Time management update

I am now up to date with my work, I need to complete the finishing touches on my double page spread.

Front Cover Feedback

Questions:
Which genre do you think my magazine is?
Do you feel that my masthead connotes this?
What gender/age do you think it is aimed at?
Is there anything you would change?

From these questions i will find out what needs to be changed.

From these questions i have found out that it is clear what genre of music my magazine is, pop. The focus group thought that the masthead font wasn't very pop-y. I will now see if there is a more suitable font which will link in with the rest of my magazine. However I will keep the bright pink and white as they said it was a good contrast. They said it was for females and from 16 to about 20. I feel that its more aimed at the 16 age. From this research I will change the masthead and make the barcode a little bit smaller.

Contents Page Screen Shots

Front Cover So Far

This is my front cover so far, I will now get feedback and see what the focus group thinks and get some audience feedback to make it attract to them more.

Screenshots for Front Cover

Double Page Spread Mock-Up

This is a similar layout to a double page spread in the pop magazine 'I <3 Pop'. It's quite a simple layout but I will add extra colour to make it stand out. I have chosen the question and answer format as this makes the article more personal and laid back which is what the focus group said would be good. Also I found there were quite alot of these types of articles in my research.

There will be three pictures on the opposite side of the page. There will be more images than text as this is what i found most of the pop magazines to be like during my research.

Mock-Up of Contents

This is a basic idea of what my contents page will look like and where certian things will go. I have got this from previous research of magazines of the same genre. I may change certain parts depending on what the pictures look like.

Time Management Update

I have completed my front cover mockup and I have nearly completed my front-cover, I just need to add one or two more cover-lines.  I now need to concentrate more on contents- I need create a mock-up contents page and then start creating my actual contents page. I will use my research and planning to help me create a professional look.

Research and Planning- Photo Shoot. Possible Front Cover and Double Page Spread Images

Possible Front Covers:

This is a possible central image- I think it represents the pop genre because of the colours- some bright colours contrasted from some dark colours.The facial expression connote the pop genre as they are a bit rebellious and this may attract the target audience. I got my inspiration from my research of front covers- there were a few pictures which i found (style sheet) which had microphones and they looked like they were having fun so i incorporated this into my magazine. The colours will help the create the brand identity.  It is a medium shot which is what i found most of the central images were when i was doing my research.

This is another possible front cover it uses microphones which connote the pop feel.  Both of the models look quite natural  which was I found  from my research  was what quite  a lot of the front covers had one them- less posed more natural. It represents the personal and laid back mode of address which the focus group said they thought would be appropriate. From my research as my focus group wanted it to be indivdual and fun- I think that this is.

This is the third possible image this is quite a different. It is a medium close-up. This would be different from what most other magazines would use- this would create an individual brand identity. The facial expressions are quite different and a little bit rebellious which again might attract the audience.

This is another possible central image. The records in the background add extra interest to the  picture however from the research i found that mostly they had white backgrounds so it would maybe stand  out from others. It connotes a 'pop' feel because  of the range of colour and because of the range of colours it adds extra intrest and shows they are up and coming.

I may use this image for the double page spread. I think that this picture is quite simple and sophisticated- this is what the focus group wanted for the new and upcoming parts of the magazine. The models facial expression is happy and this will connote the sense of fun which the focus group also wanted.

This image will be placed along with the image above. Together i think they will connote a sense of fun, friendship and working together. Along with other colours on the page i think they will work well to connote the pop feel. By having them both individually it will add a little bit of change but at the same time continuity as they will be running through the magazine. The pink tint ties in with the pink of the central image. 

This image may be used on the front cover or contents page. I think that it represents the target audience which means it will catch there attention. Her facial expression connotes a sense of fun, happiness, youth, excitement and pleasure. It is quite a relaxed image which will convey the brand identity. by having the relaxed feel it will also bring extra continuity and professionalism. It is a middle close up which is what is the research I showed that lots of magazines had.

This is another possible photo for my magazine. It connotes the pop genre because of the bubble gum, microphone and top. All of these work together to create the pop brand indentity. However the facial expression is quite serious which could be the sophisticated part which the focus group wanted.

This photo connotes a sense of fun and excitement. I added an effect to add the pop genre to the photograph. From my research i found that a white background is what many pop magazines used which means that it will appeal to the target audience- however with the pink effect it will add the individual feel which the focus group said would be good.

Research and Planning- Locations

Here are some possible locations for my photo shoot: 

The first option is a brick wall, this was an idea of mine as i thought it would create an individual atmosphere however i don't think it would be very appropriate for my pop genre. As for most of my research of pop music magazines the pictures are taken with a white background as then you look at the people rather than the background. It is more of an indie genre. 

