Time management update

I have now completed all of my magazine pages and have uploaded them onto my blog. Next I will need to begin to draft my evaluation and also gain some more audience feedback.

Finished magazine pages

In response to my audience feedback on my magazine pages I have made a number of changes. For the front cover they suggested the masthead could be moved further to the left rather than being positioned centrally, in order to make the main image and masthead not overlap. They also thought it would be a good idea to move the web address from underneah the masthead because it is too bold and draws attention away from the masthead. So I took this advice on board and after playing around with the addresses position decided to move it vertically so it sits inside the "B" of the masthead. This I think is effective because while the address is still there is is more subtle and doesn't take away any attention from the masthead which is the most important thing.
           Overall the comments I received in regards to the contents page were very positive saying it looks "neat and organised". What they did suggest was because the page numbers only went up to 34 the magazine doesn't appear to have much content which would be a real problem for a monthly magazine. So I simply changed the page numbers of the contents page so it goes up to 61, which is around a similar number to other magazines I researched. Some of my focus group also thought there could be more colour on the page, however I thin my page looks understated and the few hints of colour are effective so i have kept this the same.
                Again they really liked my DPS. What I did find out is that they preferred the version in which the model is facing the article rather than away therefore this is the image I have actually used in my final design. They said that adding a number of pull quotes, ideally in the blank space of the image, would not only help to fill the page but add to the authenticity, I thought this was a great idea and so added two quotes: one large one in the blank space to capture people's attention and another smaller one embedded in the article as this is something I have seen done in almost all the magazine's I have researched, and using text wrapping to ensure the quote looks professionally embedded within the article.

Time management update

I have now finished my first draft of all my magazine pages and will hopefully be getting some audience feedback on Friday. I can then use this to make any final small adjustments to the different pages in coherence to what my focus group suggest. I do need to blog some design work in progress posts for my dps but then I should be and audience feedback and then I'll be on track. Next week I can then focus on my evaluation. 

Dps work in progress 2

I have now added a banner for the main headline so that it stands out more and also I think it makes the page more colourful. The fact is on a slant makes the age seem less formal and more youthful which is appropriate for my target audience. A photo has now been put onto the right page. I think this photo is good because the "singer" is the main focus of the photo and she is smiling which connotes to the idea of fun and having a good time.

Audience feedback questions and responses

Front cover

1. What sub-genre of music do you think my music magazine connotes to? What makes you think this- is there anything specific that relates to the sub-genre? Thankfully, they all recognised the pages as being from a pop magazine, which is good because it shows I have incorporated generic conventions of my chosen sub-genre into my pages.
2. Is the masthead located in the right place? Should it be somewhere else? Is it big enough? 
3. They suggested the masthead could look better if it were positioned more to the left of the page, rather than in the middle, as the model is sort of in the way otherwise.
4. Do you think the colour scheme works well? Or do you think the colours should be brighter because it is a pop magazine and so should be fun? 
5. They liked the colours I used, however they suggested that I could use more colours as this is what you'd expect from a pop magazine. 
6. What do you think of the fonts? Do you think the fonts look informal or formal? Do you think the font sizes are too big in any places? They liked all the fonts as they thought they were bold and were easily readable. Also they believed I used a good variety of fonts that all look like they belong together wand work well in creating a house style for my product.

Contents Page

1. What mode of address do you think my article descriptions are in? Do you think this is appropriate for the pop sub genre (baring in mind it should be more sophisticated than most pop magazines)? Should it be more/less formal? They correctly identified that the mode of address was colloquial showing my writing comes across as I wanted it too. And they thought this style of writing was perfect for a more mature pop listener audience.
2. Are there enough article descriptions or would you like to see more? They suggested I could increase the page numbers to about 60 because they didn't think 40 pages would be enough content for a monthly magazine as it looks too empty. 
3. What do you think about the layout of the page? Does it look organised or cluttered? 
4.  My focus-group liked the layout of the page saying it looked organised and would be easy to navigate. This is good because I wanted  my target audience to be able to find the articles they wanted too easily and quickly.
5. Do the pictures tie in with typical pop star photos? Should they be positioned differently?They said the photos would appeal to them because they are of younger people and so they feel the magazine is directly relatable to them. They particularly liked the front cover image because it looks professional with the white background but also it makes the magazine stand out due to the unconventional layout and non-direct address of the model 

