Final Images

Media Evaluation: Question 5 Part 3

This is my focus group for question 5, talking about what attracts them to my double page spread:

Media Evaluation: Question 5 Part 3

They started by saying it had a strong image on the left hand said and they liked how it drew your eye to the left side without much writing on it. And how the right side had quite a lot of information to read. They also said it had a good layout with good fonts but some of the words are too small. They also said that the people in the pictures look passionate. They said that the black background goes with the pictures well but the colours could be darker. Finally they exclaimed that it was a good, strong picture and that the double page spread looks professional.

Evaluation: Question 5 Part 2

This is my focus group for question 5, talking about what attracts them to my contents page:

Evaluation: Question 5 Part 2

They pointed out that it was laid out well and that you can see what the magazine contains well but they did mention that the writing was too small. They also said that the font is hard to read in places but they said that it did look professional. They mention that tit contained good pictures and they liked the idea of putting a front cover picture on the contents page. They did suggest that it could contain a picture of next months front cover but that the picture of the current front cover looks fine. They finally said they thought it was a really good front cover.

Evaluation: Question 5 Part 1

This is my focus group for question 5, talking about what attracts them to my front cover:

Evaluation: Question 5 Part 1

They said they liked the font on the 'Alias' band name and how it goes well with the background colour. They also liked the design and how everything is set out. They also pointed out that the female's T-shirt matches writing which woks well. They liked the writing as the same colour as the band members hair and how the picture was strong. They finally pointed out that it looks professional.

Textual Analysis - Double Page Spread 5

5. Eighties Pop Magazine

There are lots of sections in columns referring to the story on both pages. This makes more entertaining for the reader to read. There is more image than text; this is to show the reader more images about the story. Your eye is drawn to the whole article because it is broken up into sections with an image to each paragraph. The colour template is white with bits of red, these are welcoming colours to keep the reader interested. The mode of address is informal to make the reader feel relaxed and casual. There are a few metaphors and word play to keep the reader interested. The story is about a famous eighties pop star and secrets about his life. The pictures are a mixture of different shots to keep the material fresh and depict the star throughout his life. There is no pre-dominant image because there are a lot of images. The target audience for this article are people who like this selected artist (Adam Ant). I can tell who the target audience is because the writing is informal, the pictures contain the genre of music and the colours represent its identity. Overall, this double page spread shows the target audience well and contains an interesting story for the reader as they would be interested in the information about the artist.

Textual Analysis - Double Page Spread 4

4. Garage Rock Magazine

There are few main columns referring to the story with the story carrying on to the next page. This makes the reader want to read on to the next page. There is more text than image; this is to put more information onto the page. Your eye is drawn to the main picture because it relates to the story and also helps the reader understand who the story is about. The colour template is white with bits of red, these are welcoming colours to keep the reader interested. The mode of address is informal to make the reader feel relaxed and casual. The story is about a musician and his life. The pictures are close ups and mid-shots which depict different images that relate to the different stories. The pre-dominant image is the larger picture on the left that shows the person that who is being interviewed. It also shows the target audience as he wears the same clothes as the demographic. The target audience for this article are people who like garage rock music. I can tell who the target audience is because the writing is informal, the pictures contain the genre of music and the colours represent its identity. Overall, this double page spread shows the target audience well and contains an interesting story for the reader as it contains famous musicians from the genre.

Textual Analysis - Double Page Spread 3

3. Drumming Magazine

There are three main columns referring to the story with a big picture covering the right hand side. This makes it easier for the reader to read. There is more image than text; this is to attract the reader. Your eye is drawn to the main picture because it relates to the story and also helps the reader understand who the musician. The colour template is white with bits of red and pink, these are welcoming colours to keep the reader interested. The mode of address is quite formal so the reader understands the story better. The story is about a musician and his lifestyle that keeps him into drumming. The pictures are long-shots and depict the drummer recording a video. The pre-dominant image is the background which shows the drummer that the article is talking about. It also shows the target audience hanging out with the musician. The target audience for this article are people who like drumming. I can tell who the target audience is because the pictures contain the genre of music and the colours represent its identity. Overall, this double page spread shows the target audience well and contains an interesting story for the reader.

