THE EVALUATION

Holly Redmond

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions

of real media products? Both use plain white masthead in capitals and quite bold, white is not complicated but stands out on the page and looks clean.

Close up main image where eyes and lip on the person stand out a lot. Main image placed behind

the masthead as the image is close up.

Barcode in bottom right hand corner.

All text on cover lines in capitals, making it seem like what is written is important and to also catch

the readers eye.

Majority of text on my front cover filled in white and VIBE magazine in black. Both plain yet sophisticated colours, not over the top.

SIMILARITIES IN FRONT COVER

DIFFERENCES IN FRONT COVER

My magazine has a header and a footer whereas VIBE magazine doesn’t have anything. I included a header and a footer to put more information on the front cover of the magazine as I didn’t want to crowd the front with lots of sell lines so that it didn’t look cluttered.

My image takes up the whole cover so there is no need for a background whereas VIBE

magazine has a plain blue background. I would have included a background if I had used a

different image but the image I chose I thought would look good covering the whole page.

VIBE magazine contains less text on the page and has one overly dominant sell line whereas my magazine has more sell lines and also the font size of all the text is pretty much the same. I chose to do this as I have more text on my page and wanted to fit it all in without it looking cluttered.

My image has a more sepia effect and VIBE magazines main image of Rihanna has a black and white effect. I wanted this effect because it brought out the eyes and lips better than black

and white.

The person in my main image is looking straight into the camera making it obvious she knows the photo is being taken whereas in the image of Rihanna it is unsure if she knows the photo is being taken as she is looking away and not really posing. I did this because I wanted the girl in the image to look powerful and make a statement as she is supposed to be an upcoming artist whereas Rihanna is already well known and established.

SIMILARITIES IN CONTENTS PAGE

I got the style of separating the letters in ‘contents’ from VIBE magazine as it looks more creative and gives an edge to the contents page. It also allowed more space on the page as I could place it in one corner on the page instead of taking up the top of the page.

Both magazines use the main image as a background, they both take up the whole page .

I did this as the photo is of good quality so I didn’t need a background.

Both magazine have a smaller picture in the corner, which has a white background.

Both magazines contain headings for the text, separating the content of the magazine into

different sections making it easier for the reader to follow.

All of the text on my contents page is in capital letters and the majority of text on VIBE contents is also in capitals. I did this to make it look more clean on the page and look more sophisticated and stand out more.

In both magazines, the smaller image in the picture is looking straight into the camera.

DIFFERENCES IN CONTENTS PAGE

The main image in VIBE magazine is looking straight into the camera but my main image is looking away from the camera. I got the person to look out of the view of the camera because it is obvious she is already doing a certain pose so she knows the photo is being taken and I wanted to contents to look a little different to the pose shown in my front cover.

The smaller photo in my magazine contains text showing where to go in the magazine to find out

more and the image is also tilted and has a black border around it whereas the smaller

image in VIBE contents is showing you a magazine cover, does not have a border and is not tilted. I wanted my smaller image to also be noticed which is why I added a border because

the main image is so strong that without it, it might not be noticed.

The background on my main image is green as I got the person to stand in front of my green wallpaper whereas the VIBE contents has other people in the background and shows the setting of the image. I choose a plain background as her outfit has colour in it already and I wanted white text.Some of the text in VIBE contents has smaller

text underneath it adding extra information in the page whereas mine doesn’t. I thought my page had enough text on it without including

anymore.My main image has colour and VIBE main image is in black and white. I wanted colour in my magazine as wanted it to be as bright as possible.My image is of younger people than the people in VIBE magazine as I am aiming my magazine at a younger audience.

SIMILARITIES IN DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

Both images are on the left page and take up the whole page. I chose to do this as I thought the image was good so wanted to make it more dramatic and big.

I used VIBE magazine to get the idea of using initials of the person in big on the right page with two different colours, one being black and the other being red going with the theme of the page.

Both images have page number, mine is in the bottom corners of each page and VIBE magazines is in the top right hand corner.

Both images are focused on the camera and are mid close ups.

Both pages have two columns of text in them.

DIFFERENCES IN DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

My main image has a white background whereas VIBE double page spread has a black background. I chose a white background as the black background made the image look obviously cropped out more than the white background. The white background also goes with the white background to the text.

My page has lines at the top as I wanted to keep the theme of lines as was on my contents, I also added a red line to go with the double page spread. VIBE magazine doesn’t have any pattern apart from the text and image.

Although both pages have two columns, the layout of my text is where the first column is set to the right and the right column is set to the left. VIBE magazines text is justified. I wanted all of my text to look like its all going into the middle of the page which is why I set out my text in that way.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Female R&B singers are portrayed to be very strong, powerful women and this shows through their music as well as their image.