Double page spread

1. Which version of my dps do you think is most appropriate? Why do you think that one is the best? The version of the photo they liked most was where the image faced the article as they thought it made it more obvious that they are linked and she actually looks like she's involved in it rather than the photo being potentially a different feature.
2. Does the page need more colour (e.g. a coloured background) ? They thought there should be more colour to the age so it is in keeping with the pop genre. 
3. Can you think of a better headline after reading my article? Or is Amy White enough to grab the readers attention? The headline seems appropriate as it makes it obvious what the article is about even at a glance. Also it may encourage people to buy the magazine if they saw interviews with celebrities in it. 
4. What do you think of the questions asked in the article? Are they focused enough on music for a music magazine? They liked my article, saying the questions were a good blend of more personal questions to the artist and more serious ones about their music.
5. Is there anything else I have't included you would expect to find in a DPS? Some pull quotes around the page would improve the dps and add to the authenticity. 

Front cover photo

 This is the original image I took for my front cover. I decided to set this photo like this becasue my model looks happy which is in keeping with the pop sub-genre, becasue it's about fun and having a good time. The clothes she is wearing I think show a good combination of more glamorous (with the jacket) but also fairly casual (with the t-shirt). I think this is approproiate becasue pop stars are generally quite glamrous but I still want my target audience to feel they can relate with her which the more casula feel does.
I then decided to edit my photo using photoshop. Firstly I took away the background detail using the magic wand function.

I did this becasue in my research I found that generally pop magazines have a plain background for the mian image and so I wanted to stay with convention. I then also brightened the image and cropped, this makes the image look for bright and fun and also ensures the main focus is of the model. This is important becasue I want my target audience to be drwan to the magazine becasue of the "celebrity" and so the image has to catch the eye.

Dps design work in progress

This is the start of my double page spread pages. First of all I had to decide on the layout of the pages. I have chosen to go with a picture to text ratio of 50/50 as this is what came up most frequently in my research and so is in keeping with convention. I also decided to create a thin red bar going along the pages in order to have page numbers and the website address. This bar is also something I have done on my other pages and so it creates continuation and links the pages together. I then added my article onto the left page in a font I have used on my other pages. I used two different colours for the interview which I noticed was done in other magazines, as it makes it immediately obvious which voice in the interviewer's and which is the singer's. I added my masthead to the top left and right hand corners to create a sense of brand identity.

Contents page- design work in progress

This is currently my finished contents page. I have now added three pictures to the left hand side of the page which I think adds a sense of balance to the overall structure of the page and also makes it more interesting. Each of the three photos I had to brighten using photoshop and n the second one I also took off the background as I felt it was inappropriate and a plain background fits in with my sub- genre better. I then added the page numbers to the photos for easy navigation of my magazine and placed them in bright coloured bubbles which I noticed "Shout" magazine did in my research. I also think the bubbles connote to a sense of fun and makes the numbers stand out more in the page. Finally I added a bar across the bottom of the page in order to add contact information to, which I noticed was a convention of pop magazines; in particular they gave social network links so the magazines seem youthful and modern.

Contents page- design in progress

I have now added sub sections into my contents which I have noticed is a convention in all the magazines I have researched. I have four different sections as I think these are the main parts of a music magazine and yet it is still kept rather simple highlighting my magazine is all about the music not the stardom. The alternating colours of each section I think distinguishes between the different sections making them more obvious. I have also added the masthead into the left hand corner which again helps to establish a brand identity and is done in many magazines. The large poiting of the word "contents" makes it obvious what page this is.

