storyboard

Pre-Production Survey

Mood Board

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-3xZYlg_M4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChtCJJq2ipg&feature=fvwrel

Magazine Advert Deconstruction

 

 

1. Overall Design

I believe the target audience is alternative rock fans, both male and female. The age of the target audience would be teenagers +

It appeals to the target audience as the advert is purely black and white which gives it a ghostly and vintage effect.

It reflects on the band and genre, as they are individual and quite rough around the edges but then again quite feminine and innocent.

The advert design reflects the ethos of the band, as it is sophisticated, individual, intellectual and artistic. Paramore are a relatively serious band so it therefore makes sense the advert is well thought-out and sophisticated.

I believe it is an artistic comment on the artist. It is not clear what the purpose of the ceramic dolls is, but it does give a chilling effect and makes you feel slightly on edge, similar to some of their music. However, it could be seen as a huge contrast as the image is very quiet and childlike with a dark edge. Paramores music is known for being loud and in your face.

The most obvious and noticeable element is the image of the two dolls. If the image were in colour it would not have had the same effect. The text is slightly boring, however, I feel that the image helps to strengthen the advert and sell the product.

 

2. Text

 

What text is visible: name of album, band name, release date, gig dates, special promotions, review quotes, competitions etc?

The name of the band is Paramore, the single is called Ignorance which links to the fact that the image of the two dolls.

How has the font and colour of the text effected meaning to TA or reflected the band/artist or album’s meaning?

The font is quite feminine and the writing is reasonably simplistic. The text could link to the target audience as it is in white against the black backround, which gives it a gothic and rock effect.

The advert is in a rectangular shape. It is evenly distributed. The image takes up about half of the advert, and the wording takes up the other half.  Two of the lines of text are in italics, which makes it seem like it takes up more space.

 

 

3. Band branding

 

The band has been represented as intellectual as the image is an artistic statement and confusing. It also shows that the feminine side to the band as Hayley is in the band.

The advert doesn’t particularly incorporate the album design. There is no other branding, which relates the image used for the advertisement.

 

 

4. Graphics & Photography

 

The graphics within the advertisement is just that of the two ceramic statues. It is unusual as there is no image to show what the album artwork looks like.

Black and white is used which gives it a vintage effect. The fact it is in black and white also makes it seem as if it is slightly haunted as the shadowing makes the ceramic dolls look slightly evil. Id the image was it colour it would have made the dolls look sweet and innocent, which Paramore are not intending on getting through to the audience.

The colours used are black, white and grey- this makes the image interesting and makes it easy to attach lettering on top of the image.

The only photography is of the two dolls. This makes the image seem more important and encourages the reader to think for him or herself, as to what the deep meaning of the ceramics could be.

I do not believe that any of the photos have been tampered with to a strong extent however; Photoshop may have been used to change the contrast of the image. The image doesn’t appear to directly relate to the name of the single.

 

A2 Media CD cover deconstruction Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur

Overall Design

The target audience is Indie. I do not think the graphics are orientated specifically to females or males, as Indie is a unisex genre. I feel that people who like Indie music are not judgmental and it’s a genre of music where both female and males are not separated. Genres such as Pop, are known to be generated around females and HipHop around males.

It appeals to the target audience as it is photographed in a very unusual and trippy manner. The image could be seen as quite plain as there is no writing, however, I feel that the target audience would find it interesting and relate to the fact they are ‘individual’. It reflects on the band as being quite interesting, unusual and fun. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur are not a very well known band. However, recently there songs ‘Household goods’ and ‘Garden’ have been played on Radio 1 and Radio 1 extra. It uses very loud colours, this works well as the cover is very unusual and doesn’t fit the natural codes and conventions.

I believe the cover has reflected the ethos of the artist, as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur are unique and there music isn’t entirely indie, it has got hint of dubstep in amongst it. The image on the cover could relate to lights or perhaps drugs which stereotypically both Indie and dubstep fans are know to participate in.

I would have said that the cover is more of an artistic comment on the artist rather then a simple promotional cover. However, the band are shown (in there videos especially) that they are to themselves and not over confident and involved in strict dance routines or covered in makeup. That may therefore be the reason why the front cover is a graphic and not a real image. I feel a reasonably small majority of people and especially fans know when they see the cover that it is a contemporary artist or band but perhaps not able to name whose cover it is. However, I believe that soon Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur will become a well-established band as there music can be played on large radio stations such as Radio 1. Photoshop will have definitely been used, but not the airbrush technique as there are no human faces used like a Pop CD cover would have. The image seems as if was created on clip art and then edited through photoshop and composed so it looks like it a tribal and trippy image.

Text

There is no wording at all on the front cover of the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur CD, this makes it seem individual and unique. However, as the band are not very well known, it is unusual, but I feel however that it works.

Band branding

The artist has been represented through the style of the cover, as the image is very bright and vibrant. The only way the cover really links into the artist is the fact that the band has the logo of a Dinosaur.

 

Graphics & Photography

The main graphic is the Dinosaur in the centre of the image. I believe The image was created via photoshop or clip art. I believe that the dinosaur is meant to look Aztec or tribal.

I believe the contrast in the image works well as the Dinosaur is so clear and bright however the background is harsher and perhaps the darkness represents the dubstep side of some of the music. The image is contemporary and interesting and I feel represents the feelings you perhaps receive from listening to the music.

A2 Media CD cover deconstruction- Kanye West

Overall Design

The target audience is HipHop. The graphics are quite male orientated which is correct, as HipHop is a masculine genre of music and woman are usually used as ‘eye candy’ within the videos.

It appeals to the target audience as it is photographed in a very grand building with an unusual centre point of a stuffed animal with an American jacket on, this indicated College/University life, which makes it seem aimed at that age range. It reflects on the artist as being quite interesting and fun. Kanye West is known for being a bit of an attention seeker. It uses very dark colours and Kanye is know for wearing sun glasses for most of the time he is seen or wearing an all black suit.

I believe the cover has reflected the ethos of the artist, as Kanye is wealthy and stereotypically very American.

I would have said that the cover is more of an artistic comment on the artist rather then a simple promotional cover. However three of his Album covers contain the same styled bear on the cover. I feel that the majority of people and especially fans know when they see it the cover that it is Kanye West. I believe Photoshop will have definitely been used but perhaps not the airbrush technique as it is a polished photo, but doesn’t involve a human face which would need to be tweaked.

Text

The only wording on the cover is ‘KANYE WEST Late Registration’ on the top right corner, and in the bottom left corner the ‘Parental Advisory’ sticker warning that there is swearing involved within the CD.

The wording kanYeWest is how Kanye’s CD covers are seen, as that is the established way he is seen by his target audience. The text is that which you would expect in a book or newspaper, which shows it as being reliable and well known, just like Kanye. The text could also be set up in this way as the photograph is taken so it looks like it is from a university or collage in which books are read.

