Introduction to My Blog

Welcome to my blog!

AS FOUNDATION PORTFOLIO

Bethany Moss

Candidate 9260

Centre No. 16607

Final Product

Front Cover

Contents

Double-Page Spread

Evaluation: Question 1

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

Evaluation: Question 2

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

Evaluation: Question 3

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

Evaluation: Question 4

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

Evaluation: Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation: Question 6

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

Evaluation: Question 7

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

Audience Feedback 2

This is the second questionnaire that I have made for both my focus group and others to answer. As I have finished the final draft of my magazine, hopefully feedback to this questionnaire will help me to make final touches before uploading the final product. 

Planning: Finished Draft

Front Cover

I decided to change the main image on my magazine cover because I was finding it difficult to edit around her hair, and also I prefer the direct address in this photograph between the model and the reader, although her expression is serious, readers will feel invited to read the magazine as her whole body is directed towards the front. Her hair is still 'blowing' therefore the pun 'blows us away' still works.

 

 

Contents Page

Double-Page Spread

I have yet more changes to my DPS but I now am happy with this finished draft. Firstly, I was able to get rid of the boxes of text on the right page and I added a few puffs to make it more exciting. I have added colour as some people mentioned this in my questionnaire, the purple in the picture matches the titles and puff, and this scheme of purple and red establishes a house style as it is continued throughout each page of my magazine.

Planning: CD Cover

I made a CD cover to put on the DPS because the reader would be interested to see it, as it is mentioned in the article. I used tools on Photoshop to create it.

 

Firstly, I used the magnetic tool to cut each model out of individual photos. I then added each cut out to one blank document, and linked the layers so that they worked as one image.

 I used this star gaze background as the album is called 'Revelation'. The collaboration of artists is something new so I have related it to the Big Bang, which also started something, the universe.

 

 

Next, I used the stamp tool to cover the white gaps in her hair, and the make the outline of her hair smoother.

 

And then below, I duplicated the image and make them transparent to create a shadow effect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I then had to decide on a title font and I had many to chose from. These images show the different ones I considered using.

 

 

Below, is the final image of the CD cover.

 

 



 

 

Planning: DPS Progress

 

 

I have made another few changes to my DPS, making the white boxes transparent, which goes with the overall colour scheme better. Also, in the top left hand corner I have added the magazine name and subject area so that readers know what they're reading and can navigate easily through the publication. I was able to decide on a title and subheading. The title is a pun as a 'mix' means the artists coming together but at the same time it can refer to a music mix. I slightly changed the colour scheme as I changed the smaller picture and made the 'marvellous' in the title match the colour of the picture. 

Audience Feedback: Questionnaire

Summary of Responses to Questionnaire

Does my magazine look like a music magazine? Why/why not?

Yes due to the performance picture and black and white colour scheme the cover isn't as clear as the double page spread but the colour scheme and main image still fits the codes and conventions. the double page spread looks like an interview for a band & the main image looks professional. The colour scheme is typical of a music magazine and follows the codes and conventions. The DPS uses 'A marvelous mix" which infers that it is a music magazine. However i think from the front cover it maybe could be mistaken as a fashion magazine.I will consider using a different image, one which makes my magazine look more like a music magazine rather than a fashion magazine. the front cover obviously needs text on it What does NG stand for? not clearI will include a tagline 'The New Generation of british rock music". NG stands for new generation (as in of music) therefore hopefully this will become more obvious to the audience.doesnt really have any musical connotations. The models pose is more of a fashion one, it would be useful to have some kind of pun to anchor the meaningI have planned on adding a pun - "She blows us away" which links to the image as her hair is blowing.of why you used that pose, eg 'look back in anger' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Look_Back_in_Anger a famous play from the 1960s 'who is that coming over the hill...?' I think it looks like a music/gossip magazine, from the pictures you can see that it's a music magazine and the questions asked in the interview give it away. Yes because it looks expensive and classy in the colour scheme.

By looking at the double page spread, and unfinished front cover, what would you say is the genre and why?

