The Finished Products

Evaluation

Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?



Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?








Please clink the image to see the my animation

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

Question 3 from paigearmstrong

Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?



Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?



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

Final Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread Progression

In order to start creating my double page spread I first needed to split my landscape page into two sections using Photoshop. I did this by using the Rulers tool and then divided the exact image size into two and finding the centre on the ruler at the top of the page. As you can see there is a blue line running through the page that will become my double page spread - this is the ruler I have used so that I know where the centre is.

 After organising where the centre of the page would be I inserted my main image accordingly. The image was placed on one full side of the page so that if the page were to be folded then it would not be creased and look distorted when the reader is looking at it. I have also added a drop shadow to the image so that it looks the same as the images on both the front cover and the contents page, and also added a drop shadow so that the image stands out against the white background and allows the page to look a lot less boring.

The third step I took was adding some details such as the page number, headline and the magazine web address. I also added the models name so that the reader would know who they are reading about. I added this in the corner of the page so that it would be easier for people who are just flicking through the magazine to locate this article specifically as it would stand out by the colours that are used.

 After inserting specific details I then added the main pull quote. This is because this tells the audience what the article they are about to read is about so that they can make an informed decision on whether or not they wish to continue reading. I used different colours for different areas of the text so that it looks a lot more eye-catching and also emphasises the word 'nothing' in the way that it would be emphasised if they heard it being said. This gives it a more personal feel and makes the reader feel as though they are part of a conversation rather than just reading words on a page. Stroke effects have also been used on the majority of the text on this page as it helps them to stand out more among the rest of the features on the page and also makes it look a lot more child-like and therefore helps to determine my target audience.

 I decided to also add a USP in this article that tells the audience it is an exclusive interview that no other magazine would have in their featured articles. It is positioned within a flower design which also determines the target audience as it is something that younger people would be interested in and also very feminine.

 I then added the Facebook, Twitter & Instagram icons with a 'Tell us what you think!' headline, which is used to connote the idea that the audience can get involved with the article and with the story. This helps attract audiences and the young audience I am targeting my magazine at are the most likely group of people to use social media and so this indicates which target market it is aimed at.

After I added the social media icons, I started to add more text. I used a different font for this part of the text as it is not insanely important and also means that it won't take any focus from the main text that is on the page.

I then added the outlines the the columns I would be using for the main body of text. This is so that I know where the text needs to be and also that each column will be spaced evenly on the page and will be the same size. This is so that it looks more professional and neat which would make it a lot more aesthetically pleasing. I also added the 'Questions by Paige Armstrong' just above the text boxes in order to give credit to the writers in the same way that a real magazine would.
I then added my main text. I used a drop cap to emphasize the professional look that I was attempting to achieve and also I added a second pull quote in order to attract the audiences attention. This is because these are typically used so that the audience will read the pull quote and then continue to read the full article in order to put the quote into context and this is exactly what I was trying to achieve. I also left a space just above the text in the middle column for a secondary image. This is so that the text area becomes more visual and keeps my young audiences attention. I also added another piece of text near the bottom of the page which gives credit to the photographer for the photos that were used, in the same way that a real magazine would.

I then added the image and a small caption in order to tell the audience what the image is from and why is it relevant. Another element I added was  a pink box behind my drop cap so that it highlights the beginning of the text even more and adds another visual element so that the text area doesn't look as boring. 

Finally, I added in the anchorage text which tells the reader something about the image that has been used and names the model too. I also added a dotted line with a scissors icon which would suggest that the image can be cut out and used as a poster. I thought this would be a good idea as my target audience are within the group that are most likely to have posters up in their bedrooms etc. and so this emphasises who my target audience are.

Conventions of a Double Page Spread

• Main image
• Pull quotes
• Columns
• Stand first
• Text - main story
• Headline
• Credits - Photographer, Editor, Writer
• Drop cap
• Page number
• Logo
• Website
• No images or text on the centre fold

Final Contents Page

Contents Page Progression

 When creating my Playlist Contents Page the first  step I took was creating the title. I have stayed with the same style as I created my front cover masthead in to create this title so that there is continuity and a link between two pages. I have also made sure that the magazine logo is in the same place as it is on the front cover so that it becomes a house style for this magazine.