Band branding

The artist has been represented through the style of the cover as Kanye has a cartoon version of his, which is the bear, which is shown on the front cover. This therefore shows that he is aiming towards his target audience, as they will understand the cover better. It is a very masculine photograph. However, it is slightly softer as the bear is used in the image. It does give it a slightly haunting effect. In ‘Graduation’ and ‘The College Dropout’ a bear is used, along with the fact they all have the same bear on the front cover. The writing for KanYeWest is in gold lettering which makes it seem expensive which I believe the artists behind the CD cover were aiming for as Kanye has a reputation for being very wealthy and well established.

All of the CD’s, which contain the bear on the front cover, are named after certain aspects of college so seem like they flow together and tell a story of his earlier life.

Graphics & Photography

The main graphic is the bear in the centre of the image. I believe two separate pictures were taken and then the bear was edited and cut to fit the image.

I believe the contrast in the image has been altered so that it seems dark and mysterious. The sides of the image are almost completely blacked out which makes the bear look vulnerable, when really Kanye is a very strong-minded person who also speaks his mind.

The colour pallet is all different browns. The lightest brown id the doorframe as it has to show the bear in front of it. Everything in the image is very symmetrical which makes it seem a little less spooky and more staged.

The image and name of the album do flatter one another as they are both relating to college. The fact that it says ‘Late’ and the bare is walking into an empty room makes it seem that perhaps Kanye is talking about past experience or college life.

A2 Music Video Deconstruction- Totally Enormous Extrinsic Dinosaur

Codes and conventions to identify and justify.

 

1. Lyrics and Narrative:

Everywhere i look i just see you
on your own
all that it took was one Call on his Phone
forgive me if im wrong but you look shit all along
so give me another shot cause i could be the dock to your bone or something
Even After all all the bad things that you done we should be together sharing this love in my home
i know im not alone you still look shit all along so give me another shot cause i could be be be be
Everywhere i look i just see you on your own all that it took was one call on his phone

I believe the narrative is conveying the fact that he is alone and feeling anger towards someone he has previously loved ‘you still look shit’. Its as if he is trying to forget her but she wont disappear from his mind.

The artist, even though ‘Totally enormous extinct dinosaurs’ is a band, is seen alone throughout the entire music video. Even when there is a drop in the music the character/artist doesn’t appear to dance or show any emotion.

They are important to the visual forms and narrative to the video as the singer in the band is ‘all alone’. The song is called household goods and at 1:45 in the song the main singer is shown standing in a room filled with boxes as if he is lost and doesn’t know where he is.

The narrative is obvious but the way that it was conveyed and shown in the music video was unusual and interesting and wouldn’t have been what most people would have assumed it to look like.

There are no real themes other then the fact he is alone and the viewer is perhaps drawn into his thoughts.  A theme could be love/loss however it doesn’t breech the guidelines of what a normal love music video would look like: 

2. Costume/makeup:

The singer has unusual headwear on but is know very well for having this unusual costume. It just makes the video seem a little bit mysterious and confused. The singer has very plain features so he looks very ordinary and not glamorised.

The makeup conveys a qwerky and abnormal style to the video making it unique. The artist’s music is quite unique so it therefore relates to the performers music.

The makeup and style is not relevant to the story line other then the fact that perhaps as he is unique, he is alone.

3. Performance

The main character is the singer from the band. I presume that he is narrating it, however it is unusual as he is on his own and you are unable to tell where he is. It makes the acting more realistic as he looks lost. The band is not playing ‘live’, I do not feel it would have had the same effect if it was live.

The performance overall has a very realistic effect. The singer is not wearing designer clothes or makeup. They haven’t got expensive gadgets or props around them. The lyrics and the visuals is what clearly work well together.

     4. Camera/lighting

There are a lot of close ups and medium close ups used which show the blank expression the main singer is conveying to the camera. The majority of the video consists of the main characters face and him wearing a blue one piece. Throughout the whole video there are different effects, which merge and cover the screen such as the rubric cube effect.
As the song is unusual as there are very few lyrics it produces a dream like state. The character also seems very calm and if anything bored. The character very rarely moves but when he blinks or finishes a sentence the camera usually changes position. The video and camera movements tend to work around the lyrics I think as the frequency of cuts are quite slow and relaxed, not jumpy.

In the first part of the video there is a constant use of close ups. It is constantly segmenting his face without the camera panning or zooming in. It’s not until 1:45 where the camera does slightly move so that it can follow him. The camera is very still and looks set up. There is a constant array of different materials covering the camera and over laying the singers face to give the video more texture and bulk. The is no way of telling where the singer is, thus there is not establishing shots. The video is extremely simple. First time watching it may be seen as boring but after watching a few times you gain appreciation to the artistic angle the director is aiming for.

     5. Edit, Special FX and overdubbed sound

There is no extreme CGI used, however there are some graphics such as the coloured cubes, which appear a few times. There is no black and white used. However it seems like a lot of the colours have been drained form the video as the main theme colour are beige and brown/red. However the blue in the singer’s one piece stands out and gives it quite a cold and grungy effect.

There is no slow or fast motion used and definitely no movement back in time. You are unable to tell when and where the video was filmed.
The edit tempo is reasonably slow and works mainly in sync with the singers movements such as him blinking and finishing a sentence.
      6.Representation:
The video is designed for neither male nor female gaze. It’s a video made purely for the music and not including sexy females or attractive males.

I believe the artist is represented as unique and individual as you are unable to relate this video to any others, including other videos that the band have created. He is shown as without any expensive props, just coloured boxes and fin foil to create a ‘dinosaur’ like costume. The target audience is not represented however I believe that the target audience is that of an indie genre who perhaps have drug usage.

      7.Target audience:

 

The video attracts its audience through its individualism. Consumers of the music will like the song as it is not cheesy, but could be seen on MTV and other music stations. The qwerkyness to the video may attract them and draw them in as the style is extremely odd.
I believe then clothing is not what the target audience would wear but perhaps style themselves plane as the male singer appears to look like.

8. Inter- text- uality:

There are no references to any other texts, other then the fact the males singer is dresses as some sort of indie dinosaur and the band is called ‘Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur. I believe that you don’t necessarily need to understand this video, but if I had to decipher a particular audience it would be the indie group.

A2 Music Video Deconstruction- Modestep

Codes and conventions to identify and justify.

 

1. Lyrics and Narrative:

• What are the lyrics about and what is the narrative?

