Evaluation - Q7

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

My preliminary task was:

To produce a front cover for a new school/college magazine and a mock up of the lay out for the contents page and double page spread.

This shows the final product of my college and music magazine (Front Cover) :


   

After I made my college magazine I evaluated my progress. Therefore carrying out the preliminary task helped me improve the mistakes I made. One of these questions was what would I change if I were to do the task again, therefore I reviewed this and worked on my feedback.

What would you change if you were to do this task again?

If I was to do this task again I would do a few things differently. One thing I would do differently is being more creative with my programmes. I used Photoshop which was a new programme for me however I think that if I used different programmes my finish product would have been my professional looking. Another thing that I would do if I was to do this task again is ask more questions to my teachers. This is because I fell behind as I didn't start asking questions until my last few lessons. I believe if I had asked for extra help with my Photoshop task that I would have found it easier to make my magazine.  A final thing I would do differently is I would be more organised in completing work after my lessons instead of leaving it to complete in my next lesson. This is because I found it hard to catch up in some lessons. However overall, I think I did very well in completing the task on time and to a good standard. The one thing I am most proud of is being able to use Photoshop as I found this very hard in my ‘Introduction to Photoshop’ task.

What Have I Changed?

Firstly I became more creative with the programmes I used. As well as using Photoshop more confidently I used other programmes to help make my music magazine. I used Microsoft Power Point to show screenshots of my progress and I used Microsoft Publisher to add text to my double page spread. I also used Microsoft Word to write out my article for my DPS. Moreover I asked my teachers more questions and the feedback I received was very helpful which meant that I could make improvement early on. I have learnt lots producing a music magazine such as using various software and how small changes can make my music magazine look more effective.

Doing The Task Again

If I was to carry out this task again I would use more surveys. This is because I found the initial task of using Survey Monkey very helpful in deciding who my target audience were going to be. Therefore I believe if I had used this software more often then I could have received some extra audience feedback along the way, which may have helped me improve my magazine.

Improvements

These arrows show the changes in which I have made from my preliminary task to creating my music magazine. I think I have shown a great deal of improvement because of the mistakes I made when creating my preliminary task. From these mistakes I could evaluate my performance and improve on them.

