Main Task: Feedback on Contents Page

 

I asked my target audience (Teenagers/females) to give me some feedback on my music magazine contents page, this is what they said:

Feedback 1

Positive: I was told that my contents page has a good, clear layout where everything is easy to see and isn't too cluttered.

Negative: I was also told that it's bad that my contents page's background is plain as it's just white, making it un-appealing to the audience.

 

Feedback 2

Postive: Another positive I was told was that the fonts I used were consistant on my contents page and cover page. Therefore, this sticks to my house style.

Negative: The image I used dominates my contents page a lot, and can take the attention away from the other things on the page.

 

Feedback 3 

Positive: My target audience also said that the two sections, Features and regulars. This makes the articles easy to see and also allows the reader to easily find what they want.

Negative: The final piece of negative feedback I was given was that my Facebook logo and QR code are quite big and take up a lot of space where I could of included more information/text.

 





Main Task: Draft of Contents Page



 

This was my intial draft of my contents page. As you can see, it's very plain with a lot of dead space.

 

 

As my previous draft had a lot of dead space, it was recommened to me by my target audience that I add a picture along the side, so therefore the reader can see who's in the magazine and who's the main article about.

 

 

This is my final contents page. It was recommened in my contents page feedback that I included a Facebook page link and a QR code. These make the magazine more interactive for the reader.



 

 

 



Main Task: Final Front Cover

 

This is my final front cover.



Main Task: Feedback for Front Cover

I asked my target audience (Teenagers/females) to give me some feedback on my music magazine cover, this is what they said:

 

Feedback 1

 

Positive: I was told by my target audience that the masthead is eye catching due to it being different. The font isn't very conventional and isn't seen often but I decided to use it which had a positive effect on the magazine.

 

Negative: I was told that a lot of grey has been used on my cover. This could make the cover un-appealing to the audience as there isn't anything that stands out a lot on the cover.

 

Feedback 2

 

Positive: I have used only one image on my cover which is conventional of music magazines and was recommend by my target audience. It is good that I've only used one image as it makes Emmah stand out more, allowing the audience to know she's the main focus of this magazine.

 

Negative: My target audience told me that the subheadings on the left hand side of the page are too small and hard to read as they're on top of the models hair.

 

Feedback 3

 

Positive: My peers/target audience told me that it's good that my layout is clear and easy to see everything without being cluttered. This is eye catching for the audience and is atheistically pleasing.

 

 Negative: This person I questioned told me that there wasn't anything else they could find negative about my cover.

Main Task: Front Cover Draft

 

This is my initial front cover.



 

This is my second front cover. My target audience recommened to me that I include a banner across the bottom of the magazine to fill space and to entice the audience to read the magazine.

 

 

 

 

 



Main Task: Image Planning

Model:	Emmah Gaffney
Camera height/angle/distance:	A mix of medium shots and close ups.
Location:	Home
Lighting:	Nothing added, natural lighting.
Mise-en-scene (including props, costume) :	N/A
Attempted connotation:	Famous/Successful pop star.
Planned denotation:	Girl posing for magazine.
Contingency (in case of model absence/weather):	N/A
Alternate angle:	Eye level picture to keep eyecontact with the reader.
Thinking points:  The model was reasurred that the pictures were for coursework purpose only.
Comments:  The model is used in a way to try and attract the target audience to read the pop music magazine, Roar. And to represent a uprising new artist in the pop music industry.

Main Task: Edited Music Magazine Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the only photo I decided to edit to use for my music magazine. This photo is used on my double page spread. All I did was use Photoshop and increase the brightness.

Main Task: Music Magazine Photoshoot

These are the photos I've taken to use throughout my three media products. I am yet to of edited these pictures.

 

 

 

 

 



Main Task: Colour Palettes

Throught my three media products, I have used colours that all compliment each other. I have to done this so the reader can easily read all of the text on the page without difficulty. The main colours I've used on my products vary from product to product, but throughout I've used basic colours such as whites, blacks and some bits of colour such as purple.

For any typography I've used throughout my products the font is mainly black, on a white background. This is the easiest for the audience to read as it's easy on the eye and it still looks good as the colours don't clash.  