The second option are these records- these connotes a sense of indivduality however it does a pop theme as they have some colours to them. This will be good for when my magazine is concentrating on new and upcoming pop groups as they will be a little bit different from the mainstream articles. The focus group said they wanted a mixture of mainstream and up and coming groups and i think these will help connote this.   

This is a white wall- I will use this for my central image. I have chosen to use a white wall as a lot of the research I have previously done have a white background so i am taking this idea and putting it into my magazine- this will ensure that the focus will be on the people in the photo and i will also make sure that colours stand out from the white wall as this would connote the pop feel I am creating. 

Research and Planning- Costumes and Make-Up

This is the first outfit I have chosen for my models to wear. I  have chosen this because it is quite similar to the outfits in my research- the light colours connote fun, femininity, excitement etc. In my style sheet research i found that lots of the picture were of the stars wearing shorts and bright coloured clothing. I will probably use this outfit for the front cover as it will attract the target audience as it is creating the brand identity.

This is the second outfit I have chosen, I have chosen this as it goes with the other outfit. However there is a contrast do they will look good together. The Top is connotes fun and individuality.

This outfit could be use for the double page spread, I have changed the outfits from the front cover as it gives more of a feel about the new and up coming artist. it also adds extra interest to the magazine, it will interest the target audience as it will show individuality and sophistication which is another element which the focus group thought would be good.









This outfit will again be use for the double page spread and i have chosen it to contrast the other outfit making it interesting but at the same time attract the audience attention. 

I will use/put make-up on the models as i have noticed in my magazine research i found that a lot of the celebrities had make-up on, however i won't put it on too heavily because pop is fun and happy so if the make up was dark and heavy then it would connote opposite feelings like unhappiness and seriousness. 

Research and Planning- Props for Photos

For my photo's i will use certain props in order to create the brand identity  in which my magazine is. Each prop will connote certain things and they will link in with the genre of my magazine and will attract the target audience attention.

I will use microphones for one prop- this is because they connote fun and adventure as when you see microphones you think of pop groups on tour or performing on television but they always look like they are having fun. The focus group which i used for my research said that they thought it would be good to make the magazine fun and active, so i thought i could take some ideas from both my research parts and make it in an individual image which will attract the target audience.

The second prop i will use is old fashioned records this is because i feel it will link in with the type of magazine which i am creating, There will be some articles which will be about up and coming artists and i believe that having these records will show a good contrast between old and new and how music has progressed. When carrying out my research there was nothing quite like this used as a prop so i thought it would be a good individual look to bring to my magazine as my focus group said that they wanted something new and interesting for the magazine. They also said they wanted the magazine to be a mix between mainstream and new and up and coming so by including these it will show the different well.

I may also use bubbles as this is another fun and interesting element to bring to the magazine- i may use this for my contents page.

Research and Planning- Coverlines

There will be various coverlines/articles. I have based my coverlines on my research which i carried out earlier on the focus group- they wanted infomration about a mixture of things but the main two were up and coming artists and mainstram aritist. The coverlines which I will include are:

• Chart up-dates
• X-factor news
• Fashion/make up
• Win a celeb make-over
• Interviews with pop stars
• Interviews with up coming stars

Examples:

• Lastest top 40 chart
• Win a Celeb Make-Over
• Meet ... (new pop group)
•  5 ways to become big...

Research and Planning- Mock-Up

This is a very basic idea of what my magazine layout will like. I have included images of the front page as when i was researching pop magazines a lot of them had extra images- this adds extra interest. The masthead will be in the top left hand side so you can see the central image clearly.

Research and Planning- Font Style and Colour Scheme Sheet

These are the fonts and colours i have chosen to use. I have chosen them as I think they will attract the target audience and connotes the 'Pop' feel that i will be creating. They will all be used in continuity and this will create the brand identity. I have also chosen these fonts as when i was doing i found that the fonts were quite simple and plain, like 'Just Old Fashion' however I want to create something more fun and different so i have chosen some more interesting fonts which is what the focus group said they wanted- they wanted it to be fun and personal.

Research and Planning- Time Management

Now i have completed all of the worked needed, I will move on to start thinking about my creation of my magazine. I will create a mock up front cover to help to start designing the different parts.   I will start creating my masthead thinking about fonts and colours and and coverlines.

Research and Planning- Style Sheet

This is my style sheet which includes parts which, together, will create the brand identity of my magazine. It creates continuity, this again will link in with the brand identity. It also represents the target audiences preferences, for example colours and style.

