Friday 15 April 2011
7. Looking back at your prelimary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
At the start of the year, I was assigned with “The Preliminary task of the production to create front of a school magazine. To create the front cover, we made a survey that we gave to the pupils of the school to fill in, and voice their opinions.
On the left is the school magazine cover and on the right is the music magazine cover.
After producing the prelimary task, I was given criticism from Mr. Jones, of course these feed back would taken into consideration while designing the next three aspects of my final product.
The prelimary and final product are of different genre’s due to the type of magazine’s they. The prelimary task helped me understand how to use the software “Adobe indesign”
From looking at both the prelimary task and the final production of my music magazine cover, there is clear indications that progress has been achieved throughout the course of producing my media product.
My final media product has allowed me to research and develop my ideas more in terms of the type of music I focused on, where as the prelimary task limited my variety of research.
During the process of producing the prelimary task of the school front cover, it helped me to be more familiar with the software and the tools of “Adobe Indesign.”
The both magazines are of different genre’s addressing certain aspects, the prelimary task is addressing the issue of school related aspects, and for example on the front cover of my prelimary task it says “DRUGS AND HEALTH ISSUSES”. Where as the cover for my music magazine is addressing the genres of music and informing the niche target audience of new bands. For example it says “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE INTERVIEW OF HOMICIDAL CRIMISION!”
I am pleased with my media product, the conventional layout and design, for each of the aspects. I used certain conventions of music magazines. Where as on the production of the prelimary task I didn’t use the conventions of a magazine.
For the last part of the media product, as well as me evaluating my progress, I had to get the opinions of the niche target audience by creating a questionnaire containing suitable questions that would allow me see what my target audience think of my media product. Here is the questionnaire that I produced.
For my questionnaire I decided to have 10 photo copies so that I could separate it, so my niche target audience would give an opinion and so that the other 5 who filled my questionnaire in wasn’t the target audience.
From the process of producing the; Prelimary task, the front cover, the contents page and the double page spread, I have learnt that the following aspects are the most important on each of the sections of the music magazine.
· The main image is considered as most important as it gives the reader/audience a representation of what type of genre that the music magazine is portraying/presenting.
· The photographs on the prelimary task and front cover in comparison have improved quite significantly, for example on the main on the school magazine I took a medium close up of three people, the disadvantage with this photograph is that it was taken in front of a window with light coming through. The light coming through the window makes it hard for the people’s face’s to be seen.
· The layout of a music magazine is another important aspect to be considered when creating a music magazine front cover, for example on the front cover of my music magazine I have placed all the sell lines around the main image so that the main image isn’t being obstructed as the main image is on the important aspect that represents the genre of the music magazine.
· Another important part of the music magazine is the masthead as this is another highlight and aspect of the magazine which attracts the niche target audience, I have also learnt that the name of a masthead must be original, have connotations must be unique. For example on the front cover of my school magazine the mast head was “INTELLIGENCE IS THE KEY” and the masthead for music magazine is “NYMPHETAMINE”, judging from both of these masthead there is a clear improvement on my idea’s. An aspect that must be taken into consideration is the length of the masthead is important as the masthead needs to be catchy and appealing.
· Overall I am pleased with the all of the aspects of the music magazine as I think they have conformed to the coded and conventions of a real music magazine.
Thursday 14 April 2011
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process
of constructing this product?
During the construction of this project I have used Adobe indesign Cs2 to construct the front cover, the content page and the double page spread. I have learnt how to use the software and how to create various effects on images and text.
For example on most of the images and text that I put in each of the sections, I applied a “drop shadow” to them to make the images and text stand out so it wasn’t just sitting on the page, it gave the effect that it was coming out of the page.
From the process of constructing this product, I have learnt that while producing the media product that layers are an essential feature when creating the media product, for example here are two pictures.
The first picture is layer 1 which is just a grey background on its own and the second picture is layer 2 which has a title on top of the grey background.