R&B singers usually look very expensive with flashy clothes and their own style, for example Rihanna’s hair style changes frequently and her image is quirky and cool. I want my images for my magazine reflect the same idea a lot which is why I chose to take photographs of a girl with big, choppy short hair and a girl with her own individual style and also big hair as this goes with the conventions of R&B, pop and hip hop.

Although female R&B singers look powerful and in control, they also look attractive and sexy. Therefore my magazine attracts both a female and male audience as the images of the girls are strong making other females aspire to be like them but as they are attractive it might make males want the magazine as they are attracted to them.

Male R&B singers are usually portrayed to have a lot of respect and are looked up to because they have a high reputation.

They are also known for their quirky style which is commonly called ‘swag’, a word that is used in relation to R&B and hip hop music.

My image

I looked at images of well established, powerful female artists and wanted to recreate the type of look they portray.

Professional image

My image

My image

Professional image

Professional image

What kind of media institution might distribute

your media product and why?

IPC Media produces over 85 media brandsTwo thirds of their readers are womenTheir brands when they come together reach over 20 million users each month.They have knowledge in the music genre as they distribute NME magazine.Publishing my magazine will be a good opportunity to expand their audiences and genres of music as the audience I am targeting is younger than the audience for NME and my genre is also different so this would expand their knowledge and would also be good for my magazine as they are a well established, well known and trustworthy company.

Who would the audience be for your media product?

The audience for my media product will be aimed at both genders even though in my magazine the images are only of women, they should also attract men as the women are attractive in the images.

People that enjoy R&B, hip hop and pop music, and people that enjoy going to gigs and concerts that are of this genre will also be my target audience for my magazine.

My target audience will not just be aimed at Afro-Caribbean which is the stereotypical audience but will be targeted at people from different backgrounds including ethnic minorities to broaden the audience.

I am also targeting both women that are confident and powerful and can relate to the women in the magazine and women that are not as confident and aspire to be like the women in the magazine.

Typical Target Audience

Tom, 17 year old Student from Solihull, favourite colour blue.

Likes music, socializing, going to the gym, high interest in fashion. Dislikes rock music.

Favourite music – MOBO (music of black origin), R&B.

Goes to concerts, listens to music on iPod at the gym, majority of the time downloads music onto his iPod or CDs.

Name: James Browning

Aged: 18

Ethnicity: White British

Occupation: sales assistant

Favourite Colour: Blue

Favourite Artists: Eminem, Gyptian, Vybz Kartel

Interests: Jogging, socializing, bowling

High interest in music, goes to concerts, downloads music to his iPod, collects vinyl's

Typical Target Audience

How did you attract/address your audience?

My initial target audience indicated certain things they wanted from a magazine before I made my magazine…

Target Audience based on focus groupFor this task I asked a 4 people, a mix of male and female, who were interested in the Pop, Hip Hop and R&B genre what they would like in that genre of magazine. I then summarised there results to see what would be best suited for my target audience in the magazine. I asked them a range of questions and wrote down the main responses:Summary of results Section 1 – the front cover (QUESTIONS 1-4)1. Front cover – what images would you like?The images on the front cover should be one striking image, which should be of a male or female that is attractive to the audience and current at the time. would like to see on the front cover e.g. sell lines?Exclusive interviews with current performers that relate to the genre, upcoming events that the reader may not have known otherwise, gossip about the artists/bands and fashion that is linked to the artists/bands that will be featured in the magazine to show the magazine has extra to offer. 3.What colours would be appropriate?Bright, loud colours which will pop out at the audience and also relate to the style of music. 4. What type of language would you expect?The language should be informal, easy to read and casual. It should also use urban words that are used by the artists/bands as the audience listen to them already so will be able to relate to that style of writing.Section 2 – the contents page (QUESTIONS 5-8)Contents page - what type of images would you like and how many?There should be more then one image on the contents page, to show what will be featured inside the magazine but there also should be a dominant image.What would you want to be contained within the magazine?The magazine should offer a wide range of things, all of which relating to hip hop, pop and R&B. it should also offer more than just about music such as fashion and gossip to keep the audience interested.How much images and text would you expect?There should be a few images and some text to tell the audience about what features in the magazine and a message from the editor to make the magazine feel friendlier. Images and text should be combined to both help show what will be inside the magazine.What type of language?The language should be informal and friendly, and the type of words used should relate to the genre the magazine is based on.Section 3- the double page spread article (QUESTIONS 9-12)Double page – what choice of images would you want?There should be one main image that consists of who the article is about and should portray them in the way that reflects the artist/band in a positive way. Depending on the artist/band they should be shown in the picture in the same light that they would be shown in their music videos or through the songs they sing. What would you prefer the article to be about?A star that is current at the time and maybe one that has had bad press in the past so that during the interview you can see the real them and not what is portrayed of them. Also about their personal life and information that you would be surprised at or never knew before.How would you expect the language to be?The language should be chatty and informal, and relaxed to suggest conversation rather than just questions and answers if it is an interview. It should reflect how the artist talks to people themselves so shouldn’t be structured but flowing.Would you prefer more image or text based articles?Their should be a variety of pictures that link to the text content but there should be enough text that the reader has gained information about the artist. There shouldn’t be too much text so not to bore the reader but shouldn’t be overcrowded with pictures as it would not give enough information.

