(UPGRADED) My Final Magazine Products - Front Cover, Contents Page and Double Page Spread

I am very pleased with what I have created, after numerous feedback I took the unanimous decison to re-sit the coursework, therefore changing and improving my Final drafts of my magazine to come up with the final product.

(UPGRADED) Q6) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

(UPGRADED) Q5) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

                             First Drafts Of My Products   Final Drafts Of My Products

Throughout the process of constructing my magazine I was introduced to the program photoshop that allowed me to edit and manipulate images and text which allowed me to create my magazine. I was introduced to the many tools I needed such as the quick selection tool which allowed me to cut out images which I used on my front cover and Double Page Spread allowing me to place the model where I needed to make it look effective and professional. When cutting out the image the edge of her body had jagged edges I learnt to use the blur tool as well as the eraser tool this allowed my image to blur into the background and make the edges less rough on the page. With my front cover being a straight on image I made sure her skin was immaculate which you can see below from a screenshot taken from my blog.

As you can see with my front cover after gaining more skills in photoshop I laid out the text and image better to make it more appealing to the eye as my first draft was to busy and messy. My image overlaps my masthead but this is a conventional feature most magazines use, although I placed my image here the font size and colour I used still makes it a recognisable name. My contents Page was very unconventional due to its layout as well as the placing and the font used. It didnt look appealing to the eye so I used the font tool to make sure its placing width and height was correct to advertise the stories more. I used the contrast and brightness tools with two of my images on my contents to page to make it different and connote the meaning of being in the black and white about the article. I again used the bevel and emboss tools to create another Louder measthead but this time smaller for my contents page to reinforce the continuity. For my double page spread I did certain features differently in other programs. I made the article in word allowing me to get an accurate layout of an article and then putting this into Microsoft Office Publisher which made the double page spread more conevntional. I created my pull quotes on photoshop and saved these as a JPEG images.One feature I learnt to use on my double page spread was to give my model the look of having red lipstick on by using the brush tool. I would select the segment of the picture I wanted to colour and then use the brush tool to do this. This was a hard and tricky process and took time and patience to make it look realistic I attempted this tool several times before getting it right.

With me being new to photoshop I learnt the basics first and the more use of photoshop I caughT on with more tools. Photoshop was a difficult program to get the hang of due to the many effects and tools you can use to create all different things. By learning more and more of these tools, the more drafts I produced of my products.

   

For my original images I used within my magazine I even learnt the basic photography skills and learning about the mise en scene, as you can see throughout this slideshare my first lot of original images I took but then changed the mise en scene of my images to match the house style of my magazine to create a more conventional magazine.

               

(UPGRADED) Step 4 - How did you address/attract your audience?


How did you address and attract your audience? by RachelBower on GoAnimate

Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate.

I attracted and addressed my audience by using colours that can attract both male and female readers. I used a women as the artist throughout my magazine product as I feel women can also attract both male and female due to girls looking up to the artist and boys having the attraction to the artist. With me targeting group E on the demographics scale I included chances to win free tickets to a concert of the readers choice, a free goodie bag if they bought tickets to V Festival through the magazine and a free poster inside of the artist when buying the magazine these all attract and entice my target audience to buy the magazine due to low income or no income at all. This also makes the reader feel apart of the magazine due to interaction within the magazine and chances to look online at other offers. The image I used on the front cover and double page spread also attract the reader due to it being a front on image and the model staring directly into the camera this pulls the audience in. I addressed my audience by doing thorough research on my target audience by looking at demographics, asking 90 students within college their thoughts, looking at magazines that are out on the shelves in shops today and looking into the background of the magazines I took inspiration from.

Video Feedback Number 1

Video Feedback Number 2

I also gained a lot of feedback from peers in my class and teacher feedback about my magazine product helping me on things to improve due to them being within the 16 - 24 age range of the audience I was targeting.

(UPGRADED)  Step 3 - How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups

Music Magazine Target Audience Questionnaire 

How old are you?      

16 years old - 25

17 years old - 26 

18 years old - 18

19 years old - 10

20 years old - 10

21 years old - 5

22 years old - 3

23 years old - 3

24 years old - 0

Which genre of music do you most like listening to?

Pop/Chart - 28

RNB/Rap - 13

Rock - 15 

Indie/ Alternative - 20

Country/Folk - 5

Dance - 9 

Classical - 0

Drum n Bass - 0

Do you read/buy magazines?

Yes - 90

No - 0

Which of these magazines have you purchased in the past?