Put on those shades
And wave to yesterday
The sunlight hurts my eyes
…

Sunlight hurts my [x5]
Sun…
The sunlight hurts my eyes…

Don’t look to the skies

Eyes [x5]
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/modestep/sunlight.html ]
Put on those shades
And wave to yesterday
The sunlight hurts my eyes
[X3]

Put on those shades
And wave to yesterday
The sunlight hurts my
The sunlight hurts my eyes [x4]

Don’t look to the skies

The sunlight hurts my eyes [x7]

Don’t look to the skies

Bring the beat back [x2]

The sunlight hurts my eyes

I believe there is no real deep meaning to this song other than the fact it could be referencing to drug and alcohol usage. It makes it seem that Modestep is trying to explain how it feels perhaps.

There is a huge jux-to-position, as it is explaining how the majority of youths behave, especially those who listen to the dubstep genre. There is then different scenes shown including 70+ aged actors who are shown to be doing normal activities for their age such as making egg on toast, however they are then also shown riding bikes, stealing from the local shop, drinking ‘Jack Danielle’s’ , using drugs in different sitruations, playing ‘who am I’ using other dubstep artists names such as ‘Skrillex’ and ‘Rusko’, using helium, drinking and smoking in a local place, vandalising, being violent, going out clubbing with people far younger than them. At the end of the video it once again shows the older characters walking away from the character (long shot) to incorporate the bleak colours such as beige as grey which reflect their real life. There are constant changes of scene for approximately the first half of the video showing Modestep performing, the scenes then in twine to show the elderly characters dancing at the artists performance.

I believe if the visual content was different there would be far less of an interest to watch the video. The fact that it is elderly people makes it interesting, unusual and amusing. The song is reasonably repetitive, however the video is constantly changing scene and keeping the audience watching.

The narrative is abstract, the fact there is such a high contrast between props, venue and characters makes it less believable and is taken in a jokey way.

The themes revolve around teenage life, mainly incorporating drugs and alcohol abuse. I am planning to incorporate aspects of teenage life within my video such as drugs and alcohol.  

2. Costume/makeup:

As the focal characters of the video is elderly people, they are not being made to look glamorous and sexy, if anything they would have purposely made them look older. They are dressed as any elderly person would, it is just their actions which do not follow the normal activates of this age of person.

The visuals are shown are ironic as it draws in the viewer, believing it to be amusing but at the same time worry slightly about the characters. The artists themselves are just performing as normal, therefore they look like an ordinary proper band and they look a lot more natural and conventionally right.

The visuals are extremely relevant to the video; however the artists aren’t relying on makeup to enhance their sale of the video.

3. Performance

There are two strips of narrative, one being the old people and the other being Modestep performing in a garage/club. About two minutes in the two separate scenes meet as one. Once all of the characters are in the club it doesn’t seem quite as staged and fake.

The band performs live at time making the video seem more natural. However the genre ‘dubstep’ is not created through playing musical instruments. In the video however they are shown to be playing the drums and guitar as well as singing.

The main actors are the old people that the narrative is focusing on.  Along side them are the array of woman and other spectators of ‘Modestep’s’ performance.  There are constantly very fast takes, which make the actors seem as if they are younger and lively. The fact that they also hang out with woman a lot younger then them makes it suggest paedophilia, however the fact the entire video is ironic gives it a comical twist. 

Surprising the combination of the live performance and the staged characters performance works very well together, giving it a serious but comical effect. The fact they use old characters, enhances the fact that times have changed and youths are now a lot more rebellious and disruptive.

• How is this relevant to the narrative, lyrics, and artist…what emotions are conveyed: why, how?

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     4. Camera/lighting

At the start of the video there are a lot of close up’s shown, as well as a high angle shot to show the old woman eating her breakfast and having a cup of coffee (like a normal person her age). However we are then shown a medium shot which shows the table is set for more then one person, there are also large speakers placed behind her head. There are also a lot of close up’s involved with the live performance showing the instruments, decks and the singer. There are very fast takes when the old people go to shop lift the local store, making it seem they are far more athletic then they really are. There is a lot of jerking movements as if handy cam has been used. Close ups are used to show the old characters smoking and drinking; there reactions are then enhanced. Occasionally it cuts to scenes of the old characters walking along the beach, slow motion is used, I believe this is either to show there true age or if its supposed to be a recitation to the drugs. Quite a lot of fragmentation is used in the second half of the video. When the music then speeds up around 3:00, after the older man has taken more drugs, the video speeds up with short takes as well as enhancements on lights, giving it an out of control feel. The last section of the video is a montage edit of what previously just happened to the. The old characters are then once again shown as being filmed in slow motion and surrounded by a grey and bleak setting.

If the takes went as fast paced and weren’t in time with the music then it would not have had the same effect. Most of the camera styles are driven by the performance of the old people and what they get up to, along with the narrative of the music and when the different drops come in, the scene drastically changes.

There is a tracking shot used when they cycle along the seaside, which makes them seem young, and child like. A lot of hand held camera is used to deliver a fun and realistic approach. Close ups are commonly used in this video to enhance the face that the characters are up to no good.  If the characters are inside it appears the takes are shorter and quicker, however when they are outside quite a few slow motion shots are included.

     5. Edit, Special FX and overdubbed sound

All of the sound that is used it the track, there is no other effects or sounds.

Slow motion is used in different sections as I have previously written about, usually it’s to show that the characters really are old.

The pace of edit varies from fast, when the elderly people are using drugs and drinking to reasonably slow when it shows long takes and slow motion when they are walking away from the camera on a beach.

      6.Representation:

• Is there any Voyeurism, exhibitionism and star iconography?

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• Is it designed for the ‘male gaze’ or ‘female gaze’ or neither?

I believe the video is made for neither male gaze nor female gaze, however, there are parts, such as in the second half of the video. There are woman acting sexually, such as the woman with the snake and when the old men are dancing with them and at the house they are sparsely dressed.

I believe the band modestep are shown to be light hearted but represented as cool in the way they dress and produce the video, as it is fun and interesting. There shown as a more unique dubstep group as they are using instruments and there are vocals within the song.

I wouldn’t have said the target audience was necessarily pointed out, unless the crowd dancing is meant to represent the stereotype.

      7.Target audience:

 

I believe the video attracts its audience as it is different and an interesting video which never gets tiring to watch. The fact it shows what the audience should be doing when they listen to this general genre of music.

The clothing worn by the performers is similar to that of the target audience but not the elderly people or hardly dressed females.

8. Inter- text- uality:

There do not appear to be any other references to any other texts.

• Does it aid the narrative and/or performance: how, why?

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I believe young audiences around 20 will understand the video the most however younger audiences would not understand what is going on and an older audience may feel confused or discussed. They are almost certainly not going to enjoy the genre of music either.

• Is it to attract a target audience and/or suggest a way of life or attitude to something? 

