Prelim Evaluation

1.     In What ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? ( To answer this question you should compare and contrast your magazine cover with a professional one, discussing photography (shot distance, props, use of lighting, costume and pose), page layout, use of font, use of colour and the content of the sell lines.)

In order to create my magazine, I had looked at many other magazine covers to see what conventions I could use to make it be as effective as a real magazine. The main example I chose to follow was the Rolling Stones magazine.  I chose this particular magazine cover because all of the sell lines are on the left hand side and this is the way i had set out my magazine, I did it like this because people read from left to right so therefore the sell lines would attract the readers eye and intrigue them into buying the magazine. However, the difference in which there is between the Rolling Stones magazine I had used for influence, and my own is that the mast head of my magazine is not behind the image but infront of the image. I did this because it then gives a strong impact on the reader and it tells you what the full magazine is about because it has the most visual effect. On the other hand, I could improve the purple sell lines and title just to a brighter colour so that they stand out more instead of blending in with the background. The sell lines are obviously of a totally different content as mine is not a music magazine, but it would use the same language as it's aimed at around about the same audience. My media product uses forms and conventions of real media products by using a variation of bright colours to attract the reader. Instead of using the same colour for sell lines and mast head etc, putting more colour in it makes it easier to read, and more interesting. I had stuck to the colours in which i said i was going to use in my flat plan rationale, and used the colour purple for the mast head, and other sell lines to show royalty and that the students are worth it, showing its all about them and their college. Using colours like bright green, yellow and blue shows the natural, calm yet warming environment and you can often relax if you know how to which then would once again, persuade people to buy the magazine. However, the font on my magazine is more fancy than the Rolling Stones magazine and this is so that it is bold, easy to read but also more eye catching and I used a variety of texts rather than just two, like the example I used as influence. On the other hand, the Rolling Stones cover is a lot easier to read, and more bold than my own, so I could of worked more closely on this. Photography however is similar in some ways. The rolling stones magazine picture is more of a medium close up than mine, mine is just from waist up but the example i used is took from her stomach up and her outfit is a lot more plain than the one I had used. The photography of Lauren (the model of my magazine, QE student) shows her wearing her everyday checkered clothes and she is wearing red which contrasts with the rest of the front cover which I thought had made it more appealing but it may have the opposite effects on other people. There were no props in which I had used but the photograph was taken by the stairs so it was a location shot, just to show a bit of the area in the college so this wasn't like an actual magazine cover I looked at because no photography on examples I looked at used a location shot, which I thought made it different and it may appeal more to college students.   

Front Cover: mine 

 

Influence: Rolling Stones



The contents page layout is slightly different to the front cover, as I did not use much colour in the contents page. I had used only three colours; black, white and purple. I had used columns in order to make the sections easier to read, and I made this easier by using the page numbers of when one story starts to ends. To improve this I could of used a black line or purple lines to seperate them from each other to show the clear sections. The masthead has also been put on the contents page but as a smaller piece of text, this is because it is no longer the most visual part on the page, the sell lines are. I had used two pictures of Lauren (the model) on the contents page; one on the left hand side, and one on the right. This was so the pages were split into two and it wasn't all just in one column as it would look boring. The magazine example I had used as an influence was the one below, and I tried to make my magazine content page similar but also sticking to my ideas I had originally which I put in the rationale. However, I had adapted the example I had looked at by moving pictures about and the way I had put them. To improve, I could of took a picture of different models, of a different 'social group' or 'style' because this would enlargen the audience because I wasn't wanting to restrict the readers.



Influence: Q

Contents: Mine



2.     How does your media product represent particular social groups? (Here you should discuss how you've represented the student body....have you used stereotypes and if so which ones and why (you may want to include videos about particular tribes from YouTube or images from the web), have you tried to challenge or reinforce perceptions about students?

