Evaluation

Production of Magazine: Final products together

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Production of Magazine: Final Double Page Spread

Production of Magazine: Double pages mock up and feedback from peers

This was my original layout but from feedback I changed certain thing in order to make it better or look more proffesional

 

I had changed the size of the outline on the boxes in order to make it stand out, this is vital as it is a detail which the eyes pick up first. On this double page I added a detail part which gives small details, I added this as it is used in existing magazines and also because it's the vital information needed with a review.

 

On this double page added a page number in order to make it look proffesional compared to what it was before, also I had edited the size of the outline of the 'Track listing' and the 'Pros and Cons' box, this is to make more space and to look more proffesional. This will be the double page that I will use for my final product.

 

I asked my peers on their thoughts and opinions on this double page spread.
My first peer commented the positive aspects and the negative aspects. The peer commented on the positive aspects, the peer said that the structure is suitable, the peer linked this point to how other conventional magazines look. Another point the peer made is that the logo placement was effective, this is because it is striking, it sticks out to the audience.
The peer commented on the negative aspects also. The peer commented on how the two boxes on the right hand side don't follow the housestyle, this is because of the use of red and white and the main colours are supposed to be black and grey.

I asked a second peer to comment on the positive and negative aspects also. The peer commented on the positive aspects. The peer commented on how the double page follows conventions that are seen in conventional magazines, this is a good aspect as it makes it look proffesional rather than unproffesional. Another point the peer made was that the double page's strapline. They said that it is a good aspect as it gives the reader a insight into what the article will contain.
The peer also commented on the negative aspects. The peer commented on how the border around the the two boxes on the right handside are too thick. The peer said that if the borders weren't as thick, there would be more space on the page for the articles. The peer also commented on the fact that the band's name 'Circle Motions' was mentioned too much, the peer built onto this by saying that if something is repeated so much, it can get too familiar to te audience and then it would become repetative if it is said too much.


I have changed this like I did with my cover and contents page. I changed them all to the same as it would keep to the house style and it would make all the pages the same. However due to the colour of the text, it blended in with the black at the top of the page so the text was changed from black to white. This shows that I have developed my background and moved away from the normal type of background.





Do you think having this gradient colour is better than having a block coloured background?
The gradient colour is better as it makes the page look different as the majority of conventional magazines contain block coloured backgrounds.
Are there any negative aspects on my double page that stand out?
There is one negative aspect. On the picture at the top of the right page, the picture has a white outline going around the picture. This would be better if it didn't have it as it would make it look more proffesional and conventional.

Production of Magazine: Final contents page

Production of Magazine: Contents mock up and feedback from peers

 

I have added a number to the bottom of the page, this is to make it look more like a conventional magazine. The contents on the right hand side will be the contents page I will be using for my final product.

I asked my peers on their opinions of these contents, the first peer commented on how the the layout of the contents was suitable as it shows the pages are in numerical order, this is a good aspect as it gives the reader a ordered set of articles to read. Another point my peer said was that the use of images were good as it shows what the article is about but in picture form E.G: The pictures of the album covers, these show which albums are being reviewed.
However the peer also commented on the negative aspects. The peer commented on the way the lines are on the contents, the peer said that the lines that section off the regulars from the features, stand out too much, this creates an unwanted amount of attention towards the lines. Also the peer commented on the heading which says 'Contents page'. The peer said that it needed to be a different font as the font is the used already.

I asked a second peer about their opinions and thoughts. They said that the contents had a good house style as it is consistent throughout the contents page. This is a good aspect as it keeps the page the same, no dramatic changes. Also the second peer commented on how the colours are appropriate as it gives the contents page a 'good quality' feeling. Because the magazine has a 'good quality' feeling it gives the impression that the magazine is a conventional magazine, looks like a proper professional magazine.
The peer also commented on a negative aspects of the contents page. The peer commented on how the page has a lack of colour. The peer suggested that I have more than two colours as it makes it look more exciting and it would give it a more of a interesting look. However if I have to many colours on the cover it would make it look unconventional as if you look at existing conventional music magazine such as NME, you can see how they use the maximum of three colours and this is the way I chose to do mine.

