Draft 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?

   Looking back at the preliminary task, I feel that I have vastly improved my knowledge of creating a magazine and I now know a great amount more about the programs, software and technology that are involved in this process.

 Firstly, the text on my music magazine is placed so it flows with the image, whereas on my school magazine the text placement has clearly not been planned out; it has been centered within the text box and placed at the left hand side of the magazine, with no consideration for where the image is to go. Although I think the font on the school magazine fits in with the 'Old English' feel of the title, I think the fonts on ROGUE associate a lot better with the genre and layout of the magazine. The amount of text on ROGUE is also a lot more suited to the genre and tells the audience what will be inside the magazine, whereas Lexis has a minimal amount of text, so leaves the cover looking too plain with far too much space.

 The images on each of the magazines are very different. On Lexis, I have the photo of a student whereas on ROGUE I have a photo of a rock musician. For Lexis, I did not consider things such as lighting, costume, hair or make up - which left my model appearing as though they were in a photograph rather than appearing on the cover of a magazine. If I were to do the image again, I would dress my model in the school uniform and use better lighting in order to reinforce that it is a school magazine.

 For ROGUE, I had a lot more knowledge on magazine photography so I was able to produce an image that was suited to my genre, with thought on what the model would wear and what make up she would have on.  Therefore, I had a lot more control over what my cover image would look like.

 In terms of the colour scheme, I tried to make Lexis with the school colours - however I feel that this makes the colours clash (especially the green) with the background. I also used the gradient tool on photoshop to create the blue at the left hand side, but I feel now that this doesn't look professional: It makes it difficult to read the text and forces too much attention towards the barcode, making it stand out more than the rest of the magazine. ROGUE has a colour scheme of black, white and red, therefore it was a lot easier to read the black text on the white background, and the red makes the magazine appear more vibrant and interesting. Thus the magazine seems a lot more professional that Lexis,

Draft Evaluation Question SIX

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

Photoshop:

   This was the main program I used to make my magazine. As I had very little previous experience so I spent time in and outside of school learning different elements that would allow me to put together my magazine. I used the magic wand tool to get rid of unwanted backgrounds, the lasso and eraser tool to smooth down the edges of my images. I used the spot healing brush to get rid of blemishes and the sharpen tool to make my artists eyes stand out on the page.

The final magazine was put together on Photoshop by adding layers, text and other images - selecting 'show grid' to make them line up accurately. I also used the pipette tool to make sure I had the same shade of colours across all three pages.

Blogger:

   I have used blogger throughout the creation of my magazine to document my progress - creating posts at each stage of research and planning, inspiration, draft pieces, final magazines, and evaluating my work. This has helped me keep on track with what I'm doing and has aided me in creating a developed and well thought out final design for my magazine.

Camera:

   For my photos I used a Fujifilm FinePix S4500 in which i used the portrait setting to get flattering images of my model. As it is Fujifilm, it is a camera that takes good quality images that can be easily edited using photoshop. Using the SD card it is simpler to transport the image from the camera to the computer for editing. The images themselves were easy to edit as the camera allows for fine details to be captured and therefore the final images look better from my magazine.

Computer/ Laptop:
   In the process of my magazine creation I used the school computers, my home computer, and a Toshiba laptop, which allowed my to continue making my magazine no matter where I was. I used them for research and the actual making of my magazine. I already had vast knowledge on how to use these, but the programs used in the creation of my magazine were mostly new to me.

Animoto:
   I used this site to create an interesting pitch for my magazine. It allowed me to put music, images and text together in a unique way. I could then put this pitch on my blog and show it to others in order to get feedback on my magazine. It also let my vision for a magazine come to life and aided me in staying on task to create ROGUE.

Google:
   I used Google in my research to look at other magazines of my genre across the world. I also used it to find out in depth information about institutions that distribute magazines and find inspirational magazine covers that I can find features from and develop into my own magazine.

Memory Stick:
   This was very useful in helping me transport my work between home and school. It was kept on me at all times so I could easily bring up my magazine on a computer and work on it whenever I had a free moment. It  also let me keep my work safe so I could be reassured that I would not lose any of it.

Draft Evaluation Question FIVE

How did you attract or address your audience?