Q Magazine - 22

NME - 17

KERRANG - 12

Billboard - 7

Top Of The Pops - 15

Rolling Stones - 13

Other - 4

How Often Do You Buy Music Magazines?

Weekly - 16

Once a forntight - 29

Once a month -  35

Rarely - 10

Never - 0

How Much Would You Pay For A Music Magazine?

£1 - £2 - 32

£2 - £3 - 45

£3 + - 11

Other Amount - 2

I believe that my magazine does stereotypically relate to a specific group in terms of age range but not as much gender specific. I touched on earlier within my blog in my LIIAR analysis and demogrpahics. I feel my magazine product relates more to the age range of 16 - 24 also due to the questionnaire I did which you can see above, due to the people I spoke to and asked the questions to they seemed to all like the same things and this showed I should target that specific age range. My reader Profile shows that my magazine would be more likely to target girls than boys due to its feel of looking slightly like fashion magazines more than a music magazine. Also boys taste in music is different to girls as they seem to be related to the indie/rock bands where as girls fall for the pop boy bands and solo artists but with my magazine I tried to target girls and boys by using a girl artist as this would attract teenage boys and is a role model for the girls. Additionally I believe that the colours I have used for the house style of the magazine also attracts both genders. My magazine product is also related to the well known and biggest music festival of the year 'V Festival' which is known for its pop/chart inspired music as well as upcoming artists such as 'Nadine' herself. I believe that my main article featuring Nadine has similar features to artists such a Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and many other single women pop artists. The stylistic qualities of my artist are quite laidback yet in with todays fashion showing that it is up to date and in fashion with the latest must have trends which is important to the female audience but as well the male audience as this will attract them to the artist. The image I have used on the front cover shows a very laid back yet serious image looking straight at the camera pulling you in to the magazine. The model is wearing red and black with curls in her hair and black eye make up this shows the continuity of my chosen house style and how I considered this for all aspects of my magazine this also influences the pop/chart genre that the article is pursuing. I chose the image of my artist very carefully as the clothes an artists wears is very important as it displays the style of the atrists work as well as them personally. For example, Nadine is not the typical rock band member and you can tell this straight away by her image. I believe the article expresses how anyone can make it in the industry if they have the passion and positive personality that Nadine has which reflects on young people who are looking up to Nadine as a role model. Also, the music chart of the twenty first century includes many males and females so it wouldnt be right to target one gender within my audience. I also took into consideration the social grades I would be targeting with my magazine. My magazine will target the social grade E which corresponds to the target age range  of 16 - 24 which are likely to be in full time education and are likely to be depending on their parents or guardians for money but some may also only have part time jobs. However my magazine does target a specific audience due to music taste but this specific group like a range of music due to the ever changing chart and its genres of music that enter each week which is likely to gain Louder a wide audience just like Q magazine. My music product is published once every month which means it will be quite a big magazine as it will be holding a months worth of news and music information. The price of the magazine is £2.50 which works out at about 62p per week which is cheaper than any weekly music magazine. I feel this is a reasonable price for the E social group and will attract my target audience and they will be able to pay the full amount and my audience feedback backs this up. I also used on the front cover of my magazine a chance to win tickets to an upcoming concert of the reader choice, this is a common convention with the leading music magazines which will also help to attract the social grade 'E' as they will not be able to afford things like this. The features on my magazine front cover will attract the wants and needs as it advertises free products Louder are giving away as well as upcoming artists and a look back on the music of 2012 as well as new music for 2013. In terms of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, My magazine would fit into the social aspect of someones life which is the need that makes an individual feel part of a group and if my magazine does its job well then the reader will be able to feel like it can relate to the music magazine and help to fulfill their social need.

(UPGRADED) Step 3 - What Kind Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Product And Why?

        

(UPGRADED) Evaluation Step 1&2 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

                                                                             

My Music Magazine                                                          Music Magazines I took inspiration front cover                                                           

