Closing post

This post is just to say that i have completed my coursework task, spanning from Thursday 19th January to Monday 19th March. It contains research and planning, designs and the finished piece. This blog is now ready for assessment.
Peace off!

Magazine evaluation

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

The normal conventions of a music magazine(Masthead, puffs, cover lines, pictures, colour schemes etc) are used to draw an audience into reading the magazine. My magazine uses an eye-catching masthead, a contest advert, cover liners that relate to the articles in the magazine, pictures of the bands included and an eye-catching colour scheme that also stays within the genre of the magazine.

The average contents page includes article headlines and often pictures which may or may not have a caption beneath. They occasionally contain an editor’s note where the editor of the magazine can leave their own opinion on the articles in the magazine. Double page articles normally have a large interesting masthead above text. There is normally a large image relating to the article and maybe some smaller pictures beneath or separating the text so the page retains its original interest.

My contents page and double page spread use most of the conventional themes; my contents page utilises pictures and a contest banner to break up the text. The page uses the same colour scheme as the front page to keep it eye-catching but I didn’t include an editor’s note. My double page spread uses a large masthead to introduce the theme of the article, a large picture of the band, two smaller pictures to break up the text and the interview text.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My target audience is rock and metal fans. Keeping with the stereotypical view of heavy metal and the popular idea that it is dark, my magazine colour scheme contains mostly black but I also included blue and grey into the colour scheme to challenge the stereotype. The images are mostly related to the bands and have either a greyscale effect or a light blue overlay. There is more text than pictures, however the text is quite informal keeping with the conventions of teenage magazines. I decided to both challenge and accept the stereotype because it will appeal more to my target audience to see a magazine that appeals to them while also standing out from the rest by not applying the common stereotype to it’s audience. This will also allow me to sell more copies of my magazine because it will be more desirable to readers.

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

A possible media institution to sell my magazine could be Future PLG,a publishing company that already stocks a metal magazine, Metal Hammer. I would choose this company because they already stock a magazine of this genre and therefore have experience in the best places to stock the magazine.

Another possible institution could be Bauer Media. They stock similar genre magazines(Kerrang, Q, Mojo) but no true metal genre magazines. This could work in my favour because my magazine would provide new oppurtunities for the company by opening new target audiences to them. Because they stock similar magazxines, they would also be knowledgable of what venues do best when stocking this genre.

Who would be the audience for you media product?

My target audience is teenagers and young adults of any gender, the age range is 16-21, on minimum income. This is shown through the informal language used in my magazine, the low price and bands in the magazine(the newer generation bands tend to be more popular among young ‘metalheads’ and so there is a larger number fo them inside although there is still some older bands included). The magazine also makes use of technology readily available to teenagers. For exapmle I included a section in the magazine where readers could email in their veiws on past issues and what should be put into the next issue. This also gives the audience some degree of control towards the content in the magazine. The audince is a niche audience because the music isn’t mainstream and is very unique in terms of genre.

How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract my audience I used an eye-catching masthead, used fonts that apply well to the genre, bright colours that also stick within the stereotypes of the genre and a low price that will allow anyone to buy it. The front cover is dominated by a picture of the feature band so will instantly draw in fans of that band. My audience feedback indicated that the brightly coloured masthead instantly drew their eyes and the further colour scheme made them want to buy it. I also used the promise of free things to draw the reader’s attention to the magazine.

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

When creating my media product, I used Photoshop to edit images and put the page layout together, I used InDesign to add text to the pages and Blogger to show my progress through the media work. I used a digital camera(Canon EOS 1000D) to take my featured pictures, I used the internet to find the fonts(dafont.com) and Facebook to advertise for photoshoots.

Overall, I have learnt that technologies can be both easy and difficult to work with depending on what you are trying to do. For example, trying to put the page layout together in InDesign took too long and didn’t look as good as it does when done in Photoshop. However, using Photoshop to add typed text took too long and I had problems with the iMac freezing while trying to type the contents page so I did it in InDesign and it went much more smoothly. I also experimented with the camera to see what effects I could put into the photo before editting it, this would reduce the time I would have to spend in photoshop with individual photographs, and found that zooming and changing the focus and angle made the image much sharper in key areas.

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 a practice run using the programmes and experimenting as much as it was a piece of coursework. Since finishing the task, I have been experimenting more with Photoshop and InDesign and applied much of this knowledge to my final prudct, giving the pictures an overlay of colour, for example, allowed me to change the colour and add in certain patterns just through changing the degree of obliquity in the colour. My questionnaire for the final piece was much more specialist to the magazine because I knew what questions would stimulate the answerer into choosing carefully and apply their own tastes into the answer. Leaving open-ended questions gave my answerer a chance  to leave their own remark and give the final piece a personal feel to the audience because of the answers that were given.