    Masthead: I used reflects my genre as it has a very 'rock' feel. The letters are distorted and seem as though they have been ripped up, so the magazine would stand out on a rack and make the name more memorable, as they would associate distorted letters with my magazine. The capitalization makes the name very declarative as it is telling the audience the magazines name, what genre it is, and it is almost ordering the audience to purchase it.

   Image: The female artist on the cover would appeal to females reading the magazine as they would see her as inspiration in the rock community. Not many artists in rock magazines are female, so they would look up to her as a role model in the music industry. She would appeal to males as she is attractive, and therefore they would buy the magazine as they could want to find out more about her. The facial expression of my model is looking right into the camera, so right at the audience. This would draw them in and encourage them to buy the magazine.

   Text: The name of the artist on the cover, Tiffany Blews, is in a different font to the other text on the cover. Therefore it will attract the readers attention, making them interested as to why she is important enough to have a different font - so encouraging them to buy the magazine. The font is very feminine, yet still 'rock', so will appeal to the female part of my target audience. The other text is in the font 'impact' so this will stand out on the page, drawing in the readers attention and making them see what else is in the magazine.
Within the text I have included names of other bands that are featured in the magazine. This will persuade fans of these other artists to buy the magazine, increasing the audience that will be interested in purchasing the magazine.

   Colour Scheme: I used the colours red, white and black as these are gender neutral colours, so are not biased towards either males or females. This would attract a larger audience as they would be less concerned  with whether the magazine was for males or females, so they could focus more on the actual content of the magazine rather than the gender that the magazine is aimed at.

Draft Evalutation Question FOUR

Who would be the audience for your media product?

   The target audience for my magazine is unisex, aged 15-26. The age range is small, but I believe that it is the primary group that read rock magazines, therefore it will be the age I shall focus on when producing my magazine. Because of this age range, the audience will be likely to have a disposable income from full time or part time jobs, so they are able to spend money on magazines such as ROGUE. The audience would have an interest in rock or alternative music and would listen to bands such as Fall Out Boy, Seether and My Chemical Romance; all of which are mentioned on the front cover - which would attract this audience to the magazine.

 The colour scheme plays a primary part in the attraction of this audience. My first idea for a colour scheme was pink, black and white - but as I have a female artist on the cover I felt  this would be aimed towards a more female audience. The red, black and white colour scheme would attract both sexes as they are all gender neutral colours, so would not be biased towards half of the target audience. This would mean that my audience would be more focused on the music within the magazine, rather that concerned what gender the magazine is aimed at. 

 The audience would buy my magazine as they would be interested in the bands featured and music news. They would also enjoy discovering and listening to new bands, which I have catered for in the 'Bands To Look Out For' feature in my magazine, mentioned on the contents page. The audience may also like having an input into the magazines they read, so I have included a 'Feedback' section where they can write in to ROGUE, as well as vote for their favourite bands or tracks. The audience would also enjoy going to concerts or festivals, so I included a 'Look Out For' section which contains information on upcoming concerts, festivals and albums that are soon to be released. 

Draft Evaluation Question THREE

What kind of media institution might distribute your magazine?

   Bauer Media Group is the institution that I think is best for distributing my magazine. They are a German based magazine but publish both Kerrang and Q magazines, both which have a largely British audience. These two magazines generate a large revenue, suggesting they would be able to invest in a magazine such as ROGUE without there being a financial risk.

Kerrang is a rock magazine that has an audience of around 14+, so is similar to ROGUE in the bands and artists that will be features. Q magazine is more indie, alternative or pop based in its music, but does feature artists rock artists such as Muse or Kings Of Leon.
Both of these magazines have a unisex audience, similarly to ROGUE, and are both prominent magazines within their genre - so Bauer has experience with producing successful magazines and that experience would be helpful in the publishing and distribution of ROGUE.

Draft Evaluation Question TWO

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 

   The artist that I am comparing my artist to is Amy Lee, whom is often featured in magazines similar to ROGUE. In terms of style they are both rather similar. They both have dark hair and clothes, both dressed to appear punk rock yet are still feminine - my artist in her dress and Amy Lee with a heart necklace. Both artists have blue eyes, which are prominent in the images, and draw in the readers interest as it makes them seem more alluring. To add to this, both have eyeliner to frame their eyes and flawless, pale skin to reiterate that they appeal to an alternative audience.

