Evaluation Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression?

In this part of the evaluation I will be referring to the weaknesses made in the preliminary task and the Improvements that could have been made. I will be contrasting them to the strengths of the real magazine so that I can see how I have progressed throughout the production process. The preliminary task was only to make a front cover and contents page, so I will only be referring to both front covers and contents pages. I have attached jpeg images of both the preliminary and the real magazines, so that I can make comparisons.

• Name- the magazine name 'Jmag' was very boring and uninteresting, compared to 'Acapella', which is music sung without instrumental accompaniment. It is an irregular and slightly unfamiliar variation of pop music, often referred to in the film 'pitch perfect' (watched mainly by my target audience). The name has obvious connotations ton music, and strong connotations to pop music, known to those who are fans of the genre.
• Photograph quality- this is something I have improved off in my real magazine. I used a good quality camera which enabled me to have clear, focussed photographs. I also learnt from my mistake in the preliminary task of standing below the subject, so for the real magazine I stood at the correct angle.
• Absent information- as far as I can see, I have included all relevant and important information in my real magazine
• The contents page is full of photographs and doesn't waste any space. It is also more colourful and fun compared to the bleak, plain preliminary one.

There is a clear comparison between the real front cover and the preliminary one. Firstly, slogan is boring and dull, compared to the pun in the real magazine, which adds comedy and humour. Secondly, the main image of the prelim has such a low opacity that it looks more like a background than a main image. It doesn't address the audience effectively- the two girls aren't making eye contact, and the image is too busy, compared to the real magazine, where the main image is minimal and focused. It is also a medium shot rather than a close up which is less intense. A magazine front cover usually focuses on one person only, because it is more effective. The layers of the prelim front over are also ineffective; the Christmas tree is the top layer which doesn't make sense because it is the least relevant thing on the page. The real magazine sticks to a consistent colour scheme of black, red, pink and white, compared to the prelim front cover which uses random colours. This is much harder for the reader to follow, ad if they are not drawn in by the front cover they will not buy/read the rest of the magazine. Furthermore, the real magazine uses a transparent barcode. When I made the prelim, I was not aware of how too use the magic wand tool, which would have made the barcode transparent. The fact that the white still surrounds it makes it too emphasised and noticeable. Lastly, the prelim front cover has too much wasted space, compared to the real front cover which is full up with features.

Again, a clear comparison can be distinguished between both front covers, real and preliminary. Firstly, the white background of the prelim is bleak, plain and dull, compared to the pink of the real magazine. Secondly, I didn't use any of my own images, so I had to find one from the internet which wasn't very good quality. The features are too big, making them seem childlike and unsophisticated, which means they are targeting the wrong audience because the magazine was supposed to appeal to high school students. In the prelim contents page, the text is not aligned correctly, because where it says 'what it's like to be part of the autism...' the 'a' and the 'u' of 'autism' are not next to each other and they should be. There also isn't a page number, which would make it hard for the reader to locate their way around the magazine. A page number would help make the magazine accessible.

Conclusion

Generally, I have made big improvements, and l have definitely learnt from my mistakes in the preliminary task. However, doing the preliminary task gave me good practice using Photoshop, editing and taking photographs. If it hadn't been done, I would have been a bit confused as to how I should lay out my work and what information I should include.

Evaluation Question 6

This question looked at my technological skills which I have learnt and applied throughout the process. The question was not easy for me, because I am a big consumer of technology anyway, which means I already knew a lot of the skills I put in practice when making my magazine. I think this is because I am young, and young people are the biggest consumers of technology today- they are constantly aware of technological advances, which is partially because of the impact social media has on day to day life. I had used Photoshop before while doing a similar task, but this time I used it in more depth and learnt how to use specific functions such as the magic wand tool. However, using a mac was something I had done many times before, so I cannot say that my skills have massively improved with this. Because I am not familiar with complex photography, using a proper camera and learning about lighting was of great interest to me. I learnt the effect shadows and different lighting has on pictures, and how a camera has different settings and adjustments.

Evaluation- Question 5

For question 5 I used Piktochart because it is a clear, visual way of showing my ideas and evaluating my magazine. This question was hard, because I had to look at my magazine from an analytical perspective, similarly to the way I had looked at real products in my earlier research. In conclusion to this task, I have realised that some of the ways I attracted and addressed the audience were done subconsciously, which were harder for me to pick up while doing this question, because I hadn't noticed them during production. For example, the cover lines and features I had chosen were chosen to intentionally attract the audience, whereas the writing style and specific words were subconscious choices I made while writing the article. I think I did attract and address the audience effectively, through different ways such as photographs, writing style and mise-en-scene. I had a particular vision of what I wanted the audience to feel whilst reading my magazine, which I think was achieved with my end product.

