Final post

i have learnt a lot throughout this coursework. I am now able to use a blog effectively and create pieces of work that I am proud of. There is still room for improvement but this will help when carrying on into A2 if i choose to do so.

Evaluation

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

From the textual analysis on front covers I found that the most magazines pick at least 3 colours and used them repeatedly throughout the text on the front page. Also they link the cover lines and photos which create an overall theme to the front covers. The photos that are usually used are of mid shots and of a selection of people relating to the text.
From textual analysis of contents pages and found some key features. They are a big heading, date, columns, page numbers, articles, information split into sections such as ‘news’, ‘reviews’ and ‘features’, blocks of colour, bold writing, tag line, Headline and advert.
From the textual analysis of double page spreads I can see that double page spreads should include an article written about a band or singer. The page should incorporate both text and photos. The photos should feature band members linking it to the article. The colours used in Kerrang are red, black, greys and pink. I think I will use the colours black white and red. It should have an interview and the text should be split up to show the questions, answers and speakers. These will separate the text and make it easy to read.

From the questionnaire I found that my magazines audience should be boys and girls around the age 16+. There should be a varied music genre so it can cater for everyone. It should be £3 and should contain interviews, articles and interesting/ gripping topics.

This picture shows the basis layout of a front cover. The masthead is set out so it covers the whole width of the page, written in the biggest font, stand out and be at the top of the page. The barcode should be small and appear in the corner of one of the pages. The main cover line is usually placed across the page and over the top of a photo which usually links the text and photo. Cover lines are found in columns down the page and written in a much smaller font than the main cover line.

They are used to lure the reader in and make them want to read on. This is important as the front cover is what makes you by the magazine and it usually spontaneous. My front cover shows the masthead, main cover line and barcode in the same places as other magazines but the layout is slightly different from the norm making the magazine unique. My research on other magazines has had an influence on my work as I have used at least 3 colours and used them repeatedly throughout the text on the front page and follows on throughout the magazine. Also I linked the cover lines and photos which create an overall theme to the front cover.

This shows my contents page and all the features that are used on most contents pages. They is a big heading, date, columns, page numbers, articles, information split into sections such as ‘news’, ‘reviews’ and ‘features’, blocks of colour, bold writing, tag line, headline and advert. These are all key features of a contents page showing that my contents page is quite similar to the normal.

This shows the layout of a double page spread. I used it as a basis for my page.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

• teenage girls
• varied music taste
• cheap price to pay
• interviews and interesting/ gripping topics; gossip column

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Bauer Media Group could distribute my media product because they have a gap in their market for a teen magazine. At the moment they publish both Q and Kerrang! Q's audience is described as an open minded experience seekers, which are usually showed by middle age music lovers. Whereas, Kerrang's audience is define as individually minded, independent of thought and musically experienced, this audience is of young spirted teenagers to young adults, manily 16+. So there is a space for a magazine which looks at teenagers aged 14+ and there likes in music.

Who would be the audience of your media product?
From my research I decided that I should base my magazine's audience on teenage girls around the age 14+ who love music in the sense of gossip and celebrity lifestyles.


How would you attract/address your audience?
It is an A4 full colour magazine which contains interviews, articles and interesting/ gripping topics. The cover features girls and boys the same age as the reader, this allows them to relate to the people in the articles. Cover lines such as 'who's with who this week?' appeal to the reader as they enjoy reading gossip and love interests. I feel that the magazine covers all the interests of teenage girls. The quizzes, freebies and poster pages help advertise the magazine make you want to buy it so you can have these things.The magazine covers all areas that a teen magazine usually does. These include gossip, intervies with celebrities, education, new releases and interesting/gripping articles. The language used will be familiar to the target audience so it will be understood easily.

