Friday, 9 May 2014

Evaluation 1


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


As you can see my magazine cover doesn’t have many of the conventions that you would see on a regular magazine. This is because unlike regular magazines mine is a specialist magazine which focuses on one band or artist per issue.
This cover is for an indie-rock artist and therefore I have built up my magazine to make it look as individual as possible. By using a white filter as a base colour on my image I could enhance the eye colour making them a bright blue colour that links with the text used. I have also blurred around the face making it look softer and they eyes more prominent. This entices the reader as it is different and something that isn’t used with every magazine.

As my magazine is a specialist issue it challenges to normal conventions by not using many. For example, I don’t use pull lines on the front covers, this is because all the stories relate to one artist and the reader already knows this. I don’t completely throw the idea of conventions out of the window though. I do have common conventions such as a tag line and barcode.

The mast head on my magazine is very similar to the ‘MOJO’ style model I was using, this is because I thought that technique was very impressive and I applied it to my own masthead ‘AURA’. The masthead of my magazine is central, similar to MOJO. During my research I found that magazines like ‘Q’ and ‘NME’ have their masthead/logo in the top left corner. I personally didn’t like this idea as I found it repetitive, especially is the logo is there on each page. 

The layout of my magazine cover photo was extremely important as I took inspiration from the ‘MOJO’ cover and in some aspects I have mimicked it. For example the tagline and main cover line are both placed at the bottom of the page. This is because of the close up image of the models face— if the text was in the centre of the page it would block out certain aspects and draw the attention away from the eyes, which is where I wanted it to be.

 


















My contents page was also modeled from a ‘MOJO’ magazine but not the same issue. As you can see this contents page contains Florence Welsh (left) . I have adapted my contents page to match its format and have tried to get the layout at an equal balance. (right). Compared to each other they are very similar, despite the changes in font and colour. I kept the contents page relatively simple because from my research I have found that simplicity the best. I made sure it had a clear and logical structure. I tried my best to make sure all the text was formatted correctly.  The image used on the contents is the same model as before as the magazine is all about her. The house colours flow throughout the magazine, which makes the magazine, seem more professional.

My double-page really challenges the conventions as its is not set out the usual way. For example, compares to this NME DPS mine looks completely different. Which was what I was aiming for in a way but i also think it makes it look a little less professional.  I used pull lines from certain answers as quotes to highlight them.
The written content in my magazine was very important to me and i wanted to make sure it was qualitative but also not to much of it that the reader would get bored. I thought that it was very simple to write an question and answer article because I thought of both questions and answers. 

The genre of my magazine was indie-rock music which is one of my favourite styles of music which means I was very aware of what it entitled. I knew the type of images and colour scheme that would compliment the genre well. I looked at magazines such as rock sound and q, along with mojo. They all gave me basic ideas of what I wanted for my magazine and I specifically decided to challenge the conventions by creating a specialist magazine.


Evaluation 2

Evaluation 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?


My magazine is a indie-rock magazine and therefore appeals to a certain social group of both genders, aged 18-21. I believe that it represents social groups in the same was as other indie-rock magazines like 'Mojo' and 'Q'. Both very popular magazines. People who class themselves as part of an 'indie' social group are all about individuality, which is what I wanted my magazine to be and therefore, appeals to individuals.

I did this by making my models dress in relatable outfits, e.g. collared shirts, denim jackets etc. The models hairs was in waves/loose curls which gave her a sort of retro 'I don't care' look which reflected the style of my target audience. I made her were very little make up, just a smokey eye effect. This was to keep it very basic and very glossy. I directed different poses for my model that I believe represent the social groups.  (This image to the left isn't one that made it onto my magazine but it is a good example to use when explaining the poses).

I chose a female model as this straight away represents the female side of my target audience attracting them to the magazine, similar to this, a male might see a pretty girl and want to know more about her. So, in truth this technique attracts both genders. 

I gave my magazine a colour scheme of white, blue and black. These are all very clean and clinical, this connotes that the magazine is very professional. As the colours are very basic but also well thought out, it makes my magazine seem a lot more appealing to the target audience. I have used the same house colours throughout the magazine which gives it a consistent theme.

