Evaluation: Question 7

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

Evaluation: Question 6

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

After completing the main task, it is surprising how much my technological skills have improved. Also, being introduced to various applications means that I am aware of the possibility of posting information in a more creative way, and displaying my ideas in a way that is visually appealing.

Adobe InDesign is the application that I used most during the year. At first, I was completely lost and found it very difficult to use. However, with some help, and practice from creating a school magazine as well as a mock up cover of Q Magazine, my ability to use the software significantly improved.
Once I got the hang of it, it is a very useful application, however the only issue I had with it was the lack of variety in the choice of fonts. Although this was resolved when I downloaded the free trial at home, which had a larger range.

I was quite lucky with Adobe Photoshop, as I had used it multiple times for my AS level Art, however, I didn't have to use it to the complexity as I did for my magazine.
Removing backgrounds on images was the main technique I used, however I found multiple ways of doing it, from manually drawing around an images before deleting the background, to using the 'quick selection tool,' which is much faster but less precise. 
It is a time consuming process, and I was lucky in the fact that I only used it for two images.

I had never used blogger before, and I was skeptical because I'm not a huge fan of online blogs. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Blogger is an easy to use online application, with a simple layout and design, that allows you to create posts with ease. 
Unfortunately, later on in the year, I had to to most of the blogging at home, as the school had actually blocked the website. Although, I found being able to use blogger on a smartphone particularly useful, as I could blog on the go.
I did actually enjoy using a blog to post my coursework, because I could constantly check my work, edit areas and keep track of what I was doing and how long I was taking.

I also learned a lot about photography. I discovered how important it is to take into account every aspect of the shot, such as the composition, lighting, mise en scene etc. I also learnt that the distance of the shot is important, as I had a lot of trouble with pixilation in InDesign because I took the photograph too far away from the model, and zooming in was not an option. I ended up having to do three photoshoots before I received the outcome I desired, however I think that because of these mistakes, I've learned that planning is extremely important, and I feel that I have a better knowledge of how to use a camera professionally.

Throughout this course, I was also introduced to an online application called Prezi. This software allows you to display information in a creative and visually appealing and complex manner. There is a huge variety of patterns to choose from, and the animations and transitions between various areas make the experience more enjoyable than a plain PowerPoint presentation!

Flickr is an online software that I used briefly for my evaluation. It is an online photo sharing application, that allowed me to highlight areas of my finished magazine pages, and analyse them, before publishing the analysis, where the reader can hover over an area that they want to know about. I found this to be an interesting way of displaying my work, and in an very organised manner.

I hope that the things that I have learned from using these applications will come in useful in the future.

Evaluation: Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

To answer this question, I used the online application 'Flickr,' which allows me to display my images, and annotate them. To see the annotations, just hover the mouse over the desired section of the page.

Here is a link to the RIFF front cover:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95425626@N06/8700292368/in/photostream

Here is a link to the RIFF contents page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95425626@N06/8701396913/in/photostream

Here are the links for the RIFF double page spread;
Page 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/95425626@N06/8702786362/in/photostream

Page 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/95425626@N06/8702786938/in/photostream

Evaluation: Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation: Question 3

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

The obvious answer to this question, and probably the only answer, is to choose Bauer Media. 
  Bauer are a huge publishing companies, known for magazines such as Q, Kerrang! and Empire. The main reason why Bauer would be the best option is because they are the biggest privately owned publishing group in Europe, that offer 300 magazines in 15 countries. 
  Another selling point is that Bauer Media is a multi - platform publishing group, offering TV, Internet and Radio - a must if I want to promote RIFF and for it to become as successful as the likes of Q Magazine. This is also fatal, as my target audience are younger, and are therefore more up to date with the latest technology, and will be more interested in interactive readership.

Future PLC is another publishing company that I would consider, as they are responsible for magazines such as Total Film, however the fact that Bauer Media pretty much dominates the magazine industry, it is the only choice if I really want my magazine to be successful, and known as well as Kerrang!, for example.






I also feel that Bauer would be appropriate as they own the successful rock magazine, Kerrang!. This means that there is definitely an audience out there, as RIFF is the same genre. However, if RIFF was real, it might not be very successful, as Kerrang! already exists and there is not need for another magazine of the same thing.

Frontline is probably the best option for RIFF's sales and distribution company, as they are the UK's leading company, responsible for distributing magazine published by Bauer. Frontline sells and distributes over 160 of their Shareholder Publishers' magazine titles, 58 being the top 200 best selling titles in the UK.