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

I have used Publisher to create my front cover and contents page. This was a good programme to use as it allowed me to set my work out on an A4 page and move it around. I used Paint and Gimp to edit the photos and to add more colour to the pages. I found that it was easier to use Paint as Gimp was quite had to use. I also used a digital camera for taking my photo. This worked well as it enabled me to take my own photos and to see them while doing the photo shoot. I have used the blog to record all stages of the pre-lim task and main task. This made me more organised and set it out all it one place. Also it allowed people to comment on my work which gave me guidance will creating my pieces.

What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from pre-lim task to the main task?
In the pre-lim task I found it hard to start off as it was a new experience and once decided on an idea i didn't do many drafts so didn't experiment. In the main task I did lots of drafts which made it easier for me to come up with final ideas. Also by the main task I was able to use most of software needed to create my final pieces.

Completed Work

I now feel that i have completed the task of producing the front page of a new music magazine, contents and double page spread. All the text and pictures used are my own.
I am proud of what i have done and I have learnt a lot along the way including how to use a blog. My final pieces are:

Final double page spread

changes still to be made. feedback needed.

Draft of double page spread

Research on double page spreads

Ideas for articles for my double page spread are: New releases, unusual facts, dominant genre, youth music, schools pledge for music.
Most double page spreads include an interview

The main coverline is: Giving youth, Music! I need to link this when writing my double page spread.

weekly review

From the textual analysis I can see that my double page spread should include an article written about a band or singer. The page should incoporate both text and photos. The photos should feature band members linking it to the article. The colours used in Kerrang are red, black, greys and pink. I think I will use the colours black white and red. It should have an interview and the text should be split up to show the questions, answers and speakers. This will seperate the text and make it easy to read.

Textual analysis of double page spreads

This double page spread was taken from Kerrang. It is an article is written about the band 'The All American Rejects'. This page incoporates both text and photos. The photos feature band members linking it to the article. Also the photos overlap and are stuck on with sellotape which could give the impression of posters stuck on a wall or a collage in a book. The colours used are red, black, greys and pink. The pink writting and the font of 'Dirty Little' is a good choice of font, it links to the idea of dirty dancing which was written in the same font. It is an interview so it features questions and answers. The questions are in pink, the speaker in red and answer in white. This seperates the text and make it easy to read. Certain words are written in bold, red font to make them stand out. These words include 'All American Rejects' (the name of the band) and 'Don't be fooled'. The fact that they are both in red suggests that they are connected and that they are important points within the sentence. The first paragraph of the article suggests slight humour and this humour is carried on throughout the interview.

weekly review

After doing the textual analysis of contents pages I did some drafts and made a final contents page. I did this by using some key features that I found while doing the textual analysis. They are a big heading, date, columns, page numbers, articles, information split into sections such as ‘news’, ‘reviews’ and ‘features’, blocks of colour, bold writing, tag line, Headline and advert.

This diagram shows the key features that I have used while making my contents page. I feel that there is still room for improvement and hopefully some feedback will help wih that.

Final contents page

feedback needed still changes to be made

Drafts for contents pages

The first contents page is quite plain and leaves a lot of room open for photos. The column down the left hand side works well and is in page order making it easier for people to select a chosen page but because it is written in a list format it is long and not broken up.

The second contents page is set out well and breaks up the text by putting it under different headings such as features, news etc. I think the layout looks good and with the pictures it will probably be the one that I would choose for my magazine.

The colours blue, black, red and white are to be used throughout the magazine. I have yet to upload photos on to here to see which ones go best.

Weekly Review

I did a textual analysis of contents pages and found some key features. They are a big heading, date, columns, page numbers, articles, information split into sections such as ‘news’, ‘reviews’ and ‘features’, blocks of colour, bold writing, tag line, Headline and advert. I will take these into consideration when designing my contents page.

