here are the pictures of my final front cover, contents page and double page spread, after making final amendmants to them after having them marked by my teacher.
Monday, 11 May 2009
March 2009
To evaluate my magazine using the questions that I mentioned earlier in my blog I will present my work to my class on a powerpoint presentation answering those questions in the powerpoint. Here Is the script for my presentation:
Media Script
I tried to make my media product use and develop the forms and conventions of real media products by following the codes and conventions of a music magazine. The codes and conventions I followed on my front cover include the title being the largest text on the page. The title is also a unique font and is different to all of the text used in my media product; I made it unique by outlining it in black to make it stand out from the rest of the text. The font I used for my title was Rockwell Extra Bold, and I did not use this font anywhere else on my finished media product. Another convention concerning my title which I followed is that it is only 3 letters long, and most music magazine titles are only 1 word and have very few letters. The positioning statement for my magazine, ‘All the latest from the indie music scene’, is also placed underneath my title, and this is common with most music magazines. (click)
I followed the codes and conventions for the main picture on my front cover by placing it in the middle of the page. The picture is also a medium close-up, which for most magazines, is the most common camera angle. The artist in the picture is conveying a certain attitude to fit in with the genre of music, the artist in my picture isn’t smiling and this conveys attitude and also makes the artist seem ‘cool’. The main cover line anchors the meaning of the image and it is in the largest font on the page apart from the title to make it stand out from the rest of the articles. Is it placed at the bottom of the page but centred to make it take up a lot of space and make it stand out. Other cover lines are spread on both sides of the page, and do not really cover the top half of the artists body so the picture of the artist is clearer. There is a strip at the bottom of the page containing a cover line, and this is common in a lot of magazines as it allows room for extra articles. (click)
The codes and conventions which I followed for my contents page include having a list of articles and page numbers linking to where the article is in the magazine. There are 3 columns with the headings ‘on the cover’ ‘features’ and ‘every month’, this is to ensure the reader of the content of the magazine, and make it clear of to what is in the magazine. I used the same colour scheme for my contents page as on the front cover to anchor them both together and to also make it relevant. I also chose the colour scheme to be simpler and use fewer colours, because I didn’t want it to overpower the front cover. The title ‘CONTENTS’ is the largest text on the page and is also a different font to everything else on the page. The title ‘contents’ is also in green, to link with the main title of my magazine which is also in green on the front cover. For the pictures used on my contents page, I followed the codes and conventions by using one large photo to take up most of the page. The picture which I chose to do this with links to the article I wrote in my double page spread, and that is the reason why I chose it. I used another 3 smaller photographs to fill in the space, and these pictures are all anchored to an article by putting the page number on the picture. I also added the issue date and magazine website address at the top of the page, which would also be found in real media products. (click)
The codes and conventions which I followed for my double page spread includes one main picture taking up a whole page. The main picture also corresponds with the article, and the mise-en-scene is carefully considered as the band is performing in a small venue, and this links to the article. I also added an interesting quote from the article and applied it to the picture in a larger font to make it stand out and catch the reader’s eye. The headline for my article is creative and unique, and anchors to the article and the band. The headline is also the largest text and is spread along the top of the page, it is also in a different font to the rest of the text to make it stand out and look appealing to read. I used the same main colours, red and green, as I used in the rest of my media product so it is relevant to the rest of the magazine. I added a stand-first under the headline as most double page spread articles have them. I started my article with a drop capital which tells the reader where to begin reading the article and I also put the first opening paragraph in bold. I chose my font to be 11pt type size as most music magazine articles are in a small font. I added a by-line to the end of the article and also changed it to a different font. Because I have done all these things when producing my media product, I have followed and developed the codes and conventions of a real music magazine. (click)