Coloured Arrows
Pink
This shows the comparison between the mastheads. For my music magazine I created a bold font with a boarder in the background. However my college magazine wasn't made in a bold font therefore this was less effective in standing out. Also the colours black and blue suited my colour scheme. Therefore it showed continuity within the colours I used on my front cover. Even more so I placed a vinyl record inbetween 'VINYL and YEARS' because this was relevant to my magazine and it made it look unique.
Dark Blue
This shows the comparison between the slogans. The slogan on my preliminary task is not very effective because it doesn't stand out against the background. Also the colours within the slogan don't match the colour scheme. However I do like the design of the slogan as I think this matched the contents within the magazine for that edition (New students joining Wyke). Although it would not be effective if this magazine was to be published again as it is aimed at new students only. I like where the slogan is situated as I think this makes the magazine look less clumsy and more organised. Also white is effective as this colour matches the red and black font as well as standing out against the blue masthead boarder. The slogan is relevant to the genre of the magazine and fits in well underneath the word 'YEARS'.
Yellow
This shows the comparison between two pull out quotes. This is a typical convention of any magazine therefore I felt it would be appropriate to use one. Both pull out quotes are effective as they are short and snappy. However the pull out quote on my college magazine is in very large font and doesn't stand out against the other cover stories. Therefore the pull out quote on my music magazine is a different colour and smaller so it stands out but doesn't take over from who the main artist is.
Red
This shows the comparison between the name of the person in the main image. In my college magazine it was unclear that 'Emma Key' was the name of the person who the main image is. This was because it didn't stand out in comparison to the rest of the cover stories. Therefore the font size needed to be increasing larger, in capital letters and maybe in a different colour to the masthead. On the other hand the name 'RUBY LEE' was the largest feature on the front cover as this is who the main image is. This is because of the situation of the letters, they appear across the artists body and are clearly separate from the cover stories. Also the name is in capital letters and is a different colour to the mast head so it appears to be the main eye catching feature.
Light Blue
This shows the comparison between the issue date. In my college magazine the issue date was placed underneath the masthead. This is was effective in showing the audience the date the magazine was issued but I think it should have been in a smaller font size as it is larger than more important features such as the cover stories. Therefore in my music magazine I placed the issue date at the bottom of the magazine next to the barcode, this is because I have seen this in lots of music magazine. I also made it the same colour as my masthead (black) as this didn't make it stand out which was my aim. I rotated the issue date on a side so it could go alongside the barcode. This is because it meant I could also add the price and issue number next to it.
Black
This shows the comparison between the plugs. I added a plug to my magazines as this is a common convention to a magazine. In my preliminary task I made my plug attracting towards students, so I offered a free iPad. However in my music magazine I made a plug offering a free CD as this was the most common way people consume music when I carried out my survey. But on reflection I felt this wasn't effective so later removed it from the front cover of my magazine.
Purple
This shows the comparison between the cover stories. I only used one cover story for my college magazine which wasn't effective as most magazines tend to advertise more than one cover story. The reason for this is because it makes the audience want to buy the magazine if they know what is coming up in the magazine. Therefore cover stories should be short but eye catching for example I increased the font size on the word TRUE as this would catch peoples attention and in turn make them want to but the magazine. On both of my magazines I situated my cover stories to the sides, however my college magazine cover story went across my main image. This isn't effective in making the magazine eye catching as it makes it look clumsy and doesn't clearly show all the attention being on the main image.
Orange
This shows the comparison between the price. For my college magazine I made it '100% Free'. This is because the target audience is for students, who tend to not have a lot of money. Also people like to buy magazines what they are interested in, such as a music or fashion magazine. Therefore my college magazine was to inform more than to explain or make a profit. I conducted some audience research before I set a price for my music magazine. I knew that my target audience would be young people and during my survey, my audience said they would be willing to pay £4.50. This meant I priced my magazine at £4.50 as I, myself would be willing to also pay this much for a monthly music magazine.
Dark Purple
This shows the comparison between the barcodes. After looking at existing magazines , I concluded that the barcode is the one of the least important features and shouldn't be too large. In my preliminary task I think my barcode was too big so in my music magazine I made it smaller. Also commonly the barcode is placed in the bottom right corner, so I applied this to my magazines. Even more so a barcode is a common convention of any magazine so it was extremely that my magazines included one. 
Green
This shows the comparison between the footers. In my preliminary task I used a quote which was related to college, however this was very long and doesn't appear to look like a footer. As well as the footer consisting of too many words for a font cover the font colour used doesn't make it stand out. So for my music magazine I decide to use a phrase commonly related to the Motown industry. This is the name of one of the most famous Motown songs by Marvin Gaye. It is called , "I heard it through the grapevine" and I felt it would be appropriate to use in my magazine especially as a footer as it is engaging to the audience.

Summary

 

Overall I feel I have improved on the following:

- Analysing and finding conventions of music magazines

- I can use Photoshop more confidently

- Taking different shots on a camera

- Being more organised with work

Also I have learnt new skills such as:

- Using Survey Monkey

- How to apply text to my DPS in Publisher

- Using Photoshop

- Creating a Plug

- What conventions are

- Why it is important to stick to a plan

- What makes a good contents page and DPS

 

Evaluation - Q6

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

During my preliminary task I had an introduction to Photoshop. I found this task very useful because I was using a piece of technology which I was not familiar with. Below I have shown how I carried out each step. This was also a helpful reference when completing my music magazine in Photoshop.

Introduction To Photoshop

 

This was my first time using Photoshop. My task was to compose an image using sand dunes, a bear, an astronaut and the Eiffel Tower.

