Feedback on Final Work

Here is the feedback to my work when I uploaded it to the online social networking site, Facebook.

My response was very good and I am happy with my design!
This shows me that I have an audience out there for my magazine and that it would perhaps be successful! I also noticed how the majority of response were from females, which again was what I was aiming for.

Evaluation Question 7

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

Looking at my Preliminary Task, I feel my work has developed a great deal due to my planning and research. Without my research, I wouldn't have thought about the ideology behind a magazine, it's intended audience and the typical codes and conventions of a real music magazine. Also in terms of planning, my ideas behind creating an identity for my magazine were to make it noticeable and unique through the colour scheme and fonts used. In terms of my Winstanley Weekly magazine, I found the overall project was fairly pushed for time, leaving me to not really think about photoshoot settings and to research my task, which would have allowed me to step into my reader's shoes. 

Prelim Cover

I found a large aspect which also pushed my final work further is the interest in the field I was working in. For my preliminary task I was extremely unsure and indecisive of my decision because I wasn't entirely motivated on my subject which was a school magazine. I was much more attracted to working with a Music magazine opposed to a College mag, as I wanted that cool, sophisticated feel to my music magazine, making it look professional and worthy of being along side any other real-media product like Q, NME or Clash.

Prelim Contents

Here is my Prelim cover and contents page. You can clearly see the greater detail and content which has been put into my final work. Also the written content differs, as for my prelim task I found it difficult to think of features to include on my cover, yet if I had researched this area, I feel I could have gained some inspiration and ideas. 

Overall I believe there has been a positive progression from my preliminary task to my final product; entirely through gaining a wider understanding and knowledge of existing real media products in order to construct a well-planned professional looking product.

Evaluation Question 6

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


The main programs I used whilst  constucting this product are Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 and blogger. I used Photoshop to produce my entire magazine- working with layout, typography and image. Blogger allowed me to publish all my written work- research, planing and development.


Other features used: 

• IMovie: This is the programme I used to produce my videos for my blog.
• YouTube: I used youtube to publish my videos online for my blog.

• Slideshare: To present Powerpoints I have made during my research or evaluation.
  
• Afterlight: an iphone app to edit photos that I used on my contents page.
  

Technology Hard-Ware:

• NIKON D3200- For the photo shoot
• iPhone: To photograph the gig images for the contents page.
• Mac Desktop which had all the applications I used on it.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

My Unique Selling Points are;

• The Verve Awards : a yearly award ceremony, that is attended by legendary guests such as, Sir Paul McCartney, U2, Blur. This is a brand extension that will generate priceless PR profiles for artists and commercial partners alike, in the national press and beyond. There will be competitions to go to the award show in the magazine and also vote for their favourite artists.
• Numerous of famous feature artists of my chosen genre 
• The overall look being very modern yet edgy by the use of fonts, colour-scheme. 
• The direct eye contact and expression from the model to create a direct relationship with my audience and superiority. 

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Reader Profile

Mood Board

After carrying out my research for my magazine, I figured out that the ones that most interested me were the ones categorised as 'style bibles' -a genre created by 'The Face', reflecting the role of music and fashion in pop culture. These are magazines such as CLASH and Dazed & Confused. In result of this I have created a magazine filled with inspirations and interests of the ideal reader of my magazine. For example, places they'd shop such as American Apparel. Artists & icons they would like such as, Miles Kane, Alexa Chung to Solange Knowles, and events they would go to in their free-time such as local gigs and fashion shows. This i shown in the moodboard above which presents various likes of the audience.

I looked at AUDIENCE PROFILES to see what audiences magazine's specifically target. I have noticed they are quite specific and brief.

Bauer Media had:

THE POP AUDIENCE PROFILE THE POP READER IS STYLISH, CULTURED AND TYPICALLY WELL-EDUCATED, BUYING POP TO GET THE BEST CUTTING EDGE PERSPECTIVE SHE CAN'T FIND IN NEWSPAPERS, SUPPLEMENTS, MONTHLY GLOSSIES OR OTHER BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINES.  THE VAST MAJORITY OF READERS ARE ABC1 IN DEMOGRAPHIC AND UN-ADULTERATED LOVER OF ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL, LUXURIOUS AND GORGEOUS.