 

 

 

Black, Turquoise, White

 

This is a colour pallet for my pop magazine cover.



Main Task: Language and Register

On my final media products, I have used language and register in order to create the article on my Double Page Spread. As my product is a magazine with the target audience of teenagers, I've used a low register tone for my articles. I have stil used proper vocabulary and the correct punctuation though. The length of my article is not too long nor too short, it includes all of the relevant information which my target audience would want to read about without going off topic and 'rambling' too much. Some of the topics that were covered in the article are;
• What the artist (Emmah Gaffney) has been doing over the previous year.

• What she's currently doing whilst she's back in the UK.

• Her new album, Fame.

• Rumours about her appearing on XFactor.

• Up-coming 2014 tour.

• Hearing her song on the radio for the first time.



Main Task: Front cover, Contents & Double Page Spread Layout

This is my initial layout for my pop magazine cover.

 

This is my contents page layout for my pop magazine.

 

 

This is my layout for my DPS.

 

 

 

Main Task: Representation

The pictures throughout my media products have been used in order to represent my target audience. I am going to focus on Mise-en-Scene as this represents the target audience the most. The clothes that my model, Emmah, is wearing are modern and 'in fashion' for the younger generation and my target audience. This represents my target audience as they both link in together. 

Main Task: Magazine Fonts

The font that I have decided to use throughout my magazine is called 'Cardenio Modern'.

This font will be used for any typography used on my cover/contents and double page spread. I chose this font as its sans serif, therefore considered modern, and my target audience for the magazine is young people who are also considered modern. Therefore the font links in well.

 

Font example.

 

Main Task: Name, Masthead Ideas, Primary Research and Final Decision

I have decided to start thinking of titles for my chosen genre for my magazine (pop). These are my ideas:

 M

I have chosen this to be one of my ideas as 'M' stands for 'Music', which is what the magazine is based on. As the title is only one letter, this keeps it simple and easily recognisable to the audience.

Roar

This is another idea for titles for my pop magazine as it stands out. The name gives off the impression that the magazine is impressive (An animals Roar is usually considered impressive).

Note
My final choice of magazine name is 'Note'. I've chosen this to be one as a 'note' is included in music, therefore linking to the theme of the magazine. Also it's a simple name, which is easy to remember and spell by the audience.

Font 1

This is one of the fonts in which I may use if I use the magazine title 'Roar'. This font is called 'Popcorn not included' from Dafont.com. I've decided this may be a good font to use for this title as it looks like an animals fur along the sides. Also, the font isn't neat and is a 'sans serif' font, meaning it doesn't look sophisticated and therefore making the font suit the magazines genre more, which is pop.

Font 2

This is my second choice of font, which is called 'Edge Font' from Dafont.com. This font is suitable for the name of the magazine (Note) and also the genre of magazine (pop) as the font is a 'modern and edgy' font. Pop music is considered modern, therefore this font is appropriate. 

 

Font 3

 

My third design for my masthead is using a font I found Fireworks. This font was one of my options as it's simple, yet modern due to it being in a 'bubble' font, therefore linking in with the genre of my magazine which is pop and also the target audience which is young people.

 

Market Research

I conducted market research on a few people from my class to see which title they preferred for my music magazine. As you can see, the most voted was 'Roar', this is the title I'm going to be using for my magazine.

I have conducted market research to find out which font people preferred for my magazine masthead for my chosen magazine name of 'Roar'. As you can see by the results, font number one was the most popular among the people in my class. This is the font I've decided to go for. 

Final decision 

This is the masthead I've decided to use for my magazine. I have chosen this as it was the most popular among the people I asked from my class, meaning that the audience like this masthead most. Another reason why I've chosen to use this masthead is because it fits in the best with my magazine's target audience, which is young people and this is a modern font, and also genre, which is pop, and this is a modern/fun font like pop music. Also the font links in with the name 'Roar' due to the font looking animal like. I've chosen the name 'Roar', due to an animals roar sound usually being considered impressive, therefore giving the magazine an image of being impressive and good. Also a 'roar' is a loud sound, giving the impression that this magazine is loud and stands out.