Textual Analysis - Double Page Spread 2

2. Rock Magazine

There are two main columns referring to the story and then on the right hand side there is a separate column with extra information. This makes it easier for the reader to read. There is more image than text; this is to attract the reader. Your eye is drawn to the main picture because it relates to the story and also helps the reader understand who the band is. The colour template is white with bits of red, these are welcoming colours to keep the reader interested. The mode of address is informal to make the reader feel relaxed and casual. The story is about a band and how it became famous. The pictures are mid-shots and depict the band performing at a gig. The pre-dominant image is the background which shows one of the band members playing the bass guitar at a gig. It also shows the target audience at the gig. The target audience for this article are people who like rock music. I can tell who the target audience is because the writing is informal, the pictures contain the genre of music and the colours represent its identity. Overall, this double page spread shows the target audience well and contains an interesting story for the reader.

Double Page Spread Feedback

People said that my double page spread looked good because of it's interesting interview. They also said that it was big and bold which attracted them to read the information. On the other hand, some said there wasn't enough story to make them understand who the band are. But, all in all, people agreed that it looked brilliant and that the interview was an interesting read.

Evaluation: Question 7 - Double Page Spread

Evaluation: Question 7 - Contents Page

Evaluation: Question 7 - Front Cover

Contents Page Feedback

People said that the contents page looked good because of the bold colours and it looks like it would appeal to my demographic. They also said that they could easily see what the magazine contained. Although, they did say the columns looked a little messy but others said it still looks professionally.

Evaluation: Conclusion

Conclusion

In conclusion Rock Portal appeals to my demographic well because of it’s darkened colours and informal language. It is also draws the reader in well because the photos connote that the magazine is “cool” by having the male staring away and the female looking towards the camera. This shows that the band is looking ahead in their future but also looking at their fans for support throughout their career. On the other hand there are a few adjustments that could be made, for example, the contents on the contents page is almost all in one section, when looking at other magazine it is noticeable that the contents is in sections with titles like “Regulars” and “Specials”. This would have made the page look more interesting. But all in all,  the magazine was successful because of it’s quality and it’s attractiveness.

Evaluation: Question 3

This is my PowerPoint for Question 3 of my Evaluation that I uploaded to SlideShare:

Evaluation: Question 3

Evaluation: Question 6

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

I learnt about a lot of different photography skills during the process, such as mise-en-scene and the connotation and denotation of certain camera shots. Also, about how each shot and people’s body language will affect the reader in a certain way. I learnt about eye contact and about what it means if someone is looking away or looking straight at the camera.

In Photoshop, I learnt about the different effects you can add to a photo to make it look a specific way. For example, my front cover photo was originally very dark, so I brought up the brightness using Photoshop. Also, I learnt about stretching a photo’s colour at the edge to make it bigger or to move the people to one side of the photo. In InDesign, I made my double-page spread. I learnt about the construction process of making a double-page spread, for example there are construction lines that you can follow so the product looks neat and tidy. Also, I learnt about the different ways in which you can show text. For example, you can carry the text on to another box by syncing two boxes together.

I had to overcome a few tricky challenges, such as, learning how to use InDesign straight away as I hadn’t used it before. I also had to overcome the times when the font I had used for most of my text had gone from the system. Picking a similar font helped in this situation until the font came back after I restarted the program. I learnt a couple of things about some technologies, for example, before the task I had never really used a Mac before, so I had to get to grips with the software and hardware.

There were other technologies that I learnt about, such as Blogger. I had never used Blogger before, so therefore I had to learn everything about it. I had to learn about uploading different texts to Blogger and how to get a blog set up. This meant that I could add videos, pictures and text to a post and then put it into the list of posts in my main blog. Another example is SlideShare. This was to put my PowerPoints on to Blogger I had to make an account so I could upload PowerPoints to the site, and then copy the link to Blogger.