For many of the photographs that I had chosen to place on each of section of my media product, I had to crop it to remove various sections of the background as it would ruin the photograph, for example
During the process, the photographs in which I had chosen to place on each section of my media product, I had to crop it to remove unnecessary sections of the background which ruined the picture, for example here are two photographs.
The first photograph is the original one, where you can see the walls of my friend’s bedroom and on the second photograph I cropped it to remove the purple walls so it would appear more professional.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
The way in which I attracted my niche target audience are the conventional layout of each section of my media product, I chose a conventional layout which was simple and easy to understand and that wasn’t cluttered.
The colour scheme of each section of my media product compliments the conventional layout of the front cover, contents page and double page spread as it allows it to stand out without being too bright and hard to read. The colour scheme I used was; black, white and red, these colours stand out equally as they all go together well.
To attract my audience I decided to put merchandise on the front cover “TWO FREE GIANT POSTERS” of the band “This Suffering” and “FREE SIGNED PHOTOGRAPHS” and include sell lines like “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HOMICIDAL CRIMISON!” and “WIN YOUR CHANCE TO GO TO DOWNLOAD”.
The way in which the main image and the subsidiary images attracted the attention of my niche target audience is that I developed them so that the images represented and portrayed the stereotype that the magazine is targeting, for example the main image is a long shot of “Jizabel” “covered in blood” pulling a frightening expression, this image of Jizabel represents the tone of the genre’s that my media product is promoting.
The mise-en-scene of Jizabel in this image is a white vest top, covered in blood, as if she got shot, a black skirt, and some of the skin on the legs are visible to show that there are blood splatters up her leg. This images suggests that she is part of the “Gothic culture and that some something tragic has occurred.
This photograph of Isabel is a Long Shot. On the photograph I took of Isabel, you can see the purple walls as I took in it my friend’s bedroom, I decided to put a white sheet in the corner of the room to create an interesting background. On the white sheet I sprayed red hair close into the sheet so it would have a dripping/splash effect.
The reason I wanted to pose in this particular composition is because I was aiming to achieve a gothic appearance.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The target audience for my media product would start at the age 15 ranging to early 20’s and maybe older, I’ve chosen this particular age group as the models involved in the photographs are young people and they represent/portray the expectations of the conformed stereotypes. Also the Gothic and heavy metal culture has modernised over the years,
The main image for my front cover appeals to both male and female as I have feature both genders on the front cover, in my contents page I have included photographs of different ethnicity as I have taken into consideration that people from nationalities like different genres of music. For example some black people specialise in “rap” and some specialise in “metal”.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The media institution that might distribute my media product is Bauer media and Frontline, Bauer media.
The media institution that I would choose to distribute my media is Bauer and frontline. I decided on choosing Bauer Media because I did some research on how well Bauer was currently performing and the static’s of Bauer. Currently Bauer is comprising 282 magazines in 15 countries.
Another reason why I decided to choose Bauer is because the institution is multiplatform and the fact the institution is multiplatform would help attract my niche target audiences and hopefully obtain some more interest.
As well as the media institution Bauer, I was also considering using Frontline to distribute my magazine, the method to distribute magazines to the wholesaler is:
The reason I would like to make my media product multiplatform is because the technology aspect of life is constantly updating and improving it’s software. For example I decided to aim the niche target audience at young adults as young adults are more likely to view the magazine on the internet than buy the hardcopy.
However the reason I have decided to use Frontline is because even though my niche target audience is more likely to view the magazine on the internet, hopefully there would some of my readers would buy the hardcopy of the magazine.
To make the magazine appear multiplatform I included the URL to the official site of the magazine “WWW.HOMICIDAL-CRIMISON.CO.UK”
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product represents social groups in terms of “appearance”, again this links in with the “stereotypes” and what other people’s perceptions on stereotypes and whether the stereotype conforms or challenges the way that they have been represented.