Main Task: Pop Music Magazine Analysis

The masthead for the magazine is a modern/pop styled logo. It easily shows the name of the magazine, so the audience can clearly see what the name of the magazine is. It's modern, showing that it's aimed at younger (more modern) audiences. Also pop music is considered modern, so it fits in with the theme of the genre of the music. The masthead doesn't cover Katy's head though, showing that the masthead should be the main focus. The masthead's design is in a speech bubble, as it's a magazine aimed at younger people and younger people are associated with texting/instant messaging etc, it makes it appeal to them. 

The main coverline on the cover says 'Katy Perry' in big/bold letters. The font is informal (It doesn't have serifs) and also has coloured in parts. This links in with the magazine being for younger audiences. The coverline takes up most of the right hand-side of the cover, this is done to draw in the attention and also to bring the focus to Katy. Underneath the coverline there's a pull quote. This is a quote from the article inside the magazine. The '...' at the end of the quote makes the reader question what she's talking about, making them want to read the article/buy the magazine.

On the top right-hand side and the middle of the left hand-side, there are cover lines which include other bits of information which are inside the magazine. This is done so the reader can also see what's included in the magazine. 

The main picture that's used on the cover is a mid length shot of Katy, she's got direct eye contact with the camera showing confidence (also with the hands on hips pose). She's wearing a modern/young/fun outfit in keeping with the magazines audience.

Finally along the bottom of the cover, there's a banner which includes other 'key' things inside the magazine. At the start of the banner it says 'Brace Yourself' in capitals, which could of been done to show how it's a one off in the magazine to have these articles/pictures and that no other magazine has them. The words on the banner are separated by stars, fitting in with the theme of it being for younger audiences.

The masthead used for Billboard magazine is again, modern (the font doesn't include serifs) and has splashes of colour which keeps it within a modern theme, suiting the genre of music it's being made for, pop. 

Across the masthead a small banner has been used across the top left hand corner. Banners/kickers are used to draw the attention of the audience to certain things on a page. These things are normally important/interesting things in the magazine. This banner is bright yellow, making it stand out from anything else on the page. It's also used to keep in keeping with the house style used on the cover as some parts of text on the cover are also yellow. This could show how as the banner's yellow, the font that's also yellow is important too (Like the banner is). The banner has 'DON'T MISS' on it, making the audience not want to miss what's on the banner. The banner is advertising Billboard's music festival. This may have been used in a banner as it's advertising the festival but in a subtle way. Also as it's across the masthead when people read the magazine's title, they also see the banner making them question the festival.

The main coverline on the cover says 'MILEY CYRUS' in block capitals, keeping with the modern theme (As there's no serifs on the font) and also makes it stand out. Under the coverline there's line of text. This is yellow (Keeping with the house style/the banner) which could highlight that it's important which makes it stand out. The pull quote includes a rhetorical question ("But will her fans follow?") which makes the audience want to read on into the article and see how Miley has grown up (Like the pull quote suggests).

There are few cover lines used on the cover. These all highlight things that are included in the magazine, which obviously is done to draw the attention in of the audience so they buy the magazine. 

Finally the photo on the page is a mid length shot of Miley. She's got direct eye-contact with the camera, and also has a stern expression on her face, showing confidence and that she owns the cover. She's holding a large letter M. This obviously is used to link in with her name, Miley. As the letter M is so large, this could of been done to show how she's grown up (Linking in with what the text under the cover line) as the letter M is so large. 

Billboard's masthead is covered by Taylor's face, allowing the target audience (Taylor Swift fans/Pop music fans) seeing what they want, Taylor. The greeny/yellow colour in the letter D of the masthead links in with the house style used throughout the cover. 

