Friday, 10 December 2010

Done, done and done

I have now finished creating my front cover and contents pages for my student magazine, as such i will now be starting my music magazine coursework :)

Evaluation

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

Key conventions of front cover- Headline, mast head, cover lines, full page image, and price.
Key conventions of contents- Images that link to the text, page numbers and text.

My magazine follows the conventions for the front cover as it has the price at the bottom right hand side, it has a mast head and cover lines, however it does not have a head line as there is not a main article.
My contents page follows the conventions of text and images that link, with page numbers although it slightly goes against convention because of the bright colours used.
Also shown in the examples above my magazine has one main image but the colour scheme and cover lines suggest that it is targeting both genders wheres as the left hand is not, its only targeting women. The left magazine overlaps text and the main image and this is quite common, i avoided this by putting the cover lines by the side of the main subject in the photo this allows the viewer to concentrate on the image and hopefully it will attract their interest.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine represents teenagers as it is written in an informal style with language that is relevant to them and it also talks about things that will interest them e.g. technology, new films, music and games. The magazine has an overall modern look and so will automatically appeal more to the younger age groups.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
My magazine focuses on things that are interesting for teenagers that are boys and girls, whereas other magazines available do not do this. Also as it is a student magazines colleges would be the distributor of the magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?
Teenagers aged between 13-19 both boys and girls; anyone who likes to keep unto date with films, music etc. I have tried not to stereotype teenagers although this may happen when they are a target audience, i have made the magazine so that it appeals to many people so both genders and a range of ages i have done this by mentioning different subjects such as politics, entertainment, technology and fashion. 

How did you attract/address your audience?
The front cover uses very bright colours, written by teens for teens and so uses informal language and commonly used terms such as 'Uni' instead of university. The price is fair for what the magazine contains which is good as many of my targeted age group will not have jobs. Uses relevant images, and mentions subjects that are interesting to teenagers. i made sure i got some audience feedback: The audience liked the use of colour for my magazine as it is eye catching and looks modern which is suited to the overall subject of technology. They also liked my chosen draft layout although I changed it slightly  for the final front cover and contents page.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt how to edit colour using coral after taking the pictures with a digital camera at different angles/styles. I have used publisher to actually create the pages and rearrange text and images. Also i have learnt how to use a blog and its different features.  


final contents page




Friday, 3 December 2010

Monday, 22 November 2010

Photo shoot organisation

For my photoshoot I will need at least 6 photographs 3 will be used for the front cover and others for the contents page.
  • Front cover:
-Props: Xbox 360 controller, headset this is because the magazine is about entertainment and technology etc. that may interest teenagers.
-Settings: Indoors, well lit area
-Shot type: Mid/long shots will be used with a high and low angle so that the subject and there actions can be seen clearly.  

  • Contents:
-These will focus more on the props that are relevant and close ups will be used to show these.
These are my content page designs, please vote.
1

2
These are my magazine front cover layout ideas vote for the one you prefer!

 
1



2




The Background is white and rather plain but this allows the focus of the page to be the text and images, this makes it clear what the magazine is about. Also the simple body and title text style makes it easy clear and easy ride. 


The Images on this page are a good size and are either promotional like posters or stills from a film etc. Also there is enough text and images without being overcrowded . The layout is nice an simple as well set neatly in three columns also helps the reader decide which way they should read the text.


I think this page works well as a contents page as it is simple and informative.
  

Sunday, 21 November 2010

Questionnaire

1.What should the magazine be about?
-College
-Music
-Recent events
-Technology
-Other 

2.How much would you pay for a student mag?
-50p
-£1
-£1.50
-£2
-other

3.What should the magazine overly be made up of?
-Images
-Text
-Equal text and images


4.Should the magazine have a contents page?

5.What should my magazine be called?
















Friday, 19 November 2010

What colour sheme should my magazine have?
Reds, yellows, oranges
Blues and greens
White and pastel tones
multi coloured
  
pollcode.com free polls

Textual analysis: Magazines

From the front cover of this magazine it is obvious that the niche audience is teenagers this is because it has an image of the hit TV comedy The Inbetweeners also this  is obvious from the title 'First Car' as most teenagers at college are at this stage currently; even if the readers aren't interested in cars they may still look at the magazine for the interview with these popular actors.

The colour scheme of this magazine is limited to three contrasting colours yellow,black and white, this makes the magazine stand out as it grabs the viewers attention.

The large clear font has been appropriately used to display the content of the magazine and will help the readers of it  to remember the title, in case they want to read it again. 

Comparing student magazines

etc (education, training, careers)
  • Random information - interesting for young people
  • Information - different questions answered about lots of subjects
  • Life - Informs the audience about future life in an appropriate way
  • Music - Something interesting for teenagers
  • Different careers - informative information for the near future
Smart Talent
  • Careers
  • Universities
  • Student Photos
  • Student Profiles
  • Question and answers
Student Id
  • Revision tips
  • Music
  • Movie reviews
  • Horoscopes
  • Wish list

Action Plan

Week 1-15th Nov
  • Create action plan
  • Intial comparison of photos
  • Set up blog
  • Textual analysis of magazines
  • Audience questionairre/poll
  • Organise photo shoot
Week 2 -22nd Nov
  • Take photos
  • Deicide on name of mag
  • Edit photos
Week 3-29th Nov
  • Create front cover & draft
  • Create contents & draft
Week 4-6th Dec (deadline 10th)
  • Get audience feedback
  • Evaluation