My magazine wasn't meant to represent particular social groups, it was just meant for both genders, and all social groups. The magazine was aimed at pretty much any one of the teenage age that go to college whether they are male, female, emo, goth etc. The student (Lauren) on the photographs would be of a normal social group in my opinion but is unique in the way she looks and dresses as she wear long tops with shorts and boots as shown on the pictures, but some would see her as the 'scene' or 'emo' group. Scene kids are often wearing bright colours, with bow in their hair, usually wearing eyeliner. However the picture in which I have used of Lauren does resemble some of the pictures on google for scene kids, wearing checkered clothes, piercings and eyeliner. Emo's on the other hand often wear dark clothing, a lot of eyeliner, and don't care what people think. However, if it shows that Lauren (model,student) may be of either stereotype; emo, or scene then this would therefore attract a multi-audience due to the variation of look Lauren supplies. The text however, does show that it is for both boys and girls, and also or teenagers because of the language used. It shows that all students are unique and shouldn't care what people think because the model in the magazine doesn't and if the reader looks close enough then the magazine may imply to them as well instead of being stereotypical. Despite misconceptions due to the way people chose to look, if they take a closer look the social groups can all relate into the magazine as it is about their college and I tried to get a confident model who is a mixture of social groups, and this would hopefully attract all types of social groups. However, to improve once again I could of got pictures of different social groups to make the message clear that the magazine is meant for anyone. Its basically saying all students at the QE should be more confident in themselves with the way they look and dress and that they are all similar and will be interested in some similar things. The pictures show that everyone looks good the way they are because their unique and the poses show a lot of confidence and belief in which all students would need to get somewhere throughout their courses and college.



Scene Kids: Example




Emo Kids: Example

 

3.Who would be the audience for your media product? (To answer this question you could create a montage of images that clearly shows who the target audience is)

The audience of the magazine was mainly people between the college ages, so between 15-19 as it includes things like fashion and sports, but the magazine wasn't meant to be aimed at a particular gender but it could appear to be for girls due to the pictures being of a girl, however, it was not aimed at just one gender- it was meant to be a unisex magazine. They must be interested in their college life, work and things going on around them in the community because the main stories are to do with college, news, sport, activities, etc. Students often have similar interests but their music genre varies so therefore, the magazine would provide the most recent news on all type of music, fashion, news and sports so it reaches out to more than one social group. Also it isn't for a particular area in the society- high class, or middle class. It is meant to be aimed at all students in general that go to QE. The interests in food and drink would be slightly important as it may give advice on food etc but in future if it is going to be included then there could just be a majority vote on favourite food and drinks; teenagers normally like junk food etc rather than healthy food so if the food/drink section was to be put in a magazine it could be based on things like pizza etc or healthy food in which they might like. The images below show that the magazine is for any students, no matter what music, food, or social group they are.

   

Teenagers: Example







Social Groups: Examples

4.How did you attract/ address your audience? (Think about design and language features you used in order to identify with your target audience)
How does knowing who, specifically, your audience is make it easier to design a product for them? How were you influenced by knowing your intended audience? (think about costume, content, language, layout, props, colours etc.)
What did you do to attract them and what do your audience think? What do they like/dislike?

I attracted my audience by using a photograph of someone in the same age range as those reading and also the language used relates to that age group aswell as it is not using long and sophisticated words which would be used if it was implied for an adult. If you know the audience in which your magazine is to be aimed at then it is easier to address the sell lines so it fits their interests etc. The age range had a huge effect on the product because the interests are similar in the teenage age range, but also varies due to gender but because the magazine couldn't reach out to every teenager it is then based on college, fashion, music, sport etc. in which each seperate teenager would be interested in so it reaches out to the majority of the age range but not older people. The photography part shows just a casual costume in which is shorts and a top but it isn't the type of clothing someone of an older generation would wear but then again, it's not just one stereotypical groups sense of clothing it is a mixture of many so its reaching out to everyone. The language and content included show its only for college students due to it being of a less formal style and with words in which teenagers would use or that would catch their eyes. Colours on a magazine for teenagers is the most important thing because if it is not colourful then they wouldn't spot it and would lose interest unlike adults who read magazines anyway. To attract them i used a voucher 'win a free weekend' and the audience would/do think that this would attract them because it is a free time away from work and stress in which they would enjoy as teenagers normally like to relax away from college etc.

5. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? (You could include the logos of all of the software you've used - Photoshop and blogger alongside the scanner, apple macs and photography equipment. Discuss what you've learnt about each and how you feel your product benefitted.

From constructing the products I have learnt a lot because I have never used photoshop before so it was quite difficult getting used to especially on the mac computers. I have learnt how to use photoshop but not to a full extent but I feel this could benefit me in future reference in Media, or any art levels I may want to do in University. On photoshop I have learnt that new layers must be put in in order to paste in a picture and it's not just a simple copy and paste job and to resize you must use cmnd and t. There are a lot of things I had learnt how to do; adjust colours to the right scale, insert shapes, moving layers so then some are ontop of others, just the basic photoshop works but overtime i may become more equipt. I had also used InDesign which I struggled with because work kept deleting but once I learnt how to put in frames, text, etc then it was a lot easier and I may benefit if once again I use the product in future. The photography I found quite simple as I had used a similar camera before but I think I could of worked more on the lighting in which was in the pictures but due to being able to work photoshop I could just auto adjust tone, colour etc. These may all benefit me in future if I do become what I want to be as I will need to know about computers, and technology. 



