Evaluation of front page

Drawing relates to front page outcome


Research relates to front page outcome

Evaluation questions

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop, and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product uses conventions of real media products as you can see in the above picture. For example, the fact that it has the issue number on the magazine '54'. Also the text aims to engage with reader by asking a question 'what new' which is what allot of magazines do to appeal to readers and make them want to know 'what new'. My front page magazine also includes the names of A list celebrities which also what music magazine do in general to attract fans of the celebrity and make them buy it, for example the V magazine above has a large picture of Nicki Minaj as the main person because she is a very popular music artist who has a diverse range fans ranging from girls to boys, teenagers and adults. Furthermore, my product develops forms of conventions the real magazine use by using black and white text together, which is something I haven't come across in my research, however I feel it looks more creative and represents creative girls who are also diverse in terms of personality like the saying 'black and white'. My product doesn't really challenge conventions of real media products, I generally wanted my product to relate to a magazine that is already popular. However, I do now wish that I did something a bit different, for example, instead of using a magazine like V magazine as a specific research sample, I should have used something like NME magazine because it is a completely different genre to my magazine and therefore my magazine would have looked more distinctive.

2. How does your media product represent a particular social group? 

• Pictures
• Text
• What is written in the text
• Colours
• Layout of the pictures and text
• Size of numbers

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

I think MTV UK/Ireland would distribute my product because it was set up to provide different audience with local artists and relevant music content which I think my product does. Also, as there aren't many R&B and Hip Hop magazines that represent women, around in the UK I think my product may appeal to MTV and what it aims to do in general.

4. Who would be the audience of your Media product

The audience of my media product would be girls between the ages of 14-19 that appear quite assertive and creative through their body langauge and appearance in general. And mainly girls who are into R&B and Hip Hop music.
5. How did it attract and address your audience

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

The first thing I learnt was how to actually operate a camera of this size and profession. Once I started taking pictures, I learnt that the setting of where I took pictures needed to be quality in order to get a quality picture. I feel as though it is important to take a first Photoshoot because it allows you to recognise where exactly you when wrong and what you can do to improve the quality of your pictures in general. For example I feel my third Photoshoot was the most successfully Photoshoot I had because I had specific research, I was aware that my model was capable of producing the sort of expressions my research contained and I was aware of how and what I could do to make this Photohoot successful . Furthermore, I learnt the impact that different lighting's could have on photo's for example, when one light is on your photo tends to look very powerful and quite fierce, whereas when you have two light on you photo tend to look allot more moderate in terms of mood.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what have you learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In terms of my school magazine front cover, I feel I have learnt how to use time efficiently and how to consider research when it comes to making a product. For example, before I produce my products I looked at a wide range of diverse music magazine products in order to achieve something that was unique, but something that could be related to another product in the magazine institutions. Furthermore, I have learnt the importance of pictures and how to produce pictures that represent a particular social group without being too specific and simple.

Final version of Front page

Early version of front page with evaluation

Focused drawings of Front page idea

Preliminary drawings of front page idea

Conclusion for Font research

3rd photoshoot with detailed evaluation

Font research for front page

 Title suggestions and analysis

2nd photoshoot with detailed evaluation

1st photoshoot with detailed evaluation

How successful do you consider your first photo shoot?

I feel as though my first photo shoot wasn’t as successful as it could have been. This is because although I had research relating to both music magazine covers and general photo research, my research was not specific enough. Therefore, rather than focussing on taking specific photo’s I was taking various photos that couldn’t be related to the audience of my music magazine, and some photo’s did not have the quality of a professional music magazine which I was intending. For example, if I focussed body language and gathered research that related to a specific body position I would have been able in some way to incorporate this into my photographs by making my model aware of what it was I actually wanted. Furthermore, because my target audience is fierce, zany girls between the ages of 14 to 19 I should have made sure that the photo’s I took related to this perspective. However, I feel as if I did get some good photographs that did relate to my target audience, but this was limited by the fact that one of my models had various scars, in addition to this I had no choice but to edit the images on Photoshop and I also made my model aware so that on our next photo shoot she would use makeup for coverage.  For example:

