For my feedback, many people said that they like the running colour scheme, the fonts that I was using was continuous and also the type of photo that I used for front cover and double page spread. The feedback I got for my media products also showed that I represented my target age group well. Although, the main weakness of my magazine was the colours that was my chosen colour scheme were rather dull, and I did not include a variety of photos.
The strengths for my front cover was that the masthead was very bold and distinctive and my main cover line complimented the prop used in my photograph. The weakness of my front cover was, as many pointed out, the background colour seemed very dull and my front cover did not look very professional as it looked a bit empty. I agree with the fact that my colour scheme made my magazine look dull and maybe if I changed the background colour to red and the red that was on my front cover to grey, that may have made my magazine look less dull. I also agree that my front page does not look very professional as I have not included enough cover lines I believe and if I included a teaser at the top or bottom of my magazine, it would have a more professional look to it.
My post production feedback showed me that my contents page was very weak, and the only strengths to it is the faded out picture of the golden radio and the models foot on top of it and the colour scheme is still continued. I agree fully with this. I did not spend much time at all on my contents page and I felt that I had no ideas for my contents page. I believe that my lack of photos failed me in this, as I couldn’t vary very much when designing my contents page. Also the fact that I didn’t have any sketches for my contents failed me on this aspect, as I then didn’t have much to go with for my contents page.
My double page spread was said to be good. They said that the continuity of the colour scheme was good, the angle of which I took the picture was good and the way how I positioned my quote, was different.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Evaluation: Question 7
For the preliminary task, my knowledge of Photoshop was very limited, and I found using the magnetic lasso tool was very tedious. For the final products, I had more knowledge of how to use Photoshop and was also more comfortable using the tools on Photoshop. The way in which I managed my time for both tasks was very different. With the preliminary task, I was put into a group and had to work with the people that was included in the group, and only had a limited time to take the pictures as it was on a very tight schedule, as the pictures were taken during class time, also the setting that my picture for my preliminary task was a group decision and not my own individual choice. However with the final product, I had to decide how and when I wanted to take my pictures, and who I wanted to be in my music magazine, this was much better as I could then spend more time thinking about the props I wanted to use for my magazine and also the costumes, which would contribute to the way I represented my target audience. I had more control over what I did with my time, although I did not organise it very well, I spent too much time with my research and not enough time on my producing my media products and my evaluation. Although I organised my time for both the preliminary tasks and my final products badly. The effort I put into my research for my final products helped a lot more than the research I done for my preliminary tasks. This was because I had much more to go on for my final product and I also put my research into consideration when designing my media products for the final tasks. This was a big difference that affected the time that was used, as when I was doing the preliminary task, I was wasting far too much time on thinking of ideas for my media product then actually producing it. Whereas it was a different story for the final products as when I had no ideas I would just use my research to help me overcome that problem.
Evaluation: Question 6
Whilst creating my music magazine I had to use the programme Photoshop, and a canon EOS 400D camera. For creating my magazine I firstly had to take photographs for my magazine. Whilst using this piece of equiptment I had to control the lighting during the photo shoot, the backdrop that was used, the angles of which I took my photos with and the focus of the camera. For the lighting I had to turn the flash on the camera on and then change the intensity of the studio flash light and the positions that VA light is in. this was so that the full impact of my model could be met and that shadows and other errors did not happen, that would effect the quality of my photographs, which would then complicate the work that would need to be done on Photoshop. Also the colour of my backdrop and the carefulness that was put into setting up the backdrop would affect the quality of my pictures. As my model was wearing black, if I was to put my model in front of a black backdrop, my models outfit would blend into the backdrop, which would then cause further problems when using tools on Photoshop such as the magnetic lasso tool. that’s why when taking my pictures I had to ensure that the backdrop was white so I would be minimising any future problems. Another way in which I had to ensure that I captured the best quality of a photograph using the camera was making sure that the backdrop had minimal creases, as it would affect the magnetic lasso tool on Photoshop. The last thing that I learnt about when using the camera to take my photos was the way I held the camera and what angle I held the camera at. For example if I was to take my picture horizontally I would be capturing to much of unnecessary background, and I would also come across this problem if I turnt the camera in the portrait position. Although this was an easy problem to fix, by using the crop tool on Photoshop, it could have affected my photo as I may have needed to crop out a part of my model, if the way I took my picture took up far too much space. Whilst using Photoshop, the main tools I used were the magnetic lasso tool, which cuts out/ around the picture, the crop tool and the outer shadowing tools for the text of my magazine.