Setting up a file and selecting images
I had to set up a file (International paper- A4) which was 800x1000 pixels and had a resolution of 72 pixels. I then named the file as 'Photoshop Test'. After that I used Google to use find for images which were: Sand Dunes, an astronaut, a bear and the Eiffel Tower. These images needed to be more than 400 pixels each. Then I saved these images into a file named 'Photoshop Images'.
Opening an image
I opened up my sand dune. To do this i went on File-open-Photoshop Images-sand dunes-open.
Scaling an image
I scaled my sand dunes. To do this went on Edit-transform-scale. Then I clicked on the corner of the photo and held down the shift key. This helps to keep the photo proportional.
Layers
I named the layer 'sand dune'. I did this so I knew what it was called for when it came to layering objects on top of the background.
Adding an image
I opened the image of The Eiffel Tower. To do this I use the same principle as when I opened up my sand dunes. Once open you drag the image on top of the sand dunes.
Zoom
I then used the zoom tool to enlarge the image of the Eiffel Tower. To enlarge the image you click on the image however to change the magnifying glass to zoom out you hold down the shift key and then click on the image.
Polygonal Lasso Tool
I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to cut out the background of the image. To do this you click on the side on the image and then join the dots up together. The lasso then has flashing dotted lines on the outside, to then delete the background you click inside the dots and press delete.
Image Adjustment
To make an adjustment to an image you click on Image-Adjustments. Then you can choose from the following Brightness/Contrast/Hue/Saturation/Levels.
Feathering
To give an image a softer edge after I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool. I used the feathering tool. I set it to 1 or 2 pixels this then makes the image less blunt around the edges.
Saving a file
To save the file I clicked on File- Save- Introduction To Photoshop. The when I finished my Introduction To Photoshop I save the file as a JPEG. To do this I clicked on File-Save As- Introduction To Photoshop- JPEG.
 

Technological Devices

I used the following technological devices to help me create my music magazine:

A Memory Stick:
The reason why I chose to use a memory stick is so I could work on music magazine at home and at college. Therefore it allowed me to complete tasks wherever I needed as it made all my work transportable. Also I saved all my work 16GB memory stick so it could hold all my files such as images and videos which have a large memory capacity. These images show the exact memory stick I used:








Digital Camera:
I used a Samsung digital camera to take my images and videos. This is my own personal camera therefore I could take images when and where I wanted. I also included an SD card which I could store all my images and videos on before I transported them to my memory stick. This image shows the exact camera I used.

Camera Vs. Phone Camera
I have a Samsung camera and a Samsung smartphone phone. I didn't use the camera on my phone because the camera of my phone is a  CMOS, 5.0MP (megapixels) where as my camera is a CMOS 14MP. This meant I received a better quality of image from my camera as it has higher megapixels. Also my camera has an 18x zoom which meant I could focus on certain aspects of  my model more clearly with a sharper focus.

Lighting
I used a 3 point lighting system around my model. This is a commonly used lighting system in many forms of photography and consists of a 'Key Light', 'Fill Light' and a 'Back Light'. The reason why I chose this form of lighting is because its makes the images a better quality. The images below show a diagram which I followed and how I set up the room which I took my images in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photoshop
After my 'Introduction to Photoshop' task I learnt more skills which I can use in Photoshop. This video shows some of the techniques which I learnt in Photoshop.

 

I also used the clone stamp tool which helped me correct any mistakes I made. This screenshot is an example of me using this for the image on my contents page.

 

Publisher
I used Microsoft Publisher to make my DPS as this allowed my to apply text to my DPS. I am familiar with this software but I have never used Publisher in this way before, therefore I learnt lots of new skills using this piece of technology. Firstly I made my DPS in Photoshop then added it in a background format to Publisher. After that I added the text to my DPS, I altered it to suit the conventions of a DPS. For examples I added columns and made sure the words were not hyphenated.

