Evaluation

Foundation Portfolio

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My Finished Magazine

Front Page Analysis...

For my front cover, i used a sqaure font to help catch peoples eyes as first.  As well as that i used bright colours, which are almost like the 1980's.  They are very inviting and especially to those who are younger.  There is not much clogging up the page, i tried to keep it very minimalistic and simple i definitely didn't want to over crowd the front cover which i feel too many magazines do.  I used bars of different colours to help emphasise what was written on top of them.  Underneath the mast head i used a bar to write what would be inside the magazine, to entice potential buyers and then to also break up where the photo is and where the mast head is.  By breaking it up, gives it a more professional look and the look of a real magazine.  I also used a bigger box to write the main sub mast heading which gives you what is going to be the feature of the magazine, it's in a different colour to the other box as the top half of the magazine is lighter than the bottom so inkeeping with the magazine.  The fonts of the rest of the text are all the same however, they are being used in different ways to highlight what is more important, or what your eye should look at most.  I have also used purple throughout as although it is a very feminine colour it isn't necessarily discriminating boys against buying it.  The photo on the front cover is very typical of the kind of the type of music magazine i was aiming for.

Contents Page Analysis...

The contents page is using conventions of that of real magazines.  It again like the front cover is very simplistic and not over the top.  As this page is very informational it needed to be straight forward which i think that i managed to pull off.  It agains used the boxes to create a kind of column effect, again they are in purple however this time all in the same colour.  Purple is very calming colour and girls like it as it is girly and what they like to be.  The typography again is all the same in the font Orator, except for the logo for the magazine L!STEN, which is as the same as the mast head.  The very top where the mast head is confirms that it is L!STEN magazine and what it is about, pop and indie specialists.  It also informs you on what issue it is and this one happens to be an April one.  To help seperate all of the magazine i used the boxes and it seperates the logo and what type of music magazine it is from the main heading of the page which is the Contents.  For people to find what they want easier and the sorts of things that might attract them i used two lines for each section within the magazine.  The top line being one to draw them in and the bottom one the line which informs you of what sort of thing it is.  I think that it is very useful and will help people go to want they want a lot easier.  The numbers are also in level with the correct pages and are situated within one of the boxes to help make it clear.  The photos are also quite intriguing as their is one of one of the writers on a red carper, so you would want to know what sort of information they have.  The other photo is that of the main feature within the magazine and so the artists are very prominent, and showing them in a good light so people will want to look at it.  On top of the two pictures it has the page number the article will be starting on.

Double Page Analysis...

For my double page spread, i kept a white themed back ground like the contents page to make it again look simple.  By using the same font of Orator to make it all look the same, and using it in different colours and sizes to emphasise different points of the pages.  The mast head of the page is just that of the bands name Out of the Closet.  Within the text their are two quotes which are in the article however, i used them to help get people flicking through the pages to the read what is on them.  I also used the boxes inkeeping with the front and contents pages however this time i took on a different colour.  I used a different colour because the whole magazine shouldn't use the same colours as then it gets too boring and repetitive.  The writing within the article is very chatty and quite informal as it is a one on one interview, and this goes with how i was trying to portray Out of the Closet as a band.  On the page their is quite a lot of the colours blue and black, blue is mainly used for highlighting the back of the images and to emphasise the mast head.  It is also significant to highlight the quotes and enticing people into reading them.  However black is used in the fonts everywhere is as it works well on top of the white background.  Their are quite a lot of images in this double page spread, and that's because i didn't think that one would simply be enough.  Somehow all of the images are representing togetherness and unity within the group.  Like the photo with their hands making the hearts and the other two where they are very close almost hugging.  The other picture was just a play on their name and a bit of fun to show that their job is serious but they can still have fun.  Most of the pictures on the double page spread are in black and white in keeping with the colours of the fonts and background however, their is one that isn't.  I purposely left one of the photos in colours to make it stand out, it gave the readers of the double page spread something else to look at.

Overall i think that all of my pages for my double page spread use the codes and conventions of other music magazines, and that of who i am trying to target.

Indie/Pop

To get help of what indie and pop really was I searched the internet and this page helped me a lot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_pop.  It showed me the types of people involved and the things that you need to be part classed as indie/pop.


