Production of Magazine - Final Front Cover

This is my final product with the improvements made to it from the feedback I was given.

Production of Magazine - Double Page Spread Draft/Feedback

Overall I think that this double page spread looks very professional and follows conventions used in music magazines. I like the way which you have presented the article due to it not taking up much of the pages which means it wont overwhelm the audience when they turn to the page. One improvement which you could make would be to put some kind of outline or box around the words 'Music is Life' so that it stands out from the page a little more.

Production of Magazine - Contents Draft/Feedback

 

I think that this product has a good layout to the page,so the audince reading the magazine are able to find what they want to read easily. I also like the image which is used on the page but it looks a little unprofessional how it goes underneath the contents background which you can sort out by moving the image down slightly. I also think that you need to change the colour of the font you have used for the word 'Contents' due to it being a grey font on a grey background which doesn't make the word stand out from the page as much as it should do.



Production of Magazine - Cover Draft/Feedback

 

I think that the layout of this front cover looks professional. I like the way that there are boxes around certain headlines on the page. One point on which you could improve on is by making sure all headlines are separated in some form E.g. By drawing thick lines between each headline so that your audience don't get confused about what headline they are reading.

Planning Main Product - Image Planning

Model:	Jordan Cleaver
Camera height/angle/distance:	Medium close up/Straight ahead/Approximately 4 metres away.
Location:	At Jordan’s house
Lighting:	Natural lighting used. Image edited into a black and white effect.
Mise-en-scene (including props, costume) :	Casual clothing/ Black background
Attempted connotation:	Looking directly at the camera makes him look successful and confident.
Planned denotation:	Look confident and successful
Contingency (in case of model absence/weather):	If model was absent I would either find another model or wait until my model was better. My picture was took inside so weather wont effect this.
Alternate angle:	High angle shot look up at Jordan to show power and dominance.
Thinking points:  costumes for model to wear, location and background of where picture is taken.
Comments:

Planning Main Product - Image Editing

 

 

This picture was edited into a black and white colour to suit the housestyle which I had chosen on my front cover. This will look better due to the colour of the picture contrasting with the other colours on the cover of my magazine, this will then look more professional and catch the audiences eye. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning Main Product - Colour Palettes

Throughout my magazine I have tried to stick to a certain colour code. The colours which I chose were grey, red and black. These seemed like a good choice of colours because they complimented each other well and also are associated with my target audience in younger teenagers. These colours are also used often in 'Q' magazines which is in the same genre in which my magazine is based. This is a successful magazine therefore their house style 'Q' use must appeal to their audience which will hopefully have the same effect on my target audience.

 

 

 

These are some of the colours which my house style consists of. Colour symbolism is when the colour means something to the person that sees it. This is similar to semiotics. 


Red - Red can be known to symbolise anger, love, hate and also danger. Red is the colour of blood so also symbolises as energy.


White - White is a colour associated with light, goodness, innocence and purity. It is known as the perfect colour.

Grey - The colour grey is known as an unemotional colour. It can be represented as dull, boring and depressing but also as formal, elegant and maturity.

Black - The colour black relates to the hidden, secrecy and the unknown, and as a result it creates an air of mystery. Black also means power and control over something.

Planning Main Product - Language and Register

Different types of people use different types of language to speak in for example; Slang, formal, informal.
My magazine is targeted at a younger audience. Due to this I have written in a formal language throughout my magazine so that it is more appealing to my target audience, where as if i had chosen to write in a formal language then my target audience may not want to read the magazine due to it being long winded and having complicated words included.
Even though I have used informal language throughout my magazine, I have made sure that it is still in a professional manner.

Planning Main Product - Final Page Layouts

 

I have chosen to place the main picture in the centre of the page with the model wearing casual well know branded clothes because the target audience will then see this picture straight away, see what the model is wearing and this will then appeal to them. Also the colours which I have used throughout the contents page are colours which are associated with the genre of rap. This will also stand out to the target audience because of them liking the presentation of the page. Another thing which I have laid out purposely on the cover is the size of fonts in different places. For example the more important words I have used a bigger font so it stands out to the audience and the storyline will then catch their eye.