 Within music, Amy Lee is in the band Evanescence - so would have the same kind of music that my artist, Tiffany Blews would make. Many of Evanescence's songs are revolved around heartbreak or things falling apart, and this relates to Tiffany's situation as in her interview she discusses her break-up and struggles with alcoholism; thereby connecting the two artists.

 However, Tiffany is a solo artist, so she is the main focus, whereas Amy Lee is in a band. Therefore My artist has to pay a lot closer attention to how she looks and performs. This is reflected in the sequined satin dress and the pose she is pulling, touching her hair. Therefore she is depicted as more of a 'rock princess' rather than a singer in a band.

Draft Evaluation Question ONE

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

    After looking at several published magazines such as Kerrang, Rock Sound and Alternative Press, I found  elements that were present in all of them - elements which i believed would make my magazine seem more professional. Firstly, each of the magazines used the font of the main artist featured on the front cover for their name. For example, when Rock Sound featured the band, My Chemical Romance, they used the bands own unique font on the cover of the magazine for the name. I thought this was good for my artist, Tiffany Blews, as it creates a feel that the artist has more of an input in the interview and emphasizes their importance within the magazine.
For my written content I reflected the genre, another typical feature of rock magazines. The contents page features a lot of rock bands, in order to reiterate to the audience that it is a rock magazine. The tone of the interview is relaxed and friendly, which occurs often in Kerrang, illustrating to the audience that the magazine cares about it's readers and interviewees. For my story, I had my artist reveal a low point in her life - particularly alcoholism - which reflects the rock-and-roll lifestyle of today's music. I drew inspiration for this from real life cases of singers partaking in alcohol abuse and ending up in hospital or rehab.
Another feature of real magazines that I used is the three colour pallet of red, white and black. This is commonly used in magazines such as Q or NME. I think this helped my magazine achieve a professional look as it focuses attention on the artist and content, rather than distracting the reader with too many colours. The red in this pallet also reflects my genre as red is typically seen as an energetic or angry colour, and these emotions are often associated with rock music. It is also a non-gender specific colour, so will appeal to my target audience of both males and females.

   There are also features of conventional magazines that I have developed. The text on the front cover of my magazine has been placed as to go around the artist, instead of on top of the image. This attracts attention to her and emphasizes her importance as a 'big star.' The masthead itself is a typically 'rock' font, and I have placed it on a white background - which I believe illustrates the battle between alternative music and the clean-cut pop music scene.
Another feature I have developed is the artists costume. She is clothed in a black dress, which is not often a feature of females on covers of rock magazines. Artists such as Hayley Williams are usually depicted in jeans and a top, however I wanted to play on the fact she is a female by dressing her up in feminine clothes - but the black contrasts with this, making her seem more edgy and be more appealing to an audience.

   I have challenged typical conventions of a rock magazine as I only have one artist on the cover, whereas magazines such as Kerrang have a whole band or images of other artists within the magazine.  I did this because I wanted to again reinforce that she is a big name within the rock music industry and she is the major feature of the magazine. By having names of bands in the text on the cover, I can tell the audience who else is in the magazine without necessarily showing them pictures.
The artist chosen for my cover is also challenging typical conventions of my genre. She is a female, whereas the majority of artists on the cover of rock magazines are male. Thereby I can appeal more to the female audience with this issue, while still attracting a male audience with the reassurance that there are other male bands inside.

FINAL MAGAZINE

 

Other Images

   For my magazine, I need to use more artists and images other than my main artist. This will encourage people to read ROGUE as they will see the types of bands inside the magazine.


I have taken other photos for my contents page of a band whom I have named 'The Living Daylights.' This band will relate for the audience as they are male - so would provide my magazine with images of both genders, instead of just my main female. The images are also more relaxed and humorous due to the models used, which will reveal my magazine to have the friendlier tone that I wish to achieve.

 

More Images

I took these photographs when I went to see the band My Chemical Romance in concert in 2011. I want to add them to my magazine as it will appeal to the audience, they are a famous band and so would be well known in the industry.