A2 Music Video Brief

The genre of music that I have chosen is dubstep, the artist is Calvin Harris who is not known for this genre, however the song has been remixed by Nero who is one of the top dubstep artists. Calvin Harris is signed by EMI and Sony BMG. Calvin Harris is established in many different genres such as: Electropop, Electro house, Nu-disco and Synthpop.

Nero is an artist which is not known for giving interviews however, they perform amazing live gigs and gain a lot of their audience from live tours, such as UKF base culture. So far Nero have had a lot of their singles in the charts which is unusual for dubstep as it is targeted to a niche audience. The fact that this song has been remixed by nero opens up the target audience. Calvin Harris on the other hand has had many chart songs such as ‘Acceptable in the 80’s’. He plays live and has a large fan base.

 

 Song Lyrics:

“Feel So Close”

I feel so close to you right now
It’s a force feel
I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal
Your love bows down, I mean surround me like a waterfall
And there’s no stopping us right now
I feel so close to you right now

I feel so close to you right now
It’s a force feel
I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal
Your love bows down, I mean surround me like a waterfall
And there’s no stopping us right now
I feel so close to you right now

And there’s no stopping us right now

And there’s no stopping us right now

And there’s no stopping us right now

I feel so close to you right now…

    I believe that this song is based on a relationship that has perhaps once had its issues but now the male character is expressing his feeling for her and how nothing can come between them.

I am planning on setting a lot of my video outside in areas such as woodland and fields. I will also reflect back to scenes of concerts and hot destinations. My main idea is to have a group of teenagers in disguise/fancy dress dancing. There is no real aim to my music video apart from I want to show confusion and a state of relaxation. I also want to have a strong contrast of the tranquil countryside environment against the urban harshness of the characters clothing- wearing bright trainers against an autumn woodland floor is what I wish to show at the start of the video.

• The video will jump in and out of loads of different scenes that best describe teenage life. I want to use a contrast of colours to give it a tippy affect.
• My theme is relationships and friendship – I want the video to be fun and bright.
• I want to play with the hue. I may use some black and white at the end of the video when it takes a while to fade out.
• I want my muisc video to jump in and out of different time frames which show a group of friends in different situations. I want at the start to be a line of friends and the camera to sweep along the floor showing there footwear, then panning up to show their faces, moving from left to right i then want them to either kiss on the lips or cheek to the person next to them. I also want to include my friends old morris minor to give it a vintage effect. I want to video from both inside and outside of the car to show the closness of the friends and to put them into everyday situations. I want to show the characters in fancy dress in a wodland with a camp fire if possible to give a trippy effect ande have them running through large fields to give a greater effect. As a contrast i will also have them having a tea party at a grand house but with a twist.

5. Real media examples of similar products – give examples?

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• similar album covers

• similar adverts, and in which magazines?

My target audience is aged 16-30, the age around the time when teenagers begin socialising, go to university and go clubbing. I believe ‘Feel So Close’ is targeted at both males and females but is perhaps more orientated around men. Interests will include socialising, going to live concerts, festivals and student life. The majority of people who listen to this song will be 18+ and be UNI students. Fashion will be relaxed and casual. I believe people who listen to ‘Feel So Close’ listen to Radio1, 1Extra, Heart, Kiss FM and are regular users of Youtube. Fans of the music are less likely to pay for there music as they will be interested in other artists such as Skrillex and Netsky who have all of there music on YouTube which is far more convenient for the target audience as it is free and the artists then create a large fan base to go to there concerts and produce high revenue. The target audience are likely to use radio, TV or MP3’s every day. I believe most of the target audience own IPhones, Blackberrys and other Smart phones, as a contrast however, students are notoriously know for being destructive and carless with possessions, especially when they have been out or drinking. I therefore believe the target audience may own extremely cheap mobile phones meaning they rely more on iPods and Laptops to receive there music streaming. The target audience would attend concerts such as UKF Base culture and Creamfields not festivals like Glastonbury as it is too mainstream. The majority of the target audience would use illegal download, as it is more convenient and rely on Radio and YouTube. I don’t think that the target audience would be interested in Twitter as that is more suitable for artists such as Rihanna, Britney Spears and Eminem. I presume YouTube would be what the majority of 16-30 year olds would use.

I believe the target audience for ‘Feel So Close’ would regularly watch programmes such as Skins, This is England 86’, Misfits and Shameless. I Believe my target audience will be watching TV mainly in the evening from 8 o’clock onwards. However they may also watch it in the early hours of the morning after coming back from a night out. I therefore believe I should advertise for my song from 8 PM- 6AM. I believe I should also advertise through YouTube, Facebook, My Space and perhaps twitter. I would advertise inside magazines such as NME, Brrrap!, Get Darker, The Fader, Spannered and XLR8R.  

I do not believe there to be any point in me advertising in newspapers as it would not complement the vibe of the magazine. I believe my target audience would go to concerts, which specifically concentrated on the artists that they were a fan of. For example, when someone like Nero plays at a large festival (base culture), it is likely that Chase and Status will also be playing. I believe my target audience would shop at Urban Outfitter, American Apparel,  Adidas, Fred Perry and TOPSHOP/TOPMAN.

Music Magazine Post Production Evaluation

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

For my AS project, I felt it would be a good idea for my target audience to be both male and female as it works well alongside the unique and individual genre (most magazines are not designed for both males and females). The age that I was targeting was 16+ as some of the contents could be unsuitable for 15- and uninteresting to them. I produced a music magazine which covers a variety of genres of music. This includes: Hip hop, Dub step, Indie and Pop. I felt it would be an unusual and  challenging project to have a vast selection of music. My magazine is therefore aimed at a large selection of people, However, the cover has a very strong Indie vibe. My contents page works against the conventional grid as it splits each of the genres into sections. My interview is with ‘Marian Hewish’, who is the girl on the front cover. My magazine is consequently universal and available to most Indie, pop, hip hop and dub step fans.

I looked closely at INDIE magazine as it has a simplistic idea behind it but has been altered and cleverly composed so that it has a sophisticated and unique effect. For example, the American flag cover has all of its colours matching and complementing one another, red, white and blue. The woman in the picture then has a pale skin complexion and very dark hair which contrasts strongly. This therefore makes the page ecstatically pleasing. I attempted to convey this effect into my own magazine cover.  

I also found POP magazine has a well thought out lay out on the front cover. The image is interesting and works well as a front cover image. The colours all work well and complement one another (pink, white, black and grey). For my cover I used a complementing colour palate also.

I used oranges which range from a bright orange to a rusty brown orange. I also kept the text in a similar colour so that the cover joins as a whole. I felt it would be better to have more content on the front cover as my image had natural white space which required to be filled with text.