Indie Rock Slightly indie/rocky but also aspects of acoustic/singer-songwriter kind of genre. a wide range of genres but mostly pop rock/ alternative. similar style to NME Pop/Alternative, because the monochrome colour scheme tells me this magazine isn't full out pop and the artist looks slightly indie and alternative. She looks quite glamorous in the photos and is wearing a leather jacket so maybe classic rock like Q magazine or rock-pop? mainstream pop/indie  this informs me that I need to make the genre more obvious - it is indie rock, but many people have thought it was pop, which I do not want to convey in my final product. 

Are there any improvements that need to be made on my DPS? If yes, explain.

The copy can't be read when it pops upI will upload my final product as a jpeg rather than a screenshot which should make the text clearer., you need to upload a larger image so it is legible. Maybe a bit of colour in the typface somewhere? Maybe add a puff I will think about some ways to add more colour, and consider using a puff in the top right hand corner, to liven up the main image side. Maybe take away the white boxesI did not like this aspect, although I wasn't sure how else to make the text fit. However, I think that I will make the font smaller and maybe delete a question in the interview so that all of the text fits on one page.on the image and replace them with quotes instead Maybe a bit more colour? it could be a shade of purplethis makes sense, as matching the picture means that a house style will be established through use of a colour scheme.to match the picture in the corner. use a sans serif font for the titles and make it slightly bigger. it isn't very clear the article is about a collaboration add coverlines to the cover page (but thats probably because you havent finished it) Not on the double page spread. The front cover is unfinished so it's hard to say now, the photo is good and has been well edited maybe brighten it slightly.

My target audience is 16-25 female and male, does my magazine appeal to this audience? How?

Yes, the colour scheme looks mature and sophisticated. The clothes and models represent that age group. The font is mature. It probably would appeal slightly more to females because of the grey colour scheme which links to crystals and class and the main image on the front cover being female too. Maybe add some coverlines to the front cover which'd attract more men?I have planned on doing this, although my front cover is not yet finished. I will mention male artists such as Jake Bugg and also a band,so that my magazine can appeal to a larger audience, yeah, the featured artists both look like they could fit into that category & the front cover looks aspirational I think it definitely appeals to both genders because the artist is aesthetically pleasing for an audience. Yes as it looks professional but not too mature or sophisticated Yes, your 'talent' looks of a similar age, they look quite sophisiticated, not as though it is targeted at 'tweenagers'

Does the artist whom I have chosen to feature on my front cover link to the genre of my magazine? (Indie Rock) Why/Why Not?

Yes, the costume (such as the jacket and bracelets) links to this. Maybe edit it so she has more striking makeup or nail vanish etc so is more 'edgy' Yes, the clothes (leather jacket) link to the genre Yes, leather jacket and spikes on her bracelet giver her an edgy look. the cover image could be seen as too glamorous, a higher contrast image or black and whiteI would not make the image black and white because I think that this would result in a lack of colour could make the cover more edgy use of leather jacket and studded bracelet are in keeping with the genre in terms of semiotics, the codes of clothing connote the genre. Her outfit definitely does, I think maybe she doesn't have enough of an edgy quirk to her imageI have thought about this and at the same time, further production to my cover image has been difficult, so I have been considering using a different image.

Do you think that this image is appropriate in other aspects eg. does she look like a music artist? Why/ Why not?

Yes she does because she it looks like a real photoshoot and as if she is an established artist already in the music industry which is good. She's definitely pretty enough to be a music artist, the pose makes her look professional as well. Not totally, her pose is not really what I would expect and there are no instuments featured. It would be useful to look at how women are represented on the cover of the NME (not very often I would expect) and consider how they are posed. Yes Yes, she represents the genre with her choice of clothing, However i think the image lacks iconography of that genre. I have found that there is negativity concerning the image that I have chosen for my front cover. I will therefore think about changing the image...

What good / bad aspects are there about my main article?