How did you attract/address your

audience?

My target audience wanted one dominant image with easy to read, interesting text on the front. They also wanted bright and bold colours

which I have not included as much as I could have but I went for my relaxed colours instead to make the magazine look more sophisticated and

link with the genre as if I used bright bolder colours it may have related more to a pop magazine.

I used a dominant image with bold eyes and mouth to stand out and a choppy fringe coming around the persons face which looks a bit different

to the usual hairstyle. The image is a powerful and strong one which relates to the audience I have aimed at.

I set a reasonable price that all of my target audience will be able to afford.

I addressed my audience by not using overly formal language but used simple and easy to understand language.

I attracted my audience to my magazine by having lots of sell lines that might capture the readers attention, such as ‘The Only Interview’ and ‘The

Glam Life of’ etc.

How did you attract/address your

audience?The images I have used should attract the target audience

because I have used people of different cultures and backgrounds to attract people from different backgrounds

also.

The main image is dominating the page so it is also used as a background to make the contents more unique and

interesting and the smaller image is tilted. Both of these changes I have made may further attract the audience.

My contents page addresses the reader through the regular and featured articles listed because the singers and bands

listed would attract the audience as it is music they are familiar with and most likely enjoy.

I have used all capital letters when writing my text and the writing is in filled in white to stand out better against the

background. This will attract the audience as it will capture the eye.

My target audience wanted a few images with one dominant image, I have used two images and one dominant image that

stands out. The target audience also wanted more information than music, such as gossip and fashion, which I have suggested will be in my magazine in my contents. My target audience wanted me to combine image and text so I

added some text onto my smaller image to indicate what would be inside and also had text all around my main image.

How did you attract/address your

audience?

The big image which dominates the whole of the left page is interesting and the girl looks powerful in the image which will attract both males and females to

the magazine as females with either aspire or relate to the image and men may find it attractive.

The big heading at the front will capture the audiences eye and the strap line which is all in

capitals will make the reader want to read on as it gives an insight of what will be included in the article.

The colour scheme I have used will attract my audience as over the two pages the red flows from

parts of the text to the colours in the image.

My target audience wanted a dominant image of the artist being interviewed that portrayed them in a

positive way, the image looks powerful and strong so I feel this is a positive image for the artist. They also

wanted a new and upcoming artist so I have included that she is quite a new star.

Audience Feedback

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LIKED MOST ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

HOW TO IMPROVE THE MAGAZINE

Realistic

Professional – very good images and manipulation

Use of images

Masthead on front cover to contrast with image a bit better

Colours on cover don’t show up very well

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of

constructing this product?

Using PhotoShop I was able to edit the

photographs I had taken on my camera to make

them look more professional and

manipulate the image.

Using InDesign to create my magazine base and then my final magazine, inserting things into the pages and also editing things using InDesign.

Using cameras to take photos for my magazine, using different shot types, editing the way the camera takes the picture using the

settings on the camera.

Using Photoshop

Original image for front cover

I have edited my image for my front cover using Photoshop. I have made the image darker by playing around with levels and colour balance to make it look a bit different to the original image, darker and more professional.

After editing my main image in Photoshop I then made my masthead ‘VOLUME’. The font used was Agency FB. I edited the masthead by changing the font to a style which I feel makes it look more like hip hop/R&B/pop genre and made it larger. I also changed the colour to white as it will go well with my main image and as the image has darkness to it the white would contrast well.

I put my image and masthead together to make the base of my

magazine cover and to make sure that it went

well. I placed the masthead just above the

eyes as it will make the eyes stand out more and

look more striking.

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Front cover

Using PhotoShop (cont)I then added some cover lines and strap lines to the page mainly using the font ‘impact’ as it is bold and stands out yet it also looks sophisticated and clean. I started off with the text being all white as I knew I wanted my main colour on the page to be white.

As I knew the image I am using for my contents page has a green background, I added the same colour to my swatches and used this colour to edit some of the text on the front cover. I added some boxes that were filled with the green and placed them behind some text which I have made black to make certain words stand out on the page that I think the audience would be attracted to. I also edited some of the colour of the text and used effects such as drop shadow, inner shadow and inner glow to make them pop out. I also added ‘NEW’ in green inside the ‘O’ in my masthead so that my masthead had an element of the green on it to tie in with the theme.