Moreover, the more I looked at music magazine research I accepted that a musical instrument wasn’t needed in order to portray the fact that my magazine related to music, therefore I began changing my approach; I stopped relying on the violin and started to use the knowledge I gained from my research and what it was that the designers done to make these magazine represent music. Personally, my definition of music is sound that brings life and has strong features, because I am generally a complicated person I wanted my music magazine to represent this side of me. I feel the violin is effective and represents my definition of music; violins tend to associate with contentment and joy, however I wanted combine this with fierceness. My use of juxtaposition was therefore also intentional, I want my magazine to attract a wider audience, girls who carry a sense of joy but also have this sense of anger which allot of contemporary music brings out these days. Also I feel this is something my models generally had which made it easier for me to carry out.                                                                                         

Here are the photographs I used from my first photo shoot:

Photo comparison:

Here is an example of where I used research to develop my photos. I didn’t want my photos to be exact I just wanted my model to use these photos in terms of posture and body language as a starting point until she became flexible and in her own comfort zone. From my photo research I focussed on how fierceness was portrayed and my model was successful in portraying this through her farcical expression as well as body language. Furthermore, in terms of lighting and camera angle I feel my photo on the right is more successful in comparison to the one on the right, this is because the angle in which I have taken the photo allows the colours to be prominent, whereas the camera angle on the left doesn’t because the photo is taken from a further angle. Also the fact that one of the flash lights is on does help considering the photo is a long shot, whereas the photo on the right is a mid shot and is supported by both flash lights.

Overall, it was clear that I needed to take another photo shoot and rather than focussing on various features I needed to be more specific in order to stage a more successful photo shoot. However, my first photo shoot gave me a chance to get to grips with photography and what makes a quality photo, therefore I also benefitted from this photo shoot.



Extended photograph research for front page

I absolutely adored the strong facial expressions on these models faces, I feel they represent assertive, strong powerful young women which is what I wanted my photo's to represent. From this, I was on a mission to find  models that could represent my target audience yet, have these qualities, including, a strong facial structure, high cheek bones and a distinctive, strong jaw line. I also noticed that eyes were an important aspect in creating this dominant look as most of the models had thick very dark eye make up which really enhanced their powerful look. Also, red and pink lipstick made the pictures look as if the models were using their feminine aspects to portray dominance which is what most music magazines do, also to deliver a sense of creativity and the idea that women are just as unique in terms of their music and lyrics as men.

Specific and Detailed research for front page

Target audience

 My target audience is girls between the ages of  14 to 19, specifically girls who carry a  zany sense of humour, however carry a sense of fierceness that they are not afraid to show, also girls who take advantage of their feminine aspects to show they are powerful and as strong as the male gender. The reason why I chose to make my target audience for my music magazine girls between the ages of 14-19 is because I feel they are under represented through music magazines and often approach something that is too explicit for them. Although, my music magazine will represent girls and young women who use their feminine aspects to show power, rather than sex objects, it will be very moderate rather than extreme to actually represent and link with younger girls and what they actually are like in this generation rather than to encourage negative behaviour. Furthermore, my target audience is mainly girls who listen to R&B and Hip Hop music which has become very popular in recent years especially to young girls because of artists such as Beyonce, Cheryl Cole, Rhianna, Rita Ora etc. who girls tend to copy and feel they can relate to their lyrics. Also, because Hip Hop and R&B are very creative genre my target audience are also girls who have a creative zany side to them.

