Final Blog Post

Evaluation Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task (the school magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full prod?

I created this on www.bubbl.us 

Evaluation Question 6

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

I had never used PhotoShop before, so this was something I was looking forward to learning during this course. Using guides helped me with my alignment to make my magazine look more organised. I learnt how to use layers to my advantage, and how to edit images so they looked more professional. I learnt about strokes and shadows, and how they helped make my magazine look more three-dimensional.

InDesign in something else I had never used before this course. At first, I found it very hard to get to grips with but I eventually learnt my way around the program and realised it was much better at handling text compared to PhotoShop, and this made my magazine look more professional and organised. 

Prezi was something I'd never even heard about before this course and so I was very interested to learn what it was and how to use it to my advantage. I found it a very effective tool to show my ideas in a new, original way. It was something I've learnt that I will continue using throughout A2 and in other lessons.

Blogger is the new technology that I've used the most during my AS year. It's very effective and easy to use, and I would recommend others to use it. I learnt how to edit posts so that they were in a certain order, and I learnt more about the use of HTML when it came to embedding videos within my blog.

GoAnimate.com: Evaluation Question 6 by Bethicaaa

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

GoAnimate is something I found particularly fun to use in my evaluation process. It was very quick and simple to pick up, and I learnt how to use to website by experimenting with it. I now find myself using it fluently and efficiently, making my findings/evaluation be presented in an original and interesting way.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Part 1

Part 2

Evaluation Question 5 Part 2

View more presentations from BethanyJoyce.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience love their music loud, so they go to lots of gigs and read lots of music magazines such as 'Kerrang!' and 'RockSound'. They drink things such as 'Mountain Dew' and 'StarBucks'. They're generally in Secondary School/College/Sixth Form and occasionally in University. They shop in high-street stores such as Primark, and wear skinny jeans. They love wearing striped t-shirts and dark colours with the occasional bright colours. They spend time on social networking sites such as 'Facebook' and 'Twitter' and they love blogging on websites such as 'Tumblr'. They usually download their music from Itunes as it's both faster, easier and cheaper. They wear brands such as 'Glamour Kills', 'Vans' and 'Converse'. 'Vans' and 'Converse' both make skating shoes, so some of them also enjoy skating.

Evaluation Question 3

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

Part 1

Part 2

As my magazine is much like 'Kerrang!' in terms of content, audience and genre, I think my magazine ('Sound') would also be published by the likes of Bauer Media. The magazines this company already publishes are all popular, and can be found in your basic high-street stores. Bauer Media uses Television, radio and the internet to advertise, so this is how the advertising for my product will also happen.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?


Part 1

Part 2

Evaluation Question 1

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

Final Products

Front Cover and Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Re-creating my Contents Page

After my pitch, I decided to re-create my whole contents page, and I did this by doing the following;

First, I re-worked my whole layout into a one that had different categories and was more appealing to the eye. To make sure my contents page had continuity with my front cover, I included another blue skyline, and included an issue number like you see in 'RockSound'. The information on the website makes my magazine seem like something more - it offers every way possible for my readers to get closer to their idols.

I then started to put images on. To make my magazine seem tight and well-organised, I made the colour of the shirt of my main image model, the colour I used for writing.

To finish my contents page, I made the page numbers the same colour as my main image models shirt (again, to imply my magazine was well thought-out and organised, therefore a trusted, professional source of information). I added lots of pages to make my magazine seem like value for money and made sure that there was an option to win something in every category, making my magazine seem like it gives its all to the audience. When there was an option to win something, I made 'win' stand out by making it red, implying importance and attracting the eyes of my reader. I also included the heartbeat monitor to again, provide continuity from my front cover.

Creating my Final Front Cover

First, I made my layout, using  a skyline and a puff, making my magazine seem real value for money. I also included a barcode to make it resemble professional practice and made my main image slightly obscure my masthead.

I then started adding in sell-lines, making sure that they didn't obscure my main image too much and looked appealing to my potential buyer. I also added my main sell-line in the middle, making it one of the first things a potential buyer sees.

Finally, I added in secondary images - making my magazine seem value for money and exciting. The colour red was used to denote excitement, passion and importance. Finally, I made sure I included a price to resemble professional practice.

Rough Cuts Feedback

After doing my second pitch with my rough cuts, my feedback showed me;

Front Cover

The main problem my group found with my front cover was the white space, so I'm going to add a few more sell-lines and play around with my layout. I'm also going to include another image that was originally on my contents page, and replace that one with a secondary image of the model on my front cover. They also noticed that my magazine failed to provide a price, and in order to resemble professional practice, this is something I'm going to include.