The image is good due to the direct mode of address used. Also, the comment 'fame made me paranoid and sick' stands out and draws the reader in and interests them. Looks interesting and lots of detail but I cant read it in this format. I like the enlarged quote it looks very classy, the colour scheme could be more colourful? But I love the image of the artist they look very professional. I like the interaction with the reader (the link to a website etc) good: great tone and mature, looks asthetically pleasing with the different coloured questions. Informativive. bad= It contains alot of exclamation marks which would maybe appeal to a younger audienceI will proofread my article and try to lose some of these. It looks really authentic and professional. There's nothing bad to say about it! great relationship between the readership and the artist, questions from readers etc

Are the questions in the interview of my main article appropriate?

Yes, They are very 'gossip-like' Which i think would appeal to this young audience. Yes, they are linked to the music genre and encourage developed answers. as above yes they're appropriate and good questions. Yes they ask what the readers will want to hear and make the interview more personal

Is there anything you feel that I have not included in the article/interview?

as above more colour, some more imagesI have planned on including an image of an album cover, hopefully this would interest the audience, you need a minimum of four in the project bold quotes and titles, and there isn't as much mention of the collaborating artist No, I really really like what you have done so far, you have thought of everything! No No, it targets the audience well and has a friendly, up beat tone! I don't think so,

This is the questionnaire I made to gain audience feedback about my magazine so far...

Planning: Drafts

My Music Magazine so far...

I have uploaded these drafts, one of the front cover and one of the DPS so that I can gain some audience feedback. I will ask as many people as possible, including classmates, family members and my focus group.
 

Front Page

DPS

I have changed this draft since my first one in a few ways. Firstly, after looking through pre-existing music magazines like NME, Kerrang and Q, I realised that there are not many spaces between paragraphs, which I had included before, I have only left a space after each question in the interview to break it up a little and make it easier for the audience to read and follow. This meant that I could use up more space on the page and delete one of the white boxes. 

Planning: DPS Progress

 

First Draft

 

 

  This is my first draft of my DPS. The font is rather small so that I could fit the whole article on the DPS. I have used another small image in the bottom left-hand corner which I also took myself at a concert, it breaks up the text a little. I have used a constant monochrome colour scheme which I think looks quite smart and elegant, perhaps targeting an elder readers of my target audience (early to mid 20s). I have not yet decided on a title or subheading therefore I will ask my focus for some ideas (http://bethjmoss.blogspot.fr/2013/11/research-focus-group.html). I have used general codes and conventions like page numbers and three columns of text. I am not happy with some aspects however, and think that there is much room for improvement. I do not like the white text boxes on the right page, but need to think about how I can fit my article onto just one page.   



This is the picture that I will use on my double paged spread. The layout that I will use will be one full page as the image, and the other page filled with my article. I have decided to use both a female artist and a male artist on my DPS so that it can relate to and target a larger readership (both female and male readers). The image relates to my article because it shows to different music artists, who in the article are joining together to produce an album. 

Planning: Front Cover Progress

The title of my music magazine is 'NG' which stands for 'new generation' (as in of the music industry).

I used photoshop to play around with various different fonts (all from http://www.myfonts.com). I prefer the last font as it is bold and large therefore stands out the most. 

I have also used the technique of superimposition, where the placement of the title is covered slightly by the models head. This makes the magazine appear more established as it suggests that the audience are able to recognise it by means of other conventions, such as house style, rather than just the title.

Planning: Front Cover

Front cover from bethanyjmoss

Planning: My Magazine Article

I decided that the first practical step, when starting the production of my music magazine, was to write the article for my music magazine, since this would help me when deciding on cover lines for the front cover, perhaps anchorage of text, and for features on the contents page. 