Photoshop Logo





Mac Technology: Apple Mac



Flat Plan Rationales Contents Page

 Firstly the colours on the contents page aren't as bold as the front cover because i stuck to the main two colours. I have used black and white on the contents page because I think it looks more sophisticated and it may interest people in the way it is laid out. However, I have included some yellow and purple because they are the colleges colour of choice so it shows that it is still all about the QE. Also yellow is a warm colour so it could imply off the white background as the college being a warm place in which you can relax, and be shine with your hopes and just be yourself, but purple on the other hand implies that the college students are royal and are worth a lot more than they assume because if they try their hardest and follow the magazine tips they will get there A levels and be worth a lot more.
 The page layout on the contents page is a lot different to those on the front cover. The text of the different stories are all of the same small size because otherwise they would look messy on the page and also they are split into two sections; 1-14 are on the left hand side and 15-30 are on the right hand side. I did this so that I could include two pictures and make it look unique and could maybe reach out to each individual and I think it makes the contents page a lot less empty and its just an interesting way to do the layout. One of the pictures (top right) I am going to do a close up of a student looking stressed so that the college students can refer to it if all of the work gets too much and I think a close up would show the facial expression more and reflect how in your face the college can be if you don't focus but to make the students realise the magazine can help. The other picture however, I was planning on doing a full body shot of a student holding their results so it links in with the story 'How I got good grades' and I was going to do a full body just to show that the student is not much different to the other students reading but also shows what they can later achieve. Neither of the pictures on the page in my opinion are a 'main' image because they are both showing the equal amount of important because they both relate to stories, but the pictures are most important as they will be in colour as the rest of the contents is in black and white. the masthead once again is the same just so they know it is still the same part of the magazine and it also stands out more. I have used borders around the pictures on the contents page so it doesn't just sink in with the rest of the page and also i wanted a bit of layering because in my opinion it makes a magazine look more professional and eye-catching.
The content of my sell lines again are just to attract the audience and they do this relating to the college and activities etc that people of the college age find appealing. The genre of magazine is made clear because all of the sell lines are of a simple extent so that the audience don't lose interest in the magazine and it shows that it is just a basic magazine to inform college students of what is to come in future. I think the magazine would see only to those involved at QE because it is showing how they can improve and reach their aims in future just by following a certain amount of rules in the magazine. Also it is selling products or giving advice on things that happen in everyday life which college students would find interesting. The main sell line on the contents page is the 'WIN YOUR WEEKEND' this is in capitals because they would want a break from everything and it reflects the hard work that college brings but that they can have a break, and the target audience would be interested in the free weekend.
 My photography decisions in this part of the magazine were simple, I decided to use just a normal college area like the corridor, and outside of the college because then it shows what the college is all about and the costumes the people are wearing are just ordinary clothes but I was planning on taking a picture with someone wearing a work outfit so that it shows where the college can get them if they work hard. The first picture(right) is showing a student holding their good results from QE and it shows that this could be the future of the other students if they put their minds to it and maybe also follow what she has wrote in her story. The lighting on this image is just going to be the simple, and normal lighting because then it shows that the students isn't 'something special' or more important than the current students, and just basically shows that with the right advice they could get somewhere. The angle i was going to do was a shot slightly from the right so it more focuses on the results than the actual person and shows that its easy to achieve your hopes at QE just like the student on the picture did. The second picture (left) shows someone stressed and i decided I would do a close up on this image because it then shows their expression toward the studying period of college and also could reflect how the audience would end up if they didn't follow the 'Snap Session'. There are no props on here because I didnt think any were needed because it is a basic picture in my opinion. But overall I made all these decisions so everything wasn't to busy on the page.