The main coverline on the cover says TAYLOR SWIFT in block capitals, no serifs. Giving a modern feel to the magazine and it's audience. Billboard seems to do this a lot. The coverline has used the biggest font on the page, drawing in most attention. As it's wrote so big, it could be used to try and sell the magazine to the target audience (Taylor Swift fans). Under the main coverline there's a bit of information, "Country's Teen Queen Takes Her Music Global". This is used to make the audience question why/how she's making her music global. And also gives them an insight about her. As it says 'Teen', this could of been used to attract teenagers to the magazine. Also as it says teen, this makes Taylor seem more successful that she's managed to take her music global whilst still a teen, making the magazine have a good image as it's got someone successful who's a teen still on the cover. 

Down the left-hand side other stories/articles are included. They are all related to music/bands/singers, which attract the target audience. 

Above the bar code (Bottom left hand corner), there are Billboards links to social media. This is a clean/simple/easy way for them to advertise their social media. A reason why it may be placed here is because the price of the magazine is also here, so when the audience goes to check the price whilst in the shop, they'll see the links. A bar code is usually always placed on the front cover of magazines as on the back page, there are adverts, which the advertiser doesn't want. 

The picture used on the magazine is a mid shot of Taylor. Her hair and make-up is done perfectly, giving off the image of being a superstar and famous. Again the same as the Miley cover, she's got a blank expression and direct eyecontact (Showing confidence). The background behind her is plain and blurred out, showing that she's the main focus as she's famous. 

Main Task: Target Audience & Survey Answers

I conducted a survey (See post here) to find out who to aim my magazine at.

 

 

All people questioned were between the ages of 13-17, so I'm going to predominately target my magazine at them.

 

This question was asking the people questioned what makes them interested in a magazine, this helped me base on what to put on my magazine's cover to attract my target audience's attention. So I decided to use one big picture to help attract.

 

The majority of people questioned were female, therefore I'm going to aim my media product at females.

 

This question helped me decide what genre of music I should do for my magazine. Most people's favourite out of the target audience questioned was pop music, therefore I'm going to use pop.

 

All who answered the questionnaire said that they prefer a physical magazine over a digital one, therefore I'm publishing my magazine physically rather than only digitaly.  



Main Task: Target Audience Survey

I have made a survey on SurveyMonkey.com so I can find out who to aim my music magazine at and also which would be the most popular genre to chose.

 



         Click here to take survey

 

 

 

Main Task: Music Magazine Genre

The genre I've chosen to make my magazine for is Pop. Pop music is very popular therefore the magazine has more chance of being successful. I conducted a survey (See post here) in order to find out which was the most popular genre for my target audience to help me choose. 

Main Task: Magazine Contents Page Analysis

The magazine has used three main colours in order to keep the contents page not looking too cluttered and busy. The three main colours being red, white and some black. The red is a very eye catching colour and can resemble many things (Danger, love etc). The colour white also gives a very sophisticated look to the contents page (Which is what 'Vanity Fair' is aiming for). Also as Vanity Fair are aiming for a sophisticated/mature look; they've used 'Serif fonts' mainly in order to portray this. 

Across the picture of Katy, there's a quote from the article ("I looked into what was out there and I didn't see anyone like me"). This has been used so the audience question what she's talking about, also wonder about it and then read further into the article.

On the contents page, Vanity Fair haven't listed everything included in the magazine but just the key features from the issue. This allows the magazine to keep the contents page simple and doesn't clutter it, which could look messy. Subtitles have been used on the contents page to divide the page further, so it's easy for the reader to find what they're looking for. Also the pages have page numbers so it's easy for the audience to find what they're looking for. 

 

The magazine has decided to keep a very simple and minimalistic feel to their contents page by only having one main picture and a small amount of text. The fonts on the magazine are easy to read, which is good for the reader. Also these fonts may have been used as they suite the theme of the magazine and also the target audience (Younger age groups). The font is a 'sans serif' fontand also uses bubble text in order to fit in with the target audience's age. The fonts aren't sophisticated which gives the impression that the magazine is for younger audiences.

 

The only picture on the contents page is of the person who's the main focus for that issue of the magazine, Katy Perry. She's in the centre of the page, making her the main focus. Also it allows the reader to know she's the main focus of the magazine.