When I was happy with everything I had edited on

the page and where everything was, I added the barcode which I also

slightly edited and a flasher; filled in green and edited using drop shadow,

with a white £1.50 sign coming slightly out of the

circle to give it an edge and make it stand out

more.

I edited the barcode slightly so that instead of

it being black lines on a white background it was

white lines on a black background and rotated it

on the page as I felt it looked more

sophisticated.

After I had completed my front cover I made the layout of my magazine front cover, contents and double page spread using InDesign and then placed my front cover in there.

Using InDesign

I took various photographs for my contents page and decided on two photos.

I did not edit the second photo as it was already a strong picture, so I used it as

the image that was going to dominate my contents page.

I used Photoshop to edit my first photo, I cropped out the background and then placed it in the contents page.

After placing in the image, I rotated it slightly and made a black border

around it to emphasise the photo and make it look more professional.

I moved it to the right hand corner of the page and left out some of it.

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Contents

Using InDesign (cont)

I added text saying ‘contents’ with Agency FB font like my masthead on my front cover and used shape boxes filled in black to make a shape going in the top left hand corner to make the page look structured.

I added headings using the same font I did on my front cover, in white with a black background, following the theme throughout the magazine. I also added a pull quote and a page number to go to onto the smaller picture. In the left hand corner of the page I added ‘volume contents’ which you will see in a standard magazine on the corner of all pages.

I then added text under the headings and filled them in white, I used Agency FB font tying in with

the theme of the magazine. For the page numbers I used Impact.

All text is in capitals to make it stand out on the page.

Using PhotoShop and InDesign (cont)

My original image for my double page spread. I shone a light on her face while taking thephotograph to make her eyes stand out.

I then further edited the photo in Photoshop to make her eyes stand out more and to make the image look harder and more edgy.

I placed the edited photo in InDesign and added page numbers

at the bottom.

I then added text in the top left hand corner

saying ‘volume interview’ in the same style as on

the contents page.

As I had used straight lines in the corner of my contents page, I carried on the theme of using lines, but as my main image had red in it I filled in one of the lines red so it matched. I also added a headline and to keep the theme of red I made one of the letters red.

I added a strap line introducing the person I’m interviewing. It was written in capitals to make it stand out to the other text that I would be writing in lower case.

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Double page spread

Using PhotoShop and InDesign (cont)

I added my text and filled the questions in red and kept the answers in black to make it clear to the audience when they are reading. I also added a by-line to show who the article was written by.

I added a pull quote and placed it in between my text to draw attention to the interview.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have

learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt how to make my magazine look more professional in the way that I have taken better quality pictures and thought about the way I took them including the backgrounds, etc. as the background to the images in my preliminary task haven’t got much edit to them and have the original background making it look less official.

I have learnt how to place things on the page to make it look neat and well presented rather than looking like there is no purpose for where it is put.

I have learnt how to manipulate images using Photoshop and also using InDesign to effectively create my article. By using these programs my final magazine looks a lot more improved compared to the preliminary magazine.

When making my preliminary magazine I didn’t look at other magazines to give me ideas for my magazine whereas for my final magazine I compared it to real music magazines of the same genre that I was doing which helped me make my magazine.

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More professional looking as I got the girl in the image to look more professional herself whereas the preliminary image was not as

focused and serious.

Better quality image as I was aware of how to use Photoshop and how to change levels

of the image giving me the opportunity to make it of a better quality.

Better use of shot types as I had an idea in my head of what I wanted the picture to look like whereas before I just tried out different shot types which

didn’t really work very well.

Understood what my target audience want the magazine to look like, used that to include the

text that I did whereas before I just used my own knowledge when including text.

Better information in text as I thought a lot more about what might attract my target audience

instead of just focusing on information like I did in my preliminary task.

Front cover

Contents

Better use of shot types, making the magazine look more interesting.

Less images in the final contents to make it look more sophisticated rather than

cluttering the page with lots of images like I did in the preliminary task.

Text spaced around the page surrounding the image instead of on one side down the page, also the main heading ‘contents’ is

separated making it look unique and interesting instead of placing it on the top of

the page.

Used a better background that was plain instead of busy in the background so it looked more sopihisticated and not as unprofessional as my preliminary task.

Double page spread

Able to expand from preliminary task to being able to make a double page spread

for my magazine using InDesign and Photoshop in order to help me make it look

professional.

Manipulated my image so that it would look good as a dominant image on the whole of

the page.

Linked the colours throughout the two pages

– understood how to make the double page

spread look sophisticated and structured.

Included a sufficient amount of text – around the same amount as a real

magazine – but not so much to bore the

audience.