There was a lot to think about when planning my article, I needed to think about the following questions when writing about my featured artist:

1. What will be the subject of my article? I will be writing about my featured artist, I have two ideas presently... 1) a mix of artists - (two coming together to make a single or album) OR 2) the story of how my featured artist got to where she is now
2. Who will it feature? featured artist "Aerin" (unique name - indie fits with genre) 
3. How will they be represented in the article? (positively / negatively) positively... there will not be much negative representation in my magazine because the purpose is to inform - gratify the audience (talk positively about artists that the audience would be interested in) 
4. Who is their target audience? Who is the TA for the magazine? How will you reach them in the article? TA of magazine will only be slightly different to the TA of featured artist -- she will have a more male based target audience where as I will try to target my magazine at both genders and of ages between 16-24 [LINK TO TA POST]
5. Narrative... why are you writing about this? I want a good feature which will entice people to read it... at the same time I want to entertain and inform the audience

Research: Articles in Music Magazines

There are a few different types of layouts which can be used in music magazines. I bought a copy of Q magazine (the December 2013) and found a few types:

Here are three examples of double page spreads in a 'Q' issue

 

On this one, pictures and text is spread across both pages, there is not an obvious break point between the two pages. There are multiple images, which gives the reader a deeper insight, showing them more 'information' about The Beetles. This type of layout works well for stories or talking about a past/historic band. On the right page, there is an extra box of text which does not relate directly to the main article and pictures. This could be to keep readers amused and informed about different things. The page shows two completely contrasting artists, The Beetles and then Miley Cyrus in the bottom right-hand corner. A pun has been used on the left page 'Let it Beeb' in the main title which captures the reader immediately as it relates to the band. Fans of The Beetles will understand that the title is referring to one of their famous hit singles, 'Let it Be'.

Again, the picture has been spread slightly across the pages. However unlike the DPS layout above, there is only one image which is therefore dominant. The size of the image fills a whole page, which is a reoccuring layout used in magazines and attracts the reader's eye. Dominating the band like this may entice the audience to read the article as they may recognise the band or if not, they may like the look of them/their style and want to read about them. Although the page is taken up by one large image, a usual convention is to have an enlarged quote displayed to break it up a bit. The title 'Q Introduces' suggests that the band are less recognised and famous than perhaps a more established band like Bastille. This could make the reader want to read the article as they may want to find out more about the band and what type of music they make/play.  

Differently again, this layout shows one large image spread across the whole double page spread, used as a background in comparison with the plain white background in the other two examples (this make text clear and easy to read). The text is still significant as it is white against the dark colours of the image. The title is very large and the length spreads from one end of the page to the other which makes it stand out to the reader. It also introduces what the article is about as 'The Changing Man' suggests that it is about the artist 'changing' in some way which would make the reader what to read it.

 

All three layouts are different buy at the same time, have some consistent codes and conventions. The audience can recognise a house-style throughout all pages of red and white which establishes the magazine making it easier for the reader to identify. Images and text are also shown on each page and lastly, page numbers are shown in the bottom corners of all pages.



Research: 'Q' Genre & Target Audience

Q Music Magazine...

Genre and Target Audience

I researched into Q music magazine so that I have a better insight into the general conventions, genres and target audiences of music magazines of a similar genre to my own; indie, rock, pop. 

Planning: Flat Plans for Music Magazine

I thought that it would be useful to draw up some flatplans for my magazine before actually putting it together so that it's easier for me when coming to my drafts and final productions.

 

 

                         Front Cover                                                       Contents Page

 

Double Page Spread

 

I used a grid on my front page flat plan to show the rule of thirds - although this rule says that the top horizontal line should meet the models eyes, although in my plan I added the grid after drawing the model, to mainly plan where coverlines and anchorage would go. It has been useful when editing my magazine, to have these flatplans because they show if the layout would work or not.

Planning: Lexicon of Words

This lexicon of words shows some language which would be associated with the genre of my magazine (indie rock) and some that you would expect to see in my magazine, i.e. articles, contents, cover lines etc. 

Research: Music Magazine Analysis

Research: Youth Subculture

 

Youth Subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct styles, behaviours and interests.

 

Youth subcultures offer participants an identity outside of that ascribed by social institutions such as family, work, home and school. Youth subcultures that show a systematic hostility to the dominant culture are sometimes described as countercultures.