 

The fact that she's holding a huge red mushroom, makes the reader question why is is; therefore making them want to read on into the article to see the story behind it. Also on the contents page there's a quote near the bottom, again making the audience question what she's talking about and making them want to read the article.

 

The magazine has kept the contents page less busy by not having a lot of text. The contents page only mentions the 'features' from that issue of the magazine, instead of everything in there. The reason why the magazine may have done this is so it makes the magazine seem 'exclusive' as it has those articles in.

 

 

 

 

To keep with their house style and the feel of the magazine, Vogue have kept a simple and sophisticated feel to their contents page to match the rest of the magazine. This is done mainly by the title used. It is wrote using a 'serif' font, giving the overall image of sophistication and class. The title is also set out in a simple way, by only using one font colour and keeping it all lower case.

 

There's only one image on the page, therefore keeping the page less cluttered and draws the audiences attention directly to the picture. This is used as it makes the audience question why the model is wearing that/what she's doing, therefore making them want to read on into the article. The picture is a full body shot, allowing the audience to see everything in the picture (Including her outfit and pose). The background is simple yet dark, making the model stand out.

 

Over the image there's a section called 'Cover Stories', this has been done for ease of use for the audience. It's been done in a non-cluttered way making the page still look simple.

 

Down the right hand side of the page, there are other things listed. This isn't everything in the magazine but the 'key' things that stand out. This has been done so again, the page doesn't  look messy and over cluttered. There's a section called 'special features'. This gives Vogue an exclusive image, that they're a special magazine as they have these key things in the issue that other magazines do not.

 

Vogue have kept the colours they've used to a minimum, with only using three main colours; Black, white and red. This allows the magazine to keep within their housestyle and also doesn't draw the attention of the reader away from the page.

 



Main Task: Double Page Spread Analysis

The title of the article is 'Girl Girl Girl', this has been done by the magazine in order to link in with Katy's first song 'I Kissed A Girl'. The title has been wrote using a bubble font, which is a 'sans serif' font. This has been done as the magazine's target audience is aimed at younger audiences. Also the font is modern and links in with the person the article is based on (Katy)'s music genre, which is music. The font is fun, which could portray a fun side to both Katy and the magazine.

The whole right page of the article is nearly a full body shot of Katy. This has been done in order to allow the audience to know who the article is about.The pose which Katy is in (Fists up etc) is quite a masculine pose, showing a masculine side to her. But also her outfit is very feminine, showing another side to her. As the article's main colours are black and white; this could link in with the two sides to her, as black and white are complete opposites as are masculine and feminine. Also the black and white housestyle on the article gives the magazine and Katy a sophisticated look, and also gives a traditional and classy look to her.

One of the things that stands out the most from the double page spread is the big letter 'L' which on the right page. The 'L' has obviously been used to link it in with who the article is about, Lady Gaga. It instantly draws the attention of the audience and is also linked to the magazines housestyle. The magazine this article is from is Q. And one of Q magazine's main colours they use is red. Also the red is a eye catching colour for the magazine to of used. 

The image on the left page, is a medium close up of Lady Gaga. The photo has been edited into a 'grey scale' finish, meaning that minimal colours (White, Black, Red) have been used on the article giving a simple/sophisticated feel to the magazine. As the image of Lady Gaga takes up the whole page, it gives the impression that this photo/article and also Lady Gaga has significance and that she's important. 

There's no title on the double page spread, only 'Lady Gaga' wrote in the top right corner. This has been done so that the audience must read further into the article if they are to find out what the article is about as there are no clues etc. The small title in the top corner has been wrote in two different types of font. 'Lady' has been wrote in italics as this gives a softer more feminine edge to it (As the word is 'lady') where as 'GAGA' has been wrote in block capitals, giving it a harsher edge. This may have been done to give the impression that there are two sides to Lady Gaga. 

The right side of the double page spread is nearly all filled with text. This has been done to give the impression that Lady Gaga is a big star, with a lot of information to find out about her and makes her seem like she's important. Two of the paragraphs on the page also start with 'drop capitals'. This may have been done as it draws in the reader's attention and makes the reader think that there must be something important to read in that paragraph. 

