Monday 21 April 2014
Evaluation - Question 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Evaluation - Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Whilst constructing my magazine, I have come across pieces of software and technology that I have never used before, the first of these being Adobe InDesign.
InDesign is what I used the most whilst constructing my magazine. Before producing my music magazine pages, I had some practise on this software with the preliminary task. At first I found it very hard to use as it has many components which need to go into making magazine pages, but once I had finished my school magazine pages I had started to understand how to use the program. I spent many hours using this software to create my front cover, contents page and article. It was very useful in the making of my magazine, and after time I found it very easy to use.
I had also never used Blogger until starting this task. Blogger is a way of tracking my work step by step, it is very easy to use and I really like the structure of the website. I also downloaded the app onto my mobile phone and it worked just as well. I have enjoyed displaying my work in this way because Blogger has a structured layout which makes my work easy to locate and read.
I found Photoshop, in particular, very hard to use. As there were so many ways of editing an image I wasn't quite sure where to start, but after familiarising myself with this program, I began to get the hang of it. I originally removed the background of an image to be used for the front cover but I decided I preferred a different image. Even though I didn't use this image I felt it was a good experience and I felt I was much more comfortable with the program afterwards. I edited many images on Photoshop because it made the quality of my images better. A criticism of this program is that I found it was far too time consuming, even with the little adjustments I made to my images. However it did make a positive difference.
A creative way of displaying my work was through an online application, Prezi. It is an alternative way of doing a presentation and it presents work in a very attractive way. I have used Prezi beforehand for different subjects in Sixth Form and I have always found it easy to use. I really like how quick it is to create a presentation and that is why I have used it for other posts in my work.
Another way of showing my work instead of traditional blogging was creating a Powerpoint Presentation. I have used it for many years to create presentations and I find it very easy to use. It is a simple way of displaying work.
A Powerpoint has to be uploaded on to Slideshare, an online application so that it can be seen on Blogger. Sometimes my Powerpoint Presentations would change once they had been uploaded onto Slideshare and I would have to upload it again and adjust things it had changed. I felt that was a huge problem with using this application but it was worth it as it creates a different way of posting on my blog. It makes my posts much more easy on the eye.
To capture my images I used my Fujifilm camera. It produced high quality images and it was vital when needing pictures for my magazine. I learnt a lot when taking the images for this task because I had to think about the angle, lighting, mise-en-scene and distance of the shot. It meant I was getting more familiar with my own camera. I created planning documents so that it wouldn't take too long taking my images, and I was successful with each image I took for my magazine because of this.
During the construction of my magazine I have also used a laptop and the internet to help with a lot of my work. I have used the laptop to create most of my work on the programs on the computer. Without it I couldn't have used the software that I required. I used the internet to collect research for my magazine and also use online publications. It has been vital in creating my magazine and it is very easy to use.
I have come across new and old technology in the making of my magazine and I am sure that they will become useful again in the future.
Whilst constructing my magazine, I have come across pieces of software and technology that I have never used before, the first of these being Adobe InDesign.
InDesign is what I used the most whilst constructing my magazine. Before producing my music magazine pages, I had some practise on this software with the preliminary task. At first I found it very hard to use as it has many components which need to go into making magazine pages, but once I had finished my school magazine pages I had started to understand how to use the program. I spent many hours using this software to create my front cover, contents page and article. It was very useful in the making of my magazine, and after time I found it very easy to use.
I had also never used Blogger until starting this task. Blogger is a way of tracking my work step by step, it is very easy to use and I really like the structure of the website. I also downloaded the app onto my mobile phone and it worked just as well. I have enjoyed displaying my work in this way because Blogger has a structured layout which makes my work easy to locate and read.
I found Photoshop, in particular, very hard to use. As there were so many ways of editing an image I wasn't quite sure where to start, but after familiarising myself with this program, I began to get the hang of it. I originally removed the background of an image to be used for the front cover but I decided I preferred a different image. Even though I didn't use this image I felt it was a good experience and I felt I was much more comfortable with the program afterwards. I edited many images on Photoshop because it made the quality of my images better. A criticism of this program is that I found it was far too time consuming, even with the little adjustments I made to my images. However it did make a positive difference.A creative way of displaying my work was through an online application, Prezi. It is an alternative way of doing a presentation and it presents work in a very attractive way. I have used Prezi beforehand for different subjects in Sixth Form and I have always found it easy to use. I really like how quick it is to create a presentation and that is why I have used it for other posts in my work.
Another way of showing my work instead of traditional blogging was creating a Powerpoint Presentation. I have used it for many years to create presentations and I find it very easy to use. It is a simple way of displaying work.
A Powerpoint has to be uploaded on to Slideshare, an online application so that it can be seen on Blogger. Sometimes my Powerpoint Presentations would change once they had been uploaded onto Slideshare and I would have to upload it again and adjust things it had changed. I felt that was a huge problem with using this application but it was worth it as it creates a different way of posting on my blog. It makes my posts much more easy on the eye.