Evaluation 3

2. What type of media institution would distribute your media product and why?



Bauer Media offers over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, on TV and onradio stations. As well as this, it distributes ‘MOJO’, I assume that Bauer is doing something right in order to help make the popularity of this magazine possible. Bauer will already have the target audience ready for my magazine as it is the distributor of 'MOJO' and my magazine could slot right in . Seeing as they have had experience of distributing magazines such as mine, I could be confident in the knowledge that my magazine would be distributed correctly and fairly. Bauer Media is also a multi-platform UK-based media Group therefore once my brand of magazine became established, it could be possible for them to help me to launch into other areas, such as TV and radio in the future.


    • However, IPC Media produces 60 media brands and has the ability to reach out to a wide range of different audiences. research has told me that they can reach out to almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men. Many of the brands they distribute are well known (for example: NME, Country Life,What’s On TV etc.). This makes me believe that they would be a good company to get involved with. Also, during my research i noticed they don't have a music magazine that covers my genre which means there is an open market for AURA. Therefore I think mymagazine could fit in well with the company. There aren’t many magazines in their range which are too similar to my own so I think it would be a good opportunity for me, as well as them, to get them on board because I would benefit form a major distributor and they would benefit from a new magazine genre which could help them to expandtheir market. 
    To conclude, both distributors have their pros and cons but over all I believe Bauer Media would be the perfect institution to distribute my magazine because it is a well rooted company, with the potential to make a magazine like mine successful. It would serve my magazine well as it already distributes magazines and other media products on a wide range of platforms such as radio, TV and online magazines. Bauer would be a great asset to my magazine as it is a wealthy, private family owned company which is reliable and also has a great audience.





    Thursday, 8 May 2014

    Evaluation 4

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

    I have developed my magazine so that it relates to the older audience members, rather than the event and festival aimed audience, despite my article being about a young musician, this is because I believe it is vital to bring the generations together. This audience that I am aiming for consists of both male and females, from 18 years old all the way up to 21. As I think that people grow out of the musical genres they enjoyed at an earlier age.

    I also have tried my best to use colour scheme to fit in with the audience themes keeping to brighter shades of blue and using white and black where is necessary to make things look professional and appeal to an older audience but a lot of my headings and fonts are also kept stylised and fresh to keep it appealing to the younger generations. 

    It relates to them because of the way the magazine have been set out. The media product is rather urban and retro, using 'Valencia' filters on the images which give it a old fashioned kind of effect. There are all things the audience will notice and relate too. The genre of music its self relates to my audience as they wouldn't be wanting the magazine if they didn't like the type of music it was catering for.

    Evaluation 5

    5. How did you attract/address your audience?

    To attract my audience I have made my magazine look professional but it also has a flare of fun with the fonts and colours to appeal to everybody. I drastically changed my magazine during the processes of creating it. Originally I started with Dark red, white and black, But soon after I realised I needed to make something that was more appealing to the younger and brighter generation. so my colour scheme now sky blue, white and black when necessary.

     
                           (Before)                                                                                      (After)

    As you can see on the images above the right looks a lot better than the left. I believe the changes made were necessary. The right cover gives the magazine a more vintage feel and attracts the target audience. I used certain conventions and imagery that I believed would appeal to the audience e.g the enhancement of the models eyes and her direct contact that pulls the readers in. The colour scheme also attracts the audience as it bold and bright-  which is very relatable to the younger members of the audience.

    Evaluation 6

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


    To construct my magazine I used many technologies, including a Nikon camera, Photoshop and other photo editing applications/software. I used the camera to photograph the images for my magazine, using the rule of thirds I made sure that my images were to scale before taking them and I made sure to take a couple of the same shot encase of any blur or problems with the original image.



    I then used an application to give my main cover image a filter, this made the images looked unique and stylish. After the filter was used on my images, I picked out the best ones that would attract the target audience. With the chosen image I then used photoshop. From this I had also added extra filters to suit the genre of the magazine, enhancing the eye colour on my model to make it look fresh and different.