I found that in my magazine I went against the usual codes and conventions. Both of these magazines have quite usual front covers and partly work against the normal codes and conventions. Using an unconventional grid also helped to produce the unique and individual effect. However, the masthead is in a conventional place along with the bar code and the main image. It was the contents on the front cover which interested me as it works round the image. Having the text aligned around the main image makes the magazine look more artistic and different which I found really benefited my magazine. Once again all the colours work with one another and the palette consist of similar colours. All of POP magazines front covers are usually close ups. Close ups are usually used to show expression and generally who the main feature is about. Images now a days are usually photoshopped and air brushed to give a ‘perfect’ image. I felt with my cover I wanted to have a background instead of plain white space as my magazine isn’t aimed to be as modern as the POP covers. White background studio type shots are used in POP to give a purposely photographed effect making the image look modern and sophisticated. It is effective as it allows the photographer to choose their own lighting and general set up however, it is usually more expensive to produce.

This NME cover works with the normal codes and conventions as the masthead is in the normal positioning, along with the feature bar, main head line, sub heading and thumb nail all being in a normal positioning. This cover is heavily text based and the text fits around the main image. My cover on the other hand is heavily image based as I felt it was necessary to use the images in the background, such as the car as it increases the vintage effect. I did use similar feature bars as this cover as I feel there effective and fill the cover up .I felt as my artist is reasonably indie looking, then she should be in quite a serous pose which shows she is a sophisticated person. However, some of the other images are more friendly and amusing but I felt the one I chose suited the magazine the best.

I used a variety of colours ranging from oranges to navy blue/black.  I felt the woman in the main image should be in quite ‘retro’ clothing and be in a vintage car (Beetle) so that there is a clear theme even though the magazine covers a variety of genres (Each issue has a different genre). I then extracted the colours from the clothing and the white space around it. This gave the cover a clear colour pallette which complements one another. The Blender magazine has links between the clothing and the text around it, for example, the head band has a smokey pink stripe in it which then used in the mast head and the symbols on the cover. Creating a harmonious visual effect gives my magazine quite a relaxed and calm vibe. However, there are bright colours in places which bring the magazine alive.

I used the image of the woman in the front seat of the car as the focal point of the image. However, the whole mise en scene of the image works well as I wanted to include the fur coat, car seat, wheel, camera and bottle as without all of the props the image wouldn’t have made sense.

However, my alternative to using the cover I used was this image of the girl sat it the back of the car looking out. I felt the other image worked better as a front cover but this one had stronger colours which would have attracted consumers. I feel that the style of my photo is similar to the POP magazine cover as it has props in it and focuses on the face of the person in the main image and kept the background behind the main image.

I am signifying that the retro style of the artist gives her a individual and qwerky effect, her clothing also illustrates this as the colours are all quite warm within her outfit. The car however, does contrast against this as it consists of royal blue and blacks. The artist is in quite a non-suggestive pose which doesn’t show much reaction as I didn’t want the eye to be drawn to her, but the image as a whole. Her pose could be seen as suggestive and sexual as she has a cigarette in her mouth and her body is in a very relaxed and un-phased manner, her dress is also very short and even though her legs are visible, I felt it would be more appropriate for her to be wearing tights, the first reason being: I didn’t want too much skin on show, and the second: I wanted the image fade in colour from right to left (starting light and moving into black, darker blues and orange. The glasses make her look more sophisticated and vintage as they were the style many years ago. I was planning on using a cigarette holder, however, I was unable to find one, I feel there is still quite a strong vintage and confident effect by using this prop. The camera is also vintage and draws attention away from the fact it is a set up shoot and that I had to decide how she was going to sit and position herself and all the props. The type of it is magazine itself works well with the cover as the style is unique and different, I used the themed colours of orange and blue throughout the rest of the magazine.

Headlines/articles

Would you like the chance to win a year’s subscription to Acapella 2011?

I used this article to entice people to buy the magazine as it doesn’t cost them any money to enter (just the price of purchasing the magazine) and the prize is worth a substantial amount of money.

‘MARIAN HEWISH’ Revealing all and letting us in on a few of her ‘Little secrets’

Marian Hewish is the name of the artist on the front cover who is also used in the double page spread. I casted her as being a new artist who’s recently been making it big, the fact readers could have the opportunity to have an insight into to her private life, increases the likelihood of them purchasing it.

New Star! Joe Bruce hits ‘ACAPELLA’ live lounge

I casted Joe Bruce as being a new male pop star who has also recently become famous. Having him singing in a ‘Live Lounge’ gives him a good voice as he agrees to sing live, this works against a large percentage of pop artists at the moment as many don’t sing live lounge without auto tuning.

I included features at the top and bottom of the page. At the top I included the website address to give a more realistic effect, the slogan describes the fact the magazine contains different genres of music. The feature bar at the bottom consists of a variety of artists which make different music.

 

 

I put the opportunity to win a competition at the top of the magazine cover as when it is stacked in the supermarket or shop you can see it easily. This may therefore increase the likelihood of people purchasing it.

The ‘Marian Hewish’ content fitted naturally at the bottom of the page underneath the statement that refers to it. The fact it is in large font also makes it clear to the reader that it is who the image on the front cover is of.

Joe Bruce, is in an unobtrusive positioning on the left hand side of the page which brings less attention to it. However, I decided to use bright orange lettering to make it clear and astatically pleasing. Joe Bruce is shown as a main feature on the contents page, by having his own strip.

Tone and register?

My Cover has quite a suggestive image of the magazine being based around drugs and drinking, However, it becomes clearer when it talks about ‘Live Lounge’ and how a star is ‘Revealing All’, that the magazine has a more relaxed and universal feel.

 

My Content Page is the main page which distinguishes to the reader that the magazine is about four different genres (Hip Hop, Dubstep, Pop and Indie) It therefore makes the magazine desired by all types of people.

My Double Page Spread refers to the front cover image. The article is quite personal and is based upon the stars home life and her rise to fame. ‘All the woman are massive role models to me’ this is the kicker of my double page spread and clearly draws the reader in to reading the whole article. The style of the article is relaxed but still sophisticated, mild slang is used in places.

The magazine may have adult content as I am covering all different genres and genres such as dubstep, drum and base and indie may involve swearing- for example in interviews or talking about upcoming events or artist reviews. However, it may be a bad idea to use swearing, as it would give a bad effect on these genres and parents may feel uncomfortable purchasing for their children. Also there is a large POP section, so this may enhance the purchase of the magazine and would be appropriate for 15-. My appropriate target audience would be 15+ as all the genres provided are appropriate for this age range (Senior school, University and early employee). I hoped both male and female would purchase my magazine as the genres suit both genders.

