11 - Magazine Evaluation

Questions 1,2 & 3

Questions 4 & 5

Questions 6 & 7

Evaluation Script

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

The chosen genre for my magazine is Hip-Hop/R&B fused with some dance elements. I feel this dual genre approach will be appealing for my target audience and will allow them to perceive that the magazine is good value for money without compromising on quality.

My front cover follows usual conventions of real magazines in terms of the layout. One example is emphasis on the lower left third that exists in real magazines. Here I have placed important content such as the barcode, price, promotions, website URL and QR Codes. This can all be viewed from the shop shelf without other magazines covering the necessities.

I have mostly stuck to the original house style design that was created and the front cover has been inspired by ‘VIBE’ magazine. I have done this as the conventions utilised within VIBE are also suitable to address my target audience. The masthead and coverlines are also colour co-ordinated with black, white and red being used extensively. The image used on the front cover has been carefully selected from a shortlist of images from the photoshoot, I have gone with a medium close-up as the size will fill the front cover appropriately allow attention and detail to be given to the models face and clothing. The fact that the model is smiling is suitable as it will capture the attention of the audience and give an upbeat and positive feel to the magazine, fitting in with the ethos and mode of address used elsewhere. Although no makeup was used, the image was manipulated via Photoshop for some minor touch-ups that include colour balance and whitening of teeth in addition to removing some blemishes and marks on the skin. This slightly cooler hue was applied to the image to highlight and emphasize the whiteness in the T-Shirt that denotes freshness. The marks on skin were removed so attention isn’t detracted from the front covers coverlines.

The contents page takes a unique approach in the fact that it’s spread out over two pages. I required this extra space in order to not compromise on creative quality and cram the contents in to a single page. One reason for the extra space used is the relatively large font size used in the masthead and large image of the model used on the left hand side of the contents page. I have formatted the word ‘Contents’ in a way that is similar to how VIBE magazine have done so. I have done this as it deviates from the usual way in simply writing contents on one line thus adding to the aesthetic quality. I have drifted from my initial house style plans due to needing to accommodate the extra content; however this was a necessary change in order for me to deliver the magazine contents in a minimalistic, black and white fashion. I have gone for a classy look and have achieved this via symmetry used between layers in the magazine and even spacing between page numbering and their respective article descriptions. The classy, minimalist feel has also been aided by the font styles used and the fact that the white font colour contrasts well with the black backdrop. For column headings I used ‘Edwardian Script ITC’ as it has a real prestigious and somewhat formal feel to it. For article listing headings I used ‘Segoe UI’ due to its boldness and uniformity. I also applied a white to black gradient to the article listing headings as it fits in nicely with the colour scheme and draws the audience attention to them. I have made extensive use of on-location photography in particular and have used a variety of shots with each one associated with one of the articles listed.

 

 

The DPS has largely remained the same in terms of the finished product compared to the initial conception I envisioned in the house style designs. The little change required is due to the better understanding I had prior to starting the task about where everything would go and what the finished product would look like. This is in stark contrast to my contents page where I was initially stuck for ideas and my intentions about the finished product were not as concise, leading me to carry out a lot of work on the go, thus causing the difference between the house style design and the finished contents page. The DPS layout was something I came up with myself and is largely different to the DPS used in my case study with no immediately obvious links between them. The reason being is that I had to design my DPS layout taking in consideration the panoramic/wide angle shot that I wanted to implement. This lead to the top half of the spread being completely used for the image and masthead with the bottom half being used for the article itself and accompanying images. This is different to many DPS’ that I studied that seemed to use an Image on the left page and the article on the right page. I have also added an ‘Exclusive’ heading at the top of the page that reminds the audience of the exclusivity of the content within the page. It leads them to view it as the highlight of the magazine and intrigues them into reading further. The colour scheme here is largely similar to that of the front cover, with black, white and red all being used extensively. A pull quote has also been used in an italic font that separates it from the rest of the articles text. This quote is designed to be one of importance by the subject of the article and one that summarises the general theme of the article as a whole.