I asked a third peer about their opinions and thought.
The peer commented on how the colours go together, they're contrasting colours. Also the red and white is a good colour choice as it fits with the masthead, so it keeps to the house style. Another good aspect is that the text colour is dark and its stands out amongst the light background, having the background colour light and the text dark helps the text stand out more which makes it easier for the audience to understand the text. The peer also commented on the use of the photos. The peer said that the way that the picture has been cut out in order to make it mix with the background, this is good as it makes it look more realistic rather than just being placed there.
The peer also comment

Answering to the first peers feedback, I changed the colour of the separation lines. I changed the colour to a light grey. I chose the grey as it looks like it blends in the background but also you can still see the lines. This will help as it stops the separation lines from protruding too much and it will not be as distracting as it was previously.

I have changed the background like I did with the cover page. This is due to the recommendation of changing the original colour (a block grey) to a gradient colour, this makes the contents look more interesting and it makes it appeal more to the audience. Also I have had to change the album covers as I originally took them from the internet so they weren't my own, So I took a picture of them myself and used photoshop to remove the background.

After asking peers specific questions related to the new contents page I gained more opinions on my content page.

What's your opinion on my new colour scheme on my contents page?

I prefer this new cover as it seems more real compared to the plain boring background on the original cover Oliver had made. Also having this new gradient design gives it the extra interesting look which makes the page look more unique.

Is their any negative aspects to my contents that need to be pointed out?

The text colour mixes with the gradient colour too much, the gradient desging could be pushed up a bit more so it doesn't interfere with the colour scheme too much. I think that maybe having a lighter coloured text so that it doesn't blend in.

How does the gradient colour link to the colour scheme?

After looking at the colour palette I saw that the colours in the gradient link to the colour scheme because the black has been used and this is in the colour palette. Also another good aspect is that the text colour links to the colour as well however having the same coloured text and the same coloured background causes the mixing of colours. So maybe a small change is required.

 

 

 

Production of Magazine: Final front cover

Production of Magazine: Cover mock ups and feedback from peers

These are my cover mock-ups, I have created three slightly different layouts.




On the latest cover the issue number had been added and the date has also been added.
This is the cover I will be using for my final product, however it has changed slightly, I edited the name of the magazine from Alternate Rock to Alternative Rock, as it explains what genre the magazine represents better than it did previously.


I asked my peers on their opinions of these mock up covers and my first peer said that the good aspects of the first cover was that the colours chosen were a good selection as they stand out against the picture and  the text. Also the first peer said that the layout was good as it is clear and non-clashing. However the peer also commented on how on the cover there is a lot of dead space and how the kicker need to stand out more compared to it now.

The second peer commented on how the way the text is, the peer said that the text looks ordered and all in aligned, this is good as it makes it look more professional and makes it follow the main conventions that are included in music magazines: logo, main story, sub stories, bar code etc. However the peer also commented on the negative aspects. They commented on how there is a lot of dead space, and that it makes it look more amateur rather than professional.

 

The third peer commented on how the main story stands out and they commented on how the red box that surrounds the text makes the text stand out more and also the colour of the box makes it stand out more. Also the colour of the background makes the main story stand out due to the light colours. The peer also commented on the negative aspects. The peer said how the gap between the two pieces of text is too big, it makes the cover look unprofessional compared to existing covers: this is due to the amount of dead space.