In my music magazine I have developed and challenged forms and conventions of real media products. The front cover I have designed has a masthead 'Louder' you can see and recognise the brand of magazine instantly. I used the word Louder as I wanted to create a loud magazine that will be talked about as a major music magazine also relating to the colour the dominant use of red which is a loud colour. You can also see that my model overlaps the masthead a little which is common for music magazines as you can see I took inspiration of this from the Billboard magazine of the right. The image I took is conventional as it is a still image and placed in the centre of the front cover with the model looking straight towards you this grabs the attention of readers as the artist can be clearly recognised which again relates to the Billboard magazine. The only unconventional thing I see about the image is that the model is wearing the same colour as the colour scheme which doesnt stand her out and make her look powerful where as in the Billboard magazine I took inspiration from the model is wearing a bright colour against the dark colour scheme. The colours which I have used are Red, Black and White with Red being the most dominant colour as it is used in the masthead, background and cover line fonts I've also continued this into my colour scheme throughout my magazine. I used the colour red as it is a fierce colour and relates to the model as she is an upcoming and newly recognised star storming the charts It also relates to my genre of Pop/Chart Music as this is the most commonly used colours with Q magazine and Billboard. The cover lines are spread across the front page of my magazine evenly filling in the gaps where needed. The cover lines are structured across right and left and spaced out more than your usual music magazine which is normally more busy with cover lines which could be seen as unconventional. I added in the bar code, price and issue date in the bottom left hand corner which is conventional on magazines as well as adding in the website of the magazine in the top left hand corner under the masthead so that it is seen straight away as more people are using the internet to look up news within the music industry. I added a win  I have used three different fonts on the front cover of my product which is conventional to a music magazine, I used Impact for the masthead and cover lines, Arial Bold for the headline of 'artist of the year' and Lucida Calligraphy for the cover line and pull quote about Nadine this is spread right across the front cover of the magazine to make sure it is obvious who the main story is about which is also conventional to a music magazine.

                                                             

 My Contents Page                                                         Music Magazines I took inspiration from
                                                      

When I created my contents page I researched into a lot of chart music contents pages, I chose to carry on the house style of Red, White and Black to show continuity throughout my magazine making it more realistic and professional. The colour red connotes the vibrancy of the magazine and makes the head lines stand out. Like the Q contents page I have chosen to have a features column as I chose to do a monthly magazine this will show the reader to the most important features within the magazine this month. I also chose to have a 'regulars' column which are stories featured every month within the magazine and are cover lines that are not as important to the readers as theyre the monthly gossip about artists as well as the top 20 singles, letters to the editor and an album review. I added the letter to the editor but within the regular column which could still be seen as conventional unlike other magazines which normally show the letter and an image of the editor which I felt I didnt need to do as I knew it wasnt the most important story within the contents page. Theyre sectioned off by lines which I was inspired to use by the Q contents page this guides the reader to the correct section they want and the story theyre wanting to read. All my wording is evenly spaced and horizontal which makes the stories stand out clearer to the reader and makes it look tidy and neat. I have again used the same fonts as my front cover to show continuity from my font cover and through to my contents page. By the side of my features and regulars I have added page numbers but without the word page but with them being red and bold they stand out and the reader understands what they are. In my features column I have added pictures to the main story as well as adding the front cover to the story to show the main reason of the cover and this continues through to the contents page as well as to further advertise I took inspiration of this from a younger target audience magazine but used it in a different way. I also used pictures for the other features as it makes the contents page more interesting. The use of the two black and white pictures connotes the reader and the fact theyre in the black and white about the story as they havent read them yet this attracts them to read it as they go to the page to see more pictures and colour.

                       

My double page spread                                         Music Magazines I took inspiration from

When creating my double page spread I placed my image of my model towards the bottom left of the double page spread  and overlapping onto the right hand side which then I fitted my text around her foot on the right hand side. I placed the pull quote above the image which I see as conventional due to most music magazines placing the pull quote above the image as they're relating to what the artist has said this makes the page look more interesting and does its job of pulling in the reader and wanting read the article. I have used a still image which I took inspiration from the Q magazine of her being sat down but making the picture quirky and fun whilst still serious connoting her image within the music industry. I chose to do the pull quote in black impact font so that I had the same house style and continuity throughout my magazine, the impact font makes the pull quote stand out to the reader so that its an in your face quote making the reader want to know what the article is about. I also added speech marks in red so that it connected to the masthead and contents page. The headline 'Nadine Martin' is also in Black impact font situated on the right hand side above my article the text is also like the 'Louder' masthead on my front cover due to the letters being very close and it being the main topic of the article this clearly shows the readers who the article is about. I have used a big letter N in my double page spread which is placed behind my model on the left hand side, it is red and black which again relates to the house style of the magazine, I took inspiration again from Q magazine but changed it around and had it behind my image instead of behind my text making the image for attracting and quirky. My introductory paragraph is in bold red font to make it stand out from the rest of the text, the text is in arial which was also used on my front cover for smaller writing and my contents page. The first letter of the paragraph is enlarged which is common for a double page spread. My article is a question and answer article which is commonly used in chart/pop magazines this pulls readers in more than a standard article as they are less serious and more fun the reader gets to learn more personal things about the artist. My questions are in red font and the answers are in black this helps the reader to differentiate them and makes the page more colourful and understanding (again using the continued house style throughout). I used columns for my article as it is conventional to most music magazines. At the bottom of the page I placed the magazines name 'Louder' for more advertising and the page numbers to make it more professional and conventional.