Contents page- work in progress

The first thing I did  for my contents page was to write the article descriptions. I decided to keep the synopses rather short only being a few lines, I did this because I thought my target audience would aren't going to want to read a long description of each article, they just want a quick way to navigate the magazine. I have decided to use two colours for the writing; red and blue as these are my main colours and so it creates a brand identity as well as a sense of continuation. For the fonts I have used "ebrima" and "candara" which are fonts I also used on the front cover, which creates a sense of continuation.

Photoshoot

These are all the different photos I took during my photo shoot. Also there are some I have quickly edited to make them brighter which fits with the pop genre, cropped so the person is the main focus and also made some black and white to add variation. I have used a variety of different camera angles in my shots including close up, mid close up and long shot. Also I have taken some below eye level and some at eye level which I noticed was also done in pop photography. I won't use all of these photos as some are too dark or just not appropriate for my magazine- I will decide which to use at a later date.I also may decide to use photoshop in order to take off the backgrounds as this was also common within my sub-genre.

Time management update

This week I have been working on the design work of my contents page and editing the photo for my front cover by taking off the background. The photo took a while and so I'm slightly behind on my design work but I will aim to complete this by the end of the week and if not I can do some more work at home to ensure I am up-to-date. I have done the general layout and colours for the contents page but I still need to confirm the article descriptions and add the photos. 

Design work in progress- contents page

Positives of my work:

• The layout looks like a contents page
• I have used fonts from the front cover which creates a sense of continuity
• I have organised the pages into sections which is a convention of contents pages
• The colours are also those used on my front cover which creates a sense of continuity and brand identity

Improvements to be made:

• I need to add more article descriptions
• The language may need to be more informal to suit my target audience
• Change the pointing of some of the articles to create interest
• I need to add the photos and the page number/ contact information on the bottom 

Design work in progress

Positives of my work:

• Having edited the language of the coverlines, they now sound more appropriate for the pop sub-genre.  
• The new use of colour makes the front cover look more interesting and again more in convention with the sub-genre.
• Having added another coverline the issue now looks to have more content which is a necessity of front covers to get the readers attention.
• It still looks like a front cover

Areas to improve:

• A main image needs to be added- this will be done once I have done the photo shoot

Time Management Update

This week I have been doing the design or my front cover; which is nearly completed bar the main image. For this to be done  I am doing a photo shoot at the weekend so I can get the photos I need. Then once I have edited them they can be added to my front cover. So whilst I am not currently up-to-date on my bog I simply need to get the photos done to be so, which won't take long. Next week I will be starting my contents page design.

Front cover design work in progression

Positives of my work so far..

• Looks like a front cover layout
• I have used a variety of different fonts and pointing
• I have generally used an appropriate register and language for my slightly older but still youthful audience. In particular the second coverline language could be too formal.

 Improvements to be done...

• Currently I am unsure whether the colour pallete is appropriate for the pop subgenre, although my target audience are slightly older and so it doesn't want to be too bright. Also the main image will connote to pop and so make it clearer what sub genre it is.
• Some of the font could be made smaller so I have space for coverlines
• Add a main image

Photography inspiration- clothes and props

Mood board of appropriate clothes/style for my models

I may need to source some music instruments as props

The clothes I think my models should wear are those popular in modern culture, but still appear glamorous and fashionable. This is because I want the models to directly relate to my target audience and they aren't going to have the money to buy designer dresses. The use of accessories will be fairly minimal except for possible some jewellery like necklaces or a watch  for the boys. The only props I will use will be musical instruments like a guitar or a microphone. 

Photography inspiration- where?

From my research of images in similar style magazines to my own I have noticed that some of them (in particular the front cover) generally have plain coloured or white backgrounds. Therefore I will try to incorporate convention by using plain walls to create the background for some of my images. However, to create visual interest and have some variety I'd also like some shots with more natural backgrounds like trees or  grass. I think the combination of the two will create an interesting mix of shots and backgrounds.

Photography inspiration- who?

Because my magazine is primarily aimed at girls aged between 16-24 I think having models for my photos of a similar age would be most appropriate. The reason for this is that I want the magazine to feel quite young which connotes to modern and new. However, from my research I have also discovered the images aren't limited to those similar to the target audience but also include young males and perhaps some older artists as well (<35), although only if they're well known and popular with the target audience. 