When making this I had to consider the colour scheme and as I was working towards creating a colour scheme and house style, I stuck to the same colour scheme I had chosen for my front cover. Black, pink and yellow.

The contents title is yellow because it is the brightest colour within this colour scheme and so will stand out against the pink, whereas if it was a yellow background colour and a pink title then the page may seem too bright and subsequently off-putting.

I then started to place boxes so that I could plan my layout. The darker pink boxes were used to highlight where photos would be placed so that I could begin to add other things onto the page without taking up too much space and allowing less room for my images.

The dotted line is used to highlight the area that the features will be shown, for example my stories along with the page numbers that are relevant to that specific story.

I also added a subscription area where I will eventually add in prices, a description and some other images on my Google Mock Ups that I made during the Research & Planning period of creating this magazine - this is so that they look like other editions of this magazine and will therefore look a lot more professional. Another addition to my contents page was the page number, the social media icons and the magazines website. This is because it is very conventional to have these features so that the reader can navigate there way to this page but also find the magazine and talk about the magazine over social media sites.

After creating the things stated above, I added text to the subscription area of this page and the Google Mock Up images I had mentioned previously. This was added so that the reader knows what they would be paying monthly to get exactly what is written in the description that has also been added.

The Google Mock Ups that have been used work well with this magazine as they both have the same masthead and the same logo - which suggests a house style for the second time in this magazine.

I also added a small box to highlight where another image would be going. This image would be supporting text for the Editor's Letter.

I then wrote and added the Editor's Letter and the image to go with it. The letter is something that I found through research to be quite conventional in all genres of music magazines and so I planned to use one of these from the beginning so that it reinforce this convention.

The letter is basically just something I have wrote the briefly tells the reader what the whole magazine includes, and where they got their information from.

I then added images into the boxes I had previously provided. Each of these images are original and are placed as to go along with page numbers and a brief description or quote so that they display the conventions of the main stories within a magazine - which is to have the story along with an image rather than just text in a list.

 After placing the images into the contents page, I added the text needed for a contents page to fulfil its purpose.

The text also coordinates with the colour scheme with the exception of "tweet us" as this particular part of the text refers to a social media site and so I thought it would be a good idea to use the colour from that site in order to spark some comfortability within the page as the target audience specifically will understand this reference and will recognise it instantly.

The page numbers have also been included, with the ones alongside the images highlighted by a yellow square so that they stand out to the audience more and so they will not have to put a lot of effort into finding the page number for the story they are looking for.

After the text had been added I noticed that there was certain areas on the page that blended into the background they were placed on. This is why I decided to add some effects - mainly drop shadows. This is so that they stood out from the background and also looked a lot more professional.

I also added a gradient effect onto the background colour so that it wasn't so bold and in the audiences face. I think that this made it look a lot better as it is a lot easier to look at and also the colour of the 'Contents' title isn't as bright and striking but sits nicely at the top of the page.











The last effect I added was on the Contents Title as I decided, last minute, to add a stroke effect to make it look more bold on the page. This is because all of the other bits of text on the page had an effect such as the drop shadow added to it and so took attention away from the title of the page, which I think is an extremely important and very conventional feature.

Contents Page First Draft

On my first draft I made sure that I had the essentials and the outline of where I need to add certain elements. On this draft I am currently missing images, text and my page numbers. Although, this does outline where these elements will be placed.

Conventions of a Contents Page

•          ‘Contents’ Title
•          Page Numbers
•          Masthead
•          Images that match your feature stories
•          Featured/Regular Articles
•          Brief descriptions of the stories
•          Letter from the editor
•          Columns/boxes
•          Social media and web address
•          Date and issue
•          A realistic amount of pages for the price
•          Supporting images
•          Subheadings (weekly, cover stories, regulars, featured etc)
•          Main feature near the start of the magazine (Pages 10 – 14)

Final Front Cover

Third/Final Front Cover Progression

After my second attempt at creating a front cover, I decided once again to change my style. In order to start this front cover I inserted both the skyline, footer, masthead and the main image.