My media product is aimed to represent indie music fans and I applied this in numerous ways to my magazine. As I was representing this certain social group, I chose the colour scheme for my media product to be green, black, white and red. I chose these colours to represent indie fans as they are common colours in that social group’s culture, and may also be found on similar types of the same genre magazine. The social group is also portrayed in a positive way, as the bands which I have used in my media product are represented as ‘cool’, which conveys the social group to be the same. There is also no negativity portrayed in my media product, as all the articles are about music which has been represented in a positive way. My media product is also more likely to represent indie music fans than a social group who are fans of dance music, as the layout is simpler and seems more ‘mature’, whereas a dance music magazine would have bright colours and a more unusual design. (click)
The kinds of media institutions which would distribute my magazine would be Bauer. This would distribute my magazine as it is one of the main distributors in Britain, and publish most of Britain’s magazines. Bauer also would be more likely to distribute my magazine as it owns Q magazine, therefore it would want to own both competitors to generate more money for the business. Music stores would also sell my magazine to generate more money for their business, HMV is an example of a music store which the target audience for my magazine are likely to shop in. Newsagents and supermarkets would sell my magazine as well, as the audience for my magazine would go to these places regularly, therefore are more likely to buy my magazine there. (click)
The audience for my media product will be both males and females aged from 16-20. I chose this age as my magazine is meant to be portrayed as ‘cool’ and I feel that people this age would appreciate that as it is in their culture. The people who are between these ages also have to be interested in the indie music scene, as that is the main purpose of my media product and what my media product is based on. To attract my target audience I used direct address by using the word ‘you’. I used the word ‘you’ in my contents page as it is in the name of an article ‘Recommended albums for YOU!’ I added emphasis on the ‘you’ by putting it in capitals. By using direct address it grabs the reader’s attention and makes the article seem more personal to them, and would therefore make them want to read it. As my audience is indie music fans, I constructed my magazine in a way that would appeal to them, and I did this by using codes and conventions of the genre and by stereotypes of indie music fans. An example of this is the articles which I used e.g. ‘the story of Amy Winehouse: Booze, boys and breakdowns’. This article conveys a sense of humour which would appeal to my target audience, as they are young and would be more likely to read an article like this. (click)
I have learnt a lot about technologies from the process of constructing my media product. I have learnt more about the two main technologies which I used in the process, Photoshop and Quark Xpress. The first time I used Photoshop for the preliminary task I found it quite difficult as I wasn’t used to the features on the program, but when doing the main task I had a better idea of which features to use and I also felt more confident using it. I feel that during my main task, the quality of my work was much better than during the preliminary task, and I feel that this is because of what I have learnt through the process. I used Quark Xpress to create my contents page and double page spread, and during my preliminary task I found it quite difficult to use, as it was the first time I’ve ever used it before. But while producing my main production, I found it easier and I had learnt how to manipulate texts and images further, and I feel that this has improved the quality of my work. (click)
From doing my preliminary task I have learnt how to make my music magazine look more realistic, as I believe that my production skills have improved. For my preliminary task, the quality of the main picture on my front cover was quite poor compared to the main picture on my final production. I feel this is because my photography skills have improved as I learnt how to take pictures at the correct angles and lighting. I also feel that I produced a more professional front cover for my main media production, as the layout of the text and pictures seemed more professional and look like a real media product. After doing my double page spread, I feel that my own journalism skills have improved as when I came to writing the article I felt confident after researching and interviewing the band my article was based on. Overall I have more understanding of magazines, their production and design, and the technical skills which I have developed.