Fonts and general style of typography

I used Harlow Solid Italic for the main article name ‘Marian Hewish’ and for the slogan ‘Mixing all musical tastes into one magazine’ underneath the Masthead. I felt this font brought a very retro effect and kept the magazines style to unique and original. I used Century Gothic for the other article headlines as I found it was clear and modern. I then used Myriad Pro as the ‘WIN’ article as it was similar to the Century Gothic font but was more rounded and upright so that the eye was drawn to it first. I then changed some of the colours so that it was clearer to read against the multi tonal background. The website is also in Century Gothic, but in capital lettering so that is very clear and aesthetically pleasing.

Overall I was hoping my fonts would look modern but also slightly qwerky and retro at the same time. I felt the text, which worked best was on the bottom of the page which is in Harlow Solid Italic text as I fitted so well with the general style of my front cover, I feel that for each of the issues should have the cover fitted to a certain title. For this one, the genre seems to be indie based, thus incorporating oranges and rustic colours. ? I feel it would be inappropriate to have a blend of all genres on the front cover as it will become crowded and confused. I will therefore have the contents page to illustrate all the different genres.

Style/design of masthead?

 

The masthead fills the length of the magazine cover. I fitted some of the lettering behind the girls head so that it gives the magazine a more three dimensional effect. I kept the colour pallet of the main image similar on the masthead (bright orange), it then attracts the consumer. I added a black outline and shadow around the edge to give it a bolder effect. The masthead is in capital lettering which also gives it a bolder effect. The shape of the font is quite rounded and symmetrical, I felt the text should be in Bell Gothic Std, this font and not the Harlow Solid Italic as I wanted it to be very clear so that when the target audience is purchasing ‘Acapella’  they are able to find it faster. I feel the shape, colour, style and size of the magazine worked very well.

Subvert the codes and conventions

My magazine goes against the natural codes and conventions as it is for different genres (Hip hop, Dubstep, Pop and Indie). The fact that it is aimed at such a vast target audience made it tricky to stick to one genre, font style or colour pallet as it ends of looking as if it is aimed at a certain genre of music. For example, I feel like my cover page and double page spread have quite a Indie styled vibe. My Cover is different because the content paragraphs are about all different types of music. I felt I also couldn’t make the main image too related to one genre. I felt the artist therefore looks modern, model like, qwerky and modern at the same time. I felt if I kept the colours quite normal, then the cover would be a lot more universal. My contents page on the other hand is split into four different partitions, which keep the genres separate. This obviously works completely against the natural codes and conventions which I feel was a risky step to take, but I am glad I took it as my contents page is unique, ecstatically pleasing, informative and easy to understand. My double page spread runs along the normal codes and conventions, the only possibility it could be different, is the fact the image covers both pages and the background is distorted. However, I would say my double page spread doesn’t go against the normal codes and conventions.

 

How does my media product represent particular social groups? 

Seeing as my target audience is so vast it is had to decipher specifically whether I have represented each individual genre in my magazine. The only place where my target audience could be represented is on the contents page. Hip Hop is know as a very masculine genre of music. The stereotype for a Hip hop artist, is to use slang, own fast cars, have tattoos and have a non-descriptive facial expressions. Dubstep artists would usually been shown behind DJ decks with a pair of headphones on, the stereotype would be that they usually wear bright colours and have a qwerky fashion sense. Indie artists are known for playing there own instruments, usually a guitar or drums. They are stereotypically known for having styled hair, dark clothing and quite skinny frames- drugs, drinking and smoking is generally associated with Indie artists and fans. Pop magazine covers will usually be a female on the main image or a well-groomed mail. The stereotypical Pop star is to have a cute vibe. The artist will have been photographed in a studio and be specifically air brushed as ‘Pop’ is all about how an artist and the fact woman will have a sex appeal i.e.- Beyoncé and be a style icon to teenage girls, Beyoncé is also a good example of this.

My magazine is shown as aiming at my target audience by the contents page partitions. The cover and double page spread do not strictly give away the genre or target audience of the magazine. I intended on the Hip Hop section to be the darkest shade of orange to give it a tougher, edgier effect, which relates to the vibe of a hip-hop magazine. My Pop section is a pinky salmon colour and has a change of gradual white to a salmon, which therefore gives it quite a feminine effect, which relates to the pop industry. The Indie section is the largest area of my contents page, I made it very decretive and informative as I found the orange and yellow colours relate a lot to the indie vibe as it looks quite retro. For the Dubstep section I used a bright orange, as the dubstep scene is usually big, bold and bright (neon lights and crazy clothing).

The mise-en-scene of my magazine involves props such as the cigarette, vintage beer bottle and VW beetle interior to give a qwerky, vintage effect, which relates strongly to the Indie vibe. The model in my Cover page and Double page spread suited these areas as she has a symmetrical face and a general model style as she suited having her hair pulled into a top bun with a flower in it. She was also in a costume of a cashmere boob tube dress along with a large fur coat that gives a effective indie genre.

The attitude that my model portrays to the magazine is a bold and rebellious, however it works against the nature of the main article on the double page spread, as the ‘Marian Hewish’ in the article is young and still lives with her family. Her role models are artists such as Rhianna and Lady Gaga who on the exterior are all quite rebellious and powerful woman in the media industry, I wanted to give Marian this big bold exterior. However, I also used Ellie Goulding as another role model. However, Ellie is notoriously known as cute and gentle, like the Marian on the inside.

I feel my magazine has been able to artistically and sophisticatedly able to attract many new readers. For example, if an Indie fan wants to get a music magazine, they pick up ‘ACAPELLA’ and find that other genres are also interesting and become a fan of other artists and genres. Having free competitions all aimed at the younger generation, magazine inserts, interesting articles and my divisional contents page will draw the attention of teenagers and young adults who are looking for the latest trends and what’s popular.

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

An example of a magazine, that distributes a music magazine in similar ways to mine is Time Inc. Time Inc produce an indie/rock music magazine called NME, the genre style is similar to my magazine cover. NME have their own music television channel, they also have their own stage at many festivals. The Indie/Rock fan base appeases to be more entice by this as they prefer like music where the artist is actually playing. They sell merchandise as well as branded merchandise. They seem to usually keep the same colour theme, red and yellow which are always used in their brand name (NME) to build brand recognition. This is similar to my magazine, as I picked the same colour pallet. This could be done to present a brand image that people get used to seeing and recognise. NME have their own website (http://www.nme.com) showing music reviews, photos, videos, gig tickets, blogs, movies, different artists, festival information and lyrics . NME also have a radio station where their target audience can hear about them and become an enhanced fan. The target audiences of NME, whether or not its radio, website, TV or even merchandise means they could merge together which could gain more magazine buyers. Having a multi-format approach to publications allows the company to advertise on all areas allowing them to be more known and gain a bigger audience. It is important that a magazine has a web presence for the reasons of extending readership and to hook customers for example if they win a gig ticket online. With how technology is moving on, the internet is becoming the best source for information and the magazine company won’t want to lose a market. It is cheaper to have a web presence and could be seen as a quicker way of gaining information if more and more people are using the internet. It could be seen as the best way to get quicker updates without having to go out and buy a magazine. These companies have involvements with music festivals-by having a link with websites that sell tickets, gig and artist reviews and as for NME specifically that have their own stage at most festivals. They have many gig promotions, special magazine offers, and also movie news! This helps widen their target market and could result in brand loyalty. They persuade them into making an account which means that they have to verify contact details. Having contact details of their customers or target audience means that they can use direct marketing as an advertising strategy. Direct marketing can include sending texts via mobile phones with recent updates of products and other promotions. The increasing use of Facebook means that a lot of companies advertise their products and products on groups on Facebook. It’s a cheap and effective way of advertising and enticing the right target audience such as my magazines target audience which are late teens that are coincidently the main target audience for social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

4.Who would be the audience for my media product? 