 

 

Youth music genres are associated with many youth subcultures, such as punks, emos, ravers, Juggalos, metalheads and goths. The study of subcultures often consists of the study of the symbolism attached to clothing, music, other visible affections by members of the subculture, and also the ways in which these same symbols are interpreted by members of the dominant culture.

 

 

Example: EMOS

 

Influences:

• Upbringing
• Social - eg. friends, colleagues, school
• Digital - eg. social networking, music
• Environment
• Peer Pressure

Values:

• Dress in a certain way: stereotypically, emo's are thought to wear all dark clothing, mainly black, with dark make up also
• Behaviour: emo's are stereotypically thought to have emotionally issues, people believe that emo's self harm when they are unhappy or have problems that they do not know how to deal with
• They are also thought to be very rebellious, often with dyed hair and piercings

 

 

 



Research: NME

NME stands for New Musical Express. I am going to use an acronym for my magazine title (New Generation = NG).

Institution: Created by Theodore Ingham and first published on 7th March 1952. Now published by: IPC Media. It was first published in a newspaper format, but gradually moved towards a magazine format during the 1980s and 1990s and transitioned from newsprint in 1998.

Frequency & Price: £2.40, weekly

Genre: pop/ rock

Audience: the publication below shows the reader profile for NME magazine

Research: Target Audience

 

I made this video to represent general interests, likes and hobbies of my target audience for my music magazine. I managed to get a few of my friends to answer brief questions about their music tastes also in the video. It is not too long, but is more like an overview.

 

 

 

 

Overview of Video Content

 

The post before this one shows my focus group, 5 students who I believed would be interested in my music magazine. (http://bethjmoss.blogspot.fr/2013/11/research-focus-group.html)

 

Also, in my prezi of 'Initial Ideas' I briefly mentioned my target audience:

• Age: 16-25
• Female and male but higher percentage of female readers (70% : 30%)
• Mainly students
• Which means that readers will most likely be in socio-economic group E (the lowest group) since students will generally not be earning a massive income
• Psychographic: Explorer - energy - autonomy, experience, challenge, new frontiers. Brand choice highlights difference, sensation, adventure, indulgence and instant effect - the first to try new brands

 

Interests & Hobbies mentioned in video:

• Gigs
• Festivals (V Festival mentioned)
• Skateboarding
• Fashion
• Make-up
• Art
• Magazines (music magazines)
• MUSIC - artists mentioned: Jake Bugg, Haim, Two Door Cinema Club
• Ticket - concert
• Dancing
• Instruments - guitar
• Friends - social
• Downloads (music consumption - ipod, phone, itunes)
• Photography
• Football
• Driving
• Holidays (vacations)
• Television - music chanel (music videos)

 

 Secondary Audience

 

The secondary audience are those who have influence exerted on them by the primary (or target) audience. For my music magazine, the secondary audience would be friends or family of readers, as they may hear about the magazine contents from the target audience who is interested.

Research: Focus Group

  

Name:  Christie Goodchild
Age:  16
Hobbies:  Dance: street, jazz
Music Interests: alternative bands i.e Bastille
Education: college 
Subjects: dance










Name:  Cameron McCrimmon
Age:  19
Hobbies:  video games
Music Interests: Jake Bugg, Vampire Weekend 
Education: Sixth Form
Subjects: English, Geography, Media Studies, Maths










Name:  Kiah Chapman
Age:  18
Hobbies:  singing, art
Music Interests:  The 1975, Haim
Education: Sixth Form 
Subjects: Art, Music, English Language, Psychology 









Name:  Ben Burrows
Age:  17
Hobbies:  
Music Interests: (indie, acoustic) Ben Howard, Mumford & Sons
Education: College
Subjects: Geography

Name:    Marlee Zimmerman

Age:     21

Hobbies:     piano, dance

Music Interests:  Ellie Goulding, Lorde 

Education:   University

Subjects:  Business Studies