    I then continued to use the magic wand tool that cut the image out automatically. From this, the image has began to show pixelation. To fix this, I used the blur tool to blend out the skin to make is look smoother. I made sure to blur the outer edges of the hair so they didn't look jagged and badly edited. 


    I used these techniques many times throughout the possess of constructing my magazine to keep the theme flowing on each page. The text was used by photoshop as well as it was only a simple text that I needed. All the fonts used were from the photoshop software.

    Evaluation 7

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


    To start with I already had a basic knowledge of Photoshop but since I began to construct my magazine I have noticed a considerable increase in my skills. I now have a deeper understanding of how to use specific tools and features, such as filters and the blur tool. I have learnt how to blend images into the background. An example of this would be on the images used for the DPS and contents page, by blurring the around the images it made the lines look less sharp.

    I feel as though I have gained a wide variety of techniques since completing the preliminary task because I have researched more style models and include more conventions such as quotes and tag lines. My prelim task lacked theses features and therefore doesn't look as professional as my finished music magazine. The images taken for the preliminary task seemed rushed and lacking structure, something I aimed to improve upon when taking my final images.

    I believe my understanding of software's has improved greatly throughout the course. Photoshop is a complex and time consuming application, It takes time and effort to master but once I got a grasp on what I was doing I found it getting easier to understand.

    Thursday, 3 April 2014

    Before and After



    Before & After



    So, I changed the DPS this is before.

    And this is after.


    Tuesday, 1 April 2014

    Ideas

    So I have decided to revamp my magazine, changing the cover and contents so far with a different house style and i think this one is a lot better.. Feel free to leave feedback!

    This is theN new cover that I have made up. I changed the red tto blue and lightened the filter on the image making the whole thing seem a lot brighter



    I have done the same with the contents page making it look slicker and professional.



    Thursday, 6 March 2014

    Feedback

    Feedback
    I posted the images of my magazine cover, contents page and double-page spread on social media sites to receive both audience and peer feedback.
    The feedback I received was mainly positive and some constructive criticism which I have took in to consideration and improved upon.
    For example; Some text was difficult to read due to its layout or because the colour blended with the background. I have improved this by making the font bolder and duplicating the layer on Photoshop which gives the text definition and texture. I also changed the font to something more readable.





    Wednesday, 5 March 2014

    Additional Editing.

    Even though I have already edited images for my magazine, I still have fun messing around withother styles that I think might look good if I add in the conventions.

    Here is one of my edits, it's not much, I've coloured the eyes so they stand out more and the image has a white filter which makes it look clean. Personally I think this image looks better than the one used in my cover and might make a draft cover using this image...

    Tuesday, 4 March 2014

    Additional PhotoShoot

    I am planning on taking a secondary photoshoot with either the same or different models. I have decided to do this because although my magazine is a specialist addition (focused on one person) I want to add photographs which can be used as advertisements for past issues, which gives my magazine more definition.

    I have decided to get a male model to even the boat since all my previous images only contain one female model. This will balance out and fit the male/female audience criteria, which was something I was previously lacking.

    I have planned for the images to take place in the school hall, which gives a blank canvas for editing. This factor will give me an edge as it will be easier for me to manipulate the images to the way I want by using photoshop.

    Monday, 10 February 2014

    Double Page Spread



    Double Page Spread



    This is a shot of my competed double page spread. I have followed through my house colours in this and the red is a lot more evident on this page as i wanted to be very eye catching.

    There are obviously a lot of things i could improve on this and I am not entirely happy with the way it has turned out. Like I said I am happy to improvements.

    Monday, 3 February 2014

    Discuss ways waterloo road constructs the representation of teenagers.


    Discuss ways waterloo road constructs the representation of teenagers.


