Final product

Double page spread drawings

Contents page drawings

Contents page photoshoot 2

Fourth photoshoot for front cover

Double page spread photoshoot

Contents page photoshoot 1

Contents page drawings

Double page spread drawings

Written evaluation questions

Evaluation 1- all on Prezi

Evaluation 2- Evaluation 2- How does your media product represent particular social groups?

(interview with daisy white 16 yrs middle class, in education)

1)      What do you think about the magazine and do you think it appeals to your age group?      

I love the magazine I thin k it has really addressed the audience with all the attractive models and the up to date music artists.                      

2)      Is there anything you would later like to appear in explosion magazine?

I think if the magazine is complete it would cover everything my aged people look for, maybe some shopping items?

3)      Do you like the articles covered?

I love them especially the one with the really good looking boy in it, it gave me all his latest musical movements.

(interview with Hollie O' Neil 23 yrs middle class, just finished university course)

1)      Do you think the magazine targets your age group well?

Yes I think it has a lot of information surrounding the pop genre however the models may be a bit young when some older girls may want a Jude law look alike!

2)      What else would you have wanted to be included?

Maybe some of the festivals coming up or the concerts being released soon so I can note down when they will be.

3)      Do you think it appeals to the wider middle class?

Yes I think it does very much so but I do not think that limits it as others may also want to read it and buy it.

Evaluation 3- On own blog

Evaluation 4- Who would be the audience of your media product?

My target audience would consist of both female and males but may lead to women. The majority of my target audience would be aged between 16 and 25 but both younger and older people may be inclined to read this music magazine. As my magazine covers pop music it is current on the television and on most radio shows this generalises the audience so anyone could be attracted.

My target audience are likely to attend music festivals such as v festival, wireless festival, t in the park and many more which attract all types of different people from around the world.

Most artists now use twitter, instagram, facebook and snapchat to broaden their fan base. This increases their celebrity status and can be a way of communication between the celebrities and the fans.

The use of social media helps to put more content into magazines as the document things that have happened in the latest celeb music.

Music is communicated to the wider public through lots of different apps such as Itunes, sound cloud, spotify and youtube.  

Evaluation 5- transcript 
 Person 1.

I am a very big fan of the genre pop and when I saw this magazine that’s the immediate feel I got. It enticed me by the striking front cover with the pretty provocative looking girl and the advert for the free poster with the good looking boy; once I started to flick through the rest of the magazine I was very happy to see the good looking boys as this attracted me as a female to the magazine. To me I feel explosion magazine offered me a variety of contents applying to my needs and preferences and there was something for everyone in there. Then to read the story on the artist on the double page spread was very interesting. I thought the colours worked well all together and on every page there was a different colour pattern which was exciting but not messy as it always had a link to something on the page whether it be an orange flame or the eye colour, the pages were very bold and you could not be bored looking at them. For me the content page stood out the most as it had a dark background but I believe it enticed me as a reader with the minimal writing it was not an overload and I liked the look of the boy with the bag over his shoulder.

Person 2.

As someone who is keen listener of pop music I was very happy to see a magazine covering all my interests it attracted me straight away! The good looking girl on the front cover enticed me to start reading the magazine and then to see the smart looking boys on the contents page and double page spread make it appeal to people like me in the middle class especially with it having maybe a higher price tag  then the average skimpy magazine. To me I like the front cover the most as it has a hot girl on it and it has the bold title displayed large so it is clear what it is. With the writing down the side about the awards this makes me want to read as I want to know about the awards show, when I can watch it and find out more etc. the colour schemes I think are very relaxed they do not make your eyes ache and all the individual colours go with the pages they are on, I also think all the colours are very neutral as to not side with one gender this keeps the audience very generalised in terms of gender.  

Evaluation 6- what have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

When I made my magazine I had to learn certain ICT programs and technologies in order to complete my magazine. These programs included: Photoshop, InDesign, Blogger, how to properly use a camera and how to use lighting. These benefited me as I could improve my work but each area came with its own technical problems.