Rachel Harris
17 years old and really loves pop music therefore she accurately represents my typical target audience. Also her sense of style is very feminine which is quite typical of pop culture and so she would fit in well with my sub genre.

Lydia Richards
Again 17 years old which fits within the age range of my target audience.Her style is less girly than Rachel's and more unique. I think having people with different styles in my magazine would highlight to my audience that this magazine is for a range of different tastes and also appear more unique.

Sam Thomas
He is 19 years old and a stereotypical male, who fits into my age range. Because he is a similar age to my intended audience images of him would make the audience feel the magazine relates to them. Also because he is male it would add variety to my images. 

Time Management

At the moment I seem to be fairly up to date with my blog. But by the end of the week I nedd to complete all my photography posts and I will also continue with my front cover development which I started on Tuesday.

Photography inspriation

I would use this sort of image for the main image on my double page spread. I have chosen to take inspiration from Ed Sheeran because he is an artist popular with my target audience and so appropriate for my magazine and also he reflects the music genre.

Key elements of this shot:

• Live not posed
• Camera angle is taken from below eye level 
• The overall image is fairly colourful and bright
• There is a bright light behind the artist's head but very little in the background
• Use of props, he has a guitar and microphone

 
I would like to use a similar sort of image for my front cover. From my research I have found out that magazines similar to my genre generally have posed medium close ups of a popular artist on the front cover. This shows the artist as being the hook to make people buy the magazine. 

Key elements of this shot:

• This is posed
• The model isn't looking directly at the camera but into the distance making the shot appear more sophisticated and artistic
• The colour isn't that bright, however I 'd prefer my picture to be more colourful to draw attention
•  Natural landscape which is blurred in the background which I could use for some of my other photos. Another possibility is a plain background like in a studio which is more common within the sub-genre.
• Minimal use of props or accessories- all about the model

The image of Little Mix is an example of a more conventional pop magazine photo because of the white background and bright clothes. In particular I like the positioning of the singers and could use a similar set up in one of my photos.  

DPS mock up

Front cover and contents page mock up

Time management

In regards to my action plan posted on my blog, I'm very nearly up to date. I have done all of the work required so far I simply need to post the mock ups and pitch feedback on my blog. My next targets are: front cover photo shoot and the start of my front cover design work.

Typeography definitions

What does serif mean?
Serif is a font type in which there are extra short lines stemming from the top and bottom of each letter.


E.g. Times- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
      

Style Sheet

Pitch Feedback

Time management post

I have now completed all of my analyses and done my magazine pitch, which summarises all of my ideas for my magazine an what I content I want to put in it. My next project is to show my pitch to a number of teenage girls aged 16-19 (as they represent my target audience). Therefore I will be able to get some feedback about my ideas and ensure people actually would buy/be interested in it and I can make any changes if necessary.

My Magazine Pitch

DPS Analysis- Billboard Magazine

DPS analysis- Teen Now

Institution Research

Institution research from katiess07

Time management post

I have now finished four different analyses of existing pop magazines, aimed at a variety of different target audiences. This is really helping my research because I'm finding out what is popular with the market and what works well for each individual magazine, which I will then be able to use in my production task. I have started to also research different institutions mainly focusing on The Bauer Media Company, in order to find out what their role is and what existing magazines they produce. I now need to finish this presentation and upload. I can then start on my double page spread analyses.

Contents analysis- Billboard Magazine

Contents analysis- Shout

Front cover analysis- We Love Pop

Front Cover Analysis- Billboard Magazine

Initial Ideas

Time management post

I have now completed my introductory tasks for my music magazine, like initial research and ideas. All I need to do is take a photo of my initial ideas brainstorm and upload that onto my blog. I can then go onto started the analyses of currently existing pop magazines to find out what works and whta doesn't. This week I will aim to analyse to front covers.

