Evaluation - Question 7

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

Answered through the use of Blogger -

Research

For my research in the preliminary task, I used the internet to find out about magazine’s which are targeted at teenagers and students. I applied this same strategy to the main task. The reason planning was important as during this stage you could make the mistakes which you would then be able to re-certify in the main task. 

Organisation of Time

 For my preliminary task I created a timetable to organise how I would use my time to create my product. But for my main task, I failed to create a concrete schedule, only a rough idea of when and what I’d be doing. 

Technical Photography Skills

In the preliminary task, I had very little expertise with a Digital SLR camera, so I had to learn the basics for my product. But in the main task, as I already had some practice with the cameras I was able to get right into the planning of my shots and how I would achieve them. The lighting was also an important thing, as my main shot was indoors, I had to find the right positioning and obtain the right lighting through the use of a reflector.

Conventions

Throughout the preliminary task, I saw that student magazines were all very up-front and in your face. I took this idea of conventions into my main task with the research and creating the actual product.

Post-Production Skills

When I started the preliminary task, I had a little experience with Adobe Photoshop. But as I moved through the preliminary task and into the main task, I learnt a lot and can now use Photoshop fairly confidently.

The biggest thing that I've learnt through this project is how all the little details can make a big difference. Even small details like image positioning can define whether a magazine looks good or note.

I believe I have improved from the preliminary task, I believe my work to look more professional than it did before. This is because of the new skills I've acquired through the main task and production process. 

Evaluation - Question 6

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

I have answered this question through the use of Microsoft PowerPoint -

Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

For target audience feedback I created a video -



I received feedback from a target audience member. He stated how the magazine still stayed to the typical conventions of a classical music magazine, but how it also touched new ground as it included images and articles about teenagers. I view this response as a success to attracting my target audience. Originally I was going to target my magazine at the conventional age group of 40+ but as I went through the production phase, I developed my idea to include a target audience that consisted of teenagers as well.

Evaluation - Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Answered through, Blogger -



Who would be the audience for your audience product?
Demographic Profile -
I believe the typical demographics for my magazine would be for a developed country like the United Kingdom or the United States of America. The age range is targeted at 16-19; this has changed since the planning stage where the original target age was 41-55. The primary gender for my magazine is either male or female; it depends on their taste in music, not in gender.
Psychographic Profile -
I would describe my magazine's reader’s psychographics as "Achievers" as the general reading public may wish to achieve something in the world of classical music. You could also describe some of the reading audience as "Succeeders" as they may of succeeded somewhere in the world of classical music and are now just keeping up with the news from the classical music genre.
I would describe the Social values of my reading audience to be "Hedonists" as they would just want to "enjoy life now". But you could also say that some of the reading audience are "Traditionalists" as they would want things to remain the same, being that classical music is a very old genre.
I would rate my reading audience as an "A" or "B" on the Jicnar scale as a classical music is created showing sophistication, which would mainly be associated with a "A" or "B" positioning on the Jicnar scale. 

Evaluation - Question 3

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

Answered through, Blogger -

 For my magazine I would want it to be distributed by an independent distribution company. This is because with my magazine, I would want it to be targeted at a “niche” market that specialists and looks out for copies of a certain magazine. A real life example of an independently published magazine is Vice -

 I have chosen this certain distribution strategy as I wish my magazine to be for specialist readers not just the general reading public who pick up a copy of Heat every week. Yet I wouldn't want my magazine to become as selective and specialist as Vice, I would want my magazine to still be available to the general reading public, yet I would want it to be read by specialist readers only. I would also want my magazine to be multi-platform, as I believe that this would be a good strategy to build a larger reading audience. I would achieve this by setting up a Facebook Page for my magazine, creating a website with the ability to preview issues of the magazine on it. I would also make my magazine available for digital download, so people could read it on devices like iPods, iPads and mobile phones.

  My chosen strategy may have an effect on my profits as it’s an independent distribution strategy, targeted at a niche market. But through relevant advertising and online revenue gain, this problem may be slightly overlooked.  

Evaluation - Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?