Contents Page

My group told me they thought the red bubbles to look 'too plastic' and that the whole thing was too full of empty, white space. After some discussion and consideration, I decided it was best to start my contents page again from scratch. This new contents page will be mainly black - a colour I've found to be regularly used in rock magazines as it depicts mystery and something 'different'. To provide continuity I will do a blue skyline, just like my front cover, stating the magazines website and the issue number (just like you see in RockSound).
In this pitch, my group also said that just the photo of the editor didn't work without a letter to accompany it. Because my focus group showed that my potential buyer/audience find letters from the editor to be unnecessary, I will not include an image or a letter.

Double Page Spread

My  group pointed out that my article looked like a lot of writing, so they suggested splitting this up by putting a quote in the middle. After trying this in InDesign, I realised that whilst saving my work at some point, I had (by accident) made it impossible to edit/delete my article. To solve this, I started duplicating the entire double page spread. 

I also added page numbers, again to resemble professional practice.

Rough Cuts

Heartbeat Monitor Creation

After searching the internet, I couldn't find any brushes that supplied a heartbeat monitor style effect, which meant I had to use the 'line tool' in PhotoShop to make it. This involved me exploring the different weights of line I could use. I then added the dots at either side by using the 'ellipse tool' and merging the layers, allowing me to move the whole graphic easily. 

Front Cover Photoshoot

I took numerous shots for my front cover, and I had to look through these to find the right image. I had to take into consideration body language, facial expression, and if my shot allowed room for things like a masthead and sell-lines.

These are some of the shots I had to look through.

This image would have been useful but it didn't leave any room for a masthead at the top of my cover.

This shot caught the model blinking, so I was unable to use it. However it would have been good because it left space for a masthead and sell-lines.

I liked this shot as it closed the distance between the reader and model. However, this wouldn't of worked very well on a front cover as the masthead would be virtually un-readable. This image would be better for a contents page, however it's also slightly blurred, so was actually not suitable for that either and was not used in the creation of my magazine.

The facial expression of my model in this image seems too happy for my genre of magazine (rock and indie), therefore I couldn't use it in my magazine.

This image would have been good - the eyeline is avoiding the reader, making my model seem mysterious and making the reader want to find out more. However, the lighting was too bright and so it wasn't used.

This shot is the one I eventually used on my front cover, as there's plenty of room for a masthead and sell-lines. The stance of my model is similar to ones you often see in 'RockSound' as it denotes confidence and makes the model seem serious about their music.

Article Draft

Title: Jordan Tells All


Kicker Paragraph: ...


Article: When Jordan first walks into our head office here at 'Sound', he carries a certain air of mystery. Just like his music, this boy is confident and loud - you can hear him cracking jokes a mile off. Naturally, it takes a while for this secretive star to open up and when we stick a Dictaphone in front of him, he closes in on himself and becomes instantly sarcastic (he finds it hilarious it’s called a Dictaphone).

Eventually, Jordan relaxes and reveals why he agreed to this interview - something he had always turned down before. 'I was sick of being secretive' he states, shrugging it off 'I don't want the fans to hate me anymore. I want them to understand, you know?'

We don't know, of course we don't know, we've never left a band after years of success and been forced to stay quiet. We've never had the majority of a wide fan-base turn on us. We've never lost some of our closest friends. But wasn't that all his decision? Surely he knew the repercussions?

'People said I was stupid. I thought about it for a while, even on tour I was thinking it through.' For the first time since arriving, Jordan seems serious. His joker attitude is dropped, and he takes on a whole new persona - he sits up straight and carefully thinks before he talks.

‘That's what made it hard, spending twenty-four hours a day with your friends, meeting your biggest fans - and knowing you could throw it all away.'  However, we can't help but be confused. If he was afraid of losing everything he had, why did he leave?

'I was fed-up with how we were being treated as a band. It's always the management that has the final word. Fans don't understand that. Don't get me wrong; I didn't understand either. I thought it was an easy-ride to fame and fortune. Things change and people change everyday. It's unfair that I'm not allowed to do that without being criticised'. The ex-frontman slumps back into his chair, worn out with his confession. We have to say we agree completely with this statement. Why should the public question his decisions? However, it's our job, so we keep asking anyway.

When he's asked for deeper, further detail he sighs - 'I can't give specifics because I don't want to. I thought I'd come in here, name some names, shoot people down... but I can't. All I can honestly say is that things weren't the same anymore. People react to change in different ways - they embrace it, or they don't.'

But does he regret it? ‘I can't regret this, I did it all for a reason. At the end of the day, you need to put your needs first.’

Jordan slumps in his chair and it becomes obvious the reality he’s thrown it all away hasn't really sunk in yet. He pulls out some 'Extra Fresh Gum' and half-heartedly offers us some. We accept it, whilst questioning the reformation of 'Before Last Night'.

'If they left the label and offered me a place, then yeah totally. I loved that band; they were my second family.’ So don’t worry everyone – maybe a reformation isn’t off the cards just yet.

He seems emotionally exhausted, and we feel sorry for him. It’s now that we begin to realise people are getting the completely wrong perception of him. So we cheer him up, and we ask him about his future.

‘We're just in the middle of talks now so it's all very hushed and undecided. All I can say is it will be exciting, loud and true!’