Final media products

Below are my final media products. I used both Photoshop and InDesign to make these, the double pager spread was done in InDesign completely and the other pages were edited in Photoshop and was put into InDesign to do the text.

Front Page

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Magazine designs

I'm late posting these because i have been busy making my final copy of the magazine. Below are my designs for the Front page, Contents page and Double page spread.

Front Page

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Titles and things

Below are some pictures of the tiles and mastheads etc i'll be using. The fonts came from Dafont.com and the textures were adapted from pictures i took of scrumpled paper.

Masthead and contents masthead.
















The masthead below will be used on my double-page spread. The font came from Dafont.com and the texture was adapted from a picture i took of a potato sack.

Questionnaire results

Below are my questionnaire results. Some questions gave the option to choose more than one option so the results.

Would you like a more text-based or image-based magazine?

How much would you pay for the magazine?

How often would you like to see the magazine published?

Should i include free stuff in the magazine?

What free stuff would like to see?

What would you like to see more of?

Would you like formal or informal language?

Would you prefer a spaced out or a tightly packed layout?

How many pages should the magazine aim for?

What colour scheme do you prefer?

Questionnaire

1. Would you like a more text based or image based magazine?

    Text based

    Image based

2. How much would you pay for the magazine?

    50p

    £1

    £2

    More than £2

3. How often would you like to see the magazine published?

    Weekly

    Bi –weekly

    Monthly

4. Should I include free stuff in the magazine?

    Yes

    No

5. What free stuff would you like to see?

    Posters

    Stickers

    CD’s

    Other – please specify

6. What would you like to see more of?     Band interviews

    Gig reviews

    CD reviews

    Upcoming bands

    Upcoming Festivals

7. Would you like formal or informal language?

    Formal

    Informal

8. would you prefer a spaced out or a tightly packed layout?

    Spaced out

    Tightly packed

    Mix of both

9. How many pages should the magazine aim for?     0-20

    21-30

    31-40

    41+

10. What colour scheme do you prefer?

      A

      B

      C

      D

research - title ideas

below are some initial title ideas
1. Hellz Bellz
2. Devil's Downloads
3. Gear
4. Nihilism
5. Black Sacrament

and my font ideas are below

Mood Board

Below is the moodbaord i am going to use to help me design my magazine.

magazine treatment

My magazine will target audiences between 16 and 21. The audience is a niche audience because of the specialism and the small fanbase associated with Heavy Metal. The magazine will be laid out with an equal mix of text and pictures. The themes are associated with the featured bands inside and will therefore use logos and pictures of the bands. Typical features will be the band interviews, music reviews, latest releases and an audience comments page. Potential advertisers include EMP Online – a heavy metal merchandise website, Grindstore – a band merchandise website and upcoming bands who need publicity. The editorial team will be made up of heavy metal enthusiasts and experienced writers so that it is understandable and appeals to the target audience. 

Music magazine ideas

I have 3 ideas about the magazine i want to make for my main task. They are as followed; a heavy metal genre magazine, a specialist guitar magazine, and a rock magazine. The first 2 apply to niche audiences while the rock magazine applies to a more mainstream audience. The 3 music magazines have influenced my ideas through the use of color, cover lines, puffs and their appeal to me.

Research and planning - Metal Hammer

The front page of Metal Hammer shows the main focus of the magazine ‘breaking’ through the front cover. It is devoid of cover lines on the central image and only features some band names at the top of the page. This shows the magazine has a large enough fanbase to not need coverlines to draw in it’s audience, the masthead and front image alone does that. The masthead font and the central image both show rebellion because the masthead appears to have bullet holes and breaks running through the text and the central image depicts the main focus breaking through something. This connotes that the audience are also rebellious and are a niche group. The colour scheme is dark, blacks and reds with very little white, which shows that it isn’t a cheery magazine and doesn’t rely on colour to draw in customers. This means that it’s fanbase only increases through it’s audience talking about it and using the internet to advertise itself.

The contents page of Metal Hammer is quite disorganised. There are pictures placed randomly around a block of text that acts as page markers. The page titles are in a different font to the description, which allows the reader to easily find the article they’re looking for. The disorganised layout shows that readers don’t particularly care about layout or prefer the rebellious nature of the magazine’s front cover to be shown throughout the magazine. The colour scheme of the contents page differs to front page because there is more white than black and red. This shows the text easier. 

Research and planning - Q magazine analysis

The front cover of Q features the focus of their main article in a dress and looking directly at the reader. It is a medium shot so you can see her body language. The colours are soft but eye catching(whites and pinks) with some bolder colours on certain articles to pull in potential readers. This connotes that the readers aren’t rebellious teenagers and are probably more approachable than readers of Kerrang!. The coverlines suggest that the articles range from Indie music to Pop, showing that the magazine caters for a variety of genres. 

