Evaluation question 7

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

Doing my preliminary task was the first time I properly used photoshop therefore i struggled a bit and now feel as though I could have done a lot better on it. If i had done the task now i believe i would have done much better as i have a lot more experience and knowledge of the software. I think there are key differences between my preliminary task and my full product as my school magazine looks a lot less professional and less eye catching due too my lack of experience with deigning magazines. Also i had a lot more time planning my final product and i could research into it more meanwhile the preliminary task was very rushed and unprepared.

 

I feel like I have learnt a lot more about how the layout of a magazine should be presented now that i have practised designing and researching more about the design of magazines. I think that on my preliminary task, the masthead could have looked a lot more eye catching as it didn't look
 as bold and prodominant as my full product. I believe that the font would have also looked better if it was more stretched downwards so that it takes up a fuller part of the top third making the masthead stand out against the sell lines. The sell lines also look quite out of place as they arent set out in a very presentable way and look unmeaningly scattered acoss the page. I also think the main image could have looked more succesful If i had placed my model directly looking at the camera to give a more personal feel. Although, i do think my main image is well suited to a college magazine as the props used are appropriate and anchor with the sell lines.
On the contents page, there are various improvements that could have been made which i now notice after looking at so many professional magazines. For example, the page numbers in my navigation bar look way too big in size and also they aren't placed in a straight line which looks incredibly untidy.

I have learnt a lot about how important the genre of a magazine is and how it is esential to include your target audiences key interests and favourite artists to encourage them to buy the product. Colour schemes also come into this as different colours connote with various moods and genders.

Evaluation question 6

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

Whilst creating my product I have used a range of different technologies and developed my skills on them through practice. In order to complete different parts of the project I have adapted and learnt how to use different programmes, softwares and devices.

The technologies I have used are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Blogger, Internet, digital cameras, facebook.

Photoshop- I have used Photoshop a lot throughout this project as it is a useful software for creating magazines and designing. When I first started using this I had very little knowledge on how the programme worked and what to do, although as I spent more time on Photoshop it became a lot easier. 

Internet- The internet had been helpful whilst completing the project and was used a lot whilst researching magazine ideas. This allowed me to understand and figure out my target audience and how the overall design of magazines should look.

Indesign- Indesign is used widely in the media industry therefore I used the software whilst creating my double page spread. I enjoyed using this as it's quite easy to use when creating a magazine product in order to make it look professional. Although I hadn't used this software before, I adapted quite easily to it and figured out how to use it in a short space of time.

Blogger- During the making of my product I frequently blogged about what I had achieved in my work every so often showing my progress gradually. I also used this to plan my work, noting down my research and building on my ideas. This also proved extremely helpful whilst posting my evaluation.

Facebook-  I used facebook so that I could firstly contact my model and inform her on what clothes she would be wearing. We then arranged a date and time so that the shoot could easily be planned. 

Technology has overall helped me with the full project from designing my front page, contents page and double-page spread to tracking my research and showing my progression. Without these i would have struggled with my products and the outcome of my work would have been substantially different.

                                               

Evaluation question 5

How did you attract/address your audience ?

I had also carried out a survey including questions such as 'What colours would you like to be seen in the magazine?' and 'What gender model would you like to be seen on the front cover?'. The answers to these questions were that more people wanted bright colours on the magazine and a female model on the front cover therefore I considered peoples opinions in order for it to appeal to an audience.

Evaluation question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my music magazine is young girls around the age of 13-16 years old and will be interested in the genre pop music. Pop music is connoted as being bubbly and happy music which is therefore associated with young girls.

Interests- pop music, going out with friends, cinema, jewellery, makeup, fashion, school.

Like to see- Interviews, latest news on pop stars, latest fashion, exclusive news, beauty tips, offers and chances to win.

Listen to artists such as- Jessie J, One Direction, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Cheryl Cole, The Wanted

Ethnicity- Mostly White British

Social class- Parents who are working class

Spend money in- New Look, Primark, McDonalds, magazine shops

My magazine is brightly coloured and the fonts are also easy to read due to the fact my target audience is quite young so it isn't made to look complicated. I think that young teenagers would buy my magazine because it includes popular pop artists that they would be interested in and also the colours used looks bright and appealing.

Evaluation question 3

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

After researching various different pop genre magazines, i found that Top Of The Pops is published by BBC magazines meanwhile We Love Pop is published by Egmont. I think both companies could distribute my magazine as it's very similar to both Top Of The Pops and We Love Pop. BBC although tends to be slightly more educational and i don't think my magazine fits as well into that.

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a public service broadcasting statutory corporation. Its main responsibility is to provide impartial public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom.