Muisc genre wordle

Monatge of music magazines

Introduction to main task

To produce the front page, contents and double page spread for a new music magazine

Action plan

Action plan

Week 1- (6th October)

• Introduce task and produce action plan
• Music genre wordle
• Magazine montage
• Initial ideas
• Institution research
• Front cover analysis (x2)

Week 2- (13th October)

• Time management update
• Contents analysis (x2)
• DPS analysis (x2)

Week 3- (20th October)

• Time management update
• Pitch and feedback
• Summary of feedback
• Style sheet
• Front cover mock up
• Contents page mock up
• DPS mock up

Week 4- (3rd November)

• Time management update
• Front cover photo shoot
• Front cover design in progress

Week 5- (10th November)

• Time management update
• Front cover design in progress

Week 6- (17th November)

• Tmu
• Contents page photo shoot
• Contents design work in progress

Week 7- (24th November)

• Tmu
• DPS photo shoot
• DPS design work in progress

Week 8- (1st December)

• Audience feedback on pages
• Development of design in response

Week 9- (8th December)

• Final design development
• Completed pages

Week 10 -(5th Jan)

• Evaluation 1-3

Week 11 -(12th Jan)

• Evaluation 4-6

23rd January Coursework deadline

Student Magazine Evaluation

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

From the research I did before designing my own magazine I found out there are a number of conventions for student magazines. Almost all of those I looked at had a bright colour scheme and the house style was bases upon three to four colours to maintain a sense of brand identity throughout. The central images were generally of younger people looking happy, to connote fun and youth. There was also a large picture to text ratio meaning the articles were fairly short but there were always large images on the same page to create visual interest for the audience. The mode of address used in the magazines was informal and chatty, this was done to relate to the youthful audience and make them feel like they’re talking to a friend. The front covers also included: a large masthead at the top, short punchy cover lines and a number of puffs to try and encourage students to buy it. 

                I then used this research to aid the designing of my own student magazine. I decided to use a colour scheme of: yellow, purple, white and black for practicality, as it’s much easier to read smaller text in black. This was in keeping to the conventions because the yellow and purple created a bright and bold feel to the cover which connotes fun and youth. For the central image I photographed a student smiling and generally looking happy as did most of the magazines I researched. I slightly subverted convention with my image because instead of having my model being active I instead had her sitting down. The reason for this was my photo shoot was very limited in time and so I couldn't set up a scene or use any props. However, the image is still bright and colourful which does conform to convention. Another thing I did differently was that from my research I realised that the majority of the magazines weren't free, however when I asked my focus group they said they weren't willing to pay. So I made it free.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The social group I have represented in my magazine are students aged between 14-20, this is because they are my target audience. The general stereotype of students is fairly negative because they are assumed to be always partying and drinking. However, I subverted this stereotype by instead creating a more positive representation. I did this by having images of smiling students, to connote happiness, and through the articles I included, as many of them were about things such as how to get a job which are positive. The reason I did this was because the social group I represented were my target audience and so whilst I didn't want to bore them with just academic articles, I also didn't want to be stereotypical or offensive by just writing about parties and having fun. I think I have managed to create a balanced representation of students as being dedicated to their study but also fun loving, through the bright colour scheme. This balance I think would appeal to students and make them want to buy the magazine. However, one way I may have reinforced stereotypes is by using a very informal mode of address and a large picture to text ratio, this is because it shows students to be not that intelligent and to have a limited attention span. The reason I did include these things is that it kept with convention and I think would be appealing. 