Textual analysis of contents pages

The NME contents page tells everything that will be featured during that week. This is shown by the big heading ‘this week’ and the date underneath showing which week. The column down the right hand side shows all the page numbers and article information. They are all split into sections such as ‘news’, ‘reviews’ and ‘features’. These are all presented in black blocks in bold white writing this makes them stand out and makes it easier for people to locate articles of their interest. The red block at the bottom of the column adds an extra must see page. Also there are arrows to add more detail and to lure you in to certain articles. The left hand side consists of photos, tag line, headline, small article and an advert. The advert is trying to persuade you to subscribe to the magazine but it is placed at the bottom so people go to it after reading the rest of the page. Also using the percentage 'save 33%' makes the reader feel like it is a one off offer so they should subscribe as soon as possible. The small article and photos give you an idea of what is in the rest of the of the magazine. The colours red, white and black are used throughout the magazine. this links all the pages together.

The 'DRUMMER' features examples of the articles by showing photos related to them and the pages numbers in the corner of the photo. In the top left hand corner 'contents is written in bold a long with the date of the issue. The column down the left hand side like other contents pages is the list of articles and page numbers. The colours black, white and orange are used continuously throughout the magazine, this links the pages together and creates a theme. The name of magazine 'DRUMMER' links to the contents of the photos as they all feature drums or band members. At the bottom of the page there is a plus sign which suggest an extra and links the orange box to the rest of information on the page. This box contains a list of regular articles within the magazine which would be easily recognisable by regular customers.

weekly review

I have done research, drafts and a final front cover.
I feel that alterations will still need to be made to the front cover especially when the contents page and double page has been created. This will make sure that they all link and are completed.

Final front cover

Moving on from the drafts i added a barcode, background colours, coverlines and change some of the text. I think to improve this further i could move around the text and make sure everything fits on an A4 page.

feedback needed as changes still to be made

Drafts for front cover

These pictures show the stages I went through to get to my final design. First of all I decided on a layout then added colour a masthead and text. I think it my have been easier if i had decided on a photo so i could have laid out the text on top. After adding the photo i decided it didnt go with the text so changed it thus ending up with my final front cover photo. I moved around the text and added coverlines when happy with the outcome i changed some of the colours.

Ideas for front cover

Masthead- footnote, sounds, note space, unplugged, harmony, maestro, Variety.

Main coverline- New releases, unusual facts, dominant genre, youth music, schools pledge for music.


examples of font

Treatment

The Magazine: Notespace

Target Readership: The notespace reader is aged 14+ but the magazine may also be read by younger sisters or friends who look up to their older sisters. They are interested in a varied music genre. It is cheap because it is brought with pocket money that is given to them by their parents.
Form and Style: It is an A4 full colour magazine which contains interviews, articles and interesting/ gripping topics. The cover features girls and boys the same age as the reader, this allows them to relate to the people in the articles. Cover lines such as 'who's with who this week?' appeal to the reader as they enjoy reading gossip and love interests. I feel that the magazine covers all the interests of teenage girls. The quizzes, freebies and poster pages help advertise the magazine make you want to buy it so you can have these things.

Themes and Typical features: The magazine covers all areas that a teen magazine usually does. These include gossip, intervies with celebrities, education, new releases and interesting/gripping articles. The language used will be familiar to the target audience so it will be understood easily.

Potential advertisers: These will involve new releases, beaty products, chance to win something eg. a makeover.

Editorial Team: The editorial will be made up of experienced writers and designers. These will moslty involve young women as they will be able to relate to the reader. Readers of the magazine will also regularly be asked to contribute their ideas.

Basic Idea

This basic idea covers all general things needed on a magazine. This includes a masthead, coverlines, date, barcode, etc.

Elements of magazine

These are all the main elements of a magazine:

selling line - Exclusive
dateline - 25 Jan 2010
main image- photo shoot
masthead- use feedback from questionnaire
main cover line- Voices Vs Instruments - have singers taken over the music industry
cover lines - latest on singers: name a few , unusual facts, music online- do people still by CDs
barcode- get one off Internet

colours- blue, red, black and white

font- Masthead
Main coverline
Coverline
They all have to be different sizes. The masthead has to be the biggest and placed at the top of the page. The main coverline has to cover the full width of the magazine and link to the photo. The coverlines have to be the smallest but still easy to read.

weekly review

This week I have done a questionnaire and commented on the feedback. I have learnt from this that my magazines audience should be boys and girls around the age 14+. There should be a varied music genre so it can cater for everyone. It should be £3 and should contain interviews, articles and interesting/ gripping topics. I am still unsure as to a main idea but i know have an idea about what my target audience would like.
Also I have planned and carried out a photo shoot and I have uploaded the photos but i have to manipulate them for use.