So there you have it! This is certainly not the last you’ll see of Jordan Paterson.

Article Draft Plan

I decided that my double page spread would be about my model leaving his band, as people are interested in the breakdown of relationships and why certain things happen. I'm going to do this article as an interview because bands and artists always seem untouchable, so interviews allow fans to feel closer and more like a friend. Instead of using a question and answer interview format, I am going to do it as a full interview because; 1. it's a format generally used in magazines such as 'Kerrang!' and 'RockSound', and 2. it makes the interview more interesting to read as it allows more authorial intervention.

I will use colloquial style language to appeal to my younger audience, my target audience are very interested in music so I will use subject specific lexis such as 'amplifier'. This will draw in my reader as it will create the impression the magazine is knowledgable and trustworthy.

Numbers:
I will keep the amount of words per line to a minimum so my article doesn't look cluttered. I will also make sure my article doesn't drag on too long, because then my readers will get bored.

Before the start:
My double page spread will be called 'Jordan Tells All' - this creates the impression it was his decision, because it puts his name first. Also, 'tells all' makes the reader think some of this information will be things he hasn't yet released to the public. Below the title I'll have a short kicker paragraph, introducing the interview (just like in 'Kerrang!' and 'RockSound') to draw the reader in.

Beginning:
To make my article sound dramatic, I will use lots of adjectives to make the artist seem exciting and likeable. It will briefly describe my models attire and attitude whilst in the interview, allowing the reader to feel they are getting a real insight into what their favourite artist is really like.

Structure:
The use of interesting quotes that might mislead the reader slightly, taken from closer to the end of the artice will make them want to carry on reading to find out the context of the statement. My article will be split into columns as they proved popular in my focus group - it gives the impression my magazine is organised and structured.

Ending:
I will make my interviewee sum up what his expectations for his future are, making the reader feel there is more to look forward to. I will also include a brief summary of how the band are coping, assuring the reader that their favourite band is still going strong.

Extra text on the page:
I will include a section on the page that allows the reader to gain information on how to catch the band on upcoming gigs, and how to find my model's solo work. I will also mention the magazines website, where the readers are given the opportunity to discuss the article, and their feelings about the topic etc.

Production Schedule

I have a deadline for the 2nd of March to finish all my rough-cuts for my magazine. In order to achieve this I must organise myself, starting today (09/02/11), to ensure I am using my time both productively and effectively.

09/02/11

• Scan in Model Release forms/call sheets and upload them to my blog.
• Create a production schedule
• Plan Article

10/02/11

• 10:30 - Photoshoot with Charlotte, Emma, Elly, Natalie and Chris
• Work on first article draft

11/02/11

• Ensure costumes are available for upcoming photoshoots
• See which images I will use from the previous photoshoot

14/02/11

• Finish my first article draft
• Format page two of my article in InDesign

15/02/11

• Make sure my models know exactly when the photoshoot is and what they must wear
• Complete article

16/02/11

• 10:50 - Photoshoot with Tom and Jordan
• See which images are best to use from the photoshoot
• Edit chosen images adequately

17/02/11

• 10:50 - Photoshoot with Jack and Liam
• See which images are best to use from the photoshoot
• Edit chosen images adequately

18/02/11

• Start working on my front cover

19/02/11

• Complete front cover
• Start working on my contents page

28/02/11

• Complete contents page
• Start working on my double page spread

29/02/11

• Finish double page spread
• Work on tweaking the front cover

30/02/11

• Tweak contents page

01/03/11

• Tweak double page spread

02/03/11 - DEADLINE

Model Choices

Front Cover

I chose my main model because he has an appearance that's very stereotypical of my magazine's audience (indie, pop-rock, rock, metal etc). He is also someone that is available in the college on a regular basis so travelling for the photoshoot will not be a problem. My model is able to supply his own clothes, but I am going to guide him on the look I am trying to create.

I also used a model for two of my sell-lines, the first is a male that's stereotypical for the 'metal' genre, allowing my magazine to appeal to a wider range in terms of audience. The second is a model I chose for my sell-line has a two-tone fringe, which would appeal to the 'scene kid' tribe. She's also a female, which would draw in the female side of my audience as it makes my magazine seem like it caters to both genders. These two models are also available at college.

Contents Page

The main model at the bottom of my contents page was chosen because, like the model for my front cover, he has the type of appearance I want to portray in my magazine. He looks indie-rock and on trend, which fulfils my reader profile. He attends the college, which means travel isn't an issue.

Double Page Spread

The model in my double page spread is again, someone that stereotypically fits the genre of my magazine - rock. I chose him because he owns the clothes I would like him to wear and he is confident, allowing my photoshoot to be fluent and successful. 

Recce of Location

I chose to use the studio because the magazines I observed never really did a shoot on location. Because it had a professional lighting system, my final photos took on a more professional look.

Organising Models: Call Sheets and Model Release Forms