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

From my preliminary task, I have vastly improved. I have used the conventions more effectively as well as perhaps challenged some. This all together has made my music magazine more appealing for my chosen audience and has become more relevant for the chosen genre of magazine. Some of aspects which I have improved on would be…

The Main Image, which I have edited a lot more compared to the first main image for the college magazine using Photoshop. Skin manipulation played a big part in the music magazine and  made the image look much more natural compared to the college magazine. The image has also edited to the extent of having the background removed to ensure that the image was able to overlap the masthead, since this is a conventional aspect of a magazine. The Masthead, which I have changed drastically, is now more prominent on the front cover of my music magazine compared to the college magazine.  The fact that it is larger makes it stand out more to the audience. As well as the fact that it is more relevant to the genre of the magazine. The music magazine, being a rock magazine, with the title Crash, has been picked specifically to look as though it has been smashed, this taken from the inspiration from Kerrang! Magazine. Whereas, with the college magazine, it is fine in being a Masthead, even for this magazine, but I would suspect their being a style or type face that suits the genre of magazine (college magazine). I have also use a variety of fonts in my music magazine, this is to blatantly challenge the conventions of the front cover of a magazine. I have used the logos from these bands situated on the font of my magazine. This is too create variety on my front cover and with them being logos they are therefore more recognisable to the audience. These are another example of the progress I have made when working with Photoshop, originally being images, I had to edit them such as removing the background etc. Compared, the college magazine was limited to 2 different font types which are not very appealing and even too bold to be able to read easily. The Main Article, like the Masthead, has become more prominent through the progression of the production of these magazines. The college magazine Main Article being slightly flawed in the sense that it is, although stands out due to the House style, is also difficult to read. Yet again, the main article on the music magazine that I created is another example of the skills that I gained when working with Photoshop. I have used a house style for both of these magazines the colour scheme that I have used for my music magazine is relevant and links clearly to the main image (Red, Whit and Black). Whereas with the college magazine  the colour scheme that I have used, although relevant due to the fact that it is the college colours  of the logo. I would say that the colour scheme goes well together, but isn't particularly well fitted for a college magazine  (Purple, Black and White. 

To Conclude, my skills have clearly developed and I have a better understanding of conventions of a magazine from my preliminary task to my music magazine. 

 

 

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

 

Photoshop has been used to create my magazine, and my skill involving Photoshop have improved greatly since the beginning. I had only known basic information and skills at the beginning but had slowly improved due to practice throughout the course of Media. 

This image shows me using the brush tool, which was a difficulty due to problems with the layers, it has to be done on a specific layer in order to work. This was done to enhance the make up that the model wore for the front cover. Making it look as though it had been done professionally and effectively.

The tool that was used in this image was the Quick Select tool. Used to remove the background, it was another troubling aspect of altering the image due to the fact that sometimes it removed more than intended as well as the fact that when the background was gone, around the edges of the figure would be a very rough outline. Thus the introduction of the Eraser tool help remove the rough edges.






I had also learned how to manipulate text in order to gain a title for the magazine. By using this secondary source dafont.com, saving it as an image and then putting it into Photoshop. This specific site is especially useful since it allows people to chose different designs and styles. It has also allowed me to stick with the conventions of a Rock based magazine since they have styles which serve these needs.

I have picked out a certain style that would suit my magazine genre which follows the conventions by have a broken/smashed look (this includes the masthead) and have edited it. First by putting the image into Photoshop. When this process begins, it usually has only one layer which is named 'Background' this must be changed otherwise the background shall not be removable. So changing this Background to a Layer is the first thing. Quick Selecting it is the second which then enables you to delete the white background, due to this specific image being broken up means that I had to Quick Select it a few times, ensuring that I got rid of all of the white background. After this I changed the colour of the letter so then it was relevant to the magazine.

Once I had placed these onto my image. I selected the Edit button on the tab bar at the top and clicked Transform, this enables me to manipulate the image or text the whatever size or degree of rotation I want, You are also able to distort the images or texts to odd shapes and sizes. In this case I needed to alter the size as well as the angle of the lettering. Which I worked at until they were large enough to be a main article title.

I also found that creating text on Photoshop could be altered as well using the same methods, but deciding against it due to the fact that in the long it would have altered the pixels to an odd rate which would have made problems. I found that trying to create a border was a difficult task due to the fact that it is not clear as to what differences you make once you have the ability to control the borders you want. But once used, it had a very effective look on the front cover.

When creating boxes, just like the images you are also able to manipulate them to certain sizes and angles. This was beneficial to the design. I also found that you were able to change the opacity of the boxes so it may have a greater effect on the design which I used to the full extent.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I have used various conventions ensuring that I appeal to my audience effectively. The main image for example s eye catching to the audience due to the fact that she is dressed entirely in black apart from the red lipstick and hair accessory. These also may be considered conventional for the genre that I have chosen. The colours Red and Black are almost stereotypical concerning this genre. A rebellious and dark look that relates to teenagers as well as the rock genre as a whole. So this magazine is attending to the needs of the audience as well as upholding the conventions of the genre. Since the main image has a certain colour palate, I have also decided to use these colours as a house style for the magazine which links them together as well as makes the front cover professional and presentable. This is also a convention of a magazine (having a maximum of 3 colours in your magazine). I have also made sure to use bands of this genre which are new up and coming as well as old but just as popular. This could leave the audience open to more variety in which the audience may find appealing. I have also used a plug on the front cover of my magazine, which includes receiving a free CD, this would attract the audience since it is a CD which is most likely worth more than the magazine and everyone enjoys free stuff. A competition on the contents page which allows you to win a free guitar if you were to win, this has more people participate in this means that the magazine shall gain a larger audience.  