    Waterloo Road is a UK, school-based drama that focuses on teenagers’ lives while they’re attending a secondary comprehensive school in Rochdale, Manchester. The characters are represented in many different ways, for examples they’re represented by their class status, physical abilities/disabilities, age and gender.
    The representation is shown through the mis-en-scene, as the different characters have different traits such as the music, lighting and camera angles that are used throughout their scenes. There is also a contrast between characters. You can tell that the school has a hierarchy of students, the ones at the top pick on and bully the ones nearer the bottom.
    A character at the top of this hierarchy would be Lewis Seddon. He is the archetypical evil character and is feared by many of his fellow students. In one of the first scenes I had watched of Seddon it was easy to recognise his traits, for example, a loud rowdy, energetic song was played non-diegetically over the scenes. He’s seen in a fellow students’ house, taking beers from his fridge and threatening Donte Charles, whose house it is. He is then seen climbing on the furniture and the music become diegetic, he and Helms, his partner in crime, are both wrecking the house and having pillow fights. These scenes are edited so that they are very edgy and have a rough feel to them because the students are rough. Even Donte’s house looks rough, it looks like it was decorated in the nighties and hadn’t been changed for many years.

    Lewis is seen the morning after and he’s sat at Donte’s kitchen table eating breakfast. He’s complaining of a headache and blames Donte. The lighting is again dull and gloomy, almost as if its reflecting Seddon’s mood. He then takes Donte’s wallet from him and removes £80. ‘You caused this headache so you should pay for it’. He then gives it back and takes the ten pound tip that Donte refused to give him the night before. It then cuts away to a scene of him leaving the house and he’s twirling a set of keys around his finger. ‘Now we can pop around anytime we want.’ He says smirking at Helms. A mellow, non-diegetic music is playing over the top of this scene.

    The way Lewis is represented can be interpreted as quite stereotypical. It’s almost saying that he's from a broken home so he’s a broken, bad child but this is not always correct. I think the way he is portrayed is quite unfair as not all teenagers are like that.
    A contrasting character to the rough, hard boy Seddon is Brett Aspinal. Brett is the rich boy and heartthrob, his father is funding the school and he thinks he is allowed to get away with anything because of it. The first scene that we see Brett in he’s curled up on his sofa bed in her bedroom. Brett’s bedroom is a really boyish room; he had posters of the Kaiserchiefs and other bands like that. He has glass bottles and trophies on his shelves like ornaments. It’s quite a clean room which is unusual for a teenage boy but there are stray items of clothing lying around. Brett is having a heated argument with his father and it is obvious that he is very rude and disrespecting towards him. The scene has dull lighting and it seems like its natural because the room looks dark and gloomy.

    Brett is then seen again climbing from his father’s car. He’s wearing his school uniform, his shirts untucked and his collar on his blazer is up. He has another heated conversation with his dad before entering the school, ‘Super massive black hole.’ A song by Muse is used non-diegetically over the scene and we see him walking briskly and confidently down the hallways. The lighting is very bright and the shot used is a full body shot. He picked up a fire extinguisher and smashes it into the school model. It is obvious this is an attempt at getting back at his dad. He is then taken to the heads office and he doesn’t look bothered about anything he’s done. He actually seems quite smug and there is a medium close up shot which shows his expressions as he’s being told off. The lighting is still bright but natural in this scene.  After his telling off he seems quite proud of himself, having a big grin on his face.
    Later on in the episode Brett is shown speaking to one of the other teachers, Miss Campbell, pastoral care. He opens up to her about his dad, saying why he ‘hates’ him. In this scene we see a broken, hurt Brett and the camera angles and lighting reflect this. There is a softer light in this scene, which helps the atmosphere and the camera angles are mainly medium close ups of Brett, showing us the strong emotions he has. This scene gives the audience more of an insight onto rich boy Brett’s life.

    Maxine Barlow was a student at waterloo road and is dating Lewis Seddon; she originates from a troubled background. She was first introduced to us in an establishing shot outside of Donte’s house with Seddon. She looked fairly scruffy, homeless even, wearing a ripped pink cardigan, a grey crop-top and green combat pants. She had greasy hair and her make-up was overdone and she looked like your typical ‘chav’. We see Maxine again lying in bed with Seddon, obviously at Donte’s house. Both characters were half dressed and Seddon jumps up realising he is late for work, it then comes apparent that he has an ASBO and he's trying to get it lifted, again another stereotype. Lewis acts slightly aggressively to Maxine saying she needs to get out of the house and if she doesn’t she’s ‘for it’. He then gives her the keys and leaves.