 

 

I have chosen to use only one image on my contents page so the audience are drawn to it. I have made it big so it also stands out on the page and therefore will appeal to my target audience due to the model being young and wearing modern clothing. I decided to have a conventional placement of the 'Contents' title so that the audience will see it easily and will therefore know that it is the contents page. I have laid my features list out in a simple format so that it is easy to read which will make it easier for the audience to find their way around the magazine.

I have chosen to lay out all text around the background pictures. This is so the pictures will jump out at the audience when they are reading through the magazine and therefore will make them stop and want to read the article. Also i have put the pictures (from left to right) in order to represent 'Cleaver' coming out of a dark place into light which is represented by the camera effects. I have also chosen to place the headline 'MUSIC IS LIFE' in big bold font at the top of the page. This is so the audience will see this headline and relate this to what the article will be about therefore making them want to carry on reading.



Planning Main Product - Double Page Spread Layout Mock-up (2)

This is my final double page spread so I asked my peer to assess my work, he said: "the picture, title and text all link in together well, the colours used follow a housestyle that is relevant to the picture and the article used. The title stands out well and the only inprovement i would recomend would be to add maybe another picture to the spread to brake up the text as it is all in one big block."

Planning Main Product - Double Page Spread Layout Mock-up (1)

This was my first attempt to design a double page spread i asked my peer to assess this work also he said: "The spreading of the text around the main pictures head is very good and the colours blend well with eachother and the picture. The title is very relevant and neat linking in with the rest of the spread but my recommendation would be to make it stand out more to catch the readers attention."

Planning Main Product - Contents Layout Mock-up (3)

This is my third contents mock up so i asked my peer to assess this one also he said: "The picture used is a relative picture which links to the genre of music. The Subtitles on the side could be a bigger font to get rid of the dead space and the picture used could use a full face for the same reason. The title makes catches the readers attention but at the same time is very plain and again could be larger to become more effectful."

Planning Main Product - Contents Layout Mock-up (2)

This is my second contents page mock up, my peer assessed this work and he said: "The colour scheme used is abit bland but used effectively with the picture. There is not alot of dead space and the colours used with the text and the picture blend well. The font used is abit small and would be more effective if it was bigger."

Planning Main Product - Contents Layout Mock-up (1)

This is my first contents page i asked one of my peers to asses this, he said "The page is very simple but at the same time effective with the colours used and the fonts used. This title could be bigger and there is a lot of dead space. The text merges well around the photo and links in perfectly"

Planning Main Product - Cover Layout Mock-up (2)

 

I think that this cover is the best from the ones which I have made due to the picture dominating the page and standing out. My peers have also agreed that this is their favourite to for the same reasons. He said "The close up image is used well to make the main story stand out, the fonts used make the story more effective and the masthead draws attention to the cover. There is alot of dead space which could be used for subtitles and side stories." 

 

 

 

 



 

Planning Main Product - Cover Layout Mock-up (1)

Planning Main Product - Representation

In my magazine I have tried to represent a particular gender of people and a particular age group. I have aimed my magazine generally at young male between the ages of 16-26 years old. The way I have suited my magazine to this group of people is that I have dressed my models in clothes which may appeal to younger males. Also the subheadings used and the main story used are headlines which are aimed towards younger males so they may want to read my magazine more due to them being interested in what the storylines were about.

Planning Main Product - Masthead Fonts

 

 

 

 

 

 

From asking 15 people which masthead was their favourite, it came to the conclusion to use my 'Vibrations' masthead due to it being the most popular masthead from the people which I asked.

Planning Main Product - Target Audience

This is the questionnaire which I provided to people who were interested in my genre of magazine. This was to get a few ideas of what people were looking for in a magazine within certain age and gender groups before my product was created.

 

 

 

 



I searched for target audiences in other music magazines in my genre. This is some research which I found on 'Q' magazines website which shows that their audience for their magazine is a younger audience which is who I will be aiming my music magazine at. 'Q' magazine is a magazine in the same genre in which my magazine is in therefore this should work out well due to 'Q' being a well known and big selling magazine within my genre so it would make sense that my target audience would be aimed at the same younger generation as which 'Q's target audience is so that my magazine can become as big as my competitors.