Evaluation Question 4

This task was pretty challenging, because I wanted my magazine to be as neutral as possible, in terms of race and ethnicity. Looking back on it, I definitely should have used models from both races, to try and appeal to an even more mass market. In terms of gender, my magazine was targeted primarily at females, because they were my target audience. Age was the easiest category to decide- I wanted my magazine to appeal to a young audience who are interested in mature topics.

Evaluation- Question 3

Audio recording software >>

The website I decided to use for question 3 was Vocarooo. This was not easy, because I had t pre pan what I was going to say and write notes, which took a long time. I also had to have separate tabs open on my laptop, which I could refer back to. This was time consuming. In this question I had to consider what kind of media institution might distribute my media product and why. I chose a large media company. This question involved me having to research different media companies, both large and small, and compare them. I also had to consider the way people now view media- both electronically and print, as well as where I would want it to be stored.

Evaluation Question 2

For question 2 I used Canva to present my work, which, retrospectively I regret. this is because Canva does not allow you to embed or download work, unless it is paid for. This means that I had to take screenshots of my work, which was time consuming and fiddly. I would say that this is the question where I had to be the most honest about the choices I had made, in terms of social groups and diversity. In conclusion, I would definitely say that race is not represented equally enough, and age was not very broad- my magazine is clearly targeted at a specific age group, which, in a way is positive because my target audience is clear. Social class is clear here, some models seemed stereotypically upper class, and others were of a less obvious class. However, this is objective and down to personal opinion. Neither upper/lower class were presented in a positive or a negative way.

Evaluation- Question 1

This question was the most time consuming. I formatted this question on Prezi, because it allowed me to separate each section, and easily move on to the next section. It also allows the viewer to zoom in and out, and is aesthetically pleasing. It's neat and orderly. To answer the question, I had to refer to 'real media products', meaning that I had to give visual examples. I copied and pasted magazine front covers, contents pages and double page spreads from the internet, which enabled me to make comparisons. I was able to visually show where my inspiration had come from, and how a specific convention has an effect on the audience. I was able to separate each part of the magazine and analyse how it has followed forms and conventions of similar magazines. It also showed me whether I had missed anything out, and what other magazines included/left out and vise versa. It allowed me to visually compare colour, text and photography with real media products. Lastly, I was able to look at house style, which is when a magazine uses a similar layout and structure.

Final front cover, contents page and double page spread

Here are the jpeg images of my front cover, contents page and double page spread, all of which were created using Photoshop.

Skylar James- finished article

Skylar James- article

With a smile from ear to ear, and a body that leaves boys queueing, it’s hard to believe that less than two years ago Skylar James was someone you’d walk past without a single bat of the eyelid. Today, in her lavish London penthouse, Miss James opens up to me on her past, present and future. Sitting on the couch next to me, I see an innocent young girl, little more than eighteen who oozes confidence from every angle. Wearing UGG slippers and a Juicy tracksuit, anyone would think she was your average University student, Netflix and chilling in her spare hours. Her laugh is contagious, and her mysterious smile draws me in, anticipating me to ask more about her gripping story. Her makeup is neutral and age appropriate while her hair resembles that of a pineapple, piled on the top of her head. “Sorry about the mess!” she says as she removes the mouldy pizza boxes from the couch next to me. Her apartment is airy, but nothing can tame the unmistakable smell of vodka wafting in from the kitchen. I learn later that this is the smell from the remainders of last night’s bottles (from her house party, obvi).

Skylar’s transformation has wowed the world. At just sixteen, she wowed the world as she climbed the escalator of success. However, I learnt very quickly that she hasn’t always lived on a high. ‘My upbringing influenced my music career massively’, explains Skylar as she stares into the distance. ‘Failing repeatedly throughout my teens, and watching my Mother fail to fufill her role as a Mum gave me a drive, an ambition that led me to success’.