Evaluation: Question 5
For my front page, I ensured that current affairs in media was included in my cover lines. I made sure I included things such as song names which were big at the time and I also included big music artists names on my front cover who are from America. With the cover lines, I included a white outline around them which I believe would be eye-catching to the audience if they was to see the magazine on the shelf in a shop. I also ensured that my main cover line was big and bold and had an outer glow around it which made it stand out from the rest of the text on my front cover. The colour scheme that I had throughout my magazine was also consistent so that the main cover line that was included in my magazine would still be shown in the other pages of the magazine that I designed.
Within my magazine I used a mixture of standard English and street slang, I chose to do this as my I based my target audience within London, where street slang is a very common thing, and without limiting myself and cutting out the importance of standard English, as I have already stated that my target audience are aspirers and with including standard English within my magazine also implies a tone of education, which is not too overpowering. Which whilst making my magazine I thought would be an important factor when my target audience is involved.
I used a long shot for my front cover and also for my double page spread, and I used a mid shot for my contents page photographs. I thought that using a long shot for the front page and double page spread of music magazine it would make my magazine more noticeable as other magazines usually use mid shots. I also though using a long shot would make my front page look like its giving off a bold statement and would then attract my urban target audience as it would be different.
I kept the model in my photographs the same throughout my magazine she is within my target age group which will also help my magazine identify itself quicker with my target audience age, and my male audience also said that they find her attractive.
She is wearing trendy clothing which compliments the colour scheme, and also the female side of my target audience would find her to be quite a style icon. My model isn’t wearing much jewellery as I wanted her not to be too over the top, as it may have been settings to higher standards of my magazine and giving my magazine a complex involving classes and wealth, which my magazine is not based upon.
Within my magazine I used a mixture of standard English and street slang, I chose to do this as my I based my target audience within London, where street slang is a very common thing, and without limiting myself and cutting out the importance of standard English, as I have already stated that my target audience are aspirers and with including standard English within my magazine also implies a tone of education, which is not too overpowering. Which whilst making my magazine I thought would be an important factor when my target audience is involved.
I used a long shot for my front cover and also for my double page spread, and I used a mid shot for my contents page photographs. I thought that using a long shot for the front page and double page spread of music magazine it would make my magazine more noticeable as other magazines usually use mid shots. I also though using a long shot would make my front page look like its giving off a bold statement and would then attract my urban target audience as it would be different.
I kept the model in my photographs the same throughout my magazine she is within my target age group which will also help my magazine identify itself quicker with my target audience age, and my male audience also said that they find her attractive.
She is wearing trendy clothing which compliments the colour scheme, and also the female side of my target audience would find her to be quite a style icon. My model isn’t wearing much jewellery as I wanted her not to be too over the top, as it may have been settings to higher standards of my magazine and giving my magazine a complex involving classes and wealth, which my magazine is not based upon.
Evaluation: Question 4
My target audience is aimed at 16-20 year olds who are genuinely interested in getting somewhere in their life, such as those who are attending college, are doing an apprenticeship or have a job which they are aiming to specialize in . The reason I have set my target audience is I would like to believe my magazine would be inspirational to the readers my magazine acquires. It is also set towards those who have a genuine interest in music and are up to date with the latest trends and styles within the music world and within the fashion world. I have targeted my audience towards those more urban Londoners. My target audience doesn’t have a set gender that my magazine would appeal to, I decided to do this as my target age group is relatively small so to capture more of an audience having a unisex magazine would be more beneficial for my magazine.