Convention Analysis of My Magazine Product

                                        

         (ADDED RESEARCH) Outfit and Stance Inspiration

Above I collected together not specifically music magazine covers but magazine covers that inspire me in what I want to do with my model stance wise and outfit wise, as my model is going to be wearing something red, I wanted to take a look at other well known artists on fashion magazines in things that are mainly red. This will help me when it comes to taking my pictures for my products.

(ADDED RESEARCH) The font I chose

The font I ended up choosing was in the first column and the fifth one down, this is the font 'Impact' and I feel that it is big and bold therefore it will stand out to the readers and entice them to buy my magazine. I added effects such as outer glow, bevel and emboss to enhance the name, I then made sure continuity was used throughout and used the same logo on the contents page too.

(ADDED RESEARCH) Magazine Font Try Out

Above I have made a collage of all the different types of fonts that could be the font for the headline of my magazine. Making sure I choose a good font is important because its how the readers will recognise the magazine when on a shelf in a shop. This will be the first thing they look for when consuming my magazine.

(ADDED RESEARCH) Existing Reader Profile

             

This is an example of an existing reader profile by NME, they have researched very deeply into their audience who read their magazine to find key stats and the things that interest the readers so that they are able to include this is their magazine for more readers to start engaging with NME. This is what I want to do with my own magazine, therefore the researching into my audience is very important.

(ADDED RESEARCH) Double Page Spread Inspiration

The double page spreads above are all very colourful and represent different genres of music yet have their similarities and differences. I have posted these on my blog for inspiration and to look back on when it comes to the creation of my own magazines double page spread.

(ADDED RESEARCH) Contents Page Inspirations

These are my inspirations for the contents page part of my media products. These will help me to grasp ideas and help with what content is needed to be included to make my contents page the best it can be. I will be able to look back at these when it comes to the creation of my own.

(ADDED RESEARCH) Cover Inspirations

These magazines are very inspirational as they all include popular artists and are all eye-catching due to colours used and the fonts used for the headlines.  I want to be able to do this to my own audience and attract them straight away to engage them and make them want to read my magazine. Im posting these on my blog for inspiration and to look back on when it comes to the construction of my own magazine front cover.

(ADDED RESEARCH) Music Magazine Vocabulary

Masthead title piece   

The magazine's title. Usually displayed in the top left corner.

Price                          

Magazine cost.

Date                         

Weekly:usually from Saturday to Friday. Monthly: a month ahead.

Issue Number            

A tally of magazines.

Barcode                    

Read electronically and decoded into usable information.

Teaser                       

One word/phrase acts as an attention grabber.

Headline  

A phrase that may summarise the main point on the main feature. In large print, different style, bold colours in order to catch the attention of the reader.

Subtitle                      

Smaller headline that may summarise the feature. 

Smaller Feature         

Features included in the magazine.

Images Size               

CU to med CU. Ranges from the main image to x amount featuring one main image and smaller images. Helps make the page look more interesting. It can add understanding of a story and/or entice someone to read the magazine.

Font                        

Style and size of a type face.

Colour                     

Specific/stylistic/thematic types.

Graphics                  

Graphical shapes to highlight feature(s)

Offers/adverts blurb Banner     

Style shape featuring free products/promotions.  

Sell Lines              

Small text that sells the title.

Left Third              

The left side of the magazine that holds  headlines.

Splash                    

Graphics that resemble words.

Credit                   

Credit given to the people that have worked on the magazine ( such as the photographer )

Teller                     

A short box of information about the subject.

Skyline                  

Headline above master headline.

Flash                     

Graphics that resemble words.

Anchorage             

Putting captions on photos to explain the image.

Colour Scheme       

Colours presented in the magazine.

Images                    

Photos taken that are inserted into the magazine.