I asked my peers closed questions about my cover:
What's your opinions on the colour scheme on my cover?
The red background makes the white text standout; this makes the text easier to read and it's better for me to understand what is written. Also the background colour is a good colour as it makes the other content on the cover standout out more as the grey is a neutral colour and it doesn't mix wit the contents. However the background colour has a negative feel as it is just a block colour and it makes it look boring compared to maybe having a gradient colour on the page.
Do you like the way that the main picture has been positioned?
The picture looks neat and well placed; this makes the magazine look more conventional it makes it look like it's of a good quality. Also the picture has been placed away from the sidebar; this is a good aspect as it doesn't mix in with it and it doesn't make the cover look a mess and unorganised.
What's your opinion on my layout overall?
The layout is a simplistic layout, this makes everything on the cover seem clear and ordered; this makes the magazine seem like its got a high quality feeling. Also having the clear and ordered content makes it easier for the audience to read the content that the cover provides.
Due to the layout, it makes the cover look more professional and more conventional as it includes the common conventional features but they're placed in certain areas on the cover, these areas in which are placed are similar to existing conventional magazines.
However due to the layout there is a lot of dead space, this can cause the problem of making the cover look less professional as professional magazines don't generally have dead space. But the plus side of having dead space is that it allows the magazine to look less crowded due to the amount of space there is left on the page.




Despite the feedback on the colour, it has been changed to a gradient colour. Black and grey has been applied, this changes it from a block colour and gives it a more of an interesting look.

Also I changed one of the band names that were placed on the bottom of the page, It was The Vaccines and now it's The Fratellis. 

This is the final edited cover, the changes of dead space have been changed. I've pushed the image up slightly and made the text slightly bigger.

 

 

Main Task: Image planning

                 

                                                 Image planning

 

 

Model:	Josh Marks
Camera height/angle/distance:	Long shot / Medium close up
Location:	Conservatory
Lighting:	Natural lighting.
Mise-en-scene (including props, costume) :	Costume: Harrington Jacket, dark blue shirt and Jeans Props: Red Bull can
Attempted connotation:	Drinking due to celebration (EP release)
Planned denotation:	Male poses as if he's drinking from a can
Contingency (in case of model absence/weather):	The photo was taken indoors so there wouldn't be a problem with weather and the location was fine as the location was vacant when the photos were taken.
Alternate angle:	Face on shot to show the facial expression of the male character.
Thinking points: Character was reassured that the photos were used for coursework purpose.
Comments: The character is used to represent a rising artist within in the music industry, this is done by the costume and the way the male character looks.

 

 

Main Task: Image editing

In order to complete this I used Adobe Photo shop CS6 to edit the photos.
I have taken the background out so that the male character can be applied to different coloured backgrounds or backdrops such as a brick wall, I plan to edit a photo and apply a graffiti wall backdrop to it.
Using a tool called 'Magic Wand' I removed the background and made it turn white.

With experiment I decided that I wont be using this as it didn't turn out as I expected it to.

Main Task: Photo shoot photos

All the photo's used will have the white to have a neutral background.
The clothing of the character in the photo's could relate to alternate rock as it is the sort of clothing alternate rock artists wear, E.G: Noel Gallagher or Miles Kane.

Main task: Colour palette

Colour Palette

I looked at existing music magazines such as NME and studied their Colour Palette. The colours for this NME magazine are red, white and yellow. In the magazine the same colours are used throughout and in every magazine the colours are similar, the red and white are almost always present in the magazine every time it's released. I will use both red and white in my products, because I think the colours would stand out as the background colour is a light grey and the red will stand out amongst the grey.



My Colour Palette

 

 

I have chosen these colours as the colours don't clash with each other. Also I have chosen the grey, white and black because they're neutral so they don't stand out too much above all the contetn on the page and having the white is a good colour as it can be used as a text colour as it doesn't blend with the red box which the text will be placed on.

Main Task: Language and Register

Language and Register

 

 

 

The conventional music magazine I looked at was NME. This music magazine uses an informal language as it includes bad language and some articles which aren't suitable for younger generation.
NME's register is a informative but imformative in an informal way. This makes the magazine feel more relatable to the audience.

 

In my magazine I shall use a more informal language due to the social/genre group my magazine will be aimed at. "...caramel to ooze out and it'll rock you until you're in a unsettling trance" This shows that magazine uses terms that informal people will use.  Having informal language would make my magazine appeal to the audience more as it will relate to more people as in this generation people don't tend to speak as formal, this is due to the way society has evolved.
The register for my product will be chatty. This would make the magazine more friendly and it would make the audience feel like the magazine is speaking to them rather than just informing the audience of music related information. 