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/
This is a website which allowed me to conduct vital research for my music magazine. I first used this website to research artists which fit the Motown genre of music. These are screenshots of the artists I researched via YouTube.

 

Secondly I used YouTube to conduct research on Photoshop techniques which I could apply to my images. This screenshot shows me carrying out this research.

Evaluation - Q5

How did you attract/address your audience?

In order to attract my audience I used two forms of surveys to find out what my audience were interested in and how I could attract them into buying my music magazine.

 

Front Cover - Featured Artists

These are the names of the two main artists which I featured on my front page:

 

When I carried out my survey, I wanted to find out how people consume because this would help to make my magazine relevant to my audience. This was so I could feature some of these artists in my magazine. From these results I concluded that the two main artists I was going to feature were, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. These are the results from my survey monkey:
 

I also carried out a secondary form of audience feedback, via video. This video shows why I featured Aretha Franklin on the front cover of my magazine and why the main image on my front cover is of a woman.
 

Contents Page Featured Artists
These are the names of artists which I featured on my contents page:





























 
These are some reasons why I chose these artists:
- Some are from the record label,  Motown
- Made music history (The Beatles spent 27 weeks at the top of the albums chart, UK)
- Mix of current artists and older artists
- Mix of Soul and Motown artists
- Iconic artists
- Some artists were mentioned in my survey monkey results

I also featured Nicki Minaj in my magazine, (on the front cover and contents page) because I felt this my intrigue people to want to buy my magazine to find out what the relationship is between the Minaj and the Motown genre. In order to attract a younger audience I asked a 17 year old what she thought of the artists I have decided to feature in my music magazine. This is her response:

After looking at other music magazine I thought a plug might attract people to buy my magazine. Therefore I used Photoshop to make a plug advertising a free CD. However during my analysis  I noticed this wasn't an effective addition to my front cover.

 

 

Evaluation - Q4

Who would be the audience for your media magazine?

Survey Monkey

These are the results I received from my survey about what type of person would read my magazine. I mainly asked my peers to fill out my survey therefore the majority of the people I asked where 16-26. This meant my target audience were going to be young adults. Also the majority of the people who answered my survey were women. Therefore as a result of this I used the image of a women on my front cover, to promote female independence and to aspire other women to look like the model. However I could of used a male artist as this would have also meant the female audience would be more inclined to buy the magazine but I thought a woman would be a better image, in showing females independence in the Motown music industry.

These were my results:

I constructed a small question and answer survey to find out whether or not my magazine should been aimed at a younger audience. This are my results:

Name:
Ellie
Age:
17
Gender:
Female
Do you think I should aim my magazine at young people, why?:
Yes, because I can then become more familiar the genre of Motown
Who would you prefer to see on the front cover of my magazine a male or female?:
I would prefer to see a female because I could relate to them more such as the clothing that they are wearing
Do you think it is important for young people to learn about the Motown genre?:
Yes, because it means we are learning about a new genre of music which we could enjoy listening to and learning about

Evaluation - Q3

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

http://www.bauermedia.co.uk

Firstly I looked at the Bauer website. This is a media instruction which distributes various media products. However I noticed that MOJO and Q were both published by this company, therefore my magazine can't be published by the same institution as these. This is because my magazine, VINYL YEARS, is very similar to these types of magazine. This means this company wouldn't benefit from distributing my product.
This image show the magazines which Bauer publish:

 

http://www.immediate.co.uk

Secondly I viewed another media intuition, this was the Immediate Media Co. After viewing the magazines which they published, I concluded that they don't publish a magazine like mine. As a result of this, the kind of media institution who would distribute my magazine would be Immediate Media Co. Whilst viewing the website, I found out some facts about the company. The company states,
   "Immediate Media Co is an award-winning special interest content and platform company. We are one of the biggest consumer media businesses in the UK and the fourth largest magazine publisher"
Also one advantage of this institution distributing my music magazine is they sell,
   "76 million magazines every year and reach 33 million people online every month"
This means I would benefit from this company distributing my magazine as they are a large media company who have a large numbers of magazine readers each year.
Even more so, I believe my magazine would be best suited to this media company because they are investing in,