- NME were one of the first magazines to pick up on indie as a brand and London's Rough Trade Records were one of the first labels to produce a CD of anything indie.


To help define my band as well this helped me a lot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indie_pop_artists.  It is a list of all indie/pop artists, it helped me by looking at pictures and things about certain people associated to the label as well.  It was very useful in helping me think of how to make my pictures look and how my band should look as well.


- Lily Allen
- Florence and the Machine
- Lady Gaga
- Spice Girls (pop)
- Girls Aloud (pop)





Media Institutions...

Publishers like:

Bauer Media Group


The Bauer Media Group represents magazines like Q and KERRANG.  As well as that it has a number of music channels as well like; Q TV, 4Music, Kiss TV, Kerrang! TV, The Box, Magic TV, Smash Hits TV.  This gives it a wide set of people and places to target.  All different kinds of music not focussing on one.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauer_Media_Group

As it represents music magazines like Q and KERRANG.  Although who I am targetting for my music magazine is in not the same as the music magazines in which the Bauer Media Group represent does not mean that wouldn't want a change in appearance.  They might want to target a whole new demographic.  However you know that they are not picky as they have a wide variety of music channels which they represent.



IPC Media

Although IPC media is not known for music magazines, it has been known to be linked to NME magazine.  It is also a leading publisher selling many hundreds of thousands worth of magazines a year.  As it is a British publisher as well it will be better for the magazine as it will be central and as they have magazines which are known in Britain, then it could get good advertisement.

IPC Media groups titles under five magazine divisions: Women's weeklies e.g. Now Magazine, leisure and specialist, men's lifestyle and entertainment, women's lifestyle and home interest and portfolio of television titles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPC_Media

Preliminary task

Preliminary Task Evaluation and Double Page Spread

Preliminary Task Evaluation...

For my tasks I had to make a magazine with a front cover and contents page. For the video task I had to make a short sequence including someone walking through a door onto a chair and exchanging dialogue.

I preferred doing the magazine task, as it is something that I might like to do when I am older. As I had never done a video before, I found it quite hard to use a camera and the editing equipment, and software. I did find it a good experience though as otherwise I would have never used those things.


For the magazine task, I started off by using desk top publishing but I found it too hard to use for what I wanted to do. It was making simple tasks quite strenuous. I went on to use Photoshop which I had never properly used before. It was fun getting to grips with it and I would like to get more used to it to see what I am capable of. For the film side of the project, we used two different kinds of camera, as we thought we had finished filming when we hadn’t. To be able to edit the software we used iMovie and it allowed us to sort out the clips we had to how we wanted them. However the process was very confusing and time consuming at first.


For the first time I used a digital camera and the software to be able to edit it. I did my work in a group and I didn’t do much with the iMovie software however it was hard to get to grips with it. We almost lost all of our work at one point, but we managed to find it in the end and made sure we saved it all the time afterwards so that nothing would happen to it. Photoshop was another piece of software which I had not used before, but that I had to, to make the work that much better. Photoshop is new to me but it really does amaze me as to how much you can manipulate the images. I think that our work ended up quite well for our first project as media students.


For the magazine task I stuck to the brief quite well I think. However it is one bit where we didn’t stick as a group on it, we came up with the name of it together and the pictures but that was about it. I went on to use what I think is a medium close up image of two people for the front cover. Then I had the contents where I put in some more pictures to liven it up. All the pictures I manipulated some how. The pictures I had in the contents page I changed the filter of the image, and the on the image on the front cover I changed the contrast. Throughout I made it a blue theme, including the background of the paper and some of the titles. I used the same fonts, and colours to make sure that none of it looked out of place. With the video we made I’m not sure if we stuck to the rules of some of the things we were supposed to put in like the 180 degree line rule. Saying that we put in everything else, someone walking in through a door to sit on a chair and exchanging dialogue with another character. We did use the 180 degree rule however we are not sure if we used it correctly.


With the magazine, I was and am really pleased with it and how it turned out. I’m not sure that it looks really professional and how a real magazine would look like but I was pleased with the end results, considering I had never used Photoshop before. The video task I am also pleased with but I do think that it could have been better in places. As the software and equipment was new to me I didn’t completely understand what I was doing with it. If I choose to do a video task again I think that I would read more into it to be better informed with the software.