Evaluation: Question 2

Question 2 video:

Evaluation: Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The photographs represent men and woman as un-stereotypical because the girl on my front cover seems to be un-“girly” and the male on the front cover has make-up on. They are representing the different genders as being different and going against social convention which is what my target audience enjoy seeing. Their body language represents the idea that they are proud to be different and enjoy wearing darker clothing.  The female’s hair is straightened and dark which represents the rock genre. Their facial expressions are plain which attracts the readers because they look like they are strong emotionally which some wish they could be. This is because teenagers are emotional and almost respect people that can control their emotions well. My front page photograph represents young people as “cool”, un-caring and rebellious. This is because they have a rebellious style and that goes against social convention. My double page spread photographs represent older people as still “cool” and making the same kind of music as younger people. This gives a positive message to my target audience. The genre of my magazine is represented by the style of the people of the front cover but also by the instruments that the band is using on my double page spread. Also, the colour (black, red and white) and the style of text represent rock as they have a jagged and anarchic look to them. I have equated people who listen to Rock music as people who where darker clothing by showing some of my target audience in photographs but at the same time showing other people wearing other types of clothing. This says that my genre doesn’t have a specific style but if it did it would be people wearing darker clothing. There are no people represented in my magazine who are just interested in mainstream music as my genre has a wider, more eclectic range to its music tastes.  There aren’t any genres in the magazine that don’t represent a kind of rock. All in all, my media product represents rock social groups as a wide range of eclectic and different people. But also says that there isn’t a certain stereotype to the genre.

Evaluation: Question 4

This is my PowerPoint for Question 4 of my evaluation that I uploaded to Slideshare:

Evaluation: Question 4

Evaluation: Question 1

This is my Prezi for question 1:
Evaluation: Question 1

Evaluation: Introduction

In my music magazine project, I made a front cover, contents page and double page spread. I named my magazine "Rock Sound", therefore the genre I chose rock. My demographic was college students who are into all different kinds of rock music. I used different kinds of software programs to construct my product:
. Photoshop
. Illustrator
. InDesign
. Word
This evaluation is the analysis of my whole product, including the build-up and construction.

Sample Contents Page

This is the contents page I based mine on.

Front Cover Feedback

People said my front cover looked "Professional" and exclaimed that it was a good photo. They also added that  it had a nice font and that 'It looks like a real magazine". A few of them said that the picture looked slightly small but most said that the picture was good.

Interview For Double Page Spread

The Dogends are a new band on the scene, bringing a folk style to popular rock! We have an interview with Melissa Lynch (Fiddle Player, Singer and Part Percussion) from The Dogends and No Small Thing.

1.     How did your band form?

Roger and Bowler were in the Showdogs; who broke up and reformed, so these two joined forces with Steve to form the Dogends. Richard soon joined (friend of a friend) then I was introduced 4 years ago as they were looking for a fiddle player.

2.     Tell me about the music

We play a mixture of folk, rock pop, traditional etc. Whatever we feel like really, and we always dog-end it! We have a varied selection of instruments – Banjo, Fiddle, Mandolin, Lead Guitar, Bass, Drums, Whistle, Bodhran, Percussion, Ukulele and Acoustic Guitar.

3.     What Are The Plans For The Coming Year?

Massive promotion – just rendered a new demo. We’re busy promoting it around pubs. We’re also developing a new website to include wedding and party market. We’ve also got a new drummer so we’re developing lots of new material for future performances and we’ve got another album in the making!

4.     How Do You Promote Yourself?

Through our website, leaflets, word of mouth and performing in pubs, clubs, parties and festivals etc.

5.     How Did People React To Your Last Album? Was It Successful?

It had modest success; it’s on iTunes and in most major retail shops. It has had great reviews, hoping for more distribution of the next album.