This is because these are parts of the magazine that need to be placed so that the rest can be arranged around them. You can see that the main image also has a drop shadow inserted, which was used to make it stand out off the page and therefore become more of the main focus that it would have been. I also made the footer slightly transparent so that the main image was not totally covered and give the impression that the information placed in the footer is more important. The masthead is slightly covered by the main image as I have noticed this is many magazine front covers in my research and therefore took that idea and used it in mine. The logo of the magazine is also used next to the masthead so that I can refer back to it and use the logo throughout the magazine rather than using the full masthead.

In order to create the footer and the skyline I had to create a rectangle shape and then change the colour to the same pink that I had featured in my masthead, using the eye-drop tool. I then made the footer slightly transparent by changing the opacity.

The next step I took was to add text into both my skyline and my footer. These are very conventional for this part of a magazine as they display USP's that my target audience would be very interested in. I also added space where I would plan to add images within the footer and also the bar code alongside the date and price. These features are also extremely conventional as it is what stores need in order to ensure sales but also for the audience so that they know how much the magazine costs and what edition it is/whether it is up-to-date.

I chose to keep the price and date quite small so that it would not take up too much room and allow less space for the main stories and more images - as this is what my target audience is most interested in looking at.





I then added my main story headline. I placed a transparent banner over the top of the main image so that the audience then know that the text covering this image is relevant to the image itself. I then used a different font ('French Script') as opposed to the one used in the rest of the magazine ('Impact') so that it stands out and demonstrates it's importance. I also used more yellow so that it stands out more against the pink and black.

Then, I added my images and the text that is relevant. As you can see some of my images have a pink box with a drop shadow used behind them, similar to that of which I used for my main image. This is so that the images stand out of the page when surrounded by the amount of text that I have placed on the cover.

The features I have chosen to use are conventional stories that audiences would find on a pop magazine. I have added an element of gossip, bands, solo artists, star style, tickets and freebies as a way of giving my target audience a variety of different features to choose from. Also, I have placed these headlines and images around the main image so that the image is still central on the page and the main focus along with its headline. There are a few banners and text that cover small parts of the main images but the face of the model used and the clothes she is wearing are still very visible, which I thought would be the main idea behind the layout.




After looking at my front cover I felt as though something wasn't quite right. This was due to space that had been left on the left side of the page on the pink banner I had created for my headline.

In order to fill the space, I moved my headline text around. There is now very little space left on the page and so I now feel it looks a lot more professional than it did before.

Front Cover First Draft

Magazine Progession

The first step towards making my final magazine front cover was to choose my colour scheme. I chose to work with pink, green and white as they are quite feminine colours and so will attract my target audience and also because they work well together.

I also chose my masthead within this part of creating my magazine. I chose this specific text because the layout of it looks very feminine and will attract younger audiences, as older audiences will be looking for something more sophisticated or at least  a bit more stylish.

My next step was adding my main image. I chose this image because the model looks very happy which suggests a happy and fun tone for the magazine. The white flowers on the floral dress were also used to give the connotations of innocence for the model.

While adding this image I also adjusted the levels and brightness of it. This is so that it doesn't look dull and stands out against the white background. It also makes the entire page look more colourful and adheres to the needs of the pop genre.

For this image I also had to remove the background, I used the quick selection tool to do this without having any rough edges. I then went around the model with an eraser with the opacity ranging between 20%-30% in order to give her a softer look against the masthead and any other possible text I will be using later on.

After I had gotten my main image at a standard that I was pleased with, I began to insert some of my text. I started with the skyline and footer text.

I inserted two USP's that may attract my target audience, as younger girls will always be interested in freebies and also the 10 most popular albums of 2014 may attract them too because they are in the era that downloading music is extremely popular and so they will need this information.

The text I used is bold Impact. I used this because it stands out a lot against anything else, it is simple but also very effective in the way that it gets the audience's attention. I also stuck to my colour scheme while creating these to make it look organised and professional.

I then started creating my feature stories. The main story was added first as I knew that this needed to take up most of the room on the page and so I added it first so that all other texts would be placed according to this specific text.

I changed the colour scheme slightly on this text by adding the colours yellow and red. This is so that this article in particular stands out against the rest of the text that will be on the cover later on. This emphasises it's importance to the magazine, rather than just relying on the size of the text.