KERRANG AUDIENCE PROFILE YOUNG, INDIVIDUALLY MINDED AND PASSIONATE CONSUMERS, AN AUDIENCE DEFINED BY ATTITUDE, PASSION AND LOYALTY. Radio - 15-35 male bias.

MOJO AUDIENCE PROFILE Discerning and passionate music aficionados, the MOJO audience is predominantly male (77%) and affluent (63% ABC1). These heavy consumers of music see their passion as discovery without boundaries, genre and decade being secondary to quality.

Q's AUDIENCE PROFILE Q's audience is composed of passionate, engaged and open minded music fans driven to continually discover new music - and to use this lust for discovery to influence their friends. The audience is split 75% male to 25% female and is affluent (with 68% ABC1).

Evaluation Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product?



IPC Media and Bauer Media were the most successful publishers last year and are the most well-known; publishing magazines such as NME, Q and Kerrang. However, even though these are deemed the most successful in terms of sales of magazines, sales have decreased in general due to the advance in technology and the internet. People can now find information online much faster opposed to a weekly/monthly magazine. However as technology will advance more and more, in order for these company’s to keep up they would have to move towards the more technological side of publishing in order to keep up.

NME LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION CAMPAIGN

February 11, 2009

NME today announces a partnership with online newsagent John Menzies Digital to launch an innovative distribution campaign designed to take the unique benefits of NME magazine to an online audience. 

The first of its kind, the partnership sees NME build on its brand reach of over one million people each week by taking the print edition to an audience of 15-24 year olds who do not currently read the magazine. 

However print-based magazines will never go away as it is a novelty of having a physical copy in one’s hand opposed to a web-page, and generations have grown up with this. 

Even though these are the strongest company’s for publishing I feel that that in terms of audience and genre, their magazine’s are particularly male intended. I looked at another popular international company called Hearst, specialising in Women’s magazines. However there are no magazines in the music genre, just fashion, health & lifestyle and gossip magazines. I feel this means that my magazine has a wide gap in the market... but perhaps it is too broad and a risky territory as it may fall flat and not work. I also don’t want my magazine to be a completely female magazine and want to attract a male audience too. 

I feel perhaps Bauer media is perhaps the best publishing company for my magazine as it publishes music magazines, like IPC - however IPC have male dominating rock genre magazines. I feel there is a gap for my magazine as it would appeal to both sexes due to artists that are included within the magazine would attract my unisex audience. The main attraction would also be is that it is unique and stands alone as a magazine as it focuses prominently on current alternative music as well as new and unsigned artists.

How Do Mags Make Money?

Music magazines such as NME, Q and Kerrang cost £2.20, £3.99 and £2.20. NME and Kerrangare weekly magazines therefore cost a lot less than Q as it is monthly. As NME and Kerrang are weekly their price must be reasonable otherwise people wouldn't be able to afford them. I feel perhaps monthly magazines are less commitment for your readers and as a company, less expensive for printing however I have chosen to make my magazine monthly, and to cut out my competitors I've made it much less expensive, £2.99.

Additional Research supporting my analysis.

'IPC Media produces over 60 iconic media brands, with print alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men – almost 26 million UK adults – while our websites collectively reach over 20 million users every month.' 

'Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group. The Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations. Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK-based media Group consisting of many companies collected around two main divisions – Magazines and Radio - widely recognised and rewarded as being industry innovators.' 

Circulation

Mag ABCs, music: NME print slide continues

16 February 2012

By Press Gazette

Mojo remains the biggest-selling print music magazine in the UK after seeing circulation fall 7.5 per cent in the second half of last year, out performing its stablemate Q, which fell 12.1 per cent to 75,522 - according to ABC.

The music (rock) sector was up 16.3 per cent in the between July-December compared with an increase of 22.6 per cent in the first six months. This is largely down to the ABC debut of free magazines: The Stool Pigeon, Properganda and DIY Magazine.

Free title The Fly saw a slight decline, down 0.7 per cent to 100,774, but remain's the sectors biggest circulation music title. NME had another poor showing and fell 14 per cent to 27,650. In the first half of the year it was down 14.3 per cent.