Media Script
I tried to make my media product use and develop the forms and conventions of real media products by following the codes and conventions of a music magazine. The codes and conventions I followed on my front cover include the title being the largest text on the page. The title is also a unique font and is different to all of the text used in my media product; I made it unique by outlining it in black to make it stand out from the rest of the text. The font I used for my title was Rockwell Extra Bold, and I did not use this font anywhere else on my finished media product. Another convention concerning my title which I followed is that it is only 3 letters long, and most music magazine titles are only 1 word and have very few letters. The positioning statement for my magazine, ‘All the latest from the indie music scene’, is also placed underneath my title, and this is common with most music magazines. (click)
I followed the codes and conventions for the main picture on my front cover by placing it in the middle of the page. The picture is also a medium close-up, which for most magazines, is the most common camera angle. The artist in the picture is conveying a certain attitude to fit in with the genre of music, the artist in my picture isn’t smiling and this conveys attitude and also makes the artist seem ‘cool’. The main cover line anchors the meaning of the image and it is in the largest font on the page apart from the title to make it stand out from the rest of the articles. Is it placed at the bottom of the page but centred to make it take up a lot of space and make it stand out. Other cover lines are spread on both sides of the page, and do not really cover the top half of the artists body so the picture of the artist is clearer. There is a strip at the bottom of the page containing a cover line, and this is common in a lot of magazines as it allows room for extra articles. (click)
The codes and conventions which I followed for my contents page include having a list of articles and page numbers linking to where the article is in the magazine. There are 3 columns with the headings ‘on the cover’ ‘features’ and ‘every month’, this is to ensure the reader of the content of the magazine, and make it clear of to what is in the magazine. I used the same colour scheme for my contents page as on the front cover to anchor them both together and to also make it relevant. I also chose the colour scheme to be simpler and use fewer colours, because I didn’t want it to overpower the front cover. The title ‘CONTENTS’ is the largest text on the page and is also a different font to everything else on the page. The title ‘contents’ is also in green, to link with the main title of my magazine which is also in green on the front cover. For the pictures used on my contents page, I followed the codes and conventions by using one large photo to take up most of the page. The picture which I chose to do this with links to the article I wrote in my double page spread, and that is the reason why I chose it. I used another 3 smaller photographs to fill in the space, and these pictures are all anchored to an article by putting the page number on the picture. I also added the issue date and magazine website address at the top of the page, which would also be found in real media products. (click)
The codes and conventions which I followed for my double page spread includes one main picture taking up a whole page. The main picture also corresponds with the article, and the mise-en-scene is carefully considered as the band is performing in a small venue, and this links to the article. I also added an interesting quote from the article and applied it to the picture in a larger font to make it stand out and catch the reader’s eye. The headline for my article is creative and unique, and anchors to the article and the band. The headline is also the largest text and is spread along the top of the page, it is also in a different font to the rest of the text to make it stand out and look appealing to read. I used the same main colours, red and green, as I used in the rest of my media product so it is relevant to the rest of the magazine. I added a stand-first under the headline as most double page spread articles have them. I started my article with a drop capital which tells the reader where to begin reading the article and I also put the first opening paragraph in bold. I chose my font to be 11pt type size as most music magazine articles are in a small font. I added a by-line to the end of the article and also changed it to a different font. Because I have done all these things when producing my media product, I have followed and developed the codes and conventions of a real music magazine. (click)
My media product is aimed to represent indie music fans and I applied this in numerous ways to my magazine. As I was representing this certain social group, I chose the colour scheme for my media product to be green, black, white and red. I chose these colours to represent indie fans as they are common colours in that social group’s culture, and may also be found on similar types of the same genre magazine. The social group is also portrayed in a positive way, as the bands which I have used in my media product are represented as ‘cool’, which conveys the social group to be the same. There is also no negativity portrayed in my media product, as all the articles are about music which has been represented in a positive way. My media product is also more likely to represent indie music fans than a social group who are fans of dance music, as the layout is simpler and seems more ‘mature’, whereas a dance music magazine would have bright colours and a more unusual design. (click)