Photo Shot

Photo Planning

I need to take lots of photos preferably more than needed and relating to target audience and music.

The shots most likely to be used on a magazine are :

• Wide Shots (WS) show the entire person or area. They’re great for establishing the scene and allow for good action of the characters. Sometimes this is known as the long shot.
• Medium Shots (MS) frame the subject from the waste up. This is the most common shot and allows for hand gestures and motion.
• Medium Close Ups (MCU) shots show the subject in more detail and are often framed from just below the shoulders to the top of the head.

Most music magazines feature the singers or band members and they hardly ever show instruments.
I am going to take a range of photos and choose suitable ones. Some with instruments and some without.

Reviewing feedback from questionnaire

Both boys and girls have done my questionnaire. These cover a wide range of ages from 16 onwards but I think I will reduce my audience age to 14 as it will cover a wider range. There were quite a range of music magazines that people had read. These included Kerrang, NME and Q which are some of the magazines I have looked at during this course.
I found that music magazines where usually read quite inconstantly and mainly brought because of an interest in a certain band or topic not as a regular thing. The music listened to varied a lot. These were rock, pop, indie, hip hop, Jazz, Blues, skater rock and old rock. This showed me that there was no fixed genre that would please everyone. When asked 'Would you like a music magazine to contain features on other topics such as fashion, celebrity gossip etc?' most people agreed that they wouldn't and would rather it was based on music, band members and interviews. Ideas of names were things like sounds, jamming, solo were suggested as good starting points. The price was mainly based around £3 I felt this was a fair price as it wasn't to expensive. There was quite a debate over what colours should be used. One suggestion was that it depended on the type of music, dark colours for rock music, bright colours such as greens and blues for pop music etc. Many thought it was better to restrict the colours to no more than 3 colours and some of the colours suggested were red, white and black.
The most common reasons for buying seemed to be for entertainment, front cover and interviews. When asked what parts of the magazine they preferred people said articles, interviews and front cover. The things that make a good magazine are something that catches my eye on the cover, some interesting things about all different topics inside, interview, free gifts, Images, interviews, limited text and gripping articles.

I have learnt from this that my magazines audience should be boys and girls around the age 16+. There should be a varied music genre so it can cater for everyone. It should be £3 and should contain interviews, articles and interesting/ gripping topics. I am still unsure as to a main idea but i know have an idea about what my target audience would like.

Questionnaire- feedback appreciated

1. Are you male or female?
2. How old are you?
3. What music magazines do you read?
4. How often do you read them?
5. What is your favourite type of music?
6. Would you like a music magazine to contain features on other topics such as fashion, celebrity gossip etc?
7. What do you think would be a suitable name for a magazine?
8. What price do you think it should be?
9. What colours do you think should be used?
10. What are your main reasons for buying music magazines?
11. What parts of the magazine do you prefer?
12. What do you think makes a good magazine?

Weekly Review

I have now finished what i had planned to do for this week. This consisted of researching music magazines and doing textual analysis of front covers. I researched NME, Q and Kerrang! and found out lots of information about publishers, first editions and unusual facts. I did textual analysis on each magazine. I found out that the most of them pick at least 3 colours and used them repeatedly throughout the text on the front page. Also linking the cover lines and photo made an overall theme to the front covers. The main cover line is written across the front of the text in quite big font and linking to the photo used. The photos are usually of mid shots and of a selection of people relating to the text. In the next week I have planned to do a questionnaire, get feedback and plan and carry out a photo shoot.