Egmont is the UK's biggest children's publisher and is one of the worlds biggest media companies. Egmont sells more than 25 million books and 12 million magazines per year and is also a private company owned by a charitable foundation.

Therefore, i believe my media product would be most likely distributed by Egmont as both, We Love Pop and my magazine share features such as, articles, gossip, celebrities, fashion, interests in what is happening right now with artists and most importantly an obsession towards music! Both magazines are also aimed towards the same audience and genre therefore i think Egmont would be able to publish it well.

Overall i think that Egmont would most likely distribute my media product because they share a lot of similarities in the style of our magazines.

I think We Love Pop and Pop Charts will both attract audiences of pop genre although different stars used in each magazine will attract different people to the magazines therefore they will cover different stories and interests on artists making both magazines successful within the company.

Evaluation question 2

How does your media product present different social groups?

I believe that there are various different similarities between both Cheryl Cole used as the main image on Top Of The Pops magazine and the model i have used on my magazine. For example, they both have extremelly similar hairstyles showing off loose natural curls. The positions both models are standing in are also very similar as it doesn't look as if they have been made to pose a certain way and they look very natural and easy going.  There has also been no props used allowing all of the attention to be on the models themselves. Although both models are wearing different colours, i believe they both still fit into the audience of young teenagers interested in pop as the colour white shows innocence of the young teenagers but also the pink/purple colours also show the fun quirky side of them. The fact that both models are wearing a high neck dress is also important as they aren't wearing anything too revealing or indecent. Facial expressions shown by both models are also alike as they are both doing a super smiler shot giving the impression they are happy and inviting towards readers. Although, the makeup looks quite different on Top Of The Pops main image as it look like more natural colours have been used. Meanwhile, i have chosen bright pinks and purples as part of my models makeup as i believe it will make her stand out more and make her look more experimentive rather than plain.
I think both models would appeal to fans/readers as they look welcoming as their eyes look engaging and their facial expressions are happy and welcoming. I also think people might aspire to be like them as their makeup and fashion sense is of a typical teenager and would make them want to look like the models.

Evaluation question 1

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

Masthead

Like many magazines, my front cover includes one of the most important conventions, a masthead. My music magazine is called 'Pop Charts' which I believe sounds effective as it's short, catchy and instantly intrigues/attracts an audience interested in the latest pop music . The genre of my magazine, pop is mentioned in the masthead allowing the audience to identify themselves with the magazine. Originally, I thought of using the letters 'PPC', standing for  'Pop Party Charts' for my masthead although believed it looked and sounded more catchy as it is now . I also found that 'Pop Charts' looked more eye catching as it is spread all along the top third of the cover meanwhile 'PPC' only filled a small section of the top third. My lecturer also agreed that my chosen title suited the layout of my front cover more and stood out well. The colours used in my title have been chosen to look bold and to stand out well against the background colour. Also, I have specifically used quite girly and bright colours as it will be aimed at young teenage girls. The font used also relates well to the pop genre as it looks quite quirky and is easy to understand, which is what teenagers would  like.

Images

I have captured various images appropriate for my magazine making sure I have a clear main image, double page spread images and a few for the contents page. The costume that my model is wearing is a multi coloured sequin dress which comes across as very girly and glamorous, which most teenagers aspire to be. I think this is a good outfit choice as it is young looking and very eye catching.   I have then curled my models hair to give her a fun look. All images were photographed against a pink background so they could either but edited away from it easily or kept with the pink for a plain but effective background. The background also matches well with the models outfit and makeup therefore they all compliment and match well with each other. I have placed my models n various different positions for the images to show different sides to my models personality and to make the images more interesting to look at. I think the overall body language of my model look happy and proud to be in the magazine which will influence people into reading it.

Banner

Another feature I have included in my magazine is a banner, which is typical for many pop genre magazines, for example 'Top Of The Pops'. On the banner I have included three posters which are included inside the magazine and also artists who are featured inside. I think the posters will attract my audiences eye as young teenagers are typically interested in freebies and collecting posters. Also I think by mentioning extra artists names, this would attract a larger range of people as if an artist you are interested in is mentioned, you would be more likely to want to read the sections about them.

Sell-lines

Sell lines are typically used in magazines to give people an insight to whats inside of the magazine and it almost convinces them to want to read on. I have made sure interesting sell-lines have been included on my front cover so it will instantly attract a large audience. By doing this I have used star power including big pop stars names to intrigue people to find out what is being wrote about them. I have also made sure that the sell lines are bold and stand out well against the background so they are one of the first things the reader looks at. I have also chosen a different font for my sell lines, contrasting against my masthead so that it varies the look of my magazine and separates them apart from each other. I have made sure I used different colours on the text also as my aim is to make the sell lines stand out to their full potential which is hard against certain backgrounds.