The kinds of media institutions which would distribute my magazine would be Bauer. This would distribute my magazine as it is one of the main distributors in Britain, and publish most of Britain’s magazines. Bauer also would be more likely to distribute my magazine as it owns Q magazine, therefore it would want to own both competitors to generate more money for the business. Music stores would also sell my magazine to generate more money for their business, HMV is an example of a music store which the target audience for my magazine are likely to shop in. Newsagents and supermarkets would sell my magazine as well, as the audience for my magazine would go to these places regularly, therefore are more likely to buy my magazine there. (click)
The audience for my media product will be both males and females aged from 16-20. I chose this age as my magazine is meant to be portrayed as ‘cool’ and I feel that people this age would appreciate that as it is in their culture. The people who are between these ages also have to be interested in the indie music scene, as that is the main purpose of my media product and what my media product is based on. To attract my target audience I used direct address by using the word ‘you’. I used the word ‘you’ in my contents page as it is in the name of an article ‘Recommended albums for YOU!’ I added emphasis on the ‘you’ by putting it in capitals. By using direct address it grabs the reader’s attention and makes the article seem more personal to them, and would therefore make them want to read it. As my audience is indie music fans, I constructed my magazine in a way that would appeal to them, and I did this by using codes and conventions of the genre and by stereotypes of indie music fans. An example of this is the articles which I used e.g. ‘the story of Amy Winehouse: Booze, boys and breakdowns’. This article conveys a sense of humour which would appeal to my target audience, as they are young and would be more likely to read an article like this. (click)
I have learnt a lot about technologies from the process of constructing my media product. I have learnt more about the two main technologies which I used in the process, Photoshop and Quark Xpress. The first time I used Photoshop for the preliminary task I found it quite difficult as I wasn’t used to the features on the program, but when doing the main task I had a better idea of which features to use and I also felt more confident using it. I feel that during my main task, the quality of my work was much better than during the preliminary task, and I feel that this is because of what I have learnt through the process. I used Quark Xpress to create my contents page and double page spread, and during my preliminary task I found it quite difficult to use, as it was the first time I’ve ever used it before. But while producing my main production, I found it easier and I had learnt how to manipulate texts and images further, and I feel that this has improved the quality of my work. (click)
From doing my preliminary task I have learnt how to make my music magazine look more realistic, as I believe that my production skills have improved. For my preliminary task, the quality of the main picture on my front cover was quite poor compared to the main picture on my final production. I feel this is because my photography skills have improved as I learnt how to take pictures at the correct angles and lighting. I also feel that I produced a more professional front cover for my main media production, as the layout of the text and pictures seemed more professional and look like a real media product. After doing my double page spread, I feel that my own journalism skills have improved as when I came to writing the article I felt confident after researching and interviewing the band my article was based on. Overall I have more understanding of magazines, their production and design, and the technical skills which I have developed.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
January 26th-30th
This week we began the evaluation of our music magazine. To begin I created an “evaluation” section in my PowerPoint. To show that I had followed the codes and conventions of a music magazine I annotated my front cover, contents page and double page spread.
December 19th-23rd
This week I began creating a questionnaire for my audience research. Once I had compiled the questionnaire I began handing them out and retrieving feedback on my magazine. the 8 questions on my questionnaire included:
1. From looking at my front cover, does the magazine appeal to you?
If yes, what would you change?
2. Do you think it looks interesting?
3. Would you buy the magazine?
4. Would you read any of the articles on the cover?
If yes, which ones?
5. Is there anything you would change?
If yes, what?
6. Would you change the colour scheme?
If yes, what would you change it to?
7. Do you think that the magazine looks realistic?
8. Would you want to read my main article?
1. From looking at my front cover, does the magazine appeal to you?
If yes, what would you change?
2. Do you think it looks interesting?
3. Would you buy the magazine?
4. Would you read any of the articles on the cover?
If yes, which ones?
5. Is there anything you would change?
If yes, what?
6. Would you change the colour scheme?
If yes, what would you change it to?
7. Do you think that the magazine looks realistic?
8. Would you want to read my main article?
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
January 12th-19th
This week i created my double page spread using Quark, i edited my photos using PhotoShop. I started by adding my title and then my standfirst, then added my article. Still following my sketches i then added my photo and positioned to make it look professional.
January 5th-9th
After finishing the font cover of my magazine, i then started to create my contents page. I followed my sketches so i knew how to lay out the contents page, i then added my feature and regular articles.
December 15th-19th
This week i began to create the front cover of my magazine, i used PhotoShop to import my image and edited my images. I then continued to add my title 'IMS' and made it a unique font by outlining it in black to make it stand out. i added my coverlines, i also added my positioning statement, 'all the latest from the indie music scene'. i also added the issue date and barcode.