    Once Seddon has left a loud, rebellious song begins to play non-diegetically. The camera cuts to a medium close up and Maxine has a mischievous look on her face as she contemplates what she is going to do. The lighting in the scene is quite natural. The then begins to search through the draws and wardrobe. The scene ends with her holding the keys looking quite thoughtful and as if she is up to no good.
    The music plays through and it cuts to a scene of a man walking on to the school grounds with a bunch of heart shaped balloons that say, ‘Davina I love you’. It then shows Brett stood around the corner watching the man, he has a mischievous grin on his face insinuating that he is up to something. Brett is then shown in the sixth form common room and Davina, the sectary, begins to accuse him of sending her flowers and organising the scheme with the balloons. At first around Davina he acts innocent but then he admits to doing those things and beings to act cocky around her saying, things like. ‘Then tell me what I want to hear, you fancy me.’ This makes teenagers seem over confident and big headed. This is an unfair representation of us teens as nowadays most teens are socially awkward and on the internet.

    Davina seems to fall for his games and agrees to date him. This confirms Brett’s heartthrob reputation because even a member of staff is falling for him, this makes Brett very happy and a bright, happy song begins to play non-diegetically. This music plays through into the next scene which contains Maxine. She is seen in Donte’s living room, shoving various items into a purple bin-bag. The room is dimly lit and looks gloomy, the house looks a mess and it’s obvious that she has searched the house top and bottom for things to steal. Once she is finished she steps out onto the street, taking one last look back at the house before walking off. She didn’t even look guilty. The camera stays at a wide shot as she walks off.
    Maxine is the typical problem child and this is obvious by the way she acts and the techniques that are used to edit and make her scenes more believing. The scenes always seem to jump cut and have pretty edgy shots and there are always non-diegetic songs that reflect her mood or the things that she is doing.

    Mika Granger is the stereotypical female ‘heartthrob’ and her and Brett seem to be edging towards couple status. Mika looks like a sensible girl, she has hair hear done up in a ponytail, good tie, loose unbuttoned collar. She always seems to be followed around by slow melancholy music. She seems naïve and venerable, which I would say is the only accurate representation of a teenage girl. In the first scene we see her in she is climbing from her parents car. She looks upset and is quite dismissive towards one teacher miss Haydock. Her mother, Izzy, tries to justify her rude behaviour by saying ‘She needs a bit more time after what she’s been through’. This obviously tells us she has some issues which we don’t know about. Mika’s shots are brightly lit but very soft too, she seems like a gentle character and the way the shots are edited reflects this. They are really smoothly edited and seem to transition very well.

    Mika is seen again in another scene after a class with Miss Haydock. She is called back and Steph tries to apologised for a past incident that we don’t know about. Mika is again quite dismissive, towards her and this seems to be a running thing throughout the episode. We find out that Mika had been getting bullied and she tried to commit suicide, which makes us realised that she isn’t perfect, despite being the ‘heartthrob’.
    Mika is also in a lot of scenes with Brett and this makes us see the connection between them as Brett flirts with her a lot. Even though he’s trying to also get with Davina, this makes Brett a kid of a player. This is relatable to a lot of teenage boys these days so this is a fair point.

    All in all I think Waterloo Road has a balanced representation of teenagers, some aspects are very correct and accurate but others are drastically over top. I think that the representation of Maxine and Seddon is a little unfair because not all underprivileged teens are like that. But it is a good representation of the stereotype that is counsel estate kids.
    I think that some techniques used in the show are rather good, like the music that flows through scenes and transitions. Though sometimes it is a little loud and you cannot hear the dialogue over it.
    I wouldn’t say that the representation is up to date because the fashion and furnishings are a little out of date but I would say the representation of the class rooms and the school is extremely believable.