The main focus of the double page spread is the title. It has been wrote in an unusual font and style (Almost like a newspaper cut out) and is set out in a different way in which most other magazines do.  This draws in the attention of the read instantly therefore making them want to read on further into the article. Also as the title's font is so different, it makes Lily Allen appear more interesting. 

Like most articles, one page (the right) has been taken up by a medium shot of Lily Allen. This has been done so the audience instantly know who the article is about, as there's no big title saying "Lily Allen" anywhere on the page the magazine is relying on the picture to grab the audience's attention. The picture of her is natural and she isn't 'over done' like many celebrities are in pictures, meaning that the audience can relate to her more. The pose she has shows confidence as she has both hands on hips and also direct eye contact with the camera.

The colours on the article have been kept to a minimum, with the magazine just sticking to three main colours (Black, white and red). This gives the magazine a sophisticated look and also makes the article easy to read. Also the colours may have been kept to a minimum as then it fits in with the theme of a 'newspaper' style (Which is suggested by the title).

The top Lily Allen is wearing is red. Red is a eye catching colour which could of been used as it grabs attention also. The red from the top also links in with certain parts of the text (Presumingly the more important parts). This gives the idea that all of the parts in red (Including the top) are most important, making both Lily and the article important and that it's a "Don't miss" thing.



Main Task: Music Magazine Cover Analysis

The masthead is the Billboard logo, which has used a simple font ('Sans Serif') which gives a modern and young feel to the magazine. This is good as it links in with the target audience (Mainly younger people) and the font fits in with the genre of music the magazine is aimed at, pop. Which is usually a form of music aimed at younger people. The masthead is partly covered by Katy's head, giving the impression that Billboard is a big enough magazine to be recognisable without it's logo/masthead on full display. Also it can give the impression that Katy's bigger and better than the magazine and what it has to offer.

The coverlines on the magazine have been kept to a minimum. This creates a sleek look to the magazine and helps to draw all of the attention to the model on the cover, Katy Perry. As there's only one coverline (Katy Perry, Woman of the year), it makes all of the focus on Katy and the fact that she's the woman of the year. Making her seem better than other artists. Also as the cover is so plain, it gives the idea that Katy is more important than anything else that the magazine has to offer for that issue.

Billboard have kept within their housestyle for the magazine. There is a theme of light blue (Used in the title for the word 'IN', in the masthead, On Katy's eyes and also on the text at the bottom of the screen). As there are certain things that are blue (Which is a brighter colour than the rest making it stand out), this gives the idea that these are the most important things. This may have been done for that and to also get the audiences attention.

The background on the cover is plain and simple, like the top Katy's wearing. This allows Katy to stand out over the background as it isn't busy and cluttered.  The type of shot used of Katy is a medium/closeup shot. This is used to show both her figure/position on how she's sitting.

Katy has direct eyecontact with the camera, showing confidence and that she's in charge. Linking in with the idea that she's the 'woman of the year'.

As it's the same magazine as the one above, The logo is sleek and simple. Using a 'sans serif' font so the magazine suits its purpose of being for younger audiences and also to pop music fans (as that's who the magazine is aimed at). Also again, Katy's head covers the Billboard logo. Giving the impression that Katy's bigger/better than the magazine. Also that Billboard is a big enough magazine to not need it's full logo on display.

The main coverline on the cover says 'KATY PERRY' in a 'serif font'. This may have been done by Billboard in order to link in with the text under the main cover line ("Inside the court of the new queen of pop). As a Queen is obviously someone who is sophisticated and posh etc. The 'serif' font links in with this as it's a more sophisticated font, Making Katy seem sophisticated. The writing under the coverline, says "Inside.." which makes the audience question what the article is going to be about.

The other coverlines used on the magazine cover are in a smaller font, but are in a 'sans serif' font which fits in with the modern/young theme the magazine has. All of the coverlines on the magazine have something to do with music/pop, which is what they're there for (to draw in the target audience of pop music fans). The coverlines or text doesn't cover Katy, showing that she's more important than what Billboard also has to offer from the magazine and it also makes her the main focus.

