Front Cover, Contents Page, Double Page Spread

Evaluation Question Seven

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

When making my college magazine I looked at the conventions of a college magazine and applied them to the best of my knowledge in order to create my own college magazine however I now know that I could have improved greatly on this and made it so much better than it was from looking at my final music magazine and how far I have come. 

• Masthead- the masthead on my college magazine doesn't stand out at all and is quite hard to see, after doing my research for my music magazine I found out what colours are commonly used for a masthead in order to make it stand out more from the background and appeal better to the audience.  Even both fonts are quite feminine the music magazine stands out better as it is a solid colour. 
• Main Image- I have found that the main image needs to be interesting and to appeal to an audience, on my college magazine my figure is just sitting down looking at the camera this is quite boring as she is not doing much, I have learnt from this and in my music magazine my figure is playing with her hair and looks like she is having a bit of fun. They are both taken with the same high quality camera therefore they are decent in quality however the editing of my college magazine image could have being done better. 
• Main Headline- the main headline needs to be eye catching and make the reader want to find out more therefore they buy the magazine. "New Start, New Students" now looking at it I think is quite boring and it doesn't really attract the reader into wanting to know more. The whole of the line of text is in a straight line and is quite boring. However I have improved this on my music magazine by making the headline something big "Alexa Parcs, New Pop Queen!". This makes the reader want to find out more as they want to know all about this new pop queen that's suddenly on the scene. The text is big and bold therefore catching the readers attention as well as it being slightly sloped to add a bit of fun to the text. 
• Graphics- I think that the use of graphics is very important on a magazine as it makes certain parts of the magazine stand out more against the background. On my college magazine I did not use any graphics in order to highlight any of my smaller features. I only used one graphic as the footer to my magazine. I changed this in my music magazine when I used graphics to highlight parts of the text and images in order to make them stand out more. I think that this was very effective as not only does it add more colour to the page it makes it look more fun and interesting to read.
• Background- For my college magazine I have kept the background the same as it was in the original image all I have done is gotten rid of the colour in order to dim it down a bit so that I could place features on top without them getting lost within the image.  When researching for my music magazine I found that most backgrounds used were white and were filled up with colour of graphics and wording. I personally think that this looks so much better and more professional. 
• Footer- Both of my magazines both have a footer in order to get more people to read the magazine however on the college magazine I offered to win tickets this could have being put in a graphic on the page somewhere else to grab the readers attention better. On the music magazine I have put what is featured within the magazine along the footer so that people know what to expect when they look inside.
• Smaller Images/ Features- I had very limited smaller images and features on the college magazine therefore the front page was quite boring and bland. I learnt from this and for my music magazine I made it bigger and better by adding in more images and more text to fill up the space more effectively.
• Layout- For my layout of my college magazine it is very basic and plain. The model is centre of the page with a couple of smaller features surrounding her. It is a medium close up just looking directly at the camera. For the music magazine the layout had to be more fun and exciting. Even though my main image is the main focus of the page it is positioned just right of the page and takes up a lot more room, the rest of the gaps have being filled with colour and graphics in order to make it more interesting. 

Mise En Scene

• Costume- For my college magazine the costume was quite simple as it was about college students therefore just normal everyday clothing was appropriate for this magazine, it didn't need anything to fancy. However when it came to my music magazine I had to think more carefully about the costume and what my figure would be wearing. I looked at a variety of different clothing as seen in question one of my evaluation and chose the appropriate clothing for my model to wear.
• Make Up- In the college magazine the make up is very natural and is not over done, however when shooting the images for my music magazine I chose make up that suited the clothing that my model was wearing and also chose tones that suited her skin tone. The make up need to be a lot brighter as the purpose of the magazine has changed and it is aimed at a different kind of audience. 
• Setting/ Location- The location of my college magazine was set in a college environment in a courtyard where you can see the college in the background I think that this suits the purpose of the magazine however it also feels quite boring. The location of my music magazine was in a photography studio with the correct kind of lighting and white backdrop, this therefore made it easier to cut my model out of the background if needed. 

Evaluation Question Six

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

this is the camera that I have used for most of my images and the interview video I have done. when taking my shoots. I have found that a DSLR camera is better quality and the images come out more detailed. 

I have used my Iphone 4 to do research. An example of when I used my Iphone was when I asked questions on social media ( Facebook). Due to all the apps available on an Iphone it is quick and accessible. I have also used the camera on the phone to take a few images that aren't the main images.

 
- Olympus Compact Camera 

Evaluation Question Five

How did you attract/ address your audience?

Evaluation Question Four

Who would be the audience for your media product? 