Main Task: Layout

This is the layout for the front cover of my product.
















This is the layout for the contents page in my product

This is the layout for the double page spread.

Main Task: Representation

Think about the following: what different social groups have you represented?  You may want to focus on areas such as gender or age.  How have you constructed the representations?  Think about your use of images and mise-en-scene, and the use of language.  Refer to specific examples from your own and existing magazines.


In my product I have represented a certain social group. I have represented the social group of males who listen to the music genre of Alternative. The main focus within the social group is males aged 15-25.
I have constructed the representation by including articles and content in general in which relates to this sort of social group.
Another way I have represented the social group is done via costume. The male character who is included in the picture on my product is dressed in clothing that is popular amongst the audience and the social group, Harrington Jacket and Jeans, this is a common sort of clothing for people is this group.
The language used is language that relates to the chosen audience. With slang words and language that the audience can understand it makes it feel more friendly towards the audience.

Main Task: Fonts

Fonts 

1. Myriad Pro
2. Century Gothic
3. Berlin Sans FB

I have used these fonts as these fonts are considered to be modern.
This is relevent to my products as the content is classed as modern and it is supposed to fit into todays society.

Main Task: Masthead Designs

I like his masthead because I like the fact that the writing doesn't go in the normal fashion of on the same line. Also the masthead appeals to me as I like the structure of it and I think it isn't a over complicated masthead.

I like this masthead because it shows the letters bold and has the name in which the letter stands for place below the letters. Whilst working on making this masthead I looked at the NME masthead and I tried to link this masthead to it as I like the NME masthead.

 

With this masthead I like the fact that the letters are joined together rather than separate, this is good because it makes it small rather than big so that more can be put on the page and another reason to why it is good is that because its small, things on the page wont have to be squished together, they can be spread out because of the size of the masthead. However I wont be using this masthead as I think that it looks to basic compared to my other ideas.

Main task: Primary research

Primary Research

My primary research consists of the exploration into conventions and techniques used in existing music magazines, the most focused magazine that I will look into will be NME. This is because the genre of music in which NME focuses on is Indie/Alternative, this is the genre that I will be focusing on. 

From NME magazine I've found 

Main task: Magazine names

Name choices

Option 1
Alternative Rock

Option 2
Alternate Rock

Option 3
Indie Anthems

Option 4
Indie Alternative

I chose these names as I feel that these are simple and self explanatory for my magazine as the name of the magazine also gives away the genre of the magazinel, also if I had the title Alternate Rock it would stick out more as people would know the genre that the magazine offers before they pick it up.
I asked my peers on their opinions of these names and 3/4 peers I asked said that they preferred Alternate Rock. They said that they preferred the name Alternate Rock because they thought that it was simple but effective as it says the genre in the name.

Main Task: Inspiration for my magazine

 I have used this to inspire me by using 'The details' part, this will be applied this to my double page spread album review half.

 I have used this as inspiration by using the Q and A part of it, this is used on my double page spread.

 I have taken inspiration from this as I liked the mast head and I wanted to apply similar aspects of it to my masthead

Main Task: Research - Target audience questionnaire results

Questionnaire Results

 



These are the results regarding age.
The popular ages are 15 and 20+
This could help me in the choosing of my age range for my magazine.

These are the results regarding gender.
Because the main percentage of the feedback is male, it can help me choose
the main gender of the audience for my magazine.

 

 




These are the results regarding how often the audience read music magazines
 



These are my results regarding what genre the audience like

Other responses that came from this question delivered other genres that

weren't on the options.

These were: Classic Rock and Hard Rock.

Using this feedback, It will help me choose a genre for my music magazine.

The popular genres are Alternate and Rock.









These are my results regarding what content the audience like to see in music

magazines.

I also had another answer that wasn't listed. The other content the audience

liked was free posters. This feedback will help me as it'll help me think of

content to include in my music magazine.