Photoshop

I learnt and used this program a lot as it was the starting point for all my pictures I used. I learnt how to use Photoshop to alter the flaws of my picture using the Photoshop editing software. With this I learnt how to use the spot healing brush tool which I used a lot through this process to eliminate any imperfections or blemishes on the skin which was very good as they are not something you can avoid and it would look unprofessional if they had lots of spots over their face. I also had to remove some moles that were very prominent on the face. I learnt how to use the rectangular marquee tool to select an area and then I copied and pasted it to move it into another area that I wanted it to be which was useful as when I had to copy the background onto the double page spread to keep it consistent I could just copy and paste it instead of taking another picture completely with a large amount of background, after I had all that completed I had to select all the area to merge the image so all there pasted bits came into one layer and then I got taught how to put on a Gaussian blur to make it all smooth otherwise I would have had the edges of the original area I had copied. I learnt how to use the magic wand tool and then I used it to select an area for example I used it when I wanted to delete the background of my pictures but sometimes some bits wouldn’t select so I used the lasso tool to select the areas that didn’t select with the magic tool so I had a consistent selection, I could also use the lasso tool to alter the selection line and I could use it to make a sharper or to make it feathered. I think with this program it did come with its difficulties, sometimes my computer would be very slow and as a result of that I would click lots of times but then all of a sudden it would change drastically. I also came across the problem with the magic wand tool and the lasso tool where it would group similar colours even if they were completely different object, for example on my double page spread when I was trying to select the background it selected the white of the cigarette so I had to use the lasso tool to draw the cigarette and separate it from the background, this proved a problem throughout the whole selection process of all the pages. Overall I think this program was very useful as I would not have been able to manipulate my pictures if I did not have this program.

InDesign

InDesign is where I wrote all my text for my magazine. Once I had finished the design and layout for the page in Photoshop I would open it up in InDesign to put all my text. I learnt how to use the eyedropper tool to take a colour from somewhere and using that tool gave me the RGB numbers and I could match that colour with some text for example on my front cover the title is the colour of her eyes which made a connection with the colours I used on the page instead of using random colours. I also learnt how to use the pen tool to draw around the silhouette of the models body in my double page spread so the writing would go in the shape of the outline of his body, the writing only goes where I draw the box and I could draw it in any shape I wish, this made the magazine look more professional in my opinion as it is what they do in the real life media industry. For me InDesign worked quite well and I did like working in this program as for me I thought it was an easy process however it was quite frustrating as it was quite unorganised I thought and there were some things that should have been simple but they were not on there in a simple form, for example in the box where you did all the text editing there was not a bold option however it was there but just located in a completely different area.

Blogger

Blogger is where I had to put all my work. I learnt and had to put everything I had ever done onto my Blogger in order to get marks for it; it is what I will be graded on. On Blogger I had to learn how to add a label on every piece of work so it was easily found by the examiner. I then had to be taught how to add a label and then go onto layout in order to make the labels go to the right hand side of my blog so you can choose easily what you want to look at. To do my Blogger I had to create a Google account and then you log into Blogger using that.

Blogger came with a lot of issues and technical difficulties like when I was on it the program would often crash or not let you uploads document or pictures you also cannot use it on a normal internet page you have to use Google chrome.

Camera & Lighting

I did have some technical issues with my pictures. The first photoshoot I did was ok but I did not think about the clothing to much I took it more as a practice than an actual photoshoot: the dress was see through, The model had no make-up on and I was just playing around with the lighting to see what went well and what didn’t. The second photoshoot I did was a bit different because I had two models and I was going to see which one took better pictures, after looking back through these pictures I thought they were decent but when I bought them in for my teacher I was soon to realise that they had a blue tinge in them. In my other photoshoot’s I had the problem where I had a shadow but I did not know how to eliminate the shadow but I later learnt that a shadow occurs when the model stands to close to the background so that was an easy problem to fix and I just had to bring her forward from the background. However, the blue tinge was a harder problem to fix because I had to learn how to alter it according to the light in the room and go onto the settings on the camera. In some pictures where I had a flash it flushed out the facial features where the light was to strong and to bright so I did over use the flash on the camera, sometimes I had to much of a shadow where I had turned all but one light off and it was on one side and this made the other side way to dark, by testing out all different lighting and settings on the camera I learnt how to find a good balance in the picture. 


Evaluation 7- On own blog

Evaluation question 7

Evaluation 7- Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I think the school magazine went reasonable well considering I had never made a magazine before. I learnt a lot of techniques used in Photoshop and InDesign and I can take all of my learnt techniques and apply them when making my music magazine.

To do this task I had to be very organised and work very independently which was something that was very new to me and I had not had much experience with however, although I was behind at the beginning of the course I did catch up and meet deadlines I was given and my work was to a good standard. To do this work also had to be very patient as some tools take a lot of repetition like the clone stamp button takes a lot of doing for it to be useful. If I was to do this work again I would just make sure I am constantly updating my blogger account and try to organise myself better to ensure I am meeting the deadlines and have enough time to improve my work and make it to the best of my ability.

All of the tools I felt I could go over them again as I need refreshing because there were so many tools and they are all quite difficult to understand but once I got into the swing of using them I did get use to using them. I used them in as many places where possible I also used paint to transfer the images or screenshots from Photoshop, InDesign or word.