How I will consider my target audience when producing my music magazine cover (&content page and double page spread)

I will consider all of these aspect when I produce my music magazine so it is able to attract my target audience. Firstly, I will use colours such as purple, pink and red because they are symbolic of feminine aspects and red also symbolises anger and fierceness. However, I also want to incorporate colours that contradict femininity to develop the idea that men and women are equal even in the music industry, colours such as black, blue and green. Another of my focuses will be body language; I want my model to express the idea that men and women are equally as talented in the music industry specifically in Hip Hop and R&B music. Therefore, my models will have to have strong facial structure and strong body language and carry a sense of swagger. I feel that this will only be possible if I use models that are my target audience and have the similar attitudes and ideologies as my target audience. Furthermore, structure is vital; the structure defines the mood of a magazine. Although I want to keep my magazine very simple I think that because my target audience are girls that are zany and carry a sense of fierceness within them I need it to be catchy and overwhelming at the same time, therefore if either have pictures that are complex and extreme  then the text that I include should be moderate and simple and if I have very simple pictures, the text should be extreme and catchy. Lastly, I feel as though the text, in terms of what I write, has to have a clear connection to the genre of my music magazine, for example rather than mentioning Angelika Kirchschlager who is an opera artist in her 50s, I would mention Rhianna or Rita Ora who are in there 20s and tend to represent younger girls who carry a sense of fierceness which is expressed in there music which is R&B and Hip Hop. 

Music Magazine research that considers my target audience and its Genre 

Rhythm and Blues(R&B)

The genre Rhythm and Blues originated in the 1940s and came from the African Americans specifically urban African Americans. R&B created 'Rock&Roll' music and it consists of electric blues, gospel and soul music, it also combines soul and funk together. R&B has developed over the years, however it continues to be symbolise reality.  The mid 90s was time of struggle for African Americans, R&B therefore revealed this sense of struggle for equality, but it is still was very positive at the same time; it is a very realistic genre in terms of what is portrays. I feel this genre is vital for my music magazine because it links to the reality of girls between the ages of 14-19 and the fact that they are able to express themselves through R&B music and are likely to feel represented by many R&B artists. 

Hip Hop

The genre Hip Hop originated in the 1970s and came from both Hispanic and African Americans. Hip Hop is a genre of expression and artistic subcultures, it relates to break dancing, graffiti, beat boxing, MCing and DJing. I feel Hip Hop relates to my target audience because it is the genre that mostly portrays the feminist and assertive nature of women which can be seen in artists such as Lil Kim and Mary J Blige. In addition to this, the theme of Hip Hop will further encourage my target audience and may even influence them to stay confident, powerful and equal to the male gender through listening to strong, female artists who are assertive, creative and zany. 

 Idol Magazine

           

  

Research for front page Music Magazine on Prezi

                





  





Mood Board

I created a mood simply by getting pictures of the internet of celebrities that I felt related to my target audience, I made sure the pictures related to my the theme of my magazine in terms of its front cover, content page and double page spread. Once I chose these pictures I cut them out and placed them randomly on an A3 piece of paper. 

My teacher asked me why I didn't print out the picture in colour and specifically said that it being in black and white supported the atmosphere of my target audience. Therefore colour would have contradicted this even though I planned on using colour when it came to producing my magazine. 

Furthermore, I then decided to add a bit red and black which was symbolic of the aggressive and fierce mood that I wanted to elicit in my music magazine, I made sure I did this without thinking because the whole point in my music magazine was to portray music as a feeling which relates to allot of music such as R&B and Hip Hop. The red is symbolic of aggression and passion, at the same time, strong emotions. The black and white is symbolic of cheerless emotions. The models in the photos are in fact musicians who can be associated with my target audience and the atmosphere I wanted my music magazine to portray; their music connotes agression and reality. Notice how most are women. Because I wanted my music magazine to represent young women and the emotions they go through  I focused predominantly on getting images of young women rather then men. 

Overall, I think my mood board achieved its aim and did in fact help me generate more ideas before doing further research on music magazines. The main thing I gained from creating a mood board was that I realised that in order to make my music symbolic of anger and fierce music that related to reality, my models needed to have strong body language as well as a strong facial structure and features. I also noticed that clothing was very important. Lastly, I needed to make sure that the  colours I used  represented what the mood of my magazine was, for example, red, black, white and grey.