as the cover line font from the front cover and the layout is more structured. After all of the feedback that I received, I acted on it and improved my final contents page to achieve this end result.

Evaluation: Front Cover Analysis

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

Overall, I have included many conventional features that appear on a front cover of a music magazine, however I've also challenged conventions too. The font of my masthead relates to my magazine as it has quite an old-fashioned 'arcade' look, which gives the impression my magazine is retro. The image has a sepia effect, which also challenges conventions as my magazine is supposed to be about music from the past and the image is supposed to have been taken years ago, as it shows the artist at the height of her music career (in 1993). Obviously, photographs in 1993 weren't sepia, however I thought it gave the photo an eye-catching effect and reinforces that my magazine is about old music. The newspaper background gives the magazine a 'quirky' and different look, therefore I have challenged conventions by having an unusual background as I noticed during my research that most magazine front covers have a plain background. I've also made my font unconventional within my cover lines, as it looks like old 'cartoon' font, which I thought would look good as it resembles the mise en scene of my magazine.

I made the choice of picking this type of magazine as I'm interested in pop and rock bands from the past as they have influenced today's music. That kind of music is also very different compared to the music in today's charts, which is what I like. I chose the colours red, black and white as they would stand out if they were on the shelf; they are also simple colours and I think they contrast well together. I made the choice of having quite a 'grunge' style (with the model's clothes) because I thought it would be different compared to some magazines that are on the market, such as Q and NME as they are mainly indie.

If I were to do my front cover again, I would maybe add more cover lines to make it look more conventional. I might add more pictures to the front cover to show what else is featured in the magazine. I might also make the magazine have a more specific audience instead of a diverse one, as my audience is unconventionally diverse because even though the audience is mainly young people, older people would probably be interested in it due to the music that is featured being from when they were younger. However, I think that this would broaden the audience therefore the magazine would sell more copies if it appeals to more than one audience.

My initial ideas were very basic (my hand drawn draft on the left) and I was struggling to come up with a title. However, I like how the name 'Timeless' represents my magazine, as my magazine includes music that has been around for years. I also kept changing my mind about where to place things on the front cover, but overall I'm happy with the layout of my final cover. 

I kept changing my mind about the layout and also the colours. As you can see by one of my many drafts on the right, I changed to dark blue at one point, as I thought that my cover was 'too boring' in terms of colour. However, I realised that simple colours are sometimes best, as that way it doesn't look too messy and colourful as I wanted a simple house style theme to run throughout my products. I was convinced that the image on the left was my final front cover, but after receiving feedback, I knew I had to improve.

I received teacher feedback and acted on the feedback by making the masthead bigger and adding a graphic behind it, as it didn't look professional seeing the newspaper background through the 'dotty' font. I also changed the slanted information below 'Sabrina' as it didn't look that conventional and my teacher said that I needed to put another graphic behind the text, as it seemed to 'get lost' within the background. I also received peer feedback from my classmates, in which they said that it might look better if I space my text out more as it looked crowded.

I then came up with this draft (on the left). I acted on my feedback previously and made the masthead bigger and also changed the font of my cover lines. I also added a semi-opaque pale red graphic behind the selling line along the bottom and behind the information (now horizontal) below 'Sabrina'. I also moved my bar code further to the right and added the price to it, as I realised that was more conventional.
I received feedback again, in which they suggested to move my plug line further up and make it smaller, remove one of the pale red boxes below 'Sabrina' and move some of the text down. Also, I realised that the black background behind my masthead made it look too 'solid' so I made some more changes.

The changes made resulted in my final front cover (on the right). Overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out and the feedback that I received from it. I made the black background behind the masthead more opaque and made my plug smaller and moved it further up. I also moved some of the text further down so it was below 'Sabrina' and also removed one of the pale red boxes. I'm very pleased with how my front cover turned out.

Evaluation: Basic 300 Word Description

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

I have used continuity throughout my three products by creating a house style. I have used the same font throughout each product; the font displaying the cover lines on the front cover is used on the contents page to display the page numbers. I have also used the same colour scheme; red, white and black as it makes all three products look like they belong together. The competition on the front cover is included in the contents page with a picture to create anchorage. I used the same artist on all three products to create continuity as that way the reader knows what they are paying for. My layout on my front cover matches typical conventions of a magazine as I have included a masthead, cover lines, a bar code and a plug line. My contents page includes page numbers, a box layout and different sub headings to present each area of the magazine. My double page spread includes columns, a drop cap and pull quotes that the text wraps around in order to look conventional. The layout of my front cover challenges conventions as the selling line is along the bottom, instead of conventionally at the top. Also, I have used semi-opaque, red boxes which challenges conventions as it's different and the contrast of red with the black and white helps the magazine stand out if it was on the shelf. The artist in the magazine has the same outfit on but a different pose in all three products to show continuity and consistency. The name of the magazine 'Timeless' is displayed on the contents page in a website in order to link back to the front cover, in the same colour font. All three products include similar font, colours and pictures in order to look like the same magazine.

FINAL PRODUCTS

FRONT COVER

CONTENTS PAGE

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

Final Double Page Spread

This is my final double page spread. As you can see, I have changed the picture (which is the one I edited in Photoshop before). I have also added photo credits to the bottom of the image as that is conventionally what magazines include. I have added the artist's name on the right hand page at the top and underneath I have included a stand first, which introduces the artist; I started the paragraph with a drop cap, as that is also conventional. I have also added a page number to the bottom of the right page and the article text 'wraps' around the pull quotes.

Feedback: Double Page Spread