• Describing my target audience’s demographic:

Age

The target audience age is roughly between 16-30 years old which includes College students, UNI students and young adults, all of which are very into new music, i.e. recently Dubstep growing and turning into a genre.

Gender

I attempted to aim my magazine ‘ACAPELLA’ at both males and females; however, I don’t believe my cover page agrees. Now I have produced the magazine it seems it would be better suited for just a female audience. However, all of the genres can be seen as quite masculine (other than pop).

Aspirations

This magazine seems suited to the teenage life, which involves parties and festivals. However, I can imagine  fans of ‘ACAPELLA’ to be interested in photography and perhaps fashion. I imagine aspirations of my target audience would be to aspire to look similar to the gorgeous models within the Pop section. The Indie fans would aspire to perhaps play a musical instrument. The Dubstep artists must love to go out and club and have the whole social status and finally a Hip hop fan would aspire to be wealthy, gamming, clubbing, listening to music and driving cars. A hip hop fan would wear a big baggy shirt and large/white trainers.

Education

I believe consumers can come from all types of backgrounds, high education, low education and perhaps didn’t go to school for very long at all. I can image many of the prime consumers to be students at UNI however.

Hobbies

Hobbies of an ACAPELLA consumer would probable be :Hip Hop, driving cars, gamming, clubbing, listening to music and shopping for expensive merchandise. Pop, Fashion, shopping, listening to music, cooking and pampering. Indie fans will usually play instruments so like to play with friends or bands. Dubstep fans listen to the music and enjoy raving and partying.

Interests

For all of the different genre fans, I believe that in their free time, they all listen to music. As the target audience for ‘Acapella’ is for 16+ students will be likely to attend festivals and live gigs as they are able to relax and join as a whole with others there age who have similar interests in music. I expect my target audience to be interested in festivals such as wireless and Redding and leads where a whole variety of artists play. This therefore is similar to ‘Acapella’ magazine.

Fashion

Hip Hop fans will follow there artists by wearing  plain large tops, caps, baggie jeans, large white shoes, have tattoos and big shoes. A hip-hop fan will also have jewellery such as chains of teeth inserts. Pop fans will dress relatively preppy and simplistic. Indie fans and artists are known for wearing skinny jeans and perhaps a shirt and tie or leather coat. Dubstep artists and fans will have a modern style which can either be really simplistic or really colourful and bold.

Shopping habits

Hip hop artists are know for having a lot of money, however, perhaps the fans don’t so they are able to buy the normal priced clothing which is similar to there role model artist.

Pop fans will spend their money in stores such as Topshop, Abercrombie, Jack wills and New Look as they are very popular brands and are well known. The price range but is quite steep so fans will have some money.

Indie artists probably wont shop too much, however they can buy vinyl and records from record shops and a lot of clothes from second hand stores.

Dubstep artists will probably spend most of their money on drugs and alcohol and on nights out rather than worrying about what they’re going to wear. However I can imagine them buying clothes in very expensive stores and charity stores. My target audience probably have expendable money, therefore adverting would be important in my magazine. I believe for each section, different company’s would want to advertise their company. These go as follows:

POP: Newlook, Topshop, Jack Wills, River Island, Louise Vitton, Prada and Mulberry. Makeup advertisements may also be popular.

Indie: Newlook, Urban Outfitters, American appareal and mulberry. Fashion, and music

Hip Hop: Nike, Adidas, Fred Perry. Cars, Technical Equipment and woman.

Dubstep: Places to party, Alternative clothing and general student based  activities (ie drinking, gigs, socialising)

Technology usage

I believe that the Hip hop, Pop and Dubstep fans would use modern phones which include high social aspects such as Facebook and Twitter. These phones will be makes such as HTC, Blackberry, IPhone and other such devises. These fans are also highly likely to use IPods as they are popular and useful. For the hip hop and dubstep artists they may also use high quality headphones such as Beats by Dre which have a high sound level. Indie artists however would be very different to the others as they would be more interested in technology such as amps and musical equipment.

Reading interest

Hip hop fans would read magazines or autobiographies on there favourite stars.

Pop fans would read material such as pop magazines, fashion magazines and autobiography’s on famous and beautiful woman.

Indie fans would read magazines, reviews on the Internet and perhaps comics.

Dubstep artists may ready reviews on upcoming or past parties and raves, they may also read a variety of magazines as the dubstep genre is very recent.

Other magazines, which my target audience may read are magazines such as:

Indie

POP

Hello Magazine- the chatty, relaxed style

XXL Magazine

Vibe

The Source

Vanity Fair

Vogue

TV/internet/music habits

Hip hop fans would watch music channels and movies such as fast and furious. Pop fans will watch day time TV along with music channels and reality TV programmes so they can get an insight into others lives along with creating role models. Indie fans will watch the NME channel and perhaps documentary’s on bands and childish programmes such as the Simpsons. Dubstep fans will probably watch recent gigs and festivals. All of the genres of music (perhaps not Indie as much) will use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

My target audience would be either at school, university or in job so evening television is going to be the most watched show within the 16+ category. Obcourse there will be some consumers which either have kids and work at home or work unusual hours and still be interested in the wide variety choice. I believe shoes such as :

Jersey shore

Only way is Essex

Gossip Girl

90210

The mighty boosh

Never Mind the Buzz Cocks

The Jeremy kyle show

Skins

The Simpsons

Music Channels

MTV (Cribs)

Hip hop fans may be interested in partying and socialising. However, they may also enjoy going to concerts and festivals. Pop fans and enthusiasts may perhaps enjoy going to fashion shows, online shopping and communicating. They may also enjoy going to concerts, which will be calm, i.e. a JLS gig rather then Glastonbury. Indie fans are most likely to get together at a house and socialise by playing their musical instruments. They may perhaps collect vinyl’s and vintage clothing but unlikely to shop in mainstream stores. Dubstep fans are likely to be University students and have a high social life of clubbing and partying. This therefore means overall there is a vast target audience who appreciate different genres.