 Brought up in the rural town of Beverly, East Yorkshire, Skylar had, what she describes as a ‘drastically unconventional’ childhood. Her parents were married, but her Father worked abroad, ever since she was a young child. He only visited the family on special occasions, or when he had time off. ‘He was a great dad, but we saw him very rarely. It was hard, but we got used to it’. By ‘we’, Skylar refers to herself and her younger brother Tom, who currently studies at secondary school. The family were hard done by and Skylar’s mother barely scraped by day to day. ‘Some days I’d go without a meal’, she recalls. When Skylar reached the age of twelve, things started changing. Her Mother found out about ludicrous affairs her Father had been having whilst abroad. After a tough divorce, Skylar’s father pretty much detached himself from her and Tom. He visited the James’s once a year at most, and called once a month if he wasn’t too busy with whoever the latest girlfriend was. “It reached the point where seeing the phone flash up with dad’s number felt like a punishment” she says. Devastated by his lack of honesty and integrity, her Mother spiralled into a downwards tunnel of depression. “There was no way of guiding her away from the dark cloud that persistently rained over her”, Skylar tells me gravely. “Her behaviour was abnormal, irregular”. The day before Skylar turned thirteen, her Mother, Charlene became aggressive and violent. “She would pull out my hair and whip Tom until his back was raw”, she tells me through angry tears which gush down her face. Sadly, Charlene’s abuse went unnoticed. When the kids were at school, they didn’t tell a soul, for fears that they’d be abandoned and neglected by her. “She was the only real parent we’d ever known. We didn’t want to lose the Mother we knew, and at one point, had loved”.

By the time Skylar was attending secondary school, her Mother’s actions had had a devastating effect on her. “I had no drive to work, no incentive to achieve”, she explains. The only role model she’d ever had was uninspiring, depressed and unstable. Skylar’s grades were concerning, and significantly inadequate. “I found myself in a place where I had nothing and no one except Tom. That is until I found my love for music”. Desperate to get away from her personal life, Skylar joined the community choir, and found that she had a passion for singing.  She recalls her experiences at the Church Hall. “When I opened my mouth, it was as if nothing around me was real. I felt alive. The conductor pulled me aside one day and told me I had a gift for singing. He told me to always pursue my dreams, and to play on my strengths”. The conductor mentored Skylar, and two years later she enrolled at the London Academy Of Music. The academy helped Skylar to turn her life around. With a bit of funding and a lot of coaching, she became the ‘most gifted student’ they’d ever had. Agents were queueing for Skylar, desperate for her to let them manage her.

Just a week after leaving the academy, Skylar performed at her first gig. ‘Tom was there to support me, he’s been there for me throughout’ she says, smiling. Six months later, she produced her debut album You, in 2015. “I couldn’t believe it. I started seeing my face on magazine front covers! It felt electric, incredible! It was a dream come true. 40 million twitter followers later, Skylar was touring. “Tour was an absolute high. We were like a family- me, my brother, my manager Paul and the team”. She laughs, remembering the time she turned up almost half an hour late to a concert. When asked about her appearance, she says modestly, “My stylists were like magic wands on feet! They turned my plain face into a work of art!”.

And then I bring up the awkward question that we all want to know the answer to. Any boys? Skylar shrugs. “I’ve been so busy, what with my career beginning that I haven’t really had a chance to be honest. I’d love to settle down but right now isn’t the time. I can’t lie, I have had a good few flings though!”. With the pressure of almost 10 million fans worldwide, Skylar is careful not to reveal too much.

For Skylar, the sky is her limit. “After what I have achieved, I think anything is possible” she says, reflecting on her life. When asked what advice she’d give her fans, she tells me, “whenever I go up onstage, I take a moment to remember my background. My beginning. I never think I’m lucky, because I’m not. What I have achieved was not down to luck or chance, it was down to dedication and hard work. Never limit yourself, and always believe”- Skylar James.

Photoshoot planning

For my photoshoot, I pre planned props, location, timing and setting. This was to make sure that taking the photos wouldn't take that long, because I would have everything else already organised. The location was the most important thing to plan because I had to ask people whether they would mind me using their house before I used it.

Choosing the right photographs

Here are some thumbnails of the photographs I took of one model (Jess) for the cover, contents page and double page spread. I took lots of photos, in order to give myself a big choice, in terms of angle, shot type and mise-en-scene. As well as this, there were other factors that influenced my decision such as lighting, brightness and mode of address.

There were different reasons why some photos didn't fit my criteria. For example:

The colours in these thumbnails did not contrast well. Jess's dress is white, and so is the wall behind her. It would give the magazine a bleak, bland look which is less interesting to the eye. Bright, noticeable colours help to attract the audience, because they are eye catching. Jess is pale, which adds to the white coloured background. Also, by using so much white it may seem like I am trying to symbolise purity, through imagery, which is not the case. Jess is meant to represent a diva-type figure, not an innocent, angelic young girl. The other photos where she is wearing red are brighter and bolder, which give her a look of importance and belonging.

The lighting in these photos is too dark, making it difficult to see Jess, as well not making her the main focus. The white lighting from the window behind makes the colour contrast not right, as well as being unsaturated. The overall effect is untidy and unprofessional which is not what my magazine should achieve. She is also sitting on a sofa, and the shot is more of a long shot than some of the other pictures above, making her less of the central image. The cushions on the sofa mean that there is too much for the audience to focus on, as Jess is not zoomed in on and too much is going on around her. I need my photos to be more minimalistic than these.

Firstly, there is too much going on in this image- there are lamps and objects behind her, which provide a distraction from what should be the main focus. Secondly, the lighting is too bright on her face and body, due to the flash being on. This makes her look unnaturally pale, which is unsightly to the audience. She is also posed at an awkward angle, where to much of her arms are on show.

Chosen photographs:

I will be using this image for the double page spread. The shadow behind creates a silhouette, which helps to make Jess stand out an be noticed. It is a medium shot which is what I wanted for the double page spread because I will need space for the article. This image is minimalistic and bare.

This is the photograph I will be using for the front cover. This is because she is posed at a good angle- she is playfully pulling her hair and smiling, which immediately invites the audience. She is also making direct eye contact which is more intense than a candid image. The lighting is good, she is lit without being too bright.

This image is one which I will use for the contents page. Although there is a light switch and a door, I can use the magic wand tool or the magnetic lasso on Photoshop to cut her out and paste her on to the front cover.

Conclusion of computer generated sketches

Why did I plan out my magazine?

Using Microsoft word, I built plans for my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I did this so that I could visually see how everything would look when on a page together. It also allowed me to see how much room each part would take up, and the ratio of text to pictures. If I hadn't made the plans, I may have had wasted space or had a page which was too busy. I know that when I make my magazine, I will refer back to these sketches so that I know where each bit of text/image should go.

Double page spread plan

Contents page plan

Plan of front cover

Names and Slogans- interviews

The task
The purpose of this task was to actually show my target audience the names and slogans I had thought of, and ask them their opinion. Asking other people what they thought gives me more confidence in using the name/slogan I choose, as I will know people from my target audience find them effective. I presented my ideas in the form of two large mindmaps on A3 paper. This was because I think that mind maps are very visual, and it was easy for the people I asked to see how the ideas had stemmed from my research. From looking at all the different names and slogans on one page, they were able to make comparisons as to which were most effective. It was important that I asked  people from my target audience, as it is them that I will want my magazine to appeal to. I asked 4 people, as I determined that this was a big enough sample size. This survey allowed me to narrow down the names and slogans, which helps me to choose one.
What I learnt from this task

• Daniel- He said that he liked the name 'Acapella' because it is short and catchy. He said 'intune' was his second favourite. He also thought that the slogan 'for those who want to be in tune' was the most effective, due to its musical nature, which fits in well with the genre of the magazine.
• Brandon- he said he likes the name 'POPular', as it is catchy, and the capital letters highlight the genre. He also likes the slogan 'for those who want to be in tune' as he thought it emphasises the idea of keeping up with the news.
• Lea- she liked the name 'Acapella' the best, because it relates to music, and its catchy. She also liked 'for those who want to be in tune' because it's easy to remember and relates to the genre.
• Bailey- he liked the idea of 'Acapella'. He thought it worked well because it is original and stands out over anything that is currently on the market. He thought it is upbeat, original and fresh. Bailey also said 'for those who want to be in tune' is the best slogan, because it is a pun, which adds humour.

Conclusion

From my interaction with people in my target audience, I can tell that the name 'Acapella' is the most suitable as three out of the four people said they liked it the best. It's fresh, orginal and catchy. It is also modern, as Acapella is a new creation, similar to what my magazine will be. I my magazine too be modern, and to appeal to young people. Out of the slogans, 'for those who want to be in tune' was the most popular, which is clear indication that I should use it for my magazine. People liked it because it is a pun, and therefore adds a sense of humour to it. It is also catchy and original, and emphasises both keeping up with modern adaptations of music (acapella itself), and keeping up with the news. It is also short, which makes it memorable and catchy, the reader should remember it.

Title and Slogan ideas

To plan out my ideas, I used the form of written mind maps. This is because they are visual and clear, and I particularly like had writing my work, because I find it easier to understand.

 To gain inspiration for my ideas, I had previously looked at other magazines, and the kinds of names they had used as well as slogans. Some music magazines had used onomatopoeic names, and some used music related names. To make my ideas broad and detailed, I came up with a few names for each category. I was then able to look over the mind map, and see what category I wanted to use, and then decide which name suited my magazine best. For slogans I did the same- I used google web search to research current slogans, and without copying them, I came up with similar ones. I could see that music magazines also have patterns and trends, so I came up with categories for them too.