 

Here is another questionnaire that I have done to get feedback on my planning and my draft products. This is one that a person from the 15 people I surveyed filled in. I kept the same 15 people to fill in this questionnaire in that filled the first questionnaire in; this is so my results are accurate.

Planning Main Product - Genre

Genre

The genre in which I have chosen to base my magazine on is rap. This is due to getting positive feedback from the questionnaires which i gave out, having 90% of the people surveyed answering that they were interested in rap more than anything. Therefore it would be a good idea to choose this genre because of having more information on this than other categories.

Planning Main Product - Analysis of Existing Magazines (Contents)

The word 'contents' is presented in a red box and written in white writing. By doing this it makes the make look vibrant and stands out so the audience know straight away that this is the contents page.

Underneath each subtitle in the 'features' section it tells you a little bit about each storyline. This will give the reader a sneak peak of what is to come inside the magazine which is a good technique to use due to the audience then wanting to read on to find out more.

The masthead reading 'drummer' links into the largest picture on this page. This makes it obvious to the audience what the magazine is all about and a brief idea of what is to come.

The colours used on this page are very well thought out. This is because they all stand out and contrast with eachother very well. The colour of the font on the background makes it more clear for the audience to read this makes it easier to find pages for example due to the page numbers standing out.

Planning Main Product - Analysis of Existing Magazines (Contents)

       



 

 

The contents page is divided into two sections which are:

 

-Features

-Regulars

 

The regulars part of the contents shows which parts of the magazine are used everytime such as competitions etc.

The features part of is things that are in the magazine just this week or month such as interviews etc.

 

The contrast of colours on this contents page go well together such as the white font on the black background. It is also well layed out due to the black background being a picture of a rock so it is related with what the magazine is about (mountain sport). This will also be clearer for the audience to read.

 

The word 'feature' is also presented on a slant. This will make it stand it to the audience to draw there attention.

 

 

 

 

 



Planning Main Product - Analysis of Existing Magazines (Cover)

The masthead is on the page is behind the picture of '50 Cent' which shows the dominence and importance which he has over the page showing that he is the main thing on there.

The font used in the sentence '50 Cent: Hip-Hop Icon' is big and bold. This combined with the picture of him comes across as though he is arrogent and confident due to him apparently being a 'Hip-Hop icon' and being centre of attention across the page.

The colours used on the cover are limited and both the pictures and the font contrast with eachother such as the white font on top of the black clothing worn by 50 Cent makes the splash stand out more to the audience.

All of the writing such as the subheadings are layed out around the edges of the magazine leaving just 50 cent's face in the middle showing again that he is the main thing on the page and that everything is revolving around him.



The picture of 'Eminem' is shown in front of everything on the page. this shows that he is the most important thing on the page and stands out from everything else. Also the look and pose which he is performing shows arrogance and confidence towards his character so the audience viewing it will be drawn towards his picture.
The subheading reads 'Eminem comes clean'. This automatically makes people think drugs or that he has done something which he shouldn't. this is because of the character which he has and what his past has been like. The picture also encourages this point of view as well due to what he is wearing (black colours) and also how he looks due to his appearance and pose (tattoos, arrogant look).
The colours used on this page also encourages the audience to think that Eminem may be a thug. Red and black are usually situated as dark and negative colours which add to his character.

The picture of 'Wiz Khalifa' is a close up. This shows his dominence on the page. His picture also covers the masthead on the page so this means he is the most important thing on there due to the people who made the magazine giving up the view of there name to make the picture of Wiz stand out more. The size of the font used to type 'Wiz Khalifa' is also larger than most other words on the magazine page which indicates that he is above everything else on the page.

The facial expression in the picture comes across to the audience as maybe being cocky and confident. This is backed up by a subheading reading 'Hip-Hops rookie of the year Wiz Khalifa' so it shows that this is probably he reason for him to be cocky.