From doing some research on their website, Frontline seem like not only the best distribution company, but a very trustworthy company that would inevitably help sales of RIFF.

Evaluation: Question 2

How does the media product represent a particular social group?

I decided when creating my reader profile that RIFF would be targeted towards teenagers/students who are into the rock/metal scene. Because of this, for the most part, I based the pages of RIFF on real pages of Kerrang! Magazine, as the target audience is the same.

The colour scheme that I used throughout my magazine firstly reflects the social group. Black, white and yellow are the main colours that run throughout my magazines, as well as red, which are the most common colours used in rock magazines. The guitar neck in the masthead is also something that the social group can associate themselves with, as well as the rock bands mentioned, such as Fall Out Boy and Bullet For My Valentine.
  However, out of the front cover, I think that the images are what reflects the social group most. In the main image, the model has styled hair, eye make up, such as quite heavy eye liner, and a lip piercing. Although this might stereotype a typical rock fan, I think that it is perfect for the cover, as just by looking at the model, it is recognisable as a rock/metal genre magazine.
  I also included free posters in RIFF, which would definitely appeal to someone heavily influenced by the music scene, and a fan of rock music; which leads to another stereotype of a rock fan having posters all over their walls. However, I think this is certainly true, especially a teenage rock fan. Although there is no sign in the main image that she is an artist, her style associates her with rock music, which was what I was going for initially.
  The competition to win a guitar and a PlayStation also represents a specific social group, which I included as competitions like this are often featured in Kerrang!, and because of a similar target audience, I thought that it was appropriate.

For my contents page, I feel that the images reflect the particular social group the best, as the model featured in the photographs is a fan of metal music herself. 
  Although one would have to extremely closely, the septum piercing (bull ring) on her nose is another aspect that represent the social group, as stereotypically, fans of rock/metal music are also fans of piercings (of course not true for everyone!).
  Similar to the front cover, the bands that are mentioned on the contents page heavily reflect the social group, as it is the type of music that they would listen to. The language used also reflects this, such as phrases like, "Down Rachael's Rabbit Hole," represent the adolescent and immaturity of the social group that RIFF is targeted towards.

The way the article is written, in my opinion, reflects the social group, as I specifically wrote it to try and sound like someone from this group, as this 'artist' is. Again, immaturity is shown through the title, 'Rachael in Wonderland,' and the 'band's' name, 'Demonic Shadows,' reflects the genre of the music and the type of person who would listen to it, and read RIFF. 
  The colour scheme here again is targeted to a specific social group, as they are similar to the colours found in Kerrang!.

The second page of my article features a photograph of the artist. The mise en scene of the image would hopefully appeal to the social group, and the model's outfit also. 
  I also thought that creating an artist that had a drug addiction would be appropriate for RIFF, as the readers are teenagers/students, who may have used, or might be pressured into using drugs/alcohol. This can then provide a positive example, and an overall moral; not to take drugs.

Evaluation: Question 1

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

RIFF - Music Magazine Double Page Spread

For my article, I wanted to create a question and answer feature. I also, like many music magazines, decided to focus on the lead singer of the band, Rachael Morgan. I called the band, 'Demonic Shadows,' which I think fits the metal genre perfectly. I also wanted the article to focus more on the personal side of the artist, however also including information about their debut album; another reason why I chose the Q&A style format.

For my double page spread, I decided to stick to the original draft I had planned, as it was based on an article I had seen in the American music magazine, Revolver. The font that I used for the article name is called Earwig Factory, and it was inspired by a music magazine article that featured Lily Allen. However, I think that it works with the Alice in Wonderland theme well. The reason why I chose the title, "Rachael in Wonderland," is pretty obvious; to fit with the theme. The bottom of the first page was based on Kerrang!, as they follow a similar layout. Therefore, I added a smaller image of my masthead, the page number, in the same style boxes and fonts as the contents page, and a web address, where the reader can go on to subscribe to RIFF, which is a frequent feature in magazines, now that they are becoming a multi media platform.

  I actually ended up using the image I was initially going to use on the contents page, however I felt that it was perfect for the double page spread, purely for the composition of the shot, and the underlying idea that the reader is going through the gate into 'Rachael's wonderland'. I then added a quote from the article, in the same font and colour as the main coverline on the front cover, to brand the magazine. Whilst researching music magazine articles, I found that this was a reoccuring feature, and in my opinion, it definitely makes the magazine look more professional.