I learnt and applied the rule of thirds where my magazine was split into thirds horizontally and vertically and all things on the page had to be separated into those thirds. I also found that I cannot have any hanging widows, where there is one single word on a line of its own. I applied this to my own work and made sure I did not have any of the hanging widows and tried to make sure everything fitted into a third with some exceptions. I think I completed these features to a good extent and I believe my work went into the rule of thirds and there were no single words on one line. I think if I was to do the work again I would change the title as it needs to move more central and move a tad further down on the page. I think I would change or move about the text I put on the page to make it fit in even more with the rule of thirds. Over all I was quite happy with the final layout apart from I think I may have needed more on the page.

On my front cover I used a classmate of mine who was very photogenic, on my contents page I used a mixture of students. Once I had built a rapport with the models it was easy to get them to do what I wanted as they trusted me to make them look. The only problems I really encountered was when I was trying to plan when to take the photographs as I my models obviously had prior commitment and I had to fit around them as they were helping me out and with them all being a-level students they also had a lot of work to do as well.

When it comes to the real project I will obviously approach my models differently as it is a much bigger project, I will plan my photo shoots much more in advance as well so the models have lots of time to prepare for them and they can make sure to do not have to worry about fitting it in if we already have a scheduled time to do it. I will pick a bigger variety of models and have more possibilities so I do not limit myself when it comes to my final project. To persuade them to do what I wanted I had to build a good rapport with them so they felt comfortable because for them being in front of a camera is not a natural thing. I have found the models work better when told exactly what to do so I just had to give lots of instruction and keep ensuring them that they look good and do not look foolish. After a while they all started to loosen up anyway and got comfortable with me ad that is when they bought their personalities into the pictures which in some cases bought out the best pictures. I think to be a better persuader I need to improve on my organisation skills, for example if I had a clear plan of exactly what I wanted to do people would be more obliged to help rather than me not really know what I need to do because then they feel disorganised and it messes them about because they will not know what they are doing, do I will give a clear advance plan to my models in the future.

Evaluation question 6

Evaluation question 5

How did it attract/ address your audience?

I thought the best way to find out how it attracted my audience was to ask them their opinions for themselves so i could see how it appealed to my audience.


Bryony Toms, 20 years old


Sam Chance, 18 years old

Evaluation question 4

Evaluation question 3

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

The media institution that may distribute my magazine would be in a pop region and something well-known as it is a very popular area. As I had been researching billboard magazine I would eventually aim to have my magazine in with theirs. Although to start I would have to do in somewhere less popular and maybe target a younger audience as they are easier to please like in my research top of the pops magazine targeted at a much younger audience.

The company that distributes billboard is Prometheus Global Media in New York City; it is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world it went for approximately seventy years before changing to a specialised music magazine. The magazine is weekly so there would need to be a lot of people working on in order to get it out each week on time.

Top of the Pops is distributed by a company called Immediate Media Company based in the United Kingdom. In conjunction to Billboard Top of the Pops is only a monthly magazine and has only been going for approximately twenty years. The magazine originally came with the popular TV show Top of the Pops but after the cancellation of that in 2006 it continued as an individual. It has gradually changed and is now less about the music content and is more demographic to attract a younger female audience.

I think my magazine should be distributed because it has a lot of potential there are some good ideas and good content ideas, it would be run by people who keep up with the latest in the music industry and who it up to date with the latest celebrity gossip. Eventually it would probably have a high production cost, as we build a fan base the more money earned means the more money can be spent on production.

As well as the magazine, a website would also have to be made to keep up with the latest gossip and charts especially if it was only a monthly magazine. 

Evaluation question 2

Evaluation 2- How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Who?

My magazines represents both genders male and female and the age range from around 16 to late 20’s but others outside that age may also be enticed to my magazine because it is very neutral. I think my magazine also targets the more middle class audience. I have a demographic path for my social group representatives and this is shown through my models.

(interview with daisy white 16 yrs middle class, in education)

(interview with Hollie O' Neil 23 yrs middle class, just finished university course)

What?

I have made a pop/ current magazine so it will be quite easy to relate it to this current day and it includes what is popular in the now.  

How?

I am representing my social group in various ways through things such as; clothes, hair, style, current trends, accessories and colour choice. I have used more mature clothes such as suits and dresses which will target an older audience and the upper class as they will be looking very dapper and my use of mixing gender models in the magazines makes it suited to unisex, the hair in all my pictures is looking very sexy and done to please the eye the styles are current and popular, the style of my models with all the accessories is very much in the trend at the moment for example on my double page spread I have a very tasteful designer watch and watches are very in at the moment also on my content page I have used a Ted Baker bag which is also a very popular style at the moment. I have also targeted the social groups with a little bit more money and maybe the middle/upper class as my magazine Is going to be priced a little bit more than the average gossip magazine as it is what I have researched in Billboard magazine.

Why?

I decided on my social group because I am within that range and I think I myself cover the majority of the factors this helps as I can put my input in and it will be valid as I am covering myself basically. 