Research and Planning- Anaysis of Pop Music Magazine

There is a range of different fonts which all link in with each other which creates a professional and consistent look to the magazine. The size of the font is all quite similar this shows c0ntiutity and i will take this on when creating my magazine. The actual information font is smaller and the sub-title is bold and often a different style to the rest of the page.

There are many various images/pictures in the magazine. Most of the pictures are of musical celebrities looking happy and quite a close shots. The colours also run all through the magazine. This makes it look very professional. All of the people in the magazine are very made-up like you would expect. They are bright and eye catching, this makes them appeal to the target audience. I will take this on to my magazine and use make-up to create the feel/look the readers may expect from the magazines. However i may not use close-up shots, i may use medium shots as then it will be different from other magazines.

Research and Planning- time manage

Now that i have completed my pitch and gained some audience feedback on my idea this week I am going to continue thinking about creating a magazine and all the parts which make up a successful magazine. I am up to date with my action plan as I have presented  my pitch and got enough feedback for what I need. Next week we will concentrate on photography and the type of images i will include in the magazine.

Research and Planning- Pitch feedback

I will present my pitch to a small target group- although there are parts of the magazine which will be targeted to unisex teenagers, most of it will be targeted to girls . I will then ask them a range of questions to do with the pitch. 5-6 questions.

1) What name do you think you be most appropriate?

• POP
• The Beat
• Tone
• Burst
• Yourtunes

2) What kind of content do you think would be suitable?

3) What mode of address would you expect from this kind of magazine?

4) Do you think a range of single and double page spreads with interviews and reviews would be good?

5) What main colours would attract you to the magazine and should they be consistent? (colour scheme)

What I have learnt from the feedback:

From the focus group i have learnt that the name which proves to be most popular is 'The Beat'. This was because it was unique and different which would attract the target audience. The content which they thought would be suitable is information about new and upcoming pop groups and solo artist and the latest charts. The focus group all thought that a relaxed and informal approach would be suitable and attracting- gives a break from school and textbooks. It also connects the audience and gives a personal feel to the magazine which would appeal to the audience. A range of single/double page spreads and interviews and reviews as it would break it up so it's not all text and it's easy to read and look at. Also because it gives different things to  The main colours where; black and white and then a bright contrasting colour. This would give a sophisticated look but the other bright colour would still link in with the young part of the magazine. 

Research and Planning- Pitch

Media music powerpoint from emilytrowell

Research and Planning- double page spread analysis

Double page spread on Prezi

Research and Planning- contents page analysis

Mediaaaaaa from emilytrowell

Research and planning- front cover analysis

Media AGAIN. on Prezi

Initial Ideas for Music Magazine

My magazine will be focused on a certain audience and sub-genre. The target audience will be a young audience 16- 23. The sub-genre will be pop genre, this will be a fairly easy market to target as pop is quite mainstream which means that there will be an audience for the magazine already. There will be an  variety of popular pop artists featured in the magazine for example, Calvin Harris, One Direction, Ellie Goulding, Carly Rae Jepson, Dizzee Rascal, Emeli Sande, Kelly Rowland. It will be aimed at both sexes.

Introduction to the Main Task

Now that i have completed the preliminary task I'm now concentrating on the main task which is creating a music magazine. The magazine must have a front cover, contents page and double page spread and must contain at least 4 images taken by yourself.

Week one: Complete initial ideas, create a pitch and research sub-genre.

Week two: Present pitch and get audience response, more audience research, photography.

Week three: Indesign/photoshop training.

Week four: Designing front cover, audience feedback on cover.

Week five: Designing contents page, audience feedback on contents page.

Week six: Designing double page spread, audience feedback on double page spread.

Week seven: Finalise magazine magazine design, introduction evaluation.

Week eight: Evaluation.

Week nine: Evaluation, finial blog check.

Evaluation of my Student Magazine Front Cover and Cntents.

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

I have created a masthead which links in with the conventions of a real media product, as all real magazines have a masthead to give them all a unique idenditiy. My masthead is quite simple but bold. I have used three simple but eye cathching colours which will attract the audience. I have also used coverlines, these are also used in real media products, i kept to the same three colours through out to give a professional feel. I didn't add any extra images to my front cover as none of the pictures I had taken really fitted in the feel of the magazine and the front cover- so I added more in the contents page. The central image i used was a middle close up. This goes with the conventions of a real magazine- this is to grab the audiences attention and give enough information to entice the audience to buy your magazine.

How does your media product represent different social groups?
My magazine represents different social groups by having different articles in the magazine which will intrest a whole group of students not just one group of students. I have also used unisex colour palette, this again makes sure that it doesn't just apeal to certain a certain sex.

What kind of media insitution might distribute your media product and why? 