For my main task I am more likely to choose the print based one. This is because I would really like to learn further on how to use Photoshop. From doing this task it has made me think about maybe doing a job in something to do with graphic designs.


For this task when creating it, I didn’t particularly think of a target audience. If I was thinking of a target audience, it was mainly being aimed at me or my class and if they would like it. Using myself as the target audience isn’t right and I know this now as my opinion isn’t necessarily anyone else’s. Even though I was thinking of my class a target audience I never asked any of them their opinion, looking back I should have done.


I did work in a group, and my contributions for the print when we were talking about it I feel was quite a bit as I was generally more interested in it. However we didn’t all do the same thing for our magazine which we should have, but this has made us think of working in different groups now to do it separately and get all our points across. All of our magazines however did end up good as they were all how we perceived them to look. When it came to the video task, I don’t think that I contributed as much as I could have which looking back probably annoyed my group. Even though I didn’t contribute as much I think that it ended especially well for a first time attempt. Overall I think we did work well as a group.


When I am approaching my own main task, I need to know and research it appropriately. I need to think of a target audience and keep them in mind of what would interest them and what they would like. I need to research influential music magazines of all different types of target audiences to see how they lay it all out. I will also need to research bands and read up on magazine articles and interviews they have been a part of to see how I should write.

 

 

 

 How I Want my Double Page Spread to be ...

• 
  
  
  The bands name needs to be big and prominent and bold
• 
  
  
  everyone needs to be able to know and see who it is about
• 
  
  
  need to incoporate pictures to show who the band is
• 
  
  
  i think that i want a black and white theme in the pictures, then one picture in colour to make it stand out
• 
  
  
  The type of article needs to be what the magazine is about:
  Gossip magazine - so a one on one interview
  - a reader of the magazine gets to ask a question for the ''celeb'' to answer
• 
  
  
  the article needs to be interesting and not boring
• 
  
  
  it has to bring in the readers
• 
  
  
  Fonts - same one that i have used throughout 'Orator' only now used in different sizes and boldness to emphasise different things about the article
• 
  
  
  Colour scheme - over the two pages it should be one colour in different shades (like the front page)
  - Blue maybe? it wouldn't be too out of place with the purple from the front  

  

This is my favourite layout for my double page spread.  It's my favourite because the mast head is big and prominent in the top left corner.  Then the pictures copy the mast head with the blue bars around it, to keep in theme of the page.  It has use of black and white pictures as well as one colour picture.  However the heart picture i think should be involved some how around the text.  So i think this shall be the starting point for my double page spread.

I like this idea for the double page spread, with the mast heading being their band name.  I like having the photos in the bottom as it keeps them out of hthe way of the rest of the writing.  So you aren't just specifically keeping focussed on the pictures.  I like use of the lines to keep everything seperated as well it makes it a lot clearer and easier to find things.  I don't think that this one is right for my double page spread as it seems messy and as though their hasn't been much thought put into it.

Having everything on the right hand side of the page, allows you to free up the space on the left for the article.  I like the way the pictures are again in the bottom, and the use of the colour blue.  As their is one main picture in colour it lets your eye look their first and lets you take notice of the colours they have because of their accessories.  However for what i have to write I do not think that this would be the best one for my double page spread.

Pictures I am Using in my Double Page Spread...

I chose these as they are not all of the same picture. I think the one of them coming out of the wardrobe really represents what they are, and is a play on their band name. I also chose to change this picture into black and white as I don't want it to be the main photo the readers will look at.

The photo of them both looking directly at the camera, looking at them, I think is quite a friendly and inviting picture. It shows them as happy and not threatening in anyway. Which is what indie/pop is against. I also made this picture into black and white as i didn't want it to be the main feature.

The picture i chose coming from above looking down, which is quite a high angled shot. It has them in their dark clothing, but highlights aspects of the rainbow through their accessories and conveys emotion even though you can not see their faces.

The last and what will be the smallest photo that there is i chose to go inbetween the writing of the article. The picture is a close up of their faces through the hearts they have created with their hands. It acompanies the test within very well with what i have planned. To show a togetherness, and that they are really good friends, and to the audience i am targetting it means a lot at that age.


Methods that could be used for the article...