The main genre of music in which I decided to focus my music magazine on was; Gothic, heavy metal and screamo as all of the genres are connected, especially in terms of the stereotype’s that listen to them.
The appearance of the genre’s can be reflected within the content of the photographs in terms of make up and mise-en-scene. For example in this photograph, the female appears to be covered in “blood”; there is blood all over her hands, dripping from her mouth.
Isabel Stokes is a typical heavy metal, Gothic, industrial and screamo fan, her love for these genre’s of music can be perceived in the pictures.
- (Arrow pointing at picture) – Looks similar to Candice from the band “ETHS”
- I took a couple of different photographs to illustrate Isabel Stoke’s personality under all of the gore and blood
- Looks similar to Cat from “Deathstars”
- This photograph shows her natural beauty without all of the blood over her face and emphasizes her sensitive and caring personality.
1. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
1. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The ways, in which my media product conforms to the conventions of a real music magazine as I used the conventions of a real music magazine for each section of this project, for example the front cover was based on the magazine conventions of Kerrang! The contents page was based on the magazine conventions of Kerrang! also and the finally the Double page spread article was based on the conventions of Q magazine.
The conventions of Kerrang! is that the conventions of the layout allows the main feature of the article to be in the centre of the front cover, creating a centre stage for the article.
The colour scheme which I used through each section of this project are white, black and red. This colour scheme only conforms to the magazine Q as Q uses these three colours on the front cover. Where as for the other section of the project, the conventions that I used had a much “brighter colour scheme, for example the main colour scheme for the front cover of Kerrang! Is; white, blue and yellow.
On my front cover and double page spread, I included a masthead; the masthead for my magazine cover is "NYMPHETAMINE!” The reason I decided to call my magazine "Nymphetamine" is because the main genre of music that I was focusing on was the Goth culture and the other genre's I included are link with the style of music that they produce.
The masthead for my double page spread article is "COUNTLESS MISTAKES" the reason I decided to name the article "COUNTLESS MISTAKES" because it is a reference to the mistakes that Jizabel Stokes had made throughout her life. The word "COUNTLESS" has two connotations and emphasizes that at the time of making the mistakes that Jizabel felt emotionally that they were countless contributions to her life, but in reflection the mistakes she made were a contribution to where she is now.
To conform to the conventions of real music magazine I decided to put subsidiary on each section of my media product, two subsidiary images that I put on my front over are of my media product as they give an insight to the content of the magazine. For example I have decided to give away free merchandise of 2 free giant posters and free signed photographs. Also to make my media product more conventional i included sell lines on the front cover to incise the reader to purchase the magazine.
To promote the interview with the lead singer of HOMICIDAL CRIMISON I included the phrase “EXCLUSIVE” as the interview is exclusive only to this magazine as this is a limited addition.
I included the sell line “WIN YOUR CHANCE TO GO DOWNLOAD” as it would incise the reader to buy the magazine and as the magazine is limited addition and exclusive offer.
In a way my media product is also developing the forms of a real media product as I produced a music magazine that targeting a niche audience's attention and interests with the particular objects that would gain theirs interest, for example, I've used sell lines, those sell lines are "win your chance to go to download!" and "EXCLUSIVE interview with the lead singer of NYMPHETAMINE!". I've used various other devices to make my front cover to conform to the conventions of a real music magazine by including 2 free posters and signed photographs.
To make my article more appealing to the readers, I included sell lines, for example the sell lines that I included from my article are “I’LL PUNCH YOU IN THE KIDNEY’S AND MAKE YOU P**S BLOOD!” and “I USED TO KICK AND BITE THE OTHER CHILDREN BECAUSE I WAS ANTI-SOCIAL AND THEY MADE THINGS WORSE”.
I’ll picked out these quotes from the article and transformed them into pull quotes because it highlights the way that Isabel Stokes felt and was treated throughout life.
The pull quotes also have a connection to the title of the article “COUNTLESS MISTAKES”. These pull quotes are a ref lection of what happened through her life.
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