Bauer's Kerrang had a solid performance, down just 2.1 per cent to 42,077, while Ireland-based title the Hot Press was down just 0.2 per cent to 17,688.

Music (rock) circulation figures for the first half of 2011:

Title; publisher; average sale; change year on year

• The Fly free ( Channelfly Enterprises Ltd ) : 100,574 ; -0.4%
• Mojo ( Bauer Consumer Media ) : 87,555 ; -7.5%
• Q ( Bauer Consumer Media ) : 77,522 ; -12.1%
• Classic Rock ( Future Publishing Ltd ) : 62,354 ; -7.9%
• Uncut ( IPC Media Ltd ) : 62,305 ; -14.2%
• The Stool Pigeon free ( Junko Partners Publishing ) : 53,676 ; N/A
• Properganda free ( Proper Music Distribution ) : 46,542 ; N/A
• Kerrang! ( Bauer Consumer Media ) : 42,077 ; -2.1%
• DIY Magazine free ( RWD Creative Media Limited ) : 36,801 ; N/A
• Metal Hammer ( Future Publishing Ltd ) : 35,259 ; -15.7%
• New Musical Express ( IPC Media Ltd ) : 27,650 ; -14.0%
• Hot Press ( Osnovina Ltd ) : 17,688 ; -0.2%

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine focusses on alternative, soft rock and indie music, which is very popular with both genders. Verve is for people who buy music and want to read about music. Music enthusiasts, therefore, they would like to know new and upcoming artists and new waves. They are also interested in style, as they like to be ahead of trends. The age range would perhaps be late teens to mid-twenties.

Rolling Stone magazine, a magazine focussing on politics and pop culture. With my magazine being based on a particular modern, alternative style of music it has very much affected the types of people presented in my magazine. I thought the model most resembled the style of the new, young alternative artist 'LORDE' and thought this cover was fitting as Rolling Stone is also partly aimed at music enthusiasts. 
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My magazine & Rolling Stone

Posture/Gesture/Expression
In terms of posture, I feel that both are contrasting yet, connote power by their direct gaze. I feel that my magazine reinforces power more, more so than the Rolling Stone magazine as I am targeting a younger audience. The artist in the Rolling Stone magazine's posture is more relaxed with her hands in her pocket, however, her facial expression is quite solemn, which is similar to my magazine.

Angle/Shot type
Both these shots are a medium-long shot. This shows off details of the artist such as, their makeup and styling which the female audience would appeal too.

Costume

I feel the two covers are similar especially in this area both magazine pay attention to detail, fashion and image as my magazine is for a younger social group and younger readers with specifically be reading this issue of Rolling Stone, as a younger artist is on the cover. Rolling Stone is a magazine for perhaps an older audience taking interest in the same sort of music genres yet focuses on style and fashion as it targets pop culture. Both artists have brown hair, I think a blonde young music artist, stereotypically relates to the pop genre more.

Lighting
The biggest difference between both these covers is the Lighting. I think my magazine has more of a natural darkness, whereas the light from Rolling Stone cover, has been made in a studio and links with the overall pop-culture element of the magazine. I think it connotes a more industry, professional feel that would appeal to it's older audience.

Overall I feel I have taken aspects from this cover of Rolling Stone magazine in order to expand on and explore areas of my own magazine to attract my chosen social group successfully. 

Evaluation Question 1

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

I feel my magazine has followed many conventions of a typical magazine but I have also tried to be unique and creative with my ideas to make my magazine stand out.

When researching CLASH magazine, I found that I really liked the aesthetics of the magazine, specifically, the masthead. How it is wide and in a Sans Serif font, which makes it sharp and modern, unlike the masthead of magazines such as Q. I think this appealed to my target audience more, especially with the magazine slogan above the masthead. I altered my masthead slightly, by applying the 'stroke' effect so it will blend with the overall theme properly. The 'stoke' effects also could suggest neon lights which relate to the live aspect of the magazine.