Flat Plan Rationales Front Cover

 First of all for my magazine cover I have used the title 'QE Exposed' as it is revealing stories about the college. I have used a range of techniques to make the magazine cover but the colour scheme would be the most important. I have used only five colours without the front page and the contents page and this is so that the colours all stand out and the layout on the page isn't too busy. i have chosen to do the background of my front cover black as it is a colour which reflects sophistication which the students would have a lot of, and another reason that I would of liked to of used a black background so that all of the sell lines stand out off the page but I used a slightly lighter background but not very light so that the text is no longer visible. I have also used the colours purple and yellow throughout the magazine as they are QE's logo colours and you can recognise the colours by just looking at the college magazine. The reason in which the colours are purple and yellow for the college are because they are royal and regal colours to show that the college students are worth something and they are loyal to their college. The other colours in which I have used are blue and green; in my opinion the baby blue colour shows that the college is a natural environment and that it is a very calm environment if you know how to survive throughout college by reaching your deadlines etc. I chose to use green because it corresponds well with the colour blue and once again it can show nature but often can show envy and jealous; however, in the magazine the concept of jealousy is because the people reading will make those around them jealous and it shows therefore self respect. I have used these because I think they related to all teenagers between the age range of 16+ because the colours are all eye-catching but I didn't make them to bright as they would then be hard to read. I think all the colours could over time represent the students as they would then be confident in the way they learn, and therefore it would be a calming natural environment full of bright students.
 The reason I have chosen to layout the magazine in this way is so that the title and the picture of the student is more noticeable than anything else. The shot of the girl on the front is a medium close up so that it's from the woman's thighs up. I did it like this because then the picture is clear to see without being so up close in somebodies face. However, if I was to do the real image I would maybe take a shot from mid-waist up because then you can see the face of the student more clearly and it may show expression towards the college life; without getting right into the persons face.  I decided to put the image of the girl on the right hand side so that all the sell lines could go beside her on the left hand side and the image would therefore have a good amount of space to catch students attention and to interest them however i have put it so that the 'WIN' banner is overlapping with a mid green shade on her thigh, because I wanted a bit of layering on the front cover to make it less boring and dull and i thought the light shade would stand up off the rest of the image. The sell lines i have made them get smaller in text as they descend down the page, this is because it shows which are the main articles and which are just extra reports. The sell lines are all down the left hand side of the page because in my personal opinion I think it looks neat and its easier for people to read from a distance aswell as they are bright coloured sell lines in a big font size. I am thinking of using just a plain font for them like arial black because it is of a bold look and also because its easy to read. The mast head I chose to go in a kind of graffiti style so it is more attractive than the rest of the front cover magazine and it is of a bigger text than the rest, and also the QE is a part of the mast head because it is in my opinion on of the most important part of the cover.
I had tried to aim all the sell lines at the audience of the magazine, which would be those who go to the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form college. I did this by including things in which would reach out to both male and female audiences and I did this using colours in which suit male (Green, Blue) and female (Yellow, Purple) and also all the sell lines were ways to improve and make their college life more interesting. For example, any college student would want to read '15 things they don't want you to know' because it is about their teachers and they may want to know some of the dirt on the teachers. So this is how I chose the sell line genre. Also the other sell lines were how to make their life at college more enjoyable and easier which would also attract the students because it is showing the inside world of the college. They wouldn't sell the magazine because it only related to the one specific college so it would be useless for those from Darlington College for example. However, they could sell the magazine to those in school via the QE shop because they may buy it because its attractive with colours and easy to read.
All of the text on the front cover will be moderately big none smaller than font size 14 because then it wouldn't really attract the age group it is aimed at, and this is because people of 16+ don't generally read the magazine they just go for the pictures, masthead and sell lines. The girls face on the cover is obviously smiling because why would someone want to buy a magazine if someone is on the front sad, otherwise it is implying bad attitude towards the college. Also if people are happy it normally means that they are having a good time so it shows how easy and happy college can be.
Lastely I had decided to just do a straight on medium close up because it gets in a bit of the area aswell and it shows more of the person which I think is implying in my opinion that college isn't too in your face but you have to work hard to reach where you want to be after college and perhaps in college so I think this could attract the audience of the magazine; if they understand the reasoning behind the decision. The lighting however I have decided to just do the photograph in a normal light on the front cover and perhaps photoshop it so there is a bit of a shine around the image to make it a lot more appealing because it is different and students may assume that they will 'glow' if they follow the magazines tips. For the clothing I have just used normally clothes but with a mixture of bright blue and purple. The reasoning behind this is that blue is generally a boy colour and purple is a girls colour so it would attract both genders. Also the clothes show that the girl is confident with how she appears and that is the way the college readers may be in future. I had not used any props besides the stairs because I didn't want it to look to cramped on the page but on the contents page I will include a student holding her results, which could be classed as a prop.  I used all these techniques to reach the genre of the magazine because it is simple yet will catch people's eyes which is what a magazine, in my opinion, is meant to do.