Peer Feedback - Graphs 

I also asked...

What changes do you think could be made to improve my final product?

The vast majority said that if anything were to be changed then it would be the Double Page Spread. Due to the fact that it is slightly out of place compared to the rest of the magazine since there is a clear housestyle difference, that being the box in the background. Also the contents page would have needed more feature stories for the audience since it is conventional to have many. Especially since the original magazine that I was studying was a Kerrang! magazine which had many feature stories. l product?

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

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Due to my understanding of demographics I was able to choose what the intended audience would be for my magazine. Since many magazines have a specific audience according to these demographics. This table shows the classes of our society and has helped me decide what audience I am aiming my magazine at.

In order to create the magazine, we must first decide what audience we shall be targeting. Rock is the genre that I have chosen and in order to uphold the Rock demographics, I must uphold their needs as they have certain conventions that are recognisable to them. Due to the charts and various other forms of media, TV and Radio and magazine, I have an understanding of what the audience are portrayed as. As well as knowing what type of people purchase the music based in the Rock genre. After studying certain reader profiles such as NME, having many statistics to go by, I have discovered that the main audience for a mainstream magazine is mostly consumed by teenagers. The focus group was also an indicator to what is expected and demanding when looking at a magazine.  This enabled me to discover which audience I wanted to target for my magazine. The target audience which I have chosen is ranged between 15 – 25 years old also being both male and female, as they are relevant and reasonable for my magazine. This large range means that I shall most likely be targeting students, meaning that they shall most likely be unemployed or either entering new employment. Having little to no wage. This puts the demographic into the E grade of society. Rock is a genre in which is mainly based stereotypically in the male demographic but I have made sure that my magazine appeals to both male and female members of the public (Rock Genre). Due to this information, I was inclined to make sure that the magazine price was at an affordable rate for the audience. The price being £1.90 as to make sure that due to the fact that this is a magazine that is just starting in the publishing industry means that having it being sold at a low price gives it a better chance at being successful. Also having them being published every other week to ensure that the audience that consists of students are satisfied, compared to that of higher end magazine such as Vogue which are much more expensive but due to the content and the size of the magazines means that they are published monthly.  

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

This reader profile that I created show that my magazine is aimed towards an audience of 15 – 25 years. Representing young students which have money to spare for a cheap magazine would be ideal for them. Concerning stereotypes within this magazine I have tried to include in this magazine what would be popular for this specific audience. Something of which, when popular, the younger generation then try to keep up with this trend until it goes out of fashion. So keeping up with certain trends will enable the audience to relate as well as keep up to date with these trends. This being the latest bands and artists in which are the new trend. In the magazines contents page I have also added, at the very bottom, addresses for both Twitter and Facebook. I have picked these specifically due to the fact that Facebook is an extremely popular social network and is to this date, and Twitter since in recent year has risen into the spotlight of social networking and has come as far, if not further, than Facebook has.  Considering that they are social networking websites also means that they shall be up to date on latest magazine information at their convenience and of which is up to date with technology showing that we, as a magazine, are up to date with technology for their leisure.  The use of these websites means that we shall be creating a mass audience due to the globalisation. In the long run shall enable us to gain more customers.

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

Relating to an actual magazine front cover, I have attempted to challenge some forms of conventions, some of which are not original in the sense that some magazines have already done it. The font in which I have not followed the conventions of there being a maximum of 3 fonts present on the front cover. Whereas I have used the actual logos from the bands of which are situated on the front of the magazine. The fact that I have used these may draw people in further due to the fact that the demographic in which this magazine is directed at would be associated with the specific bands that I have put on the front of this magazine would ensure that they are to recognise the genre and bands in general. A QR Code has also been added which is to some extent developing the conventions since it is relating to the audience as well as moving on with the technology surrounding the younger generation. Relating to the audience means that they shall be more invested since the magazine is actually catering to their needs. 

The contents page which I have produced doesn’t necessarily challenge the conventions found within a contents page as much as it develop them. An example of this would be the images that are used as well as the development of the stories which are found further on in the magazine. I have included all that you would find conventionally on a contents page. Competitions, Subscriptions, Letter from the Editor, Main Image, Dates etc. these of which have been exploited on my contents page. These of which are all included to make sure that the contents page meets these conventions for the audience.  

In the double page spread that I have produced, I have changed some aspects of the conventions due to the complications of creating this page. Such as the article itself, it has not been put into columns, but has had Drop Caps added into it since it enable people to define where each paragraph starts and splits them up in order to be read easier. The box behind the article has been made blue to ensure that the article stands out against it, I made sure that it was a colour that matched the main image in the smallest of details, which is the eye colour of the model used for the magazine.