5.How did I attract/address my audience? 

I think my magazine does attract the correct target audience. I have used specific colours to help portray the genre of the magazine. Orange, black and yellow are all colours that help represent a Pop/Indie vibe. They all have alternative, modern and different elements in them. The fonts I have used vary. The simpler fonts are used for the less important aspects of the magazine to make them clear and readable. However my tag line can in some ways represent all of the four genres, indie,pop, dubstep and hiphop  makes it is more unique ‘Mixing all musical tastes into one magazine’. The headers needed to entice the readers more, which I believe did I my making each first word or centance large. Having a more dynamic font also results in the magazine looking more interesting and sophisticated. My tone/register is mature but still youthful to help attract to my target audience. Based on my pre-production questionnaires, my target audience were expecting a magazine that includes a winning aspect along with, fashion, competitions, music, interviews and chatty discussions. I have therefore played on this and included all elements in different ways – in promotions, my main headline and all smaller headlines. However I didn’t want to drown my front cover in headlines as I still wanted to keep that expensive and slightly sophisticated look, so I stuck to a basic layout wit fairly descriptive wording.

 

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

I have created my front cover and contents page in ‘Photoshop’. I learnt alot in Photoshop with how to create specific graphics such as the sticker on my cover. I liked the way I could enhance the colours on images, so I played on that and created a very colourful cover which matched effectively with my chosen music genre. Transparency and the use of layers were also elements which I enjoyed experimenting with. Because of the white background on my front cover, I thought I could make it appear more interesting and give it more depth by using background shadowing on graphics, font and imagery. I used the stamp tool to delete spots which were on the modles face. I was then able to cover belemishes by using clear parts of the skin to overlap over the poorer parts of the face. I also increased the contrast and brightness to high so the images shadow is a lot more prominent. I then movd the saturation to a rustic orange colour so that the fur coat and roof of the car had a retro effect. I increased the exposure to create more dymanic colours such as around the camera. Just the correct amount of light comes through, behing the model and gives the image a warm effect. I used ‘in design’ for my double page spread and found this considerably more difficult than I thought I would. I struggled with layering as I edited a lot in ‘Photoshop’ and to then drag it into ‘In Design’ meant I had to save the image as a ‘gif’ file. However I got used to it and ended up learning alot about its works. Taking pictures of my model, I made sure she had a background that was closest to one colour, preferably white. This was because I knew it would end up making it easier for me to cut out and experiment with in ‘Photoshop’. The use of the web has also helped me in the way of researching my target audience and companies with similar ideas and magazines that I like. As technology is moving on so rapidly, the use of web presence helps alot to reach peoples target audience more globally. It means that the general concept of entertainment, information and communication is easier to reach the target audience. The popularity of iPods to the youth also meant that it gave me the chance to advertise iTunes on my magazine cover to help attract more customers. It was important to plan my magazine beforehand effectively. I made sure I planned a logo that would be recognisable and interesting. Finding out my target audience’s interests and hobbies were vital. Without knowing what your people like, my magazine wouldn’t sell. My photography was made interesting and eye catching to, again, grasp people’s attention. I analysed other magazines to see what I could do and also created a kit/prop list. This was to make sure I met the deadlines and was thoroughly organised and knowing what I was supposed to have and do in order to progress with my magazine efficiently. Having a WordPress blog helped me put across my ideas efficiently and quickly with also getting quick feedback from others. I have hyperlinked a lot in this essay to help put across my thoughts and intentions in a more dynamic way. With how technology is moving on and the internet is becoming so popular, I think it is a great way of updating and sharing information.

I felt that using Poll Daddy was extreamly useful as I was able to tell what peers felt about my work, it help me imporeve and move forward. Being able to visually see the reslts allowed me to see what was most popular and least poular so that it is quick and easy for me to drastically improve my project.

I found it really helpful using WordPress as I was able to see all of my work and images, I was also able to compaire my work with my peeres work and gain many ideas. It is useful in a real production company as employees are able to compaire there work even if they are on opposite parts of the word, wordpress would be a very usefule website to use when producing a magazine.

 

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

I believe my preliminary school magazine project was very successful. I used promotions and graphics effectively (on Photoshop) to attract my target audience of sixth formers and perhaps students in the lower school. This was proven from my post-production questions. A large amount of my target audience thought that the genre of my magazine was interesting and informative. I aimed to draw the audience in by imaginative imagery and font used. A vast majority also said that I used a sufficient amount of sub-headers to entice the buyer and encourage companies to purchase my magazine for resale.  I realized that if the magazine had an insubordinate and outrageous chatty side to it, it would attract older pupils to read a school music magazine. I spent quite a lot of time using Photoshop to work my images and text together; I thoroughly enjoyed using the software for various elements of my magazine, as I was able to release my creative side. It therefore helped me create the effect of enhancing colours to portray the style of my image I was aiming for, very well. I used an ordinary, smart model next to an old grandfather clock, giving a sophisticated feel. This worked well with achieving my intention of portraying a smart and school related effect to attract school pupils of different ages. The gentle and sophisticated ethos of the magazine was reinforced by the style of my photo and the costume used (shirt, tie, smart hair cut and a grand father clock). My model has a smiling expression, which therefore shows a friendly attitude and softer side even though he is the new head of school. The shirt and tie colours are quite feminine which also gives a better softer side.  Although I believe it was successful, I learnt a lot more prior to creating my Music magazine. I understood the software additional to having my ideas in my head and then conveying the design onto the web page and how to use everything a lot more effectively. I have done more background research such as visiting various websites, which resulted in me knowing more about what my target audience wanted and what I as a designer needed to give them. By using a colour theme, made it appear tidy and precise. The pose in my photo was also proven to be effective to attract my target audience, as it was sophisticated yet cheeky at the same time. For my school magazine I don’t think I used the suitable font for my target audience, it was perhaps too sophisticated. I also seemed to have spent more time experimenting with the technologies and software than thinking of how all of the technology on Photoshop worked and not just creating a simple cover and contents page. I learned to be a lot more conservative with my initial ideas. One aspect of my project that I felt was achieved by the highest concentration and ability to do was using Photoshop to edit imagery, including the background. Throughout both projects I have learnt a lot about the graphics, editing imagery and being able to create an unusual cover that attracts my intended target audience. From my pre-production and post-production questions, I also realized how important it was to do in-depth research about other magazines and my target market. This helped me plan effectively and secure deadlines. I was very happy with the over all result and the feel for certain that the end product will look like. I believe I followed the normal codes and conventions for both aspects of the school product.