Evaluation: Question 3
The publishing company I chose to research into was IPC Media. This publishing company publishes over 90 different magazines. IPC Media is known for magazines such as NME, which is a rock genre magazine, and many other very well known household magazines such as LOOK and Marie Claire.
I believe that my magazine would do well for this publishing company as it is not within their already wide-set audience. I would think that NME’s target audience would be that of university students who come from the middle class family. My magazine has a target audience for urban youths aged from around 16-20, with no set class of the family of which they come from, and as the age gap is not very big.
I think this will benefit the company as it will have a more selective target audience and can then be based within one county of England, I would chose my magazine to be based in London as it is the capital and the youths within this county have a very diverse sense of style.
Another reason my magazine would benefit IPC Media, is my magazine is based upon new urban UK music, with a bit of American music chucked in. This would be a good investment for IPC media as it will connect to the other big music magazine that they publish NME without taking any of their audience. I say this as they would both be magazines on UK music, but they would have two completely different genres within UK music. As NME is more a rock/metal kind of magazine with features of different genres, my magazine is based on urban music, such as UK Grime, Funky house and some Hip Hop and R&B. So this would enable IPC Media to reach out to both ends of the UK music spectrum.
Also IPC Media say that there target audience for there men and music magazines are aged from 18-34. NME is also targeted for more the men audience, whereas my magazine is targeted towards both genders, so although my age group is smaller I am targeting both genders so it then opens up the audience more.
I would distribute my music magazine in newsagents and WHSmith’s within train stations and hospitals. I would also distribute my magazine within selected youth clubs and colleges which would change every month. I would do this as I believe it would come across to my target audience strongly. The reason I wouldn’t distribute it in WHSmith stores other than in train stations and hospital is because my target audience wouldn’t really go there on a regular basis, and a corner shop or newsagent is much more accessible to my audience that a WHSmith store. I would also distribute in different youth clubs and colleges as I believe it would receive more interest and would then capture the audience much more quickly, well in comparison to giving the magazine time to distinguish a strong audience.
I believe that my magazine would do well for this publishing company as it is not within their already wide-set audience. I would think that NME’s target audience would be that of university students who come from the middle class family. My magazine has a target audience for urban youths aged from around 16-20, with no set class of the family of which they come from, and as the age gap is not very big.
I think this will benefit the company as it will have a more selective target audience and can then be based within one county of England, I would chose my magazine to be based in London as it is the capital and the youths within this county have a very diverse sense of style.
Another reason my magazine would benefit IPC Media, is my magazine is based upon new urban UK music, with a bit of American music chucked in. This would be a good investment for IPC media as it will connect to the other big music magazine that they publish NME without taking any of their audience. I say this as they would both be magazines on UK music, but they would have two completely different genres within UK music. As NME is more a rock/metal kind of magazine with features of different genres, my magazine is based on urban music, such as UK Grime, Funky house and some Hip Hop and R&B. So this would enable IPC Media to reach out to both ends of the UK music spectrum.
Also IPC Media say that there target audience for there men and music magazines are aged from 18-34. NME is also targeted for more the men audience, whereas my magazine is targeted towards both genders, so although my age group is smaller I am targeting both genders so it then opens up the audience more.
I would distribute my music magazine in newsagents and WHSmith’s within train stations and hospitals. I would also distribute my magazine within selected youth clubs and colleges which would change every month. I would do this as I believe it would come across to my target audience strongly. The reason I wouldn’t distribute it in WHSmith stores other than in train stations and hospital is because my target audience wouldn’t really go there on a regular basis, and a corner shop or newsagent is much more accessible to my audience that a WHSmith store. I would also distribute in different youth clubs and colleges as I believe it would receive more interest and would then capture the audience much more quickly, well in comparison to giving the magazine time to distinguish a strong audience.
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
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