Also the subheadings and texts are layed out around the picture of him. This shows that The magazine are basing everything around Wiz Khalifa because of him being the main subject of the page.

Planning Main Product - Analysis of Existing Magazines (Contents)

The Word Contents stands out to the audience on the page. This is because of how it is layed out in an unusual way and also how the text is big and bold. This allows the reader to locate the contents page more easily.

The picture shot medium close up. This makes his body fill most of the screen showing his importance on the page. The arm which is reaching over his body also indicates that people want to be him or be with him. this links into his arrogent and cocky facial expression which he is doing in the picture due to people thinking this of him.

The colours which are used on the page are well thought out due to them all being in contrast with what Kanye West is wearing. This again shows that everything on the page is about him even the colours are revolving round him.

Planning Main Product - Analysis of Existing Magazines' Double Page Spread

On this double page spread the image and text are given a whole page each to themselves. This shows the image standing out to the audience due to it filling up a whole page which could also show that the person in the picture is important to the text and will catch the audiences eye making them want to read more. The headline going across both of the pages is the biggest font used on the age. This means that the information giving in the headline is trying to stand out to the reader which will also draw them in and want to read into the article. The text in the article is also set out in a simple way which makes it easy to read. This means the audience will not be put off reading it due to the layout being too complex and over the top. Also the colours used throughout the page contrast well together and don’t clash. This will attract the audience to the page because it doesn’t look a mess and is laid out pleasantly.

Preliminary Product - Final Contents Page

This is my final product. I chose to change the position of the word 'Contents' to the top of the page and made the font bigger. I did this because the audience will want to see which page the contents page is and it will be easier for them to find and see if it’s in a bigger font and at the top of the page. I also added the Biddulph High School logo to it so that the audience recognise the school logo and will then know which school the magazine is associated with.

Preliminary Product - Draft Contents Page

 

Evaluation of Preliminary Exercise

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a school magazines?

In my magazine I have used a conventional shot of a medium close up. I used this because it will stand out on the page making it the centre of attention. The mast head I have also positioned in a conventional way due to it being at the top of the page. This is because it is important for people to see the name of the magazine so will be one of the first things the audience will see.

 

2. How effective is the front page of your magazine in focusing on the ethos of the school?

The front page of my magazine is effective on focusing on the ethos of the school because it shows a student at hard work on a computer showing that the school has a hard working ethos. Also it shows a picture of a person kicking a football. This shows the school has a sporty and healthy lifestyle to its ethos.

 

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

From my audience feedback I have learned that it is best to cover as much blank space as possible on the cover of the magazine. This is to make it seem less dull and so the magazine gives more information out to the audience. Also I have found out that the fonts which I have used are suitable due to them being easy to read so therefore the audience will not be put off by strange fonts making it hard for them to read.

 

4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

I used Macromedia Fireworks whilst creating my cover and contents pages. I learnt when constructing these pieces of work many new effects such as cropping images. I used this so that the picture which was cropped fitted into the magazine page making it look more professional. This is a good tool to be able to use due it making your pictures on the magazine look like they fit better on the page and gives it a more professional look. Another thing which I learnt was importing fonts. I imported the font which I thought would most suit the magazine cover to give it more of a professional look, where as if I had just of used a random font it would have looked out of place and unprofessional due to it maybe not suiting the style of which the magazine is.

Preliminary Product - Draft Front Cover

Preliminary Product - Final Front Cover

On my final product I decided to add a blue box behind the text on the left side. I did this so that it would be easier for the audience to read the information because it was a black font on a dark background before therefore it will be much easier to read on a lighter background. I also decided to change the font which I used for the masthead due to it looking more professional and formal than the other font.

Preliminary Product - Semiotics Images and Names

Visual semiotics is what words or phrases are associated with a certain image when you see it. For example, if you see a picture of a heart you may think of love and passion, or maybe life, or feelings.Semiotics in names is when a name could mean something to you or  that it could be a sign of something.
In my preliminary product I have chosen to use a picture of someone, in their school uniform, studying at a computer which shows intelligence as well as pride towards the school due to wearing the schools uniform. This will attract the target audience due to them wearing the school uniform to so they should therefore want to take pride of being at the school.