Third Textual analysis- Q

The third magazine that I analysed was Q magazine. The masthead Q was originally going to be Cue as it linked to the idea of cueing a record, ready to play but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine. The letter Q is shown in white, bold writing in a red box. This makes it stand and makes it easily recognisable to people who constantly read it. This gives the magazine a brand identity. The main cover lines acts as a banner because the words ' LILY ALLEN' cover the full width of the page but also the the words 'sexy beast' cleverly links to the photo of the wild cats as they can be seen as beasts. Also the quote ' i am a tiger' links to the photo of the big cats.The word ' exclusive' suggests that it is a one off and specially for this magazine. The colours red, white, blue and black are used alot on this page. All of the names are written in black to show their importance and to make it easy for people to recognise them. The repetition of ' wicked' emphasises the fact that they think she has done something wicked and you need to read to find out what.

Second Textual analysis- NME

The second magazine that I analysed was NME. The masthead NME stands for new music express but it is covered up by the picture because they company thinks that people who read it regularly with understand what NME means. It is written in red and bold this makes it stand out and gives it a brand identity. Also the colours red, black, white and yellow are used on every NME magazine. Cover lines are used on the front page to tell what is inside the magazine. They continue to be written in red with extra information written in black. There is a wide range of topics on the front cover this lures in lots of different people. The coverline ' 12 brilliant new bands we have found for you' suggests that the magazine has found this information out just for you, to lure you in and make you want to buy it. Also the coverlines feature many questions these are not for the reader to answer but to lure the reader in so they can find the answer from the article. The photo shows the two men back to back looking at us. This links to the way the names are set out. Placing the text across the bodies suggests that it links to the photo. This takes up most of the page and seems to be the main focus of the magazine whereas the cover lines are on the left hand side in the smallest text on the whole page. The background is a pale colour making the graphics stand out as they are the most important pieces of the magazine and make people want to buy it.

First textual analysis - Kerrang!

The first magazine that I analysed was Kerrang!. The masthead Kerrang!is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar. It covers the whole width of the magazine and it is written in bold, white on a black background so it stands out. The exclamation mark emphasises the word and links it to the electric guitar which is usually played loudly. Also it is a brand identity as allows you to recognise it easily.Cover lines are used on the front page to tell what is inside the magazine. The banner ' LOSTPROPHETS' covers the full width of the page and links to the photo of the band and the articles inside the magazine. It is written is written in the same font style and colour as the masthead which makes it one of the first things you notice when picking up the magazine.There is a wide range of topics on the front cover this lures in lots of different people. 'World Exclusive' is written in white in a blue box. This makes it stand out and exclusive implies that the story is promoted to the audience as only being available in this newspaper or magazine. The magazine focuses on 3 man colours blue, white and yellow. These are all bold and colours that you can recognise easily. The magazine offers you a chance to win something and posters this may lure you into buying it.

music magazine information

Kerrang! is a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. It was first published on 6 June 1981 edited by Geoff Barton, initially as a one off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. AC/DC appeared on the first Kerrang! magazine.






Q music magazine is published monthly in the United Kingdom. Q's current editor is Paul Rees. It was first published in 1989 by Bauer Consumer Media.



The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition. The new editor Krissi Murison is said to be the eleventh editor but the first female editor.

Action plan

The Brief
Create a front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. This must be original and include a minimum of four photos.
Action plan

week 1

• textual analysis of front pages ( at least 3)


• find out background information on a certain music magazine

week 2

• Questionnaire- research on target audience


• photo shoot- take more than i need - link to music and audience

week 3

• draft- change according to feedback


• create final front page

week 4

• textual analysis of contents pages

week 5

• draft- change according to feedback


• create contents page

week 6

• textual analysis of double page spread

week 7

• research stories for double page spread

week 8

• draft- according to feedback


• create double page spread

week 9

• evaluation


• finish everything