EVALUATION: Question 7

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

When looking back at my skills audit which I completed when I had finished designing my college magazine, I can see that I was able to do most things on blogger but when I neared the end I saw that I had never used photoshop before: 

The skills audit shows that I was happy to use most applications, apart from photoshop because I had never used it before. It also shows that I was unable to scan images on to a mac. This was because I was used too using a windows computer, having never really used a mac before. 
I improved my skills on a mac when I started media because I was using a mac every week to design my college magazine and my music magazine, I am now happy with being able to do most things on a mac. I don't find it hard to use anymore, and now it is simple and I feel like I can use it whenever I need too. 

When I first started the preliminary task of creating a college magazine, I had no idea on how to create a magazine or how to use indesign. I think this is shown when looking at my college magazine, because I don't think it's the best I could have done it. I think in some areas of the college magazine I let myself down because I didn't push myself to work harder and challenge myself to use applications that I was not used to using, I stuck with basics because I could understand them. I didn't use photoshop when making my college magazine, I only used indesign. I think that is why my music magazine is so much better, because I used both applications other than just the one.

When I started to create my music magazine, I used photoshop before I used indesign because I realised I needed to challenge myself and that my music magazine had to be better than my college magazine. After a few weeks of working on photoshop for my front cover, I realised it wasn't hard to use and I was extremely happy with how my front cover came out. I got used to working with the tools I had never seen before, and I I feel that photoshop really helped to make my front cover image look professional as it has outstanding editing tools. 

I then chose to use photoshop for my contents page, even though I was told not too as I may have found it too difficult. At first I did because I wasn't sure on the layout I wanted because I completely changed my mind on the flat plans. I made one contents page, and then a week later I realised that I wasn't happy with it because something wasn't right. When asking people for advice they told me it looked good but I could have made some improvements, so I left it and I went away and planned a new contents page. Whilst doing that I finished my double page spread. In the Easter holidays, I went in to college to start to design my new contents page. After sitting on a mac for four hours, it was finally done. I didn't follow any other magazines, I followed the plan that I had made in my head and on paper. I wanted it to be different, unlike every other magazine; and that is exactly how it turned out. After finishing my contents page on photoshop, I was very confident in using it. I now know what every tool is, and how to work it; I am no longer confused when I want to use it.

For my double page spread, I used indesign. I thought I was confident in this as it was the application I used before when designing my college magazine. It turns out that I had forgotten how to use some of the tools, so I had to spend a few minutes readjusting myself to the application. Once I had done that, the only thing I found difficult was trying to find how to use a ''drop down capital.'' But after asking for help, I realised how it was done. 

Drop down capital: (The M)

After designing both the college and the music magazine, I now feel confident in using photoshop and indesign. Overall, I feel as if I have learnt a lot in the progression of the magazines. I have gained a lot of experience for future work, if I ever needed to design something. 

EVALUATION: Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from 

the process of constructing this product?

Throughout the making of my magazine, I realised that technology wasn't simple anymore. It had all changed since the last time I used it, and now everything was hard to understand. I learnt that they are constantly updating technology to make it better than every other programme. I also learnt that there would be things that would stand in my way whilst using the different technologies.

Below is a SWOT ANALYSIS which explains my troubles and strengths throughout using these different technologies when making my music magazine.

EVALUATION: Questions 4 & 5

Question 4: 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My music magazine is aimed at teenagers aged between 14 and 19, mainly being girls but also including boys. My target audience are INDIE/HIPSTER teenagers.

Below are annotated images of the type of audience members that my media product is aimed at. They also show what INDIE teenagers look like because too some it may not be clear. 

1) Primary target audience - teenage girls.

 

2) Secondary audience - teenage boys.

As my magazine is aimed at INDIE/HIPSTER teenagers, the music they listen too is INDIE music. Mainly the bands and artists that are mentioned in my magazine. Bastille, The XX and Jamie T

They like to be different. They tend to do things that involve fun, eg. Skateboarding, BMX'ing, Festivals, Gigs and Tours 

As the age I have chosen for my target audience is 14 to 19, they are most likely to be students. Although they are in the same age range, the things they do everyday are likely to be diverse. For example: School, College, Full-time job or University

Question 5: 

How did you attract/address your audience?