Preliminary Product - Masthead Font

 

 

I chose to use this masthead on my final product because the font is easy for the audience to read so they will know the name of the magazine. It also has a unique look about it which is different from normal fonts but still makes the magazine look formal and professional. This will therefore appeal to my audience due to the magazine not looking unprofessional.

 

 

 

 

 

Preliminary Product - Masthead Font Research

The reason which I have chosen this font is because it will stand out off the page to the audience. This will therefore draw there attention to what it says and catch there eye. It is a san serif font so it doesnt seem to complex on the page and is easy to read.

The reason that I have chosen this font is because it is big and bold so therefore will stand out to the audience and be easy for them to read and noticeable. It is a serif font so it gives the font more style and will look better on the page.

The reason I have chosen this font is because the space between the letters make it easier for the audience to read and also the style of the font makes easy to read because it is complex. The font is a serif font so it gives the font more style and will stand out more to the audience.

I have chose to use 'Nouvelle Vague' font for my final product because it looks the most professional and formal font out of the rest.

The reason I have chosen this font is that it is very easy for the audience to read. The font is very formal which would be good to use in a school magazine. It also is a serif font so it gives the word a better look to it.

Preliminary Product - Layout

 

I have made the layout of this page as simple as possible so that it doesn't overwhelm the audience. I have chose to have my masthead at the top of the page in a big font which stands out from the rest. This is a conventional place to have the magazine masthead. I have laid all sub headings around my main picture to draw attention to it showing the audience that it is an important feature. Also I have chosen to place a blue box behind some text so that is will be easier to read for the audience than it would be on a plain background. This means that people will want to read what it says in the subheading more than if it was difficult to read and see. 

Preliminary Product - Image Plan

Model:	Callum Morgan
Camera height/angle/distance:	Long shot / straight ahead / approximately 3 metres away
Location:	Sports Hall
Lighting:	Nothing added, natural lighting.
Mise-en-scene (including props, costume) :	School uniform, Trainers
Attempted connotation:	A culture of sporting success, enjoyment of sports at the school
Planned denotation:	Boy kicking a football showing he is enjoying sport at the school
Contingency (in case of model absence/weather):	Sports hall is indoors so weather doesn't effect it, use a stand in model to photograph
Alternate angle:	Low angle aiming up empowering the model.
Thinking points:  Use of artificial light in contingency
Comments:

Preliminary Product - Genre Conventions

Preliminary Product - Colour scheme

 

 

The colour scheme of my magazine uses a lot of blue and black. I used these colours to try and stick with the house style of the school and what is used on the school website. I have done this because the audience will relate the colours to the school and therefore know which school the magazine has been produced for.

Preliminary Product - Target Audience

My target audience for my preliminary product will be pupils who attend Biddulph high school. This is because these are the people who will want to know about what is happening in and around the school. I will also aim my product at parents of the students due to them also wanting to know what is going on involving the school which their child is attending therefore I will make parts of my magazine more formal for the parents. I also asked some peers from Biddulph high school if they would like a school magazine and what they would like to be included in it if they did so. 100% of my peers said they would like to have a school magazine, things that they said they would like to be included in the magazine are things such as upcoming events, school trips and sports activities.

Preliminary Product - Analysis of Existing Magazines

 

 

This is a typical school magazine. You can see this by the photo of a student studying which indicates that it is something to do with school. The image in the background is blurred out which makes the audience focus more on the image which is in focus.

 

The layout of the page is still very basic though due to there being only one splash on the page and a banner being at the bottom of the page.

You can see that this is a contents page from a school magazine due to the pictures of a student studying and also that the people in the picture are wearing a uniform. This is something I will look to include in my product so people will also know this about my school magazine. The writing is also laid out so it is easy to follow and read which I will also be trying to do on my product so the audience know how to follow the magazine.

Introduction

Welcome to my AS Media Studies blog. On this site I will be posting my research, planning and eventually my final products.