After a lot of deliberating I decided that this layout would not work for the effect I wanted to have on my audience. This is why I decided to completely change the layout and colour scheme. The following is the process of creating my first successful draft.

The first step I made after beginning to create my second attempt was to insert my footer, skyline and masthead. I also decided on my colour scheme, which is pink, black and white. I chose these colours as pink helps to determine the audience of this magazine, black has been used as it is very dominant and powerful against other colours and so will help my features to stand out, and white has been used because it is quite plain and so would not clash with colours within possible images I may use and also fits well with the other colours in this scheme.

 I then inserted my image. I did this before anything else so that I know where to put my stories in relation to the placement of the image. This is so that there will be no text clashing with the image and will therefore make it less cluttered and look more professional.

The dress my model is wearing has been chosen because of the white floral pattern which matches the colour scheme well and also because the flowers on her dress connote the idea of innocence and gives the audience an idea of what the article inside will be about or at least the type of article it will be.

While adding this image I also adjusted the levels, this was so that the photo would not look dull or boring and would stand out against the vibrant pink I have chosen to use.

For this image I also had to remove the background, I used the quick selection tool to do this without having any rough edges. I then went around the model with an eraser with the opacity ranging between 20%-30% in order to give her a softer look against the masthead and any other possible text I will be using later on.

After placing my image in a place that I found suitable enough for a front cover, I inserted the skyline and footer text.

I inserted two USP's that may attract my target audience, as younger girls will always be interested in freebies and also the 10 most popular albums of 2014 may attract them too because they are in the era that downloading music is extremely popular and so they will need this information.

The text I used is bold Impact. I used this because it stands out a lot against anything else, it is simple but also very effective in the way that it gets the audience's attention. I also stuck to my colour scheme while creating these to make it look organised and professional.

I then started creating my feature stories. The main story was added first as I knew that this needed to take up most of the room on the page and so I added it first so that all other texts would be placed according to this specific text.

I changed the colour scheme slightly on this text by adding the colours yellow and red. This is so that this article in particular stands out against the rest of the text that will be on the cover later on. This emphasises it's importance to the magazine, rather than just relying on the size of the text.

After inserting my main feature article, I then started inserting the rest. All the text fits in with the colour scheme of pink, black and white and the only bit of text which strays from the rest of the text is a band name which has been written different to allow my audience to recognise them. 

Magazine Photoshoot

Images That I Liked

The images above are the shots I had taken in my photo shoot for my magazine front cover. These particular images are the shots I had grouped together because I found them successful in what I was trying to achieve. The model in all of the photos is smiling, which is what I wanted as a way of giving the connotations of happiness and allowing my audience to understand the tone of this magazine.

Masthead Font Choices

Test Shot Photoshoot

Medium Close Up
This is a successful image as it is shot from the waist up, which is what is known as a medium close-up. This image would be successful on the front cover of a magazine as, through research, I have found that the typical shot used for a front cover is medium close up.













Close Up

This is a successful image in the sense that it was supposed to be shot as a close up, although it would not be as successful as a medium close up on a front cover as it is too close to the artist and does not leave much room for text. 

Long Shot
Similar to the close up, this image is successful in that it was supposed to be a long shot, but would not be as successful on the cover of a magazine. This is because it is too far away from the model which means there would be very little emotion in the image and also means that there is a risk of having too much empty space on the magazine, making it look quite amateur and uninteresting.










Two Shot
This two shot would be successful on a front cover if it were showing a bad or partnership in music etc. This is because it is framed as a medium-long shot and so isn't too far away that you can't see their emotions and also can see how they are dressed, which fans of artists tend to be very interested in.

Example of bad lighting
For a pop magazine this image would be very unsuccessful as the lighting is very dark and goes against all conventions of the pop genre. The shadows on her face connote the idea of a darker genre such as indie or rock and so would be misleading to the target audience.

Example of good lighting
This would be good lighting to use for a pop magazine as the light makes the model look bright and would emphasise any bright colours that they would be wearing. It also makes sure that the model is the main focus of the image and would be very difficult to find a distraction.















Badly framed 
This would be unsuccessful on a magazine as the photo does not leave much room for a masthead, feature stories or any of the conventional elements. Also, it doesn't fit with the pop genre as it slightly disorientates the audience and younger audience may find this off putting.