The audience that I was aiming for was female middle class between the ages of 16 to 19. However from asking a few questions in the video above I have realised that it could be aimed at a younger audience.

Evaluation Question Three

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

Even though they already publish a magazine for pop music, mine is aimed at a slightly different audience therefore it wouldn't be competing much with the other magazine "top of the pops". I think that this would be perfect for distributing my product as it is a very well established company that has many dedicated readers.

This is what my app would look like when it has been opened. It would contain a range of different sections that people may be interested in. The gossip would contain extra gossip that hasn't being included in the magazine issue that was just released. However this app doesn't replace the magazine, if people would rather read the magazine off the app when they click on the latest issue it will come up with a small sneak preview or to buy the magazine to view on the app at the cost of £1.99.
The subscribe button allows the reader/ user to subscribe to the magazine to receive offers and discounts on the magazine. 

As I found out from my audience data research people like to read about music once a week at most, therefore I think that it would be beneficial to have an app for my readers to gain quick access to the magazine content without giving to much away of what's in the magazine. It would include games and quizes and advice on quite a few topics. 

Evaluation Question Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups? 

When doing my research I found out which artists from the Pop music industry people liked. I used this research in order to gain inspiration for my magazine. I have mainly looked at female artists as the artist that features in my magazine is female. I have looked at style of dress, makeup, body positioning's and location when they are featured on a magazine. Most magazines tend to have photo shoots in a studio and therefore keep the white background as they fill the rest of the space with colourful graphics. I found doing this questionnaire helpful because it meant that I could find out what the audience liked and how I could merge my idea around the ideal view of what people will buy.


Costume 


 I have looked at a range of celebrity's styles mostly looking at dresses and play-suits as these are the two items of clothing that I chose for my main model to wear in the magazine. The reoccurring colours in these images are pink and blue. The pattern is floral and layered ruffles of material. I think that these patterns and colours are quite feminine therefore they appeal to a female audience. I liked the different styles of clothing and necklines. the sweetheart neckline looks really flattering as well as the straight cut of the jumpsuit.

When picking my costumes I looked at a range of clothing that was a possibility for my model to wear, the long prom dress appears in the magazine on the contents page for one of the smaller features of the magazine. I thought that the blue lace dress and the blue jumpsuit suited my main model better as it complements her skin tone.

 My Costume 

For my costume I have chosen youthfully feminine clothing. I have chosen two different outfits for my main model to vary the photographs within the magazine. The first piece of clothing is the blue dress with the black waist band. I chose this dress because the lace fabric and the layers adds a feminine touch to the dress, the colour blue challenges the conventions of pop because the colours usually associated with this genre of music is bright and colourful colours for example pink is hugely used.  The other item of clothing that I had chosen is the floral playsuit in blue. Again this is quite feminine and fun. I think that the floral pattern makes the image feel summery therefore portraying a happy mood to the audience as summer is associated with being outside in the sun having fun. The shoes that I chose my model to wear were glittery silver heels from Primark. I think that the shoes add to the image and make it more glamorous to the audience. The clothing and shoes is trying to represent the current generation and the latest fashion styles that are worn.  

When selecting the shoes for my model I had a range of different pairs to choose from that would have fit well with the model. They are different styles therefore they could have changed the way that the outfit looked. For example the black boots with the dress could have still looked nice but they would have being a bit to plain and boring. Personally I think that the glittery platform heels suit the style of my artist better due to it adding a bit more glam to the image. 

Body Positioning 
I have looked at a range of positions, these are a few examples that I have used in my work. I have mainly looked at Katy Perry and Pixie Lott for my main artist that is featured in this magazine. 

Evaluation Question One

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

My front cover has being designed in order to fit the conventional pop music magazine front cover. I will compare this to an existing front cover that is already very popular in music magazines aimed towards a younger audience.

Double Page Spread Ideas

In this double page spread I have made the figure bigger and changed the way that the text is presented. Even though the background is quite plain I think that it looks good because the text adds the colour to the page. 

I have changed the quotes that I have included in my article instead of having the love hearts to show the quotes I have taken a quote out the text and made it size 11 and in bold. I don't really like this one because it takes away a bit of the colour away from the page.

In this layout I have added a pink gradient to the background behind the figure and moved the main image to the other side. I have wrapped the text around the figures hand and spaced it out across the page.

I have kept everything else the same and changed the background to white to see if it looked any better with a simple colour.

I have gone for a more colourful background using both of my main colours as the background. I think that this looks okay but its really in your face bright. 

Double Page Spread Idea

This is an idea for my final double page spread, however I think that it can be improved and can be made more consistant with the rest of the magazine

Testing Different Ideas

I will use black body text for the main part of the article. 