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

I think my magazine would most likely be sold at Ludlow College because students there are who my target audience is. This is mainly because I included information which would only be relevant to students at Ludlow College such as local news and teacher profiles. It also could be sold at high schools around the area as a sort of advertisement for the college. Potential students could see what sorts of things happen at the college, also they may be persuaded to study there after high school.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product is Ludlow College students and some year 11s, so those who are aged between 15 and 20. I have aimed to make the magazine appeal to both genders through both the colour scheme and the content. However, more girls may read it because the central image is of a female and the purple may put off some boys. My audience would be interested in a variety of different things but in particular entertainment such as films and technology. However, I think it would appeal to almost everyone as the content is mainstream and not specific to one interest.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience with my bright colour scheme because the contrast between the yellow and purple is eye catching and looks vibrant. Also my central image is fairly simplistic and creates a good front cover as it’s not too cluttered or busy, but is still bright and looks fresh, which I think would appeal to students. I used two different fonts for my cover lines which makes it clear what the most important part is and also because it’s in capitals it makes it seem more important. I addressed my audience in an informal and chatty way which should relate to my audience as they feel the language is the same as they’d use with friends.  The fonts and colours I have used are easy to read.

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

For my preliminary task I have used a range of different technologies, including: Blogger, InDesign, Photoshop and a digital camera. For the actual creation of my magazine I used InDesign which was totally new to me as I had never used it before. This meant I had to learn how to use it and all the different functions within it. I think this is a very useful piece of software because it contained all the tools I required for my task and enabled me to produce are realistic looking magazine. However, at the beginning I did struggle with knowing where to find different functions as they weren't in obvious places. Another problem I experienced was trying to insert images but I think I have now rectified this with practice. I have also used Blogger for the first time. I didn't have any problems with this as it is all fairly basic, but a big drawback is not being able to post Microsoft Word publications and instead having to convert them to PDF. 

Student Magazine- Front cover and contents page

Mock ups

Name and Font Ideas

Colour Scheme Ideas

Research

Before I start designing my magazine I decided to do some research into my target audience by asking students various questions:

1. What's the most you'd be willing to pay for a student magazine?
2. Would you prefer to read a magazine  that uses formal or informal language? Why?
3. Do you think bright colours would be suitable for the colour scheme or do you think paler ones would look better?What do you think of the colours blue, black and white?
4. What do you think a good central image for the front cover would be?
5. Do you think there should be images on the contents page? If so how big?
6. What do you think of including giveaways or competitions? Any suggestions for prizes/competitions?
7. Where would be the best position for the magazine name? 

The following were the answers to my questions:

• Firstly, they weren't prepared to pay much money for the magazine, with the majority thinking it should be free. 
• They would prefer to read informal language.
• They think that bright, vibrant colours would look better. However, mostly they believed my suggested colour scheme wasn't interesting enough and so that'll need reconsidering. 
• Some thought pictures of the college would be good and others thought a group of students together.
• They agreed that there should be pictures on the contents page which should be quite large.
• The group thought competitions were a good idea as long as there were good prizes, like gadgets. 
• The title should be positioned in the middle at the top, with only one person saying from the left. 

Initial Ideas

House style/ brand identity- I think my colour scheme should be bright and interesting because that's what most of the student magazines I researched did. Initially I am thinking of electric blue and white (only on dark backgrounds), as I think they would connote youth and fun. I might also use black for the smaller text to make it easier to read.

Mode of Address- Needs to be informal and conversational to suit students. This would make the audience feel more comfortable reading the magazine as it's everyday language that they're used to.

Central Image- Typical group of students looking happy, celebrating maybe. Needs to be bright and colourful.

Content- Interviews, reviews, top tips, travel advice, polls.

Fonts- Something quite informal not anything like "Times New Roman". Needs to feel relaxed and youthful.

Coverlines- Brief and to the point. Only a few words to invite interest in the articles and make people want to look inside.

Masthead- Big, at the very top of the page, starting from the left and going into the centre. Different font to the main house style so it clearly stands out and grabs attention but similar colour to maintain brand identity. 

Student Magazine Analysis

Generic Conventions of Student Magazines

Intro to prelim task

My preliminary task- I will create the front cover a new college magazine and a contents page. 

Action Plan!

Week 1 (16th Sept) 

• Analysis of magazines and how they target audiences
• Research of target audience
• Planning for production

Week 2 (23nd Sept)

• Photo shoot
• Design front cover
• Design contents page

Week 3 (30th Sept)

• Design contents page

Week 4 (7th Oct)

• Evaluation