The college would be the distibuter, this is becuase my magazine is for college students and some of the information would be about events that only ludlow college would be aware of.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my magazine would be college students, from 16to about 18 years old. THe magazine is targeted at both males and females.

How did you attract/address your audience?

From the results that i had from carrying out research on a focus group, which were students, i knew the kind of things which would intrest all types of different students.  I made sure that on the front cover i included coverlines which would appeal to different types of students. i also tried to use colours which would appeal to both genders. I made the front cover quite interesting but not too cluttered as this would stand out from other magazines.

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

I have learnt how to question a focus group and use that information to help to create what was needed. To create my magazine front cover and contents page  i used a program called 'Abdobe In Design'. I have never used this program before, so throughout the project i was learning what it could do and how i could use the features to create a realistic magazine. I feel that if i started again now, i would understand how to work the program better and therefor get better results.

Student Magazine Front Cover and Contents Page

Mock Up of Front Cover and Contents Page

Answer to my Focus Group Questions

What name would appeal to you most? Why? 

The focus group said the name which would appeal to then most was 'Student Sound'. They said that the name flowed nicely, it appears to give the students a voice and it is quite a simple name however it is bold as well.  This connotes that the magazine will be simple but contain all information they would want to know.

What content would you like to see in a student magazine and why?

The focus group wanted a wide range of content in the magazine.  Some examples- fashion, new music, TV, films, gossip, news about the college, sport and sport fixtures and the results from the sport fixtures,

What colour scheme would you like to see, dark colours or light colours? Why?

The colour scheme in which the focus group wanted was a mix between dark and light colours. This was because if it was all dark colours than it would be too dark and look dull and boring. Also if only light colours were then information wouldn't stand out. So by using a mix of both, it will bring sophistication, boldness and fun. White, purple, light blue. Overall make the magazine more professional and attractive.  

What price range and why?

The price range didn't vary very much because students don't have a lot of money, so the money that they do have has to be spent wisely. If the magazine was too expensive it wouldn't attract to them as the  price would put them off straight away even if the content did interest them. So the price in which the focus group decided on was 60p. At 60p you would be getting all the information which they wanted but without the worry of the price.  

Do you think a direct mode of address would attract students to my magazine? 

The focus group thought that a direct mode of address was an important part of the front cover as it would make the student audience more connect with the magazine.

Questions for my Focus Group

What name would appeal to you most? Why? 
Express Yourself, Student Sound or Social.

What content would you like to see in a student magazine and why?


What colour scheme would you like to see, dark colours or light colours? Why?


What price range and why?


Do you think a direct mode of address would attract students to my magazine? 

Research & Planning: Initial Ideas for a Student Magazine

Name and Connotations: 

• Student Sound- 
• Express Yourself- connotes freedom, independence and individualism.   
• College times-connotes sophistication, formality, influential 
• Social-connotes friendship and unity 

Content: 

The context of this student magazine will be varied, there will be parts which will be quite formal- information which the students would need to know about the college. However most of the magazine will be informal but still will be informative for example, quick tips(changes every issue about different ways of studying or revising), fashion, new music and films etc. 

House style:

The house style will be consistant -Colours will run through the front cover to the contents page. this will help the magazine look more professional. There will be three main colours which will be eye catching and bold. There could be light colours or dark colours. The layout will be quite simple so students will find it easy to look at and understand. By using a fairly simple and bright colours it will grab the attention of the student audience.

Mode of address: 

I will use a direct mode of address to make the audeince feel that they are part of the magazine and so they enjoy reading it. It will add to the relaxed feel of the magazine.

Images/picture:

I will add many images/pictures to the magazine as its a good way of getting information across/getting attention without the audience really realising. There will be a selection, from celebrities, other students at the college, sports etc.

Price:

The price of the magazine will be cheap as students won't have that much money, so if it costs alot then they will be put off and won't bother with the magazine. I think a good price would be 85P. 

Analysed Front Cover and Contents Page of another Student Magazine

Analysed Front Cover and Contents Page of a Student Magazine

Generic Conventions of a Student Magazine

Preliminary Task Action Plan

Week one: 

Identify the generic conventions of a student/college magazines, produce a mind map of your findings.
Analyse two front cover and contents pages of a students/college magazine.
Research audience for our magazines.

Week two:  

Use findings from research to mock up of front cover and contents page.

Week three:

Designing the front cover/ contents page. Introduce the evaluation. 

Introduction to brief

Preliminary exercise:

Produce a front page of a new school/college magazine,  It must feature a photograph, appropiately laid-out text and a masthead. I must also produce a mock layout of a contents page. 

Main task:

Produce a front page, contents and a double spread for a new music magazine. There is a minimum of four images, which have to be taken by myself.