To capture my images I used my Fujifilm camera. It produced high quality images and it was vital when needing pictures for my magazine. I learnt a lot when taking the images for this task because I had to think about the angle, lighting, mise-en-scene and distance of the shot. It meant I was getting more familiar with my own camera. I created planning documents so that it wouldn't take too long taking my images, and I was successful with each image I took for my magazine because of this.
During the construction of my magazine I have also used a laptop and the internet to help with a lot of my work. I have used the laptop to create most of my work on the programs on the computer. Without it I couldn't have used the software that I required. I used the internet to collect research for my magazine and also use online publications. It has been vital in creating my magazine and it is very easy to use.
I have come across new and old technology in the making of my magazine and I am sure that they will become useful again in the future.
Evaluation - Question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I would want my magazine to be a part of one of the biggest publishing groups in Europe, Bauer. This is because they have 80 brands serving 19,000,000 people, they have a huge audience with 4 out of 10 people experiencing one of their products. They state on their website:
"Our business is built on millions of personal relationships with engaged audiences"
The success of Bauer and the worldwide recognition they have could help my product grow. It would mean I could be supported by a company who understands the magazine industry completely.
As LEAD is a multi-platform brand I would want each platform to be as successful as possible. Bauer could offer different platforms such as radio and television and make each platform recognisable.
Bauer state that they 'connect with diverse and valuable audiences' and this is what I would be looking for when publishing my magazine.
Even though there are other publishing groups such as IPC media, I feel that Bauer would help push my media product to it's full potential and attract a new audience to their already huge fan base. They publish brands such as Q and Mojo magazine, and I feel there is a space in the market for Bauer with my indie/rock magazine, LEAD.
To distribute my magazine, I would want the biggest magazine distributor in the UK, Frontline. Frontline sells and distributes over 160 magazine titles, including 54 of the top 200 selling titles in the UK. They publish magazines such as Q and Mojo. As Frontline are so successful, it is the obvious choice to be the distributor of my magazine. Frontline also try to make a difference by raising money for good causes, I believe that if LEAD is associated with this, that it would appeal to a bigger audience.
I would want my magazine to be a part of one of the biggest publishing groups in Europe, Bauer. This is because they have 80 brands serving 19,000,000 people, they have a huge audience with 4 out of 10 people experiencing one of their products. They state on their website:"Our business is built on millions of personal relationships with engaged audiences"
The success of Bauer and the worldwide recognition they have could help my product grow. It would mean I could be supported by a company who understands the magazine industry completely.
As LEAD is a multi-platform brand I would want each platform to be as successful as possible. Bauer could offer different platforms such as radio and television and make each platform recognisable.
Bauer state that they 'connect with diverse and valuable audiences' and this is what I would be looking for when publishing my magazine.
Even though there are other publishing groups such as IPC media, I feel that Bauer would help push my media product to it's full potential and attract a new audience to their already huge fan base. They publish brands such as Q and Mojo magazine, and I feel there is a space in the market for Bauer with my indie/rock magazine, LEAD.
To distribute my magazine, I would want the biggest magazine distributor in the UK, Frontline. Frontline sells and distributes over 160 magazine titles, including 54 of the top 200 selling titles in the UK. They publish magazines such as Q and Mojo. As Frontline are so successful, it is the obvious choice to be the distributor of my magazine. Frontline also try to make a difference by raising money for good causes, I believe that if LEAD is associated with this, that it would appeal to a bigger audience.Evaluation - Question 2
How does the Media Product represent a particular social group?
When starting to research what kind of magazine I wanted to do, I came across magazines which gave me inspiration in my ideas for images. I wanted to appeal to an indie/rock audience, so I had to portray that social group in my magazine. I wanted to appeal to 17-24 year olds and so this had to be evident in my magazine.
I came across this image of Florence when thinking of poses for my model, Lottie, to do. This image is more indie than rock, but I like how she has positioned her arms, as if she is slightly uncomfortable and unsure. I felt I could use this pose on Lottie. People who are in the indie social group like having their own identity and this body language could help give Lottie her own identity.
I decided I would take this image of Florence and re-create it for my indie/rock social magazine. Lottie is wearing black boots, shiny silver tights, denim shorts, a black top and leather jacket. She also is wearing a headscarf and jewellery. This costume oozes Lottie's indie/rock style and would attract this type of social group to the magazine because they would like how she dresses. I noticed that Florence wasn't wearing much make-up as an indie artist, therefore I decided that I didn't want Lottie to wear much. I gave her red lipstick which made her lips stand out, it represents her indie/rock style by wearing harsh colours on a pale face. This image would attract a young, stylish audience looking in from an indie/rock perspective. It represents the indie/rock style. The colour scheme I used of red, black, yellow and white represents the social group I chose, as these colours are regularly found on indie/rock magazines. The bands and artists shown on the front cover reflects the type of music the indie/rock social group like listening to and I feel it is a good and accurate representation.