Contents layout 

The layout of my contents page is spread along one page, unlike some other magazines which may be a double page spread. I have included navigation bars so that its easy for people to read and makes it look appropriately organised. Numbers have then been placed alongside each article so that pages are easy to find and they're also linked to contents page images to give people an insight to what the articles will be about. I have also included an editors note which I have wrote and is commonly used in magazines. This makes the magazine sound more personal and exclusive to the reader as it seems directly written towards the audience.

Pop genre

I have made sure the theme of pop genre for young teenagers sticks throughout my magazine therefore i have made sure the language and text used is appropriate and not too serious. Considering this, i haven't used any bad language or swearing but i have included words such as OMG and WOW which gives a fun appealing element to the magazine. I also believe the bright colours used relate to the genre of pop as it gives opposite connotations to magazines such as NME which go by the colours of red black and white and is targeted towards a slightly older, grown up audience.

Written content

The written content of my magazine is sectioned into columns and written in an interview form on the double page spread. The language used in the interview sounds quite informal and relaxed giving a friendly tone to the young audience. I made sure the magazine wasn't too formal as it wouldn't apply very well to my target audience and may come across too serious and boring.

I have also included various images and pull quotes on my double page spread article which will immediately catch the readers eye giving them an insight to the article. I have used various different quotations spoke by 'Robyn' which are interesting and that people would most likely want to read more about.

Hair/Make-up

I have also used appropriate hair and make-up which would be typically seen in a pop genre. Instead of using very dull an plain colours such as black and grey makeup, I have used a glamorous bright pink/purple eyeshadow instantly appealing to girls and giving the model a more fun look. I have also used a glossy pink lipstick matching with the eyeshadow but also the background of the front cover. The models style of hair is also quite child-like as it's in bouncy curls which young girls often want when going out and making an effort with their appearance. I think that my audience will connect with my model and be inspired by her appearance. I have although made sure that my model isn't wearing too much makeup as my audience group will be just starting to experiment with makeup therefore should still be keeping quite a natural look.

Feedback

Contents page update

From my previous progress update i have now developed on the above contents page to the below and finished off the design. I have changed the colours on the updated page as i believe the new colours used match the colour scheme of the front page more as it is important that the colours run the same throughout a magazine to keep it looking professional. I have also changed the main contents image due to difficulties mentioned on earlier blog posts and added more as the target audience will be interested in more visual things rather than all text. I believe my contents page now looks more professional than my previous attempt as it looks neater and more appealing to my target audience.

Front cover update

Since my previous progress update on my front cover page i have now completed the design. Firstly i have changed the colour of my sell lines from blue to white as i believe it makes it a lot easier for the audience to read as it stands out more against the background.  have also expanded the masthead to make it look bolder and more dominant against the rest of the text. I have also finished off the bottom banner by adding images for the 'poster special' and placed the barcode, issue number, date and price on the bottom right corner. I have then added various other pieces of text included a chance to win a shopping trip with Little Mix which i have defined in bold writing and highlighted it by placing it in a bright yellow shape.

While deciding on clothing and makeup options for my model i understood that a certain style and image had to be obtained which would appeal to young teenagers.

I decided on the above dress to be used in my magazine as I believe it's girly, fun and stylish which is what would appeal to the audience. It is also colourful which will draw in attention as it makes the photo stand out and look more vibrant.

Makeup is also an important concept of the models look therefore I made sure it was kept looking professional. I have my model a makeover using foundation, powder, fake eyelashes, lipstick and bright eyeshadow. I made sure I kept the colour scheme into consideration by using pink lipstick and purple eyeshadow, matching with the dress and design of my magazine. I although didn't want to make my model look too fake as young teenagers shouldn't be using a lot of makeup at their age therefore they may prefer a more natural look.

Finally, I used hair curlers to style my models hair. I created loose curls as I believe its quite a fun and young look which is how I want my magazine to come across.

Confirmation

I had firstly organised in person who my model was going to be and chose my friend, Chelsea. I then later confirmed that she was still able to participate in the photos and made sure she was happy with the dress she would be wearing.

Artists

There are various different artists who share the same music genre as my chosen magazine type and would appeal to the same audience group. Some of the below songs show an example of music my audience group would be interested in and the artists they may like. Most songs that would appeal to them tend to be quite up beat and quirky to keep it fun and entertaining.

http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcxnwv7yaQk                   

Stooshe- Love Me

http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-QOV9tI

Jessie J- Price Tag

http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E

One Direction- What Makes You Beautiful        
                   

http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GuqB1BQVr4

Justin Bieber- Boyfriend