This is the final version of my double page spread. As you can see, I have changed the first page a lot. I felt that a plain white background was a bit boring, so I inserted a black background, which enabled me to continue with the black, white and yellow colour scheme. I also think that it fits the metal genre better, and makes the 'Wonderland' theme seem much more dark and sinister. I changed the questions to a yellow colour, as this makes them stand out as obvious questions, and I created a giant 'A' at the beginning of the article, as this technique was something that I saw in almost all of the articles that I researched.

  I didn't change much on the second page. However I did insert another page number and masthead, because it makes it look like a more realistic music magazine, although I did not often see page numbers and mastheads on full page images. I did feel I had to go against this convention, to produce the best quality double page spread that I could.

  Out of all three of my pages, I think that the article is my least favourite, as although I put the same amount of time into it, I don't think it looks as good as my other pages, and, apart from the image, it is quite boring to look at, which is the opposite of what I wanted.

RIFF - Music Magazine Contents Page

This if my first attempt at my contents page. I modelled this page on a real Kerrang! contents page. I used the same stencil font to create most of the text, as I did on my cover. The image on the contents page was not final, and I was unsure whether to use it in the article instead.















I decided to change the image on the contents page, and use the previous photo in my article. I then added 'FEATURES' under the title 'THIS MONTH,' and added a caption and the page number to the main image. I also decided to stick with the black, white and yellow colour scheme, as in my opinion, it works really well and is a good combination of colours. I wrote the caption 'Curiouser and Curiouser' to the main image because it links in with the Alice in Wonderland theme and also makes the reader want to read on.

I then proceeded to section up the list of stories with various categories that I found when researching contents pages. I stuck with the similar colour scheme as the cover, adding in a bit of red. I also inserted a small copy of the front cover of RIFF, as this was something that I saw in a significant number of contents pages.

This is the final version of my contents page. I added a section at the bottom, promoting the free posters inside, which I saw something of a similar nature in an issue of Kerrang!. I used the stencil font for this section two, as I feel that it makes the page look more professional, and is also a technique that many magazines use. Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of my contents page, and I am definitely happy that I used a Kerrang! contents page as a template, as it has certainly helped it make the page look a lot more professional.

RIFF - Music Magazine Front Cover

In this post, I will show the process of the production of the front cover of RIFF Magazine.

This is the main image of my front cover. I was inspired by the Q Magazine cover, which featured Florence Welch. At first I was going to feature a full body shot on the cover, however this does not fit the codes and conventions of a magazine cover, so I had to retake my photos.

I then added a circular gradient behind the image, to put emphasis on the model, and really make her stand out. 

I then added my masthead, 'RIFF.' To create the guitar neck that replaces the, 'I,' I took a photograph of a guitar neck, before going into Photoshop and turning the brightness etc. right down, to create the silhouette illusion. I was very happy with the outcome, as it was just what I was looking for. The rest of the masthead I then create using the fonts in Adobe InDesign. 

  After placing the masthead in a suitable area, I added a bar code in the bottom right corner, and created the main coverline, 'Rachael Morgan.' I did try a font similar to the one I was intending on using (see on drawn draft of the front cover), however it did not look as good as I thought it might. Therefore, I spent a while trying various fonts, and found that the 'stencil' font worked best. I coloured it white because I was planning to stick to a black and white theme, to go with the rock/metal genre. Soon after, I added a bannerline at the top of the cover. When researching music magazine covers, I found that many had bannerlines, and I thought that, 'Voted Best Metal Magazine Of 2012,' would be suitable.

This is my third attempt at my cover. This is where I began to look less at my drawn draft, and more at what actually works. I edited the masthead, by adding a red to yellow gradient, which really makes it eye catching. 

  I then added another coverline, 'Back From Hiatus FALL OUT BOY,' which wasn't initially in the plan, however after realising that it was acceptable to use read bands in our magazine, I thought that this was appropriate because it is real, recent news.

In my next attempt, I made another bannerline which I positioned at the bottom of the page. This sort of bannerline is featured in loads of magazine covers, as it is useful for adding extra information that would not fit on the cover as singular coverlines. It is often featured on the Kerrang! magazine covers. For my banner, I used an already existing banner from a Kerrang! issue as a template, and added various rock bands that are featured in the issue.

I then added the sub-main coverline, 'Go Through The Looking Crystal With,' which reflects both the Alice in Wonderland theme and the artist's drug addiction. I also changed the main coverline to yellow, as I think it makes the cover more interesting, and works better than the white that I was previously using.