   "... new platforms, services and skills to move our brands forward. Furthermore we are opening up new opportunities for our readers to engage and interact with the content they love."
Therefore, because my magazine is new type of genre for music magazines I think this company would be able to distribute my magazine effectively to my target audience.
Also Immediate Media Co already distribute the BBC Music Magazine which is:
   "... the world's best selling classical music magazine"
This image shows the demographics of BBC Music Magazine. From these demographics I concluded that Immediate Media Co would be able to distribute my music magazine in the most effective way.

This image shows the magazines which Immediate Media Co. publish:

On the other hand, I found that on the Immediate Media Co website ,they show how you can access the magazine through various devices. Therefore I have shown a mock up of what my music magazine would like on the Immediate Media Co website:

Evaluation - Q2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In order to decide what type of artist I should feature on the front cover of my magazine, I created 3 mood boards. From this I was able to gain a better understanding of the Motown genre and therefore use these ideas to develop my magazine.

These are my 'Mood Boards' for the genre of Motown:

I also did some extra research into the Motown genre. This meant I could create my main artist around some of these ideas.



Below I have listed some artists which are related to the Motown genre. Looking at these videos and researching these artists I become more familiar which the Motown genre and this helped me to create my music magazine.

The Supremes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17yfqxoSTFM

Martha Reeves and The Vandellas 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Q80mk7bxE

The Jackson 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Q80mk7bxE

Selecting My Artist

I wanted a female artist to be my main image in my magazine. I selected a young girl, Sarah, who is 18 years old. This is what my model looked like when we first started our photo-shoot:

This image shows how my model appearance changed by adding a 3point lighting system, changing the position of the model and changing the models hair.

This shows my model in a different position and with added props. This is the image I used for the front cover of my magazine. The reason why I added props/extra clothing is because I was taking influences from other Motown stars.

For example this image shows how Diana Ross used a head scarf. This attracts the audience as it is something unusual and unique.

The Price

 

Looking back at my demographics research , I concluded that because my target audience is young people I would need to make my magazine an affordable price. Therefore the price of my music magazine is £4.50.

Evaluation - Q1

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

Image Front Cover

Creating Continuity:

In order to create continuity throughout my magazine I created a 'house style' which I could then use on my front cover, contents page and DPS. Firstly I used the same font for each of the pages I created, this allowed my magazine to have continuity within the text. Therefore upon reading the front cover and contents page you can establish a clear understanding in the font.
Secondly I used a simple colour scheme of red and black. This was effective as it meant it showed a continuous colour scheme which was not too complicated. Therefore the audience could relate to the text on the front cover to the text of the DPS e.g. RUBY LEE. I also used elements of blue in my colour scheme because this went well with the colours of red and black. For example when selecting my Masthead I considered an array of colours. This was very helpful in creating the basis for the colours I was then going to use.

This shows the process of selecting the colour for my masthead.

Thirdly, when creating the contents page it was important to ensure that the page numbers followed a chronological order. The reason why I chose to do this is because this is a convention of a music magazine.
 

           

These images show the contents page of an actual music magazine compared to my music magazine. They both show that the page numbers follow a chronological order.

 

Fourthly, it is important that the stories on the front cover are represented on the contents page. This is a convention of a music magazine which I have tried to apply in order to create verisimilitude.

This is an example of the music magazine, MOJO, which shows how the stories on the front cover are then matched to the stories on the contents page. This can also be shown in my magazine.

Finally I have demonstrated in the slideshow below how my magazine matches the conventions of a music magazine. Therefore the slideshow shows me analysing/ finding conventions of a magazine, which helped me to plan my own magazine as it allowed me to understand the typical conventions which are displayed in a music magazine.


SLIDESHOW:

Evaluation Q1 from Eilish Gladwin