6.     What Do You Do To Get Inspired?

We listen to lots of music – get ideas from each other, bringing ideas to the studio and working on them together.

7.     You Are Also In A Smaller Band Called “No Small Thing” With Steve (Another Band Member); Tell Us About The Difference Between The Two Bands.

No Small Thing is Steve and Mine’s acoustic outfit, focusing in on Jazz and folk music at smaller venues; the music is quite different to the Dogends.

8.     What’s A Day In The Life Of Melissa Lynch?

I spend most of the day practising, composing, working on new material, rehearsing and sometimes doing photo shoots for the new album.

NEW ALBUM COMING SOON!

Photo From Double Page Spread

I edited a photo to get this effect and add it to the left side of my double page spread.

Sample Double Page Spread

This is the double page spread I based mine on.

Sample Front Cover

This is the fron cover I used to base mine on.

A photo from my contents page

I named the band "Fly By Night".

Pictures Taken For Double Page Spread

Development Of Front Cover 3

With this development, I added more coverlines and other little bits, such as the price, issue number and the date and also, I changed the sizes of writing and positioning.

Development Of Front Cover 2

This is my page after I changed from my original cover, there is a bigger band title and the band I had on the bottom left are at the top. I have also added a coverline into the mix.

Development Of Double Page Spread 2

This is another development, where the big picture on the left is coming into play a bit more and the title is bigger.

Development Of Double Page Spread 1

This was when I was deciding on a picture and I looked over other double page spreads and decided to have a picture for the left hand side, covering the whole page and a title at the bottom. With text on the right.

Textual Analysis - Contents Page 5

5. Q Magazine

It’s laid-out over two pages in a few columns that have close together wording but both columns are spaced out. The main image is in the top middle, this is to make it stand out and give room for other important images. The smaller images that relate to certain articles are still quite big but they are all on one side of the two pages. The layout is structured into most of the information being on the right but the more important information on the left. The page numbers in the images are quite because it makes them stand out more. At the top of the page is the issue number and the word contents. The colours are related to a colour scheme that the magazine keeps to. The actual content is divided into two sections called the features and the regulars. On the bottom, as footer, are the page number, the date, the website and how to subscribe. Overall, the page is big and brash to attract the reader and keeps to a certain colour scheme to give it its identity and the idea that it’s a general genre and target audience.

Textual Analysis - Contents Page 4

4. Acoustic Guitar Magazine

It’s laid-out over two pages in a few columns that are close together as there is a lot of information being given. The main image is in the top left corner of the left page, this is to make it stand out over the other stories but also make room for them on the page aswell. There are other smaller images which relate to certain articles but they are all on one side of the two pages. The layout is structured into different a couple of groups, relating to the different contents in the magazine. The page numbers are medium sized and are in an image if there is an image relating to the story. At the top left of the page there is the issue number and the word contents to give more information to the reader. The colours aren't really related to a colour scheme, it’s just soothing, mellow colours that make the reader feel relaxed as it’s an acoustic magazine. The actual content is divided into three different categories with the main story on its own and a few other images to go with some of the stories. On the bottom, as footer, is the page number, this appeals to normal magazine conventions. Overall, the contents page is quite tranquil and calm to relate to the genre and the specific target audience.

Textual Analysis - Contents Page 3

3. Bass Guitar Magazine

It’s laid-out over two pages in a few columns that are quite spaced out to produce a roomy feeling for the reader. The main image takes up most of the left hand page because it’s the first thing the reader sees, it relates to the feature article and tries to attract the reader. There are other smaller images which relate to certain articles, this is to give the reader extra information. The layout is structured into sections of the contents, relating to the different contents in the magazine. The page numbers are small and have a synopsis of the content next to it and either anchors the image or is bellow. At the top left of the page there is the issue number, the date and the word contents to give more information to the reader. The colours relate to the front page and give it its identity and show the genre. The actual content is divided into five different categories with the main story on its own. On the bottom, as footer, are the page number and the name of the magazine. Overall, the contents page is giving information to the reader about what’s coming up in the magazine and it tries to look roomy and spaced to give it a homely feel.