Answered through the use of Microsoft PowerPoint -

Evaluation - Question 1

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


Answered through the use of "Prezi" -

Main Task - Double Page Spread

Main Task - Contents Page

Main Task - Front Cover

Main Task - Photography

These images are what I plan my cover images to look like -

These are the potential models I will use for my cover -

Lucy Smith -






I intend Lucy to be holding a musical instrument whilest sitting down on steps which lead up to a stage.

Ben Brace -



I intend to use Ben by having him holding a musical instrument or microphone and standing on a stage.

Ellie Dallimore -


I intend to use Ellie in the Contents Page, with her standing in front of a natural background.

Chloe Brown -


I intend to use Chloe on the Double Page Spread, with her sitting in front of a natural background.

Charley Longman -


I intend to use Charley on the Double Page Spread standing in front of a Urban background.

Matt Whickens -


I intend to use Matt on the Double Page Spread sittin in front of a natural background.

Place in Magazine                      Who?                          Contact Details
. Cover                                      . Lucy                        . Facebook
. Contents Page                         . Ellie & Ben               . Facebook
. Double Page Spread               . Chloe, Charley &      . Facebook
                                                   Matt 

Main Task - Typefaces

For my magazine I will be staying with the sophistication often related to Classical music. So becuase of this I will be using mainly Serif fonts.

Possible Fonts -
#1: Sanford -

Sanford

#2: Serif -

Serif

#3: Liberation Serif -

Liberation Serif

#4: Timeless -

Timeless

#5: Imperator -

Imperator

Main Task - List Of Costumes & Props

Costume/Prop Item              Source                 Potential Cost            Person In Charge
. Dress                                . Lucy's House      . None                       . Lucy
. Suit                                   . Ben's House/      . None/ No more        . Ben
                                             Charity Shop        than £10
. Smart Casual Clothes        . Ellie's House      . None                        . Ellie
. Casual Dress                     . Chloe's House   . None                        . Chloe
. Samrt Casual Clothes         . Matt's House    . None                        . Matt
. Musical Instrument             . Jack's House    . None                        . Lucy/Jack
. Microphone                       . Ben's House/
                                              Charity Shop    . None/ No more
                                                                        than £5                      . Ben

Main Task - Influence for Planning

My influences from my research for my planning was looking at various types of Classical music magazines which all have the the dominant theme of sophistication about them. Even "Classic FM" which targets younger readers still holds a level of sophistication.



So for my magazine I will be sticking to the standard theme of sophistication i.e Models dressed smartly, Serif font etc.

Audience Profile - Classical Music

Classical Music


- Readers would be in the "Succeders" category.
- The target age group would be 40+ but you could use elements in the magazine which could make it more attractive to younger audiences.
- The general reading audience would be on a state pension so they would fall into the "E" category on the Jicnar scale.
- Readers will expect the magazine to be inviting but still maintain a level of sophistication that Classical music is often linked to.
- Some of the reading audience may look upon the magazine as a former professional musician in the world of Classical music.

Classical Music - Contents Page Analysis

Please follow the Prezi link below to find the analysis -


http://prezi.com/p2gojwvlsi3g/classical-music-contents-page-analysis/

Analysis of Music Magazine

"Music" magazine is one of the many music magazines out there on the market but one of only a few well known Classical Music magazines. This may be likely due to the fact that many readers believe that the generation who read Classical Music magazines is of the older, subsiding generation. I believe the sign of his magazine is not the smartly dressed, attractive woman but the violin that she's holding. The sign denotes that the violin looks fairly old and worn, so it looks like it has been used a lot but it also looks like a well made and sophisticated instrument. The sign connotes that the themes of the magazine are represented by it, i.e the sign is a violin so the magazine must be about Classical music. It could also connote that the magazine is meant to be read by the sophisticated groups of society as many people would see the magazine as a sophisticated instrument. The main device for anchorage I think is the Masthead, because the Masthead says "Music" and when we look at a violin we instantly think of music as a reader. 

The Psychographics for the reading audience of "Music" would be of the "Succeeders" category as the general reading population would be of the older generation. I believe this because of the way which most readers would link sophistication to Classical music and those same readers would likely relate sophistication to the older generation. The Gender for the magazine I would suggest that there would be more female readers than male, but it's likely to be around 60/40. I believe that the readers of "Music" magazine would be in group B on the Jicnar scale. But they could also be in group E as most of the older generation would be unemployed and on a pension.

he representation of the magazine cover is that the woman on the front is smartly dressed and sophisticated but also attractive and sexually available. I believe that the Ideology is mainly a Dominant Ideology as the woman is portrayed as sexually available which considered normal in today's society. But you could argue that there could also be some Residual Ideology as many readers would think that only the older generation would read a Classical music magazine. But I also think that as they have put a sexually available woman on the cover that the publishers may be trying to get younger generations into reading their magazine, especially young men.    