The shot that has been used is a medium/long shot. This may have been used in order to show the audience her figure and also her outfit. The flowers may have been used to show her more feminine side (Linking in with the pink background and also the flowers over her outfit). But also her outfit includes black, showing that there could be two sides to her (One light/feminine and one dark/black).

 The final music magazine I decided to analyse is another Billboard one. As you can see, Billboard have changed their masthead to be all white. The font is still the same (A 'Sans Serif') font, which again links to the target audience being for younger audiences and also for pop music fans. The masthead has now been moved to the top left hand corner, this may be for this 'one off' issue (If it is, it gives the impression Katy's so important/big she can change the original layout of a magazine).

Like the first magazine cover analysis, there isn't many coverlines on the cover. This makes all of the attention drawn onto her and isntead of anything else. This may have been done in order to show she's the focus. The cover line used by her head "After record-setting success and person loss, the pop queen roars back to the top", has been used as it links in with her new song 'Roar'.

The main coverline just says "KATY" in a big font with block capitals and runs along the middle of the page. The font is white which is in keeping with the rest of the font on the page. The white font may have also been used in order to link in with the subheading which is under the main coverline "Sees the light", as white is a light colour and is represented with light. The subheading that has been used 'sees the light', has been used as it links in with her new album (Which is what the article is about). 

The background is very busy which is unusual for magazine covers as they often want to make the model the main focus. The background may have been used with flowers etc as it shows a nice side to her, and that she's come out of a darker side of her life as she's "seen the light".

Preliminary: Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a school magazine?
One way my product uses the conventions of a school magazine is by having the masthead at the top of a page. A masthead is a convention of a school magazine as all magazines have them. I know this is a convention because all of the school magazines I have researched have one. I chose to use this convention on my preliminary work as it makes the magazine easily recognisable to the audience as it's the first thing to stand out, also I have used this convention as it links in with my magazines purpose.

A way my product develops the conventions of a school magazine is how the cover includes more than one image. I know that I have developed this convention because of the school magazines that I have researched only usually include one image. I chose to develop this convention so I could make my magazine look more interesting (To draw in the audiences attention). Also, having more than one image shows that there's more than one story inside my magazine, making it more appealing and making the audience want to read the magazine more.

 

 

Examples of other school magazines. All of these images include just one image on the cover, showing that I have developed the typical convention of a school magazine having just one image.

One of the ways my product challenges the conventions of a school magazine front covers is because I've not used a typical convention of a school magazine, as I've used more than one picture on the cover. I decided to challenge this as I thought it looked better with more pictures on, rather than just one picture which could look plain and boring. I chose to break away from typical conventions as I wanted my magazine to stand out more and be more unique.

 

How effective is the front page of your magazine in focusing on the ethos (core beliefs) of the school?

My magazine front cover is effective in some ways to fit within the school's ethos. Biddulph High School's core belief is for their pupils to "Aim for the highest" (As stated on the schools website). To fit with this belief of the school, my cover includes a "GCSE Results Success" cover story, this therefore links in with pupils aiming for the highest and achieving success. My cover also focuses on the schools ethos of "Respect, Dignity, Pride" as my cover includes two pictures of smartly dressed 6th form pupils, showing that they take pride in the appearance.

What have you learnt from your audience's feedback?

The first person I asked about my preliminary work, commented on how I should of linked my cover more towards the school's ethos/core beliefs as this would of given the school a better overall image. In order to do this I'd maybe put the schools ethos message of "Respect, Dignity, Pride" on the cover/contents page etc. A second person commented on the fact that my background on my cover is plain, and has a lot of "dead space" around the images and text.

 

How did you use the new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages? 

In order to research for both my cover page and contents page for my school magazine, I used the Internet (Google), in order to search for examples of other school magazines, This allowed me to base my own preliminary work off other school's magazines. Also I used the Internet (Dafont.com) to get the fonts I used on both my cover page and contents page.  To create my cover page and contents page; I used Adobe Fireworks instead of using Photoshop due to it being much easier to use and I'm familier with it. On this software I cut out my images, added backgrounds, fonts and effects.