The images in my contents page reflect the different aspects of the indie/rock music industry, since not every artist is the same. To fully grasp the different types of artists and bands in the indie/rock music industry I decided to base my images on real artists in magazines. For instance, I saw that Dave Grohl, lead singer from Foo Fighters, had his guitar on his shoulder on the Q contents page. I decided to take the idea of having a guitar in the image and transfer it into Lottie's image, to show her passion for music as do a lot of the social group targeted for my magazine. Oasis frontman, Noel Gallagher used a customised Epiphone Sheraton known as 'the Supernova'. Lottie's guitar is the same make and this could show her influences as an artist from this social group.
I also represented the young, indie/rock social group by including up to date technology with the use of social media into the brand LEAD. In my contents page I included a page for LEAD's app on an i-pad, a Facebook page a Twitter page and I also included a web address. This reflects the young technophiles I am trying to target, as they are up to date with new technology. In my Editor's letter I called the readers 'LEADers' as more and more young people are starting to put themselves into 'fan clubs'. This language reflects the immaturity of some people in this social group.
The other images I used in my contents page also reflect the indie/rock social group. As Luke, the male model, is wearing a black leather jacket showing the type of clothes this social group like to wear. A similar image to this is Noel Gallagher in Q magazine on the front cover. I believe these images show the social group in an accurate light. The images appeal to the audience as they can take inspiration from their music hero's.
The information in this article would appeal to the indie/rock social group as, stereotypically, they are in contact with drugs and alcohol. There could be pressures into people taking them, therefore the message in this story could appeal to those who are taking drugs and those who want to change their lifestyle. The image of Lottie getting out of the car is illustrated in a negative light as, all too often, this is how people are portrayed in the media after a night out, and this is how this social group can be represented after going to a club, along with many other people. As Lottie is aged 20 herself, this would appeal to the young audience.
Overall I believe I have represented the social group accurately in my media product as I researched all aspects of the indie/rock scene and tried to fit my magazine to suit them. It would interest them as they are the soul target for my magazine.
When starting to research what kind of magazine I wanted to do, I came across magazines which gave me inspiration in my ideas for images. I wanted to appeal to an indie/rock audience, so I had to portray that social group in my magazine. I wanted to appeal to 17-24 year olds and so this had to be evident in my magazine.
I came across this image of Florence when thinking of poses for my model, Lottie, to do. This image is more indie than rock, but I like how she has positioned her arms, as if she is slightly uncomfortable and unsure. I felt I could use this pose on Lottie. People who are in the indie social group like having their own identity and this body language could help give Lottie her own identity.
I decided I would take this image of Florence and re-create it for my indie/rock social magazine. Lottie is wearing black boots, shiny silver tights, denim shorts, a black top and leather jacket. She also is wearing a headscarf and jewellery. This costume oozes Lottie's indie/rock style and would attract this type of social group to the magazine because they would like how she dresses. I noticed that Florence wasn't wearing much make-up as an indie artist, therefore I decided that I didn't want Lottie to wear much. I gave her red lipstick which made her lips stand out, it represents her indie/rock style by wearing harsh colours on a pale face. This image would attract a young, stylish audience looking in from an indie/rock perspective. It represents the indie/rock style. The colour scheme I used of red, black, yellow and white represents the social group I chose, as these colours are regularly found on indie/rock magazines. The bands and artists shown on the front cover reflects the type of music the indie/rock social group like listening to and I feel it is a good and accurate representation.
The images in my contents page reflect the different aspects of the indie/rock music industry, since not every artist is the same. To fully grasp the different types of artists and bands in the indie/rock music industry I decided to base my images on real artists in magazines. For instance, I saw that Dave Grohl, lead singer from Foo Fighters, had his guitar on his shoulder on the Q contents page. I decided to take the idea of having a guitar in the image and transfer it into Lottie's image, to show her passion for music as do a lot of the social group targeted for my magazine. Oasis frontman, Noel Gallagher used a customised Epiphone Sheraton known as 'the Supernova'. Lottie's guitar is the same make and this could show her influences as an artist from this social group.I also represented the young, indie/rock social group by including up to date technology with the use of social media into the brand LEAD. In my contents page I included a page for LEAD's app on an i-pad, a Facebook page a Twitter page and I also included a web address. This reflects the young technophiles I am trying to target, as they are up to date with new technology. In my Editor's letter I called the readers 'LEADers' as more and more young people are starting to put themselves into 'fan clubs'. This language reflects the immaturity of some people in this social group.The other images I used in my contents page also reflect the indie/rock social group. As Luke, the male model, is wearing a black leather jacket showing the type of clothes this social group like to wear. A similar image to this is Noel Gallagher in Q magazine on the front cover. I believe these images show the social group in an accurate light. The images appeal to the audience as they can take inspiration from their music hero's.
Overall I believe I have represented the social group accurately in my media product as I researched all aspects of the indie/rock scene and tried to fit my magazine to suit them. It would interest them as they are the soul target for my magazine.
Friday 18 April 2014
Evaluation - Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Front Cover
Contents Page
Article, Double Page Spread
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