Evaluation question 1

Final contents page

As you can see my drawings are what heavily influenced me and are what I followed to get to my final design with my contents page. I have my model taking up the whole left vertical third, the word 'contents' covering two lines and the top right and top middle third, features taking up the middle right box and music taking the bottom right and middle box. The drawings were obviously not a full representative of the page as the model looks very different but it was just an idea of what the page layout will look like.

Contents page- font justification

Final double page spread

This is the plan I followed to to create my final double page spread, everything on the drawings is translated on the final product. The model is taking up the whole left side of the first page, there is then a quote next to the model in the middle right side of the page and then the first name of the model on the top middle and right third. On the second page his name takes up the whole top third of the page, and then the article follows. All ideas on my page have been translated from the drawings which were finally concluded from on previous drawings.

Final front cover

This was the plan to follow for my front cover. The title takes up the majority of the top third, and the models takes up the middle two left thirds and bottom two left thirds the only thing I added in construction was the name across the models chest. The date is underneath the title with a barcode and price in the bottom right hand corner of the page. Down the right third is things included in the magazine with an additional picture all designed on the drawing and translated onto the page. This helped me when planning and making my final product as I knew what had to go where and I knew what it had to look like in the end.

Lead up to final front cover

Change to the positioning of the model

How I wrote the quotation around his body

Double page spread Draft

Spell check for double page spread

For the article on my double page spread I wanted to ensure I had everything spelt correctly so I wrote it all in word to see if I had any mistakes and then I transferred it onto my double page spread. 

First draft of contents page

First draft of front cover

Contents title font research

From my content page research I found I could mix up the word ‘content’ and experiment with it. I moved around the singular letters and parts of it to see what looked good and then I added some colour to some of the letters. The colour I added was taken from the model on the content pages’ face and inserted to the letters ‘t’. 

Double page spread- specific research

Double page spread- specific research

Double page spread- basic research

Double page spread research

Detailed research of content page

Third photoshoot-front cover

This was my third photoshoot but with my first model as I decided she was the best to use. I got her to do lots of different poses and I used lots of different lighting. I used my technical knowledge to ensure I had no blue tinge or any other colour for that matter. I have reviewed these pictures and agreed that I need to do another photoshoot for my front cover but this time put more make up on her to emphasize her facial features, I will also put a bold lipstick on her to make her lips stand out. 

Technical issues with the photoshoot

Technical issues with photoshoot

In one of my photo-shoots I had a blue colour cast over all of my pictures and this is because I did not have white balance. To get the correct white balance I need to take into account the colour temperature of the light source. The higher the colour temperature the cooler the white light. Because I am using a lot of artificial light I need to set the camera to the right adjustment in order to make a good photograph. I will need to alter the white light balance to not get any sort of colour cast.

Specific content page research

Specific front page drawings

Focused drawings for front page

Front cover first drawings

First drawings for front page ideas

Extra photo research for front cover

Extra photograph research for front cover

As you can see in the front covers I have chosen, the main focus is the model on the page and nothing else. On the front cover is the model and minimal words, the page is not crammed with previews of the magazine it is just very simple and the attention stays on the picture. The facial expressions are all very strong and endearing but the pose is simple, there is a big focus on the stance of the arms, in all of the pictures at least one arm is bent, it brings life to the picture. The clothes are simple but bold. On the majority of the pages the colours are bland, in the black and white picture the only colour is the yellow from some of the writing, in the Miley issue the only real colour is in the blue of her eyes which makes them stand out a lot, the Carly issue however has lots of colour but I do not think it works and I think it looks too similar to a children’s magazine with the way she is dressed so I will not look to this picture for tips, the last one on the bottom right is a very strong picture; there is a very strong light and it hides some of her features but I do think it works.

I have chosen to follow a picture like this as I think it works. It is a mid-shot with her head to her hips in the picture. It is very plain and simple however with the colour of her eyes it makes the picture have a big statement. The picture is very well lit with no shadow. 

 These pictures are all very bold. They have simple make up yet all their features stand out. The hair is simple and nearly natural. The hair is around both sides of the face in order to give the face a shapely look. There is barely any eye make-up apart from a bit of mascara. The lips have been extenuated with lipstick. The eyebrows are highlighted. The pose is very connected with the camera and very simple however they look like they have power and authority.

These are the fort of poses and sort of picture I will be taking; they will be a mid-shot with the arms in the air. The pictures will be seductive and provocative but they will be decent and clothed so they will not be to explicit.

Contents page research

Content page research

In the majority of the pictures there is a main focus. In some there are other smaller pictures but mostly there is one big picture taking up most of the pace with only a small space to write in. generally the pictures are mid shots with not a lot of colour.