Textual Analysis - Contents Page 2

2.  Metal Hammer

The layout is structured into trying to make it look good, so there isn't much explanation for each title, just a little synopsis which is to keep the readers interested and wanting to read on. There isn't one main image; it’s just lots of different images referring to something next to it. The other smaller images give the magazine its identity as a heavy metal magazine. At the top left of the page there is the word “Contents” in the magazine font and underneath is the date and issue number. The colours represent the genre, red and black give the magazine its identity and also tries to interest the reader. The contents is divided into sublines with a bigger font for the story name and then a smaller font for the synopsis. There are pictures with the different information to make the page interesting. There is also a story next to the contents to get the reader started straight away with reading. Overall, the contents page is used to show the reader what’s coming up in the magazine but also it gives the magazine its genre and shows the reader this.

Textual Analysis - Front Cover 5

5. Rolling Stone Magazine

The masthead shows the magazine name “Rolling Stone”, which is a very iconic and well known magazine. The dateline is in the top right above the masthead. The main image is of the actor Robert Downey Junior who is very iconic. Model credit is shown in front of the image as the main coverline. The coverlines are all to the left to give the cover depth and so that the reader can see all the stories. The main coverline is to the bottom left of the main picture. The left third if full with the coverlines and half of the masthead, this is to attract the reader to the magazine. The person in the main image is a very well known celebrity, this will also attract the reader to the magazine and the stories it contains. The target audience is for the more general population as it contains a variation of stories. The clothing is an orange hoodie which is saying that the story is going to be cold and dark; this is to subliminally tell the reader that the story is going to be interesting. The background is white to show that the person is more important than the background. The language used is quite informal to make people feel like a friends talking to them so that they’re more interested in the magazine.  The main image is slightly to the right to give the cover a stylish look and to give the picture more presence. Overall, the magazine has a more general style and appeals to a wider target audience and you could also say that because it’s very popular and iconic then it almost sells itself with its quirky, generic style.

Textual Analysis - Front Cover 4

4. Acoustic Magazine

Acoustic Magazine

The masthead shows the magazine name “Acoustic”, which is quite a popular magazine and everyone knows about acoustic things anyway. The dateline is in the barcode which makes it less distracting. The main image is of “The Proclaimers”, who are a popular band. Model credit is in front of them as the main story with the shot story of why they’re on the cover. The coverlines are around the main picture to give the cover style and depth. The main coverline is big and bold to stand out to the reader. There is puff in the right corner, underneath the masthead that suggests that they are “The UK’s only dedicated acoustic guitar magazine”. The left third of the magazine contain a picture of two acoustic guitars, the name of an acoustic player “Jason Mraz” and a bold “AC” all suggesting to a buyer that this is an acoustic magazine. The barcode is in the bottom left corner to keep it prominent but also to put it out of the way of the main image. The people are quite iconic as they are a popular band. The target audience is quite a general range, people of all ages who like or play acoustic guitar. The clothing is very calm and stylish which appeals to a target audience that listens to and plays acoustic. The background is a very calm, blue colour that gives the cover depth and serenity. The language is a little informal but not so much as to put the reader off.  The main image is slightly to the left to give the magazine a quirky look. Overall, the magazine easily appeals to its ‘chilled-out’, acoustic-loving, target audience and also, it generates even more readers with the puff they use the name of an acoustic player “Jason Mraz” and a bold “AC” all suggesting to a buyer that this is an acoustic magazine. The barcode is in the bottom left corner to keep it prominent but also to put it out of the way of the main image. The people are quite iconic as they are a popular band. The target audience is quite a general range, people of all ages who like or play acoustic guitar. The clothing is very calm and stylish which appeals to a target audience that listens to and plays acoustic. The background is a very calm, