Evaluation

QUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS? - SlideShare

Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products Continued:

Here are my final pieces, below are examples of MixMag, an EDM magazine, which I will compare codes and conventions from the front cover, contents page and double page spread below:

                              

The three images below my final pieces are all from three separate issues of MixMag a leading DJ magazine. I feel that my work conveys the codes and conventions of the genre well in comparison to the examples i have found from MixMag.

Some matching codes and conventions on the front cover are the male icon is centralised on the cover, the headlines are either side of the male artist, the artists name is placed over the image of the subject and the artists head is placed in line with the magazines title.

Some matching codes and conventions on the contents page are the main image is situated towards the left hand side of the page with the article list placed on the right hand side, as well as this the page numbers are situated in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

Some matching codes and conventions on the double page spread are: the majority of the right hand side of the article is dominated by images, the article contains a detailed interview, spread over the double page and a clear heading in the top left hand corner of the double page.

QUESTION 2: HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PORDUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS? - Emaze

QUESTION 3: WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY? - Piktochart

There are many different publishing companies, so choosing the right one can be difficult, however the reward for correctly placing it is vastly increased sales of the magazine. This meant that I had to do a lot of research to find a company which was right for my magazine. As shown in the image above, of selling similar magazines, allows me to be assure they know how to market my product.

I decided that Development hell wouldn't  be the best suited to publishing my magazine because they produce MixMag, the largest EDM music magazine.

Therefore when it comes to marketing my product I believe that Bauer Media Group, would be most useful to me because they do not publish a music magazine based upon a sole genre. They produce a lot of Gossip based magazines as well as TV+Film Magazines, therefore I feel they may like to begin producing a music based magazine.

QUESTION 4:  a WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT? - Canva and Avachara

I produced a survey using SurveyMonkey, to find out details about my target audience. Using the results I have created this Avachara Portrait of a stereotypical audience member. By keeping this image in mind during construction of my magazine, I was able too make sure that I kept my magazine direct towards my target audience.

primary target audience - 16-24 year old males

The age group of 16-24 year old males is my primary target audience because

secondary target audience - 16-24 year old females

The age group of 16-24 year old females is my secondary target audience because it is the same age group as my primary audience and I feel that by targeting women as well as men will help me stand out in the market amongst competitors.

tertiary target audience - 25-30 year old males

The age group of 25-30 year olds is my tertiary target audience because they are more likely to have just grown out of the clubbing scene and started too look for news ways to connect with EDM in order to prioritise things in their life such as work and family.

What did I use to research my target audience?

When Researching my target audiences, I used the Uses and Gratifications theory for a platform in order to help me find the right information. This Theory discusses how people will search for a specific media product in order to fulfil their needs.

I did this through producing a Survey on Surveymonkey and providing a copy to members of the public whom I believed to have been part of my target audience. I then used their feedback to directly affect the production process of my final piece.

QUESTION 5: HOW DID YOU ADRESS/ATTRACT YOUR AUDIENCE

Also like I said in question 4, I laid out my magazine to attract male readers. I have done this by sung predominantly male colours such as red and blue, whilst making my main cover story a male artist, who they might admire. Another part of this audience is that they love EDM music, I used EDM in my magazine by using a 'Bassline' next to my masthead, by using the image of a club as the backdrop for my double page spread and the strong focus of all contents page articles and cover lines on issues to do withe EDM.

QUESTION 6: a WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THE MAGAZINE? - powtoon
 

I have learnt how to take photos on a camera, and to upload them onto a computer for editing in photoshop, some of the specific techniques I have learnt are as follows:

• using layers too create shadows
• changing opacity to create see-through boxes
• using selection tools to cut people/images out of their backgrounds
• using gradients to create a faded effect
• using text-boxes to lay out an article
• using websites such as Dafont.com to find new fonts to use
• created shapes using the shape tool

I have also used online tools such as Powtoon, ZOHO, Emaze, Canva, Avachara, Piktochart, Slideshare. All of these tools together have increased my ability to use online ICT softwares. These tools where really good to us because it has allowed me to present my work in interesting and interactive ways.

QUESTION 7: a LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL PRODUCT? - Video

Magazine final pieces

I decided to edit the colour scheme and gradients of each document because I felt that my pieces were lacking colour. I added a red gradient background onto the contents page to make a connection to the image backgrounds on my double page spread and text colours on my front cover, whereas on my double page spread I added a background and edited the gradient of the text boxes to make the article flow better and feel less block-like. Also by adding this background I have lessened the severe amount of dead space that the double page spread had. I also added a red glow to the image on my front cover to make the image seem connected to the colour scheme and surrounding text.

Magazine double page spread second draft and third piece

By using the student feedback video, I edited the gradient of my text boxes to make them fit in with the colours scheme more and to make them look a bit more professional. I then added text boxes and borders to give the photos an added dimension, as a result of this the article flows better and looks more full. As they originally did not correspond with the layout of the page and looked as if the images were just floating around the article. Next I added a page number and, date and the name of my magazine to the bottom of my page. 

Magazine contents page second draft and third piece

On my contents page I rotated the angle of my title to make it stand out on the page. I also added an extra text box to get rid of some extra dead-space on the page and to cover up the irrelevant parts of the main image. On the image I edited the cable of the headphones, because it was laying over his jumper and looked out of place. I also added more articles to the list on the right and added some colour to the page numbers. To cover up the dead space i added in an extra article to make the page look busier. Finally I added a page number and, date and the name of my magazine to the bottom of my page.

Magazine front cover second draft and third piece

By using the student feedback video, I was able to edited and modify my pieces accordingly.

I edited the gradient, by making it a warmer shade and as a result of this the image now stands out and pops off the page. The text surrounding my image is now easier to read because of this. I also added a strap line at the bottom of the page and varied prices above my barcode. In the strap line i have included an issue number, an issue date and my magazines website. All in correspondence to the feedback.

Magazine Audience feedback

In this video, I asked few students that go to my school, to give me feedback on what they like about my magazine and what they think needs updating on my Magazine Front cover, Contents Page and Double Page Spread.

I will use this feedback to alter my current versions of my Front cover, Contents Page and Double Page Spread accordingly.

Magazine Final Drafts - updated plans

Front Page

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Above are the final drawings of what I would like my magazine to look like. These plans are in correlation with already existing magazines which I used as the basis to draw these ideas up. I felt without the research I conducted the development of these final products would have been hampered as this work could have produced un-realsitic results, therefore not looking as if they are from my chosen genre. I have also added more detail to the diagrams, in order to show a clearer representation of what my final piece may look like.