 

How does your media product represent particular social group?

The social group I have used consists of a large majority of my audience. That is 16-24 year olds that share a common interest, the interest here being celebrity and pop culture. The thing that defines them as one social group is that they share one type of culture and share the same values, thus bringing them together and allowing them to enjoy the magazine. The magazine as such, has been catered for them and the mode of address has been designed to be understandable, relatable and friendly. Using too much of a formal tone will not appeal to the social group as they want to feel at ease when reading the magazine. The celebrities and music artists are not likely to use a formal tone during communication so addressing the audience using a formal tone will break the connection they are meant to feel with the artists. The social group is mostly going to consist of teenagers from urban areas whose parents are likely to be working/middle class. They aspire to be like the people that will be featured in my magazine. In terms of ethnicity, the magazine promotes a mixture of ethnicities celebrating modern hip hop culture and this is evidenced simply by the range of skin colours that can be seen in images throughout the magazine with one image in particular showcasing a group of 30+ dancers with a variety of different ethnic backgrounds. This is done in order to make the culture accessible to anyone who feels they may enjoy it. This challenges the conventional stereotypes of the past that rap artists are only of colour and aims to take the hip hop culture into a new, non-discriminatory era. Overall I would say the representations in my magazine of the social group highlighted above are positive and aims to promote progress and productivity amongst them.

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

Future Publishing PLC would be ideal as they already have a wealth of experience distributing UK based magazines. I liked their modern approach and the fact they are keeping up to date with technology. They are actively selling magazines via their app in the Apple App Store. This alone has generate over £5 Million since its launch

They also have credentials as they have done distribution for a number of big magazines such as Official Xbox Magazine & EDGE to name a few.

This experience makes them trustworthy to distribute my magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience of my Magazine is primarily composed of individuals in the 16-24 age range although this is flexible, with expected readers both above and below this specified age. This is mainly due to the wide fanbase of Hip Hop. The audience is likely to be either working or middle class as this is the group mainly affiliated with the genre of music associated with the magazine. They are also likely to be living in urban areas where there is a high prominence of underground and mainsteram hip hop. There will be a spectrum of ethnicities that will be targeted by the media product although it is expected the majority of readers will be Black/African-American. Theses figures were obtained and judged from the press pack analysis I carried out and it was crucial to do so in order for me to have some kind of ethos and mode of address to target the audience when developing the magazine. The remaining 25% of readers will be largely composed of hispanic/white readers with Asian readers being the minority at only 1%. 10% have specified their race as 'Other'.

There is only a relatively small discrepancy between the proportion of Male/Female readers with males establishing 55% of the reader base. This is due to the magazines catering for both male and female readers and the fact that there is no obvious links and association to either gender in the mode of address or in terms of the house style/colour scheme.

75% of readers have been or are currently being formally educated at a higher institution with 65% of readers currently employed. I suspect that the relatively high unemployment rate amongst readers is due to the amount of people who are currently in full time education.

In terms of audience feedback, the feedback I received from peers via class discussions was largely predictable and in line with what was outlined in my press pack analysis.

How did you attract/address your audience?

After asking my peers, there was a large consensus that one of the focal selling points of the magazine was the model used on the front cover. The feedback generally pointed out that the model used was an attractive young man, thus capturing the attention of female viewers and also being used as a role model figure for male readers due to the clothing and obvious denotation of power that stems from being famous and being on the front cover in the first place.

The mode of address used in the magazine is one that is friendly and slightly informal, making the reader feel familiar as the language used is one that they are likely to experience in daily life. This sets a more personal form of adressing the reader and may entice them into reading further as they feel like they are being spoken to rather than reading an article that has been printed en-masse.

For example, in the editors note, the editor addreses the reader directly, pointing out "We bent over backwards in order to bring you the latest on the scene". This is an example of the informality used throughout the magazine.