Preliminary task

The task:
In this task I was asked to create a preliminary magazine front cover. The purpose of the task was to familiarise myself with photoshop in order to give me the skills I need when I make my actual magazine. It also taught me about fonts, and how to upload images on to the front cover. It gave me a gist of how long each stage takes, and what I will need to spend more time on. It was good to understand how photoshop works, and the features it offers. It was a school magazine, and had to have features that would appeal to the students, such as a stories about fellow students and staff. I created the magazine in December, so I gave it a festive feel. To do this, I cut out a Christmas tree and placed it in the bottom left hand corner. I also used a Christmas colour scheme, and gave it a cold/window effect around the edges.

Strengths

• Conventions- I included the appropriate conventions needed for a school magazine. I included pictures, a bar code, a name, a slogan and features. This was definitely successful. 
• Background image- the background image is a candid shot of two students interacting with one another. It seems alive and active, and stands out to the audience because the students look happy- they are laughing, which implies that the school is a place of fun and learning. Their clothing and position makes them look relaxed and comfortable which reflects the way they feel about school. It shows the school in a positive light, which entices the audience into buying it. The students are in a classroom- this is a generic image of what one might see in a school. Therefore, it fulfills the audience's expectations. I made the backround slightly hazy, so that it didn't stand out too much. I didn't want it to be too vibrant otherwise it takes away the attention from the features.
• Colour scheme- the colour scheme in this magazine worked well. The vibrant red, green and orange created a good contrast from the light hazy background, as they stood out. The colours were specifically chosen to match the Christmas feel. I think that this is obvious, as red and green are associated with Christmas by most people. They also help to bring out the colours of the Christmas tree, which makes the colour scheme consistent and helps to tie the whole page together. If too many colours are used it becomes confusing and hard to read. Furthermore, these colours also appear in the background, which helps them blend in well. For example, the poster in the background has a green border which is the same colour as my writing.
• The contents page has clear, relevant information which the audience can refer back to if necessary.
• The writing is clear, bold and wide, making it easy for the reader to have a good view of all of the features.

Weaknesses

• Font- The name and slogan font was definitely effective. It is big and bold, and helps to connote a strong message- it is a weekly school magazine. However, I do not like the font for the features. It is clunky and doesn't blend in very well with the background. It's also unnecessarily thick and takes up a lot of space.
• Magazine name- the magazine name was not innovative and creative and didn't help to draw the audience in. It was inspired by the school name JCoSS, hence the "J" mag. It is quite dull and boring, which has made me realise the importance of making the real magazine's name fun and interesting to help catch the audience's attention.
• Photo quality- the photo quality definitely needs to be improved on when I make my real magazine. For the preliminary magazine, I used an iPhone, which was not focused enough. Therefore, the photos were not was clear and focused as they could have been if I used a proper camera. I am also unhappy with the angle of the feature image (the girl taking a photo). When I took the photo, I was standing below her, which made her look slightly out of proportion and far away. This makes her seems candid, and unaware of me taking the photo, which was not the effect I was going for. Next time, I will try to stand inline with the person I am taking a photo of. I will also use a better camera and spend more time editing, in order to make the photo more effective.
• Absent information- Although I followed the conventions as best as I could, there were still bits of information that were missing, such as a price (which tells the audience how much the magazine costs before they buy it), an issue number, (which tells the audience what edition the magazine is), and who is in the main image. This is important because the people in the main image are usually the main feature of the edition.
• The content page has a lot of wasted/empty space, which could be filled up using photographs. The lack of images make the contents page less visual, which could be a problem fr the visual demographic I am appealing to- young, state school children. Also, I didn't take the photograph myself, which I will need to do in order to obtain marks when I make my real magazine.

Improvements
There are definitely some improvements that could be made. The font needs to be lighter, and the size of features can vary. Perhaps the more important features could be bigger, and the less important features could be smaller. This is because the audience choose to read a magazine based on what stands out to them most. I must improve on the name- it should be original and interesting and must clearly connote genre. The photo quality and colour scheme must also be  more clear and consistent; I could even use a green screen to make the background harsher. This would also allow me to use a pigmented colour background. I also need to add more images to my contents page, and make it more fun. I could use fillers or even splashes of colour which could be filled with text.

What I have learnt
From this task, I have become much more experienced with using photoshop. I now know the features it has to offer, and how to use them. I am also aware of how to position and layer my images and words, and what makes a magazine front cover more effective, in terms of production. I have also learnt the importance of having good quality photo, and how shot angle makes a difference to the representation and interpretation of a front cover. I have learnt that I must make the most of all the space on the page and fill it with relevant, fun images which relate to the features. My magazine has to connect with my audience- they need to be able to read and understand the messages I am trying to get across.

Target Audience