I then added a flash to my cover, with the line, 'FREE POSTERS,' layered on top. After, I inserted various photos I took of my model, some of which I would not have used. I was skeptical at first as I thought tat subsidary images would look strange, however it appeared to work well. 

  I also changed the colour of the word, 'BOY,' to white, as I felt that it didn't work, and that it made the coverline look like two different features.

This is the final attempt, and my final version of the RIFF Magazine cover. I edited the 'PLUS' on the bottom bannerline, as I felt that red worked better with the theme. I then added another image onto the chain of free posters, before inserting a star with a competition to win a guitar and a games console, as flashes like this one are featured in a significant number of music magazines. 

  I am extremely happy with my cover, and although I didn't stick to the plan/draft, I think that going with my gut feeling was best for the outcome of my cover.

RIFF Double Page Spread - Drawn Draft

This is the drawn first draft of my double page spread. As you can see, I've have sketched a brief outline of the main image, however again, I will need to decide after I have taken the photos, and the use the image that works best.
I have titled the article, "Rachael in Wonderland," as the feature is about the lead singer of a band, Rachael Morgan, and her debut album. I used Alice in Wonderland as a theme because one of the band's songs is based on the story.
I am going to try to stick to my plan, however, when in production, I am willing to change things to fit the codes and conventions of a magazine.

RIFF Contents Page - Drawn Draft

This is the first draft of my contents page. I decided to go for a similar layout to Kerrang magazine, because I thought that if I model an existing contents page, it would make the outcome of my own a lot more professional. I left three spaces for images and coverlines, as I think it is an appropriate amount. Similar to the cover, all the fonts and coverlines are not final, as I will have to alter certain aspects as I am in production.

RIFF Magazine Cover - Drawn Draft

This is a drawn first draft of my front cover of RIFF. I haven't added any images, because I am still unaware of what I am going to do, and from experience, I found it better to actually take the images first, and then work the coverlines etc. around the image. I decided to use the masthead "RIFF" as it was voted the top masthead in my online survey, and I think it best describes the magazine.

I designed the masthead in a way that would reflect the genre of the magazine. Therefore, as a rock magazine, I decided to replace the "I" in "RIFF" with the neck of an electric guitar. I was aprehensive at first whether this would work, however I really like the look of it. Although, when I actually create my cover, I will have to take into account whether or not this will work. For my main feature, I think I'm going to focus on the lead singer of a band, and create a question and answer article. All of the fonts I have used for this draft are not final, as I know that I'm going to have to alter certain fonts to fit the conventions of the cover.

Music Magazine Survey and Reader Profile

The volunteers for my survey ranged in ages from 13-30+. I created the online questionnaire with Survey Monkey.

1. Do you listen to rock/heavy metal?

Yes		71.4%
No		28.6%

2. Which name do you prefer for a heavy metal magazine?

Thrash		28.6%
Nu		14.3%
GLAM		14.3%
Power Chord		0.0%
Helloween		0.0%
AIR		0.0%
Riff		42.9%

3. How much would you pay for a rock/metal music magazine?

Less than 50p		14.3%
50p - £1		14.3%
£1 - £2		14.3%
£2 - £3		35.7%
£3 or more		21.4%

4. Please choose three features/stories that you would be interested in reading in a rock/metal music magazine.

New artists		64.3%
New albums/singles		35.7%
Tours and gigs		78.6%
Rock/metal culture		0.0%
Rock/metal fashion		21.4%
Personal information/gossip about artists		50.0%

5. To whom do you think the magazine should be aimed?

Teenagers/Students		42.9%
Young adults (21 and over)		35.7%
30+		21.4%

6. How many images should be on the front cover?

1		35.7%
2		28.6%
3		14.3%
More than three		21.4%

Reader Profile

From my online survey, I have come up with a reader profile for my music magazine. I am going to call the magazine, RIFF, as it is most popular with the public. RIFF will cost £2 - £3, and will be aimed at teenagers/students. RIFF will feature stories about new artists, tours and gigs as well as gossip about the music artists. Readers of RIFF will listen to rock/metal music, as well as obsess over it. Readers have a strong relationship with RIFF and trust the brand. Readers enjoy other media, including film and television. 90% of readers will own an iPod or MP3 Player, and a mobile phone, although still purchase CDs. 70% have access to broadband. Half of the readers of RIFF go to the cinema at least once a month, and music gigs at least 4 times a year.