(ADDED RESEARCH) LIIAR ANALYSIS

Double Page Spread - The double page spread is from Kerrang. Kerrang is a rock/heavy metal based magazine. Once again the black, white and red colour scheme has been used but this time the red is a bit of a darker shade this could connote as the rebel, mischievous ideology we get from rock and heavy metal bands. The artist is also in black and white clothing to fit with the colour scheme. The artist is placed on the right hand side of this double page spread and the showing of his tattoos on his arms also relate to the genre of music as they are seen as a typical bad boy thing. The artist commonly dominates one side of the page on all double page spreads and therefore this is what I want to do on my own product. The headline is a pull quote from the interview and is in different font sizes and colours, this is wacky and crazy, which may connote the type of genre the reader will be reading about however, the actual question dictates the crazy and mental genre by asking him if he ever has casual friday nights and he goes on to say absolutely! this shows the reader and fans the other side to the genre rather than the typical stereotypes. More information is then below offering you what you will be reading about if you read the interview highlighting in the dark red, the most important parts to it.  The headline and subheading is on a black background to make it contrast even more against the grey background. The article begins with a bold letter 'D'  another popular convention of articles and also starting with the name of the interviewee. The article behind with a paragraph about the artist and his latest news before starting an answer and question with the artist. The questions are in capital letters but still small black font contrasts against a white background almost like they are highlighted, this allows the questions to stand out against the answers and be clear and understanding for the reader. In the top left hand corner is a black box, which almost looks like a pull down tab of an online site, this actually then goes onto promote the magazine website telling the reader that they can get the latest news online too. Around the edge of the double page spread is what looks to be like the lightbulbs of the mirrors you find backstage for artists, which we see in films, this could connote as the genre being quite diva like when it comes to concerts but also be seen as the article being a bit of a performance for the artist, after all it is publicising the band he is in.

Contents Page - The contents page is from Q magazine and is the issue of November 2013 this is instantly seen as it is situated within the bold red strip at the top of the issue allowing you to see the institutes logo that would also be on the front cover as well as the date. I like on this how the cover story overlaps the 'contents' text and then we are told my a bold circle that it is the covert story article, this stands out at you instantly as it looks to be a normal picture like the others but then his head almost looks 3D. The way he is looking may not be intentional but it takes you to the page number of the article this popular artist features in. There is also two other images of bands, which will have articles within the magazine, a common theme when researching contents pages is that there is three images and never many more unless you're doing a kids pop magazine like Top of the Pops. These three articles related to the pictures are around the pictures and within the white background. Where as the rest of the articles are situated in neat columns at the bottom and within a really light cream colour sort of giving it an indie/rock old look effect, which I feel Q magazine aim for. Once again the colour scheme is black, red and white. The page numbers are in black, with read subheadings and black font underneath telling you a little bit about the article that is on that page, which is another common convention of music magazines this entices the reader and I want to include this in my own contents page. The contents page does not include every single article of the magazine, just pulls out the ones they think will be most popular for their audience. On the left hand side of the page is a review section where Q magazine where the review, live performances, new albums, reissues and films, this shows a variety of platforms the magazine covers and does not only apply to music one again aiming at a wider audience, but all these are stories that will be in their readers interests as they will of done research into their reader profile. They use different fonts to advertise the review section to the normal regular content, breaking the continuity convention however, this is something I want to challenge in my own work too. They also use an image above the review heading of an extra article with an image from the actual live performance this could be a good way to entice the readers and the fans of that specific band if they missed out on the performance or tour.

Front Cover - Lady Gaga dominates the front cover of the issue, which is a common convention of the institute Billboard Magazine. The contrast of her black outfit and bright pink hair on the background colour of grey, allows her to stand out and attract the readers. Her bright pink wacky hair in the bow shape, shows her identity and ideology of her singing and how she can act when on stage and for the media. Lady Gaga is seen as an extreme artist due to the things she wears and how she acts, therefore the choice of the black, white, grey and pink colour scheme could be to show that she can be sophisticated, especially because she is dressed smartly but the connotations of her pulling her shirt and showing flesh could be the sexy side of her, which attract the male fan base. The placing of her name, so that she is recognised, is to the right of her and does not need to be in huge bold writing due to her popularity already. Therefore it is quite simple yet effective. The institutes name 'Billboard is across the top of the page, which is a common convention and all music magazines tend to place them at the top either with the artist on top of the name or behind depending on how popular and recognisable the magazine or artist are, which on my magazine I want to place my artist in front so that it shows how popular and recognisable my magazine is yet still having the headline very big. The subheadings are situated at both sides and the front cover is quite crammed with articles in different coloured fonts, which shows the magazine is busy and full of exclusive information of the readers favourite artists. Billboard magazine has a slogan of 'The music, The money and The Market Share', which I need to take into consideration with my own magazine, whether I want to use a slogan or not. The barcode is placed in the bottom left hand corner, this is the common placing of barcodes on most magazines. The subheadings along both sides of the magazine relate to different genres of music within the magazine allowing for a wider audience, where as POP magazines are specific to that genre and the artists they have articles about. Pricing, date and website are all placed above the barcode as this is common convention of magazines too.