December 8th-12th
This week i made a final decision on my photos for my front cover images along with my content page images and my double page spread image. The images below are my original pictures which i intended to use as my front cover image:The first image shown is the image i used on my front cover, i chose this image as the lighting used is interesting and has connotations of my genre which is Jazz.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
December 1st-3rd
We started on our research on similar articles for my magazine. Some of the research I have found is;
An article from the wirral globe about Hippys on the Hill -
WIRRAL band Hippys On The Hill return to the live circuit after a brief break with a gig at Liverpool's Cavern Club this Friday, June 27.
Refreshed and rejuvenated, the band (pictured) promise to set dancefloors alight when they appear in an eagerly awaited clutch of five new gigs.
The group - Brad Done, Craig Henderson, Sean McMinn-Davies and Mike Priest are all pupils of Mosslands School, Wallasey and currently working on new material. The Cavern gig is one of five planned for the next month.
The remaining dates are as follows: July 12 as part of The Wirral Show in New Brighton at 4.30pm, July 19 as part of a concert in aid of Wirral Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted in Vale Park, New Brighton; July 20 at the Barfly in Liverpool and July 26 at the Zanzibar in Liverpool (1pm).
Another article from Wirral News -
MEET the Hippys on the Hill!
The foursome from Wallasey are making a name for themselves as one of Wirral’s best young bands, with a string of competition successes and praise from the critics in the last year.
The Hippys, who describe their music on their website as rock/alternative/progressive, are Brad Done (vocals/guitar), Craig Henderson (guitar/backing vocals), Sean McMinn-Davies (bass/backing vocals) and Mike Priest (drums/backing vocals).
All four are aged 15 and 16 and are juggling their music career with studies at Weatherhead High School and Mosslands. From small school gigs in Wallasey, the Hippys are now playing across the North West and have gigs in Birkenhead, Liverpool and Southport lined up before the end of the year.
The band have recorded three CDs of their songs but say their proudest achievement is their latest, Sparrows and Stories To Be Told, which is available at gigs.
An article from the wirral globe about Hippys on the Hill -
WIRRAL band Hippys On The Hill return to the live circuit after a brief break with a gig at Liverpool's Cavern Club this Friday, June 27.
Refreshed and rejuvenated, the band (pictured) promise to set dancefloors alight when they appear in an eagerly awaited clutch of five new gigs.
The group - Brad Done, Craig Henderson, Sean McMinn-Davies and Mike Priest are all pupils of Mosslands School, Wallasey and currently working on new material. The Cavern gig is one of five planned for the next month.
The remaining dates are as follows: July 12 as part of The Wirral Show in New Brighton at 4.30pm, July 19 as part of a concert in aid of Wirral Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted in Vale Park, New Brighton; July 20 at the Barfly in Liverpool and July 26 at the Zanzibar in Liverpool (1pm).
Another article from Wirral News -
MEET the Hippys on the Hill!
The foursome from Wallasey are making a name for themselves as one of Wirral’s best young bands, with a string of competition successes and praise from the critics in the last year.
The Hippys, who describe their music on their website as rock/alternative/progressive, are Brad Done (vocals/guitar), Craig Henderson (guitar/backing vocals), Sean McMinn-Davies (bass/backing vocals) and Mike Priest (drums/backing vocals).
All four are aged 15 and 16 and are juggling their music career with studies at Weatherhead High School and Mosslands. From small school gigs in Wallasey, the Hippys are now playing across the North West and have gigs in Birkenhead, Liverpool and Southport lined up before the end of the year.
The band have recorded three CDs of their songs but say their proudest achievement is their latest, Sparrows and Stories To Be Told, which is available at gigs.
November 27th-28th
Continued with my magazine ideas. I completed it and I have decided the article that I am going to write in my magazine is going to be an interview with a band called Hippys on the Hill, and the headline for my article will be Climbing Every Mountain. I have also started producing rough sketches of my contents page and front cover.
November 26th
We started on our magazine ideas which are planning the front cover images, the cover lines for my magazine and the text for my contents page. The image I am going to do on my front cover is a young female singer who is hoping to become the new Debbie Harry. Pictures which i will use in my contents page will include a guitar, the cover artist, an upcoming band and the band which my double page spread article is based on.