The double page spread instantly draws your eyes through the use of the close up on the woman. Her face Is calm and dark, connoting that the article is probably about something serious and is probably personal. The text is basic, small font and black on a white background. The lack of extravagance in the article supports the connotations that it is serious. This is different to the front cover which was very bright and eye-catching. This shows that Q covers all aspects of a singer in an interveiw.

Research and planning - Kerrang front page, contents page and double page spread

The masthead is large and black so it stands out. The font is scratched and looks rebellious, hinting towards the nature of the target audience. It connotes that the magazine is for younger audience who aren’t mainstream-shown by the messy layout of the magazine and the masthead.

The center image is of the main article and the main caption is in bold white letters, connoting that the article may be relating directly to the future of the band. This will draw in fans of the band that may not necessarily be fans of the magazine.

The puffs are also used to draw people in; they give the buyer the chance to display their favorite band anywhere they like. The cover lines display direct links to articles inside the magazine and are used in conjunction with pictures to add more reason for fans to buy the magazine. The colors and the masthead are instantly recognizable to readers and don’t vary much from issue to issue.

This is the contents page from Kerrang. It shows more articles and pictures relating to them so it draws the reader’s eyes to their favorite band.  The largest picture is the main article. Down the side of the pictures are cover lines for other articles. The color scheme is basic black and white with some yellow used on a black square to make it stand out, this seems to be used for article group titles and numbers mostly though. There is also an editor’s note, and an advertisement for a subscription to the magazine.

The double page spread shows a large picture of the celebrity it covers. It is colorful, the colors being red black and white. This draws your attention to the title and in conjunction with the large picture it gives the reader a quick idea of what the article is about. The interview is coloured so that the questions can be easily noticed in the text. The picture is a medium shot, letting you see the man’s body language while also allowing you to view his facial expression.  The mode of address is informal, relating to the niche target audience. 

Main task introduction - Music Magazine

For my main task i have been asked to make my own music magazine. To do this i must first research existing magazines to find what conventions are repeatedly used in music magazines. This will allow me to make my magazine look as realistic as possible while also making it appealing to my target audience, teenagers around the ages of 16-20. my magazine will be one of 3 things, a metal-genre magazine, a rock-genre magazine or a specialist guitar magazine. These 3 magazines have niche audiences so i will have to make it more appealing so the smaller audiences will buy it.

Front cover and contents page of my student magazine

Ok, so here is the title page i did. Picture was taken by me to use in this project.

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

To aid myself in creating this magazine, I did research on what existing magazines use regularly to appeal to their consumer markets. I then took note of these recurring conventions and during the creation of my magazine I added them in. This made my magazine more appealing and more realistic. For student-based magazines, many magazines contained articles about college-based events and goings-on while also providing articles that allowed the reader to combat boredom. To make sure my magazine had both college articles and ‘boredom-busters’ I included pages relating to students such as gift ideas(it was a Christmas themed magazine) and music reviews alongside the college achievements pages.

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

Because my brief stated that it should be a student magazine, I made sure that my magazine was more suited for students than adults. Despite it being aimed at students, the articles are also suitable for adults to read and aren’t only interesting for students. To reinforce it being aimed at students I used a picture of two students messing around in the college refectory. I also used a bright colourscheme that was associated with the festive theme(red and green) and also eye-catching and attractive to student readers.

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

The college would distribute my magazine rather than any official institution. This way the magazine would remain made by the students for the students and would be available at any time students needed something to read in free time. This form of distribution also keeps the magazine unique to the college, no other college would have a student magazine like this one and therefore it would be more pleasurable to read because it is one of a kind and tailored to suit the students locally.

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

my target audience is primarily 16-18 year old college students of any gender. The reason for this is because the articles are more suited toward teenage readers however it is suitable for adults to read if they want to learn about college-related subjects covered in the magazine.

5. How did you attract and address your audience?

I attracted my audience through my choice of colourscheme and my choice of cover image, both of which were chosen by students who answered my questionnaire. These aspects mean it should be eye-catching to students and the simple layout both inside and out should mean they read it without feeling that too much is going on in the pages. The images I chose were faded slightly into the background so the edges of the photos weren’t visible and thus reduced clutter on the page. This also made the pages look more sleek because there were less straight lines.

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

Much of the technology I used in the making of my magazine was new to me so I had to learn how to use them before actually beginning to design my magazine. Photoshop and Indesign proved difficult to use at first but I managed to get the hang of using them and quickly became accustomed to them. I also had to use an iMac which I also had difficulty with at first but quickly learnt how to control properly after a few turns.