USED/UNSUSED/MANIPULATED/UNMANIPULATED IMAGES

 not used because of the                           unwanted background is                           prefer seeing the
shadow.                                                     visible.                                                      models face.

 unwanted background is                          doesnt appeal to my magazine.             unwanted background
visible.                                                                                                                    is visible.

 gives the wrong idea of                   wrong choice of models             picture was manipulated to make
genre to my magazine.                                                                        background/image more attractive.

 wrong choice of models                         props are disturbing the image           lost interest in the image.

                             used picture                                         
                                                                                                                     used and manpulated picture
 shadow

used and unmanipulated picture.

2. Conduct Post production Feedback to see how successful your new magazine is with your target audience. Collect feedback on ALL magazine pages, identify strengths & weaknesses of each product, reflect on the feedback, and discuss to what extent you agree with it, what would you do differently? coversation with

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Q7. Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?

Taking a look at my college magazine (preliminary task) and my music magazine (finished product) the drastic improvement is quite clear and I have developed lots of skills in designing a magazine. Creating basic conventions proved hard to me in my preliminary task as I had low knowledge in constructing a magazine and including professional features without looking like a leaflet instead.

In my college magazine the masthead “BRIGHT MAGAZINE” wasn’t aligned properly. The “MAGAZINE” wasn’t in alignment with “BRIGHT”, which makes the magazine look unprofessional and rushed. I have learnt that alignment of text in very important as it makes the magazine looks neat and professional; this was demonstrated in my music magazine. The coverlines in my college magazine was written all over the place as at that point I didn’t know how to make use of the space I have wisely. In my finished product I learnt to come up with enough coverlines in use of my space and in interest of my audience. Through the use of photoshop I was able to write my coverlines in different layers and bring them together to create some type of relationship and all about looking neat and professional.

During my preliminary task I learnt how to change the colour of a text and I established this by presenting all my coverlines in different colours, which made my magazine look like it’s targeted at kids and made it come out colourful and messy which is unattractive for a professional magazine.

The college magazine content pages expose the amount of effort being put it as well as the low level of skill being demonstrated. Taking a lot at my music magazine content page we can see that I have learnt how to draw shapes on photoshop, take suitable pictures for a content page considering my target audience, give as much information as possible, write in a suitable format and not place writing all over my image. Looking back at my preliminary task and my fully finished product and the things I have learnt I can now vouch for my skills and abilities on photoshop in making a professional magazine with suitable and carefully chosen features for the target audience.

Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I was an amateur to many of the technology used in constructing my product and I have learnt a lot in that process. I was first introduced to Adobe Photoshop CS3 to design and edit my magazine or images. The preliminary task proved hard at first until I learnt how to aligned texts and images in the right place and I used the grid to guide my alignments by clicking on view>>show>>grid. I was able to manipulate my images with the use of the tools located at the side of the application. When constructing my main product I used photoshop to create a professional looking magazine. Taking a look at my product I have learnt how to insert downloaded fonts on photoshop, change colours of my texts, draw shapes and manipulating my image without disturbing my masthead.

The rectangle tool was used to create shapes. I designed my puff with this tool and created rectangle shape to go under my coverlines. The rectangle tool also came in handy when creating my content page and double page spread as drawing shapes was included. The move tool helped me place my layers where I desired. The image I uploaded on photoshop had to be manipulated to my satisfaction and suitable for my magazine. I used the quick selection tool to get rid of unwanted backgrounds, shadows and other things I couldn’t get rid of when taking the picture.

i learnt how how bring up my downloaded fonts on photoshop. I had to save the preferred font on my home drive, open it up and then minimize it and the open it photoshop from scratch as it’s the only way it will come up.

I also learnt how to use CANON EOS 400D DIGITAL to take my pictures. I learnt that the quality of the pictures can depend on the location it was taken. I took my pictures indoors because of the moral behind my magazine. The shutter speed of the camera is 1/60 of a second. The ISO of the camera allows me to take pictures indoors without necessarily having a bright light, the ISO speed rating is 400.

When taking my pictures the flash was fired, it was in auto mode (3), there was no strobe return detection and red eye reduction. Using this technology wasn’t always easy for me as it involves keeping it in focus and steady whilst using it because I did not use a tripod in the process. I got rid of many pictures because it lacked focus which caused the picture to come out blurry. Connecting the camera to the computer through the cable wasn’t a hard task.

For the image in my content page, I had to manipulate the background through the use of polygonal lasso tool on photoshop to darken the background of the image and filter it by clicking on the filter button.

I used photoshop as a converter to convert all my images to jpeg files as blogger would not accept them. I had to flatten all the layers of work in photoshop in order to be able to save my magazine as a jpeg file for the uploading on blogger.