This is using blue writing for the question text and blue hearts, this sticks to the colour theme with the blue and pink however it doesn't stand out very well as blue can connote sadness and not a happy article about a new artist. 

Next I tried pink hearts with blue writing for the article, Even though it does stick to the colour theme I don't think that it works very well. 

Finally I have gone for pink writing and pink hearts. I think that this suits the article a lot better. 

The Article

I have made my article using published, this means that I can have a drop cap letter at the beginning of the article which is conventional. It also means that I can have columns in my article that are spaced out evenly. I have used size 10 font and the font used is the same font which I have used for my front page and contents page, I have used "Segoe Print".


My Article

Alexa Parks has taken the world by storm with her hit single “Unfaithful”. She won over her fans in an overnight sensation. After 10 minutes of the song being released worldwide it has 2 million downloads now reaching into the 10 million.

Did you know how fast you would hit 2 million?

No I am hugely surprised by how quickly people took a liking to my music, I took a chance and it turned out amazing.

“Unfaithful” is quite a deep song with lots of meaning how did you come up with these ideas?

I recently went through a tough time with an ex who got me into a lot of trouble and was unfaithful to me. All the emotion I was feeling I added to a tune and wrote a song. I had some help from a couple of friends and producers but it’s all very personal to me and I think that’s how it touches people and how they can really relate.

Where are you from? Has this influenced your music?

I am from quite a small town near Hull, it is quite unknown to quite a lot of
people as the population is very tiny. Being one of the only girls there that is my age I had a lot of time on my own therefore I started to write music in order to pass the time.

 Have you felt like you have given a message across to the audience? If so what message?

The message behind this song is that you don’t need a boyfriend or to be in a relationship at such a young age
 because you are still very young and don’t understand. You need to live your life first before you get busy in the
relationship zone.

Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?

I love Taylor Swift and Meghan     Trainor, they are both huge inspirations in my work as they have both become hugely successful. They show that if you work hard you really can achieve.

Have you ever embarrassed yourself on stage?

OMG yes!, I was dancing along to the instrumental part of the music and my lace was loose on my shoes, I caught it by accident and nearly ended up on my bum in front of thousands. Thank god for the dancers behind me who caught me when I fell. I went red in the face.

How do you handle college and music?

At first I still attended college as I was not travelling around but it soon got difficult therefore I am now doing online college.

Did you sing when you were younger?

I sang at my local church as part of the choir, I then got into more modern
music when I joined the school singers who sang covers of songs. I’ve always loved to belt out tunes even from a young age. “ Always live up to your full potential.

If you could go back in time what would you do differently?

No I wouldn't go back in time because my life is perfect right now. I love going on tour and travelling the country. I can’t wait to go to another country and explore all the things that the world has to offer.

Have you ever been caught at an embarrassing moment if so what was the picture?

Yes I have being caught at an embarrassing time when I was doing my shoot I was messing around and the photographer took a joke shot.

Questions For My Article

The questions that I will use for my article will be

1. Did you know how fast you would hit 2 million? 
2. Unfaithful is quite a deep song with lots of meaning how did you come up with these ideas? 
3. Where are you from?  Has this influenced your music? 
4. Have you felt like you have given a message across to the audience? If so what message? 
5. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why? 
6. Have you ever embarrassed yourself on stage? 
7. How do you handle college and music? 
8. Did you sing when you were younger? 
9. If you could go back in time what would you do differently? 
10. Have you being caught at an embarrassing moment, if so what was the picture? 

Double Page Spread Plan

This is a quick plan made using paint. This is an idea of how I could set out my double page spread, I have gained inspiration from the research that I have done before.

Double Page Spread Research

I have looked at a few pop magazine double page spreads in order to gain inspiration. I have found that a common theme running throughout the double page spreads is that the article isn't a full article written about them it is more like an interview showing the questions asked and how the artist responded to those questions. Some of the questions are quite generalised and others are about their music. I think that this has being done to make it easier to read and so that it wont get boring quickly for a younger audience. The tend to have one main image with one smaller image included in the article. The common way to have this layed out is to have the image on one side and the writing on the other.

Final Contents Page

Steps To Contents Page

Different Compositions - Contents

I have tested a range of layouts for my contents page in order to find the one that I like the best. 

In this layout I have moved the text and the smaller images, I like this one because all of the images are kept together in one place. 

In this design I have stretched the text to make it longer and moved the images around making my main image centre of the page.

In this design all the smaller images are bunched together, I think that it makes it look to crowded.

I really like this one the most out of all my contents pages because it is nicely laid out and easy to follow