My Contents Page!!!

Questions #2

1. Which tools in Photoshop/InDesgin tools did you make use of when making the cover or contents page?
- Text Tool, Rectangle Frame Tool

2. What were the most useful techniques you learnt in either software package?
- Holding the shift key doesn't stretch the image when your resizing it.

3. What problems did you face and how did you solve them?
- Resizing the image. Instruction from the teacher.

4. Is there anything you would like to do with Photoshop/InDesgin that you can't at present?
- Make the contents page look more like a proper contents page.  

Questions

1. Which tools in  Photoshop did you make use of when making the cover?
- Crop, Horizontal Type Tool, Spot-Heal, Clone Stamp, Layer Blending, Shape

2. What were the most useful techniques you learnt in Photoshp?
- Lasso, Layer Blending.

3. What problems did you face and how did you solve them?
- Positioning the layers so the text was still visible. Solved by experimenting with the layer options.

4. Is there anything you would like to do with Photoshop that you can't at present?
- Yes, make it have a more professional look to it.

My Magazine Cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My cover for my college magazine!!

Production Schedule

Tuesday:
. Photography

Wednesday:
. Continued Photography if needed
. Photoshop
. Start Creation in InDesgin

Thursday:
. Continued Creation in InDesgin
. Finlization of magazine production

Friday:
. Evaluation

Front Cover Sketches

First brief ideas of my cover -

Connotations

Connotations -

• Fun
• Engaging
• Slightly Academic
• Entertaining
• Worthwhile  
• Easy Read

I would comminicate these connotations by adapting the layout of the magazine for the right audience. I would also ask students to see what they would want to see in the magazine. I will use a range of colours to draw in the reader's attention and to give the magazine a "fun" feeling. I will feature a double page spread which will feature the magazine's content but in a stylised way so not to bore the readers.

Audience Profile

                                                                 

Sixth Form Life

Audience Profile -

• Sixth Form Students are willing to learn and would be considered to be  "Aspires" as they are aspiring to be better at something. 
• Sixth Form Students are very independent.
• Some students may have a part-time job.
• All students will want to do well in their exams/coursework.
• Students will want college to be a fun experience
• Readers would fall into the "C" jicnar category as they are mostly still living at home and are unemployed.       

Student Magazine Analysis

Chinese Student -


Sign - The image of the female student which draws the readers attention.
Denotation - The image is of a female student and is in front of a green background surrounded by relevant text. The image would be a "Bleed" as it is right at the edge of the page.
Connotations - The image connotes a smart a sophisticated view of how students should be at college or school. The colour of the light green connotes calm and peace which is what college should be represented with, I.e. hard-working and studying. The simplicity of the text gives the impression that this magazine was designed specifically for students.
Anchorage - The anchorage of this cover would be the caption at the top of the magazine "Your regular guide to study worldwide" as it sums up the content or the expected content throughout the magazine.

College -
 

Sign - The sign is the image on the grey/black background as it is the centre piece of the front cover.
Denotation - The image denotes a typical college student: smart, happy, ready for work but still retaining fashion.
Connotation - The sign connotes that college students are smart, willing to learn yet stylish. The dark colours could represent the linearity of college compared to something like actual work.
Anchorage - The anchorage would be the "Subhead" "Lifestyle" as it loweres the range of meanings from the both the image and the masthead.

Campus Life -
  
Sign - The image of a student sitting in a field of grass.
Denotation - The image of the student sitting in the grass could represent the college's freedom.
Connotation - The sign could connote that the college is outdoors, has lots of freedom e.t.c.
Anchorage - The anchorage would be that it says spring/summer under the masthead, this would link to the image of the student sitting outside in the grass. 
  

Hello

Hello, my name is Nick and this is my Blog.


I like to read magazines!!!


My favourite film is Pulp Fiction ;P