- expose - in regard to the media expose is an article, book, or statement that discloses a scandal, crime, etc.
- exclusive - mainly talking about something which hasn't been known or seen before by the public.
- a day in the life of - tell you about someones typical day, why you would want to be them.
- profile - told the basic facts and interesting things about an artist.
- one on one interview - the writer talking to the artists getting to know things they don't know and things the readers of the magazine will want to know.

The Questions I Might Ask For My Double Page Spread

As I am going for a kind of gossip music magazine, in the indie and pop genre i thought the best way to entice the readers was to ask questions that would appropriate.  As the genre is an indie pop magazine, the questions that i was going to ask couldn't be to outrageous.  Especially seeing as though the target audience that i have chosen were starting at younger teens.  It can not be too explicit either.  As it is a gossip magazine, the questions that needed to be asked needed to be that were appropriate to the band as well.  As the band are fairly new as well the questions that need to be asked are things like how did you get were you are, and then go onto ask more personal things to the band.

The Answers...

I made all of the answers up myself.  Using the genre of music of the magazine i created what i think are going to be the best answers for the readers.  The answers aren't all laughs and giggles but it also has the seriousness note behind it.  It lets you know about being in the industry which is harder than you think and a priviledge.  To make the bands image better in the interview i:

- name dropped - teenage girls like to know irrelevant celeb goss.
- made them on the same level - taked about Primark which is a cheap shop and a lot of teenage girls shop their.
- made their ambitions believable.
- made them not that far off your average girls.

Double Page Spread Research

This type of double page spread, is very inviting and uses a lot of bright colours.  As it is very bright colours and lots of images, it is better suited at an audience of children.  The look of the band as well is very innocent and not violent, there is no reason for them not to look ''nice'' in anyway.  This double page spread is made for the purpose of advertising what the band has to sell.  It's nothing that you wouldn't hear on a children's tv programme.  The language is going to be very kind and easy to read nothing to complex.  This magazine is a good starting point for me as i want my magazine to look a bit more older.  By doing so it will give my target audience more reason to buy the magazine.

In this magazine the image being used is how the band looks.  It looks more of a rocky or emoish band, all the images that in the double page spread are all in a black and white theme, and have pictures of all of the members.  There are different kinds of shots like close ups on one of the members singing and showing them as a band with how they produce their music.  It is showing them as taking it seriously and not messing around, as it is their job at the end of the day.  They use a quote from the article within the double page spread and that is a good way of letting the audience know what they are going to be reading before they read it.  It is from KERRANG magazine and the people who read this magazine are not those who I am aiming to target.  However the way they have incorporated quotes from the article is an idea in which i wish to replicate, as well i like the way they have an image for all of the band members and not just focussing on one member like many bands do.

Contents Page Research

I like the way that this contents page is very clean cut.  It is easy to where everything is and everything has it's place.  I like the use of a large photo of what is happening somewhere later on in the magazine.  It gives ease to the audience who are going to be using it as well.  The typography as well is all similar and is not often different in anyway.  The same colours are being used as well like the reds and blacks and white.  It is very simple and not over the top.  The different sections for different things that are within the magazine are very useful to narrow your search down as well, which is useful if you are specifically looking for something.  I like the functions of this contents page, like the same fonts being used, the same colours, and the layout of how ease of finding things.  I hope to replicate some of these features into my magazine to make it accessible to my target audience.

Ideas for my Contents Page...

A contents page needs to be able to give you all of the information which is going to be within the magazine.  It needs to be simple so anyone can understand it, but not be boring, and not too over the top either.

Colour schemes - Basic, no more than a couple of colours.

Fonts - same as throughout and magazine logo incorporated as well.

Pictures - needs to be relevant to the magazine and what's in it, in that issue.

My Contents Page...

Photographs

- need one of the artists on the front

- another photo otherwise they will get boring

- one of the writers?

- a red carpet picture?

Text

- Orator and the L!STEN logo

- use it in bold

- smaller

- colour change

Colour

- Black and pink theme?

Undecided so far so i'll try it out and see what I like best.

When laying out what is going to be on each page, i want two lines.  One line to pull you e.g.EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ... and the next to say expose.  Something a long those lines.  The first line should be bigger and the second line should be smaller and in a different colour to the top one.