There were a number of things which I used too attract my audience. The main thing was the artists I used on the front cover, which is what everyone will see. I had to make sure I chose the right bands and artists that fit the genre of my magazine, and I also had to make sure that they were ones that appealed to my target audience. For example, Bastille, The XX and Jamie T are three artists that I mentioned on my front cover; they are all indie artists. I had to be careful what I included on my front cover because it is the first thing that the audience see, it is what attracts them to the magazine and makes them want to buy it. Another thing I used to attract the audience were the colours, orange and black. You often see black on magazine, but you rarely see orange. I chose orange as it matches the colour of the hair on the model I used throughout my magazine. I feel as if orange is an eye catching colour, and it stands out; but it isn't too harsh to the human eye. I also used a competition to attract the audience, this is something which is seen on many magazines. I used ''WIN READING 2013 TICKETS.'' Reading festival is an INDIE festival, filled with INDIE bands. The model I used also helped me to attract the audience, as she has the indie look which will attract indie teenagers to the magazine because they will feel as if they can relate too her. I also used the name 'INFINITY' which is very different and unheard of, and it is catchy.

I used these four things to attract readers, because they are things that the audience will want in the magazine.

          Infinity is a unique and different title, that you wouldn't usually see as a music magazine title.

 
When it comes to addressing the audience, this was shown a lot in the contents page. For example, I used the second person pronouns ''ya'' and ''you'' which helps the reader to get involved. It is addressing them in a friendly yet informal way, and in a way it makes them feel like a part of the magazine.

EVALUATION: Question 3

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

The two media institutions I looked into were Bauer Media and IPC Media:

IPC Media

• Usually associated with lifestyle magazines
• Was started in the 1800's
• IPC Media produces over 85 iconic media brands
• IPC Media is the UK's leading consumer magazine and digital publisher
• IPC Media are made up of three divisions IPC Connect, IPC Inspire and IPC Southbank
• Owns NME music magazine

Bauer Media

• Europe's largest privately owned media group
• Offers over 300 magazines in fifteen countries
• They have radio and television stations
• Owns Kerrang, a well known music magazine
• Started in 1953
• Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK based media group, consisting of many companies collected around two divisions- Magazines and Radio

Both of these media groups design magazines that target a varied range of audiences. They both also make music magazines, which helped me with my design work.

I looked at the music magazines they make, and it helped me to decide what genre mine would be and the layout and colours that it would have. 

I feel as if Bauer Media would be a good company to fit my magazine in to because it is very different. They do a lot of different work, whereas IPC Media are mainly lifestyle magazines aimed at the middle age. Bauer Media branch out with the different things they work on, and the different audiences they are aimed at. I feel as if my magazine would fit with their portfolio as it is different, like their company. Although some of the things they do like radio and television attract a younger audience, I feel as if my magazine will help them attract a young, fresh teen audience. I also feel that they could use another music magazine like mine, as it is a completely different genre too Kerrang.

EVALUATION: Question 2

This is a prezi which shows my answers to question two.

EVALUATION: Question 1

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

My product uses conventions of real media. It does this by using things that you would see in or on a real magazine, for example:


1. A barcode:

You see these on every magazine that is sold in shops.









2. Puff/Plug:

You see offers like these on most magazines, it makes the magazine more popular. 









These are only few of the conventions I have used that real magazines also use.

My product challenges some conventions that you would see on a real media product. It does so because it isn't set out like a real magazine, I have made a lot of changes that you wouldn't see in a typical magazine.
For example, my contents page. You wouldn't see a contents page like mine in any well-known magazine, it is different; but in a good way. Most contents pages are the same, simple and easy to read.
For example: 

Q Magazine

As you can see the layout is very good, yet simple. The colours are well-known, they haven't gone out of their comfort zone to try something different. 


























When making my magazine I realised I wanted it to be different to other magazines. I didn't want it to be the same as the ones in the shops, because most of them are the same and I wanted to produce a catchy magazine that in my mind would be very popular to a young audience. I challenged the conventions of media products (magazines), by doing this because my magazine is very different. The colours orange and black aren't colours you'd usually use in a magazine, and they aren't colours that would particularly be aimed at a girl audience. I chose these colours because I wanted them to be different, and aimed at both girls and boys. So whilst choosing my colours, I took into account my secondary audience.
By doing this it also develops the conventions of a real media product, because I have taken some of the things from a music magazine in shops and worked on them to make them different. 
For example, for my PUFF/PLUG I haven't put a ''puff'' around it because I didn't want it to look like every other magazine with a chance to win something. The way I have done it is simple and more pleasing to the human eye, because it doesn't stand out in a shocking way but it is still something that would make you want to buy the magazine.