November 25th
We started on our publication plan which included the title, taglines, articles that are going to be included and the house and style of my magazine. The title I am going to use for my magazine is IMS, I chose this because it stands for 'Indie Music Scene'. The tagline is 'All the latest from the indie music scene' and some articles I am going to do are; The NEW Debbie Harry?, Backstage pass at The Killers latest video and Exclusive Hippys on the Hill. This is my completed publication plan;
Publication Plan
Title – IMS
Positioning statement – All the latest from the indie music scene
Frequency of publication – monthly
Price - £3.20
Distributaries – Newsagents, CD shops, Supermarkets, gigs.
Rationale – An indie music magazine containing the usual content, but aimed at an audience who are in the 'indie music scene' therefore will be more interested in the magazine.
Style – Informal to relate to target audience, there will be simple syntax and simple vocabulary as the target audience is only ranged from 16-20.
Regular Content –
· Editors Letter
· Interview with an upcoming band
· Gig reviews
· Album reviews
· A story on an upcoming band
· Competitions e.g. win tickets to an Oasis gig
· Noel Fielding interviews a band e.g. Arctic Monkeys
· Quizzes e.h. how much do you really know about indie music?
· The month in pictures
· Recommended albums
· Interview with cover star
Feature articles –
· Interview with a music producer
· A look back at the indie music scene e.g. 1980's
· 70's rock legends - Joy Divison
· Leeds Festival
· Best bands of 2008
· Best albums of 2008
· Backstage pass - The Killers video shoot
· On tour with The Wombats
· Biography of Oasis
House style –
Cover lines – Impact
Headline -
Stand first – 14pt
Captions on photos – 8pt Times New Roman
Features first paragraph: Drop Capital (bold)
Body text: Times New Roman
Colour Scheme: Green, Red, Black & White
Publication Plan
Title – IMS
Positioning statement – All the latest from the indie music scene
Frequency of publication – monthly
Price - £3.20
Distributaries – Newsagents, CD shops, Supermarkets, gigs.
Rationale – An indie music magazine containing the usual content, but aimed at an audience who are in the 'indie music scene' therefore will be more interested in the magazine.
Style – Informal to relate to target audience, there will be simple syntax and simple vocabulary as the target audience is only ranged from 16-20.
Regular Content –
· Editors Letter
· Interview with an upcoming band
· Gig reviews
· Album reviews
· A story on an upcoming band
· Competitions e.g. win tickets to an Oasis gig
· Noel Fielding interviews a band e.g. Arctic Monkeys
· Quizzes e.h. how much do you really know about indie music?
· The month in pictures
· Recommended albums
· Interview with cover star
Feature articles –
· Interview with a music producer
· A look back at the indie music scene e.g. 1980's
· 70's rock legends - Joy Divison
· Leeds Festival
· Best bands of 2008
· Best albums of 2008
· Backstage pass - The Killers video shoot
· On tour with The Wombats
· Biography of Oasis
House style –
Cover lines – Impact
Headline -
Stand first – 14pt
Captions on photos – 8pt Times New Roman
Features first paragraph: Drop Capital (bold)
Body text: Times New Roman
Colour Scheme: Green, Red, Black & White
November 17th-21st
I tallied up my results of my questionnaire and put them into pie and bar charts which shows my results. I then added this to my PowerPoint file and explained each question and how it would help me with my magazine. I completed my PowerPoint by adding a summary of it.
November 10th-16th
We went over the codes and conventions of a double page spread and added them to our PowerPoints, along with the codes and conventions of a front cover and contents page of a magazine. In my PowerPoint I included the prices of magazomes. frequency of publication, issue size, regular and feature contents that are in an indie magazine. I then made a questionnaire to help me decide what prices and items I will include in my magazine. I handed them out to 20 people aged 16-20 which is my target audience, and asked them to fill it in.
November 3rd-7th
We started our main coursework task. First of all, we decided which genre we are going to do and who are target audience would be. I have chosen to do an 'indie' magazine for 16-20 year olds. We then started to research our chosen genre and began a PowerPoint containing all of our research such as prices of the magazines and how frequently the are published.
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