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

After my pre-lim task i learnt how to use photo shop and in design, i then chose which i prefered to work on, which was photo shop as i felt i could use it better and i knew more about it. Looking back on my pre-lim task, my front cover image i used was very bold, however i did not compliment it with the cover lines around it as the colour were all big and bold, there was nothing contrasting. Therefore this helped me in my music magazine to look at contrasting colours and how it fits in with my image and the theme. For my pre-lim task i did not use hierarchy of text this meant that a buyer could not tell which were the main features in the magazine, after looking back on the pre-lim task i noticed this straight away from comparing to other magazines and realised that the layout of my text for my music magazine had to be obvious and clear to my audience what was my main features. In my pre-lim task i limited my colour to just two different colours, which was not appealing for the audience, but also made the front cover look confusing and too full with the same colour as there were no contrasting of complimentary colours, therefore this resulted in me wisely choosing my colour my music magazine, as i wanted my main features to stand out, although i did not want my front cover to look congested with too much colour, so i picked complimentary colours which were simple and basic and not too bright. Overall i feel i learnt a lot of positive feedback for My pre-lim task however good points that i needed to take in to consideration when producing my music magazine, the main feedback that i got was about the colours that i used, this help me focus more on the colours that i wanted for my main magazine. I had good feedback on my front cover image for my pre-lim task, this influenced my front cover for my music magazine to be a mid-shit again big bold and eye catching, with good focus to make the reader feel part of the magazine. Overall i benefited from producing a magazine for the pre-lim task, as it helped me make many different decisions for my music magazine.

Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your magazine?

From producing my music magazine, i have learnt many different techniques from the Internet and photo shop. The masthead on my front cover was taken from the website 'dafont' i learnt how to print screen and crop and import it into my layout of the magazine. For my front cover image i had to crop and edit the models faces, my original image was wider and their faces were very dull and had dark shadows around the models, i learnt how to edit their faces in specific detail from taking dark shadows away and making them looking bigger on the page. For my double page spread image i had to crop out props in the background as it was taken outside as i did not want these appearing in the image as it did not look professional.

Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?

Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?

My aim for my music magazine, was to address them in a slightly informal way so my audience felt like they were part of the magazine, and understood everything happening. I used basic tone and language with my cover lines, and used language as if the audience felt like they were being spoken to. I also used exclamation marks and punctuation to express the audience, to express the main features in the magazine, for example my 'plus' cover line was to suggest all the other things featuring in the magazine. My colours i used were grey black red and white, i chose these colours as they are complimentary to each other however contrasted when they were against each other, i also used these colours as they were bold and stood out this was also easy catching to my audience. My masthead was the largest font on the page and in different font style to the other cover lines so it was obvious to the audience what the name of my magazine was called. For my cover lines i used two different font styles, and hierarchy of text this was so it was evident the main features, i added in outlines for my text so they were bold and easier to read. I also added a text back for my 'plus' section so it was obvious it was there as it was at the bottom on the hierarchy of the text. For my front cover image i used a prop (guitar) this was to portray that the models were in a band together, their make-up and clothes were basic and simple linking into the theme and genre of the magazine.

Question 4: who would be the audience for your music magazine

My age range for my music magazine was 15-21, mainly male. Although i did not specifically state that it was for mainly male as i wanted to leave it open to an audience who are interested in indie rock music. I chose this age range and genre as i felt i could relate to it more, i think this isn't a very large target audience, as after researching music magazine of the same genre they all seem to have a wider target market, however i wanted to keep mine more specific i felt there would be a niche in the market for this specific target audience.

Question 3: what kind of media institution might distirbute your magazine and why?

It is important for the music magazine industry to have supporters and publishers to help promote your magazine. I feel that the best company that would most benefit me the most is BaureRock, i believe this would be the most beneficial as they publish a lot of similar music magazines that helped me with different genres and themes to chose my final desisons made for example Kerrang! However although BaureRock is with a a few best selling music magazine, this could mean that there is a lot of competition for my magazine to do well and may not be a massive niche in the market for my magazine to do well. Therefore i thought i could use Development of Hell as they target a completely different audience and my competition for an indie music magazine wouldn't be as large as using BaureRock.
Overall i think i would prefer to use Development of hell to publish and distribute my music magazine, the reasons for this is so i could have a better chance in the industry and my competition wouldn't be as large.

Question 2: how does your magazine represent particular social groups

I intended to aim my magazine at indie rock music lovers. I portrayed this by the use of clothing,pose and the overall appearance of the magazine. I used younger looking models reflect my target audience this is so i draw them in and the audience can relate to the models, this is why i chose to use younger looking models as my target audience is 15-21 rather then using younger or older models, i also used to boys as the front cover this is because i felt boys were a more appealing option and eye catching and it relates more to the genre of the magazine as it is directed at boys more then girls. For my double page spread I use the same two models, i used just one image. i made my models look dominating, their focus was look straight at the camera, this was so they look more powerful, i used a low angle shot to portray this. I wanted them to look like a realistic indie band so the audience could relate to it. I only used one image for the double page spread to make it more basic also so that's the first thing the reader saw, so straight away they knew what the page was about. The content for my double page spread was very informal and simple, i did this so the reader was constantly concentrated and not getting bored. I introduced the writing with a stand first so the reader had a greater understanding about what they were reading.

Question 1: In what ways does your music magazine use,develop or challenge forms and conventions of real music magazines?

I decided to create a music magazine targeting mainly teenagers aged 15-21. i chose to use forms and conventions of a realistic music magazine, to get the full potential of my music magazine. I used a mid-shot image to create realism and get the effect of a real music magazine. The models i used wore clothing that complimented the theme and genre of my magazine, this was so i got the full effect. I use hierarchy of text for my front cover, having my masthead as the biggest at the top of my page, i used a font style of 'Dafont' website so i had a wider option of choice when choosing, as i wanted to get a good effect on the masted, as it was the biggest cover line and needed to stand out the most, it is plain black with outline of white, this was quite basic however kept in the style of my theme and genre. I used grey red and black writing, i used these colours as they are complimentary, however don't contrast too much they also help each other stand out more so it makes it easier fort the cover Lonee to be read. My main cover lines were red with a grey outline to make it thicker and bolder. My cover lines were ordered in size of how big the feature was for example my main feature was focused on my band 'Bells and Banjos' therefore this cover line was the largest on the page, and they gradually got smaller. My cover lines anchor my front cover image as it is related to the band.

For my contents i kept in style with my front cover, this was so it related and didn't lose its theme or genre, also it looked like a genuine magazine if i kept with the house style. I used a basic white background so the page didn't look to congested with images and witting, and kept the colours grey and red. I used two different images one for my second feature, and my main feature of the band, i also added in different regulars and features that would appear in the magazine, this was so it was more realistic and like a actual magazine. I as had many different captions i used numbers so it made it easier for the reader to see where to go, and they could go straight to a specific page.

For my double page spread i created a word document and copied it in to a text box onto photo shop. i used one side of A4 for my writing and the other side for a large image of the band. The image was big and bold, and showed that the were dominant by looking in the camera and showing a strong focus. I used main pull out quotes on the image to show what the article is all about.

Intorduction

My name is Faye Higgins, i am currently a media student at Fasllibroome high school. The purpose of this blog is to evaluate my AS coursework. The brief was PRINT: pre-limianary task- create the front page and contents for a new sixth form magazine.
The main task- The front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine.