Time Management

I am re submitting my AS coursework blog, therefore by the 12th of May I will have made improvements to existing posts and added new posts throughout my blog.

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

These are a few videos of me describing what I have learnt from the progression from my preliminary task to my final product and what I have made sure I changed and improved upon.
I edited these videos on movie maker.

Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

YouTube: YouTube helped me to research different artists and bands that matched the genre of my magazine. I uploaded two youtube videos onto my blog for furthur inspiration for my magazine.
This gave me the opportunity to search a wide variety of music and music videos when looking for inspiration for my magazine. It also allowed me to look at youtube comments from the public, their likes and dislikes.
Youtube helped with my initial inspiration and also with the development with my target audience and what genres of music they liked and artists.

This is a photograph of me using blogger to upload all my research and planning for my magazine. I used Blogger for my research and planning and my evaluation. Here I could upload videos, Images, Photographs, Hyperlinks to other softwares (Prezi) and screen shots. Blogger is a good software to clearly set out all posts and information.

This is a photograph of me using Photoshop. I used Photoshop to create the three pages of my magazine: Front cover, Contents page and Double page spread. I am now much more confident when using Photoshop after I completed these tasks. I experimented with many tools to create my page, enhance my images, select the correct colours and to layout everything in a suitable presentation.

On Photoshop I found the Eyedropper tool very effective when choosing font colours for my text. This tool helped me to select a colour found on my photograph of my model. Selecting this exact colour made the font colour choice unique and match with the connotations of the model.

The layers tool was good for layouring each part on the magazine page.

The magnetic lasso is ideal for edges set against high contrast backgrounds. Cutting around my images with this tool was also effective as it created straight edges.

To soften my edges furthur I used either the blur, soften or eraser tools, depending on the image outline I wanted to smooth down. This helped with the 'flawless' look of the model and it helped with making my magazine look professional and sophisticated.

This is the camera I used to take the photographs of my model for my front cover and double page spread and my music artist for my contents page. This camera takes photos in high definition and gives a better quality image compared to a regular digital camera or an iphone. This is essential for making my magazine photographs look professional and appealing to the reader.

I used the website dafont.com to select the fonts for my magazine. This allowed me to find unique fonts that were not your standard fonts on word and photoshop. I selected the category "retro" to find certain fonts for titles, this style reflects the genre of my magazine. I also selected "handwriting" to find a different style of font. A handwriting style font gives a personal tone to the page.



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

This is a video I recorded of my friend via FaceTime when answering the question... Why are you attracted to the magazine? I edited this movie on movie maker.

I then asked more of my target audience what attracted them to my magazine and what they would be most interested in.

Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?



Taken at Leeds Festival 2012

Taken in Camden, London.

Personal tastes and interests:

What do you like to do in your spare time? Read music magazines, go to gigs and concerts, go shopping, go to clubs and bars with friends, day trips to London.

What do you spend your money on? Gig and festival tickets, food, clothes, transport.

Where do you like to shop? Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Vintage stores.

What is your favourite genre of music? Indie Pop/Indie Rock

Who are your favourite bands? Foals, The Vaccines, Kings of Leon.

What are your favourite films? Nowhere Boy, This is England, 500 Days of Summer, School of Rock.

What are your favourite TV Programmes? Misfits, Made in Chelsea, New Girl.

In this video I interviewed my friend who is a representative of my target audience for my magazine. I asked the three questions: why would you buy this magazine? what appeals to you most in this magazine? and would you buy this magazine frequently and why? I edited this movie on movie maker.

Overall the magazine is appealing to the target audience because of the latest fashions, the new artists, the freebies, the information about the bands related to the magazine genre and the attractive colours drawing in the audience. I asked many females of the age 17 about my magazine and they all said they would be attracted to the magazine if it was placed on the shelf. They also said that this is their favourite type of genre and enjoy music and fashion like this, especially as they are all interested in going to festivals like Leeds. I also know that my product best suits an audience of females aged between 16-25 because this is the age range of people who go to festivals (mainly).

Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Q Magazine is similar to my magazine based on the fact it is a music magazine released monthly and contains music from a pop/indie rock/indie pop genre.
Q, the UK’s biggest selling music monthly magazine, sits at the heart of a cross-platform brand that celebrates the biggest stars in rock and roll and brings you the most exciting new artists.
It is published by Bauer Media Group 
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's publishes many music related brands such as Kerrang, MOJO and Q and many local radio such as Q and KISS. Among the brands also are men and women lifestyle magazines such as FHM, Heat and Closer. They offer a wide audience base including magazine which will be suited to both men and women although they do predominately focus their magazines on men.They also have a range of ages covered as gardening, golf and transport will be mainly based on a older audience whereas lifestyle, football and national broadcast categories will be mainly for a younger audience.



This is the list of categorised brands they publish


Because my magazine's target audience is people aged around 16-25 I will use a publisher that has an online community and advertising platform. This is because the internet is a vital part in young peoples lives especially and will be a platform that will reach many of the target audience easily and nearly everyday. iPhone apps will be very useful as audiences can download the app for the magazine and receive updates regularly if they choose.

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

The first photograph is taken from my double page spread and the second photograph is taken from Vogue magazine. In both photographs the models hair blends into the background colour this allows most of the emphasis to be on the make-up and the facial expression. I have edited my image in black and white whereas the Vogue picture is in colour. Both models have an eye line match which engages the reader. In the second image her body is facing to the side with her hair turned directly facing the camera. In my photo the photo is taken front on. She is using her hand to prop underneath her face in the second photograph, whereas in the first no other body parts are featured. Both images have a ‘chocolate box’ type pose as both have strong emphasis on ‘flawless beauty.’ The eyes on both models are a key aspect to both pictures as they are both darkened with makeup, big and emphasised. This makes it a beauty shot and is very attention-grabbing to the reader. The lighting on both images is probably high key lighting and the brightness add to the ‘flawless’ look of the image. In the second image her facial expression is rather soft and neutral with a relaxed and content tone. In my image the facial expression is similar but is happier as her lips are slightly parted. Both models are wearing simple clothes consisting of only one or two colours this again keeps the attention on the makeup and the facial expressions.

The models in both photographs are the same age and same race. The social group they represent are young, white working to middle class girls. This is shown through the well-presented, neat and attractive image. In both images the two girls are the only people in the picture therefore this presents them as independent and is empowering to young girls. The target audience readers (female) will aspire to these models as they are very attractive and perceive to have a perfect, faultless face.