The colour scheme has also been designed with the audience in mind and their specific interests. The hip hop scene is associated with street art such as graffiti so vibrant colours were utilised in the magazine. Warm colours such as red were used rather than cooler colours.
 

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

I have learned many skills whilst undertaking the construction of my magazine. I learnt about the image manipulation technologies used in Photoshop whilst designing my front cover and editing the model. During my use of Photoshop I learned how to manage different layers and how to

 I learnt about the conventions of magazine articles in terms of pull quotes and drop caps in articles. Subsequently I featured these in my finished product.

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

I feel with my preliminary task there were many things that were done that do not usually follow the conventions of a professional magazine. Receiving and evaluating my feedback has allowed me to analyze and evaluate those problems and subsequently go on to rectify them using the skills I have developed whilst using the software. The more I used it, the better I got.

One aspect of the construction that became easier as time went on is making sure all elements are aligned, such as text, images, mastheads, and other features.

10 - Audience Research + Evaluation for Music Magazine

'Who are the audience? Are they the group that you initially targeted?'

My audience is primarily composed of 16-24 Year olds that are fans of hip hop, the music industry and modern dance culture. This hasn't changed much from my original vision from the magazine and has fundamentally stayed the same. I have based the design and construction of my magazine on what my audience would like to see and I have decided what this would be beforehand by taking feedback from my original pitch

'How are particular social groups represented - Fans of particular music, age groups, defined by social class / gender / ethnicity? Are these representations positive, negative, mixed?'

I feel I try to represent my audience in a positive way and I do this by engaging them in the magazine and involving them by doing monthly Q&A's and a readers column each month. This portrays them as critical, thought provoking individuals whose views must be respected and heard. It aims to rid any negative stereotypes that the general population may hold of my audience due to their age (they are young) or any other their musical interests as the hip hop culture has been known to seep into violence and criminality. My magazine is trying to rid this image.

'Which elements of the magazine does the audience like?'

In general I received praise for the overall design of my magazine and the colour schemes and layout that was used.

"I really like the front cover. It looks professional and real. I think the font choice is excellent and it sets the tone for the magazine"

"Your photography throughout the magazine is excellent, particularly the studio photography. The shot used on the front cover is good as the models pose and smile engage with the audience. His attire makes the audience aware that this is a modern hip hop magazine"

"The fonts look really nice. They are clear and easy to read which is excellent"

'What could be improved?'

Although most people though most areas of my magazine were fine there were a few improvements that they suggested. These include

"Although the design of the DPS is good I feel the article could have been longer"

"You could've used more models for the Studio photography as the same model appears once on the cover and twice in the contents page"

Looking back at feedback you received from the college magazine, how do you feel your technical and creative skills have developed?

Personally I feel my technical skills in terms of using the tools in Photoshop and InDesign have improved massively. As I used the software more and more, my skills developed and I became more used to the interface which allowed me to more easily translate what was on my head to what appears on the screen as the end product. In addition to the actual development, the feedback for my college magazine allowed to to know what to improve upon for the actual music magazine.

9 - Construction - Motion Magazine

FINAL - Magazine Cover

FINAL - Contents Page

FINAL - Double Page Spread

Construction + Progress

CONTENTS:

DPS:

 

 

 

 

With the DPS after developing it I realised I was not happy with the photography I had done for the main image. The image was to pixelated due to me messaging it from my phone to my computer so I decided to go to the location again to capture a better image that was of higher resolution and had had a clearer subject.

Model Photoshopping:

Before

This is the Original photo and whilst good there are a few improvements to be made in order to make it perfect.

After

Here is after editing. I have slightly adjusted the colour balance in the whole picture to give it a cooler feel. I then used the spot healing tool in Photoshop in order to remove some blemishes off the skin on his face. After this I removed some marks on his arm that were exposed. Finally I highlighted his teeth and increased the brightness and contrast for that layer only, whilst increasing the blue colour saturation in order to give the models teeth a more white look.