I particularly focused on the mise-en-scene for my images. Following the conventions of real media products, I wanted to capture eye-contact, to create a direct relationship with the audience. I wanted the over-all feel of the cover, to connote power and a modern monarchial to anchor with the cover line 'THE NEW QUEEN OF ALTERNATIVE'. I showed this though the models body language, being with her hands on her head- near where the crown is placed and also through the image being symmetrical and shot using the rule of 3. This is additionally shown through the colour scheme of gold and red. The two colours together connote a 'punk', menacing edge on royalty. This further anchors with the artists persona. 

In terms of clothing, the main costume for the artist is a red tartan dress paired with a leather jacket. As my target audience is mainly for females (also males), I felt it was important to focus on her style to attract a female market as well as the focus being music. 



My magazine follows conventions of other, rock and alternative magazines with a female on the cover. For example, this cover of Lana Del Rey. My cover follows conventions of having 3 main colours (burgundy, gold and white), with the NME cover having black, white and blue. The cover-lines are also slanted, which gives an edge to the a music magazine and suggests the genre being rock/indie/alternative.  

Final Pieces

Front Cover

Contents

Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread: 1st Draft

First Draft

• Changes I need to make:
• The image lies right in the middle, which means that her face will be where the pages fold.
• The splitting of the word "of" is not good.

Double Page Spread Article


When creating my article, I felt that I needed to include various conventions to entertain the my audience. I put the model in a role of a musician the audience can relate to, as I stated that she studied 'A-level Biology' and is in a generation of 'endless selfies'. I thought I should include a description of how her career started out, including taboo words, which gives an informal, casual feel to the magazine and also converge with the reader as they would use the same language.  As well as asking about music, I included a question about her on-stage style to appeal specifically to females.

Double Page Spread Construction

Here are a few screen shots of the development of the DPS. I chose this photo as it had a lot of negative space around it, which I could fit text around. I also liked the darkness as it gives an enigmatic feel that anchors with the artist's persona. Firstly I blurred the background in a similar way that is shown in the "Photoshop Technique 2" Video- (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_rhzJXlbaE). 

I created the headline, then copied the image layer, and deleted the background so the text would appear behind her head, even when i moved the layer/text. 

Contents Development

Final Contents Page

Other Images Used:

  

These are images were taken at live gigs recently- using my iphone and a photo editing app called 'Afterlight'. This app helped me edit my photographs fittingly to my contents page. I liked how these photos link with the masthead 'Verve' as the live aspect connotes spirit and energy, which I thought should be a big part of my contents. 

Fonts Used (taken from DaFont):

Painted Lady

Subtitles: 'Muro'
Description/Page Numbers: 'Orator Std'

Signed in a script font to make it more personal and direct.

Editors Letter:

I wrote this baring in mind that the issue is Jan/Feb. This means that it would be released in December. therefore, I decided to talk about the new year, new artists and what there is to look ahead for, music wise.

 Convergent Media: (Website, twitter, facebook & spotify)

These make the audience go online, follow the magazine & its playlists. It allows the reader to interact with friends about the magazine which reflects on the Uses & Gratification theory to interact with others.

Front Cover: Second Drafts

Having taken on the feedback from the audience, I also decided to play with the colour scheme. I liked how the burgundy and blue colour contrast each other, this makes it more eye catching, however, I think the gold anchors the cover-line and image of the crown more as the colour has royal and superior connotations. In result of this, I decided to chose the Burgundy & Gold colour scheme.

Front Cover: First Draft & Feedback...

This is the first draft of my front cover. I thought the best feedback would be from my target audience itself-

1) To include more content of the magazine on the front cover (By adding more cover-lines).
2) To make the typography larger.
3) Put the issue no. date & price on the masthead.

Photoshop Editing

Photoshop Editing 1: Contour/Highlighting/Airbrushing.

Photoshop Editing 2: Turning the background into a bokeh effect.

I made a quick time-lapse video of some of the editing techniques I used on photoshop. Although the model didn't need editing, I found that contouring, highlighting & airbrushing is commonly used in the industry and gives a more professional finish. I additionally blurred the background to reinforce the focus on the main image, I also liked the bokeh effect that came with this blur.

Before                                                                                         After