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

In the making of my cover page attracting and addressing my audience was the most important thing. I started this by designing the front cover neatly and all conventions aligned in the right places. My main image was taking with a black background, which is addressing to my targeted audience of teenagers with black ethnic backgrounds. The black background will also allow all written texts to be written in a brighter colour in order to be seen and this can attract my young audience as it appeals as not looking boring to them which encourage them to read it. With the audience research I done I realised that the coverlines are major in attracting or addressing my audience. My main coverline is “FIRE IN THE BOOTH”, these choice of lexis will attract my audience because I found out during my research my targeted audience likes to record there own music, meaning they will be spending there time in the booth. The noun “FIRE” will address to them as something they might want to take a look at as its sounds so serious.

Another way i attracted my target audience is the font and colour of my masthead. Designing the masthead across the page will emphasise in catching my reader’s attention so therefore and interesting font, size and colour will attract my audience to take a closer look. With the research i done i also realised that my target audience will only give you attention if you have a good reputation for yourself, in which made me use a selling line to attract them to my magazine. “UK’S BEST SELLING MAGAZINE”. this selling line will help me sell my magazine as my audience will like to be part of the readers to the UK’s best selling magazine and makes them wonder why it is the best selling magazine in the UK.

I also attracted my audience with the use of puff. As many magazine readers know that most puffs gives information on winning prizes or gifts. My puff was made to stand out with the use of a polygon shape in a red color aligned at the top and bottom of my magazine which makes it impossible to miss. The information given in the puff specifies on the genre my magazine is focusing on, which appeals to my R&B/Hip Hop audience. The use of a black teenage model wearing a teenage costume connotes the relationship between the model and the audience. This is use to attract people of similar age as my model is addressing the teenage ‘swag’. The model pointing at the camera can be seen as him pointing at the reader which draws my audience closer to reading my magazine as they feel being called upon. 

 

The main image used in my content page features a different model of the same age carrying a guitar which makes my magazine more music like. This image can address to my audience by challenging the stereotype of black teenagers always up to no good and getting involved in anti-social behaviors. The image proves a black teenager doing something constructive with himself, and will interest my target audience. Wearing the hood on his head is a symbol of what people see black teenagers in when misbehaving in the society. This is to address to my audience as it relates to their lifestyle.  

With my double page spread the use of lexical choices are used to attract and address my audience. “Vulnerable Judge vs Rapper”, this quotation exaggerates on the story being told and appears as a battle between both parties. This was used because most my audience gets involved in challenging situations and the quotation is a response to their interest.   

“Young Wild and Free”, is a phrase I inserted in the middle of the page in between the columns. The triplets are used to show an understanding of a teenage life. My audience will fell attracted to this as they are very familiar with these words. The phrase is addressing the swag that my audience carry with them at all times so they feel legible in reading my magazine.

Q4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

With the research I carried out my media product is primarily targeted at male teenagers from age 15 – 20 and the secondary audience can be either female teenagers of the same age group or older men. With my audience research it can be concluded that my media product will attract majority of people with black ethnicity. We can see that I portrait this idea in my magazine with the use of black models, black background and many more related conventions.

I made younger audience my target because I, as the producer can relate to many things they find interesting, however the artist names on my front cover and images used will apply to younger people because there’s a trend of male teenagers listening to American artist and mostly uses them as a role model in their everyday activities. Female teenagers and older audiences are made my secondary target because my magazine also features American female artist in the cover lines and some linguistic terms were used, which can also appeal to adults.

Beat magazine comes with morals which is most likely for teenage audience to understand. My magazine is not just targeted at any black teenagers but only appealing to those who listens to R&B/Hip Hop music as my product main focus is on that particular genre. The audience can see this by taking a look at my product and reading the coverlines.

Q3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I would like IPC Media to publish and distribute my magazine for many reasons that can benefit both parties. 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 their websites collectively reach over 20 million users every month. This will allow my magazine to reach a wider range of people and can gain recognition for my magazine, however IPC media has a focus on three core audiences: men, mass market women and up market women. My magazine is targeted at a whole different audience that IPC Media hasn’t intended to reach but my magazine will give them a new market, meaning more sales would be made and a wider range of their targeted audience.

If IPC Media could use their power in the publishing and distributing industry to exhibit my magazine they will be doing something new that will benefit them financially, moreover it will also mean that my magazine will be a success. Because IPC Media is able to reach a large amount of people, it will be an advantage for my magazine, although my targeted audience is different from theirs. Having my targeted audience will add to their percentage of reaching two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men, almost 26 million UK adults. I would like to see my magazine places in WH Smiths. Tesco, corner shops, youth clubs and newsagents because these are the shops that most teenagers visit to buy their daily or weekly products. With the help of IPC Media reaching these shops will be minor because of their power in the industry. Teenagers are more likely to visit shops to buy magazines, however the subscription of my magazine would be available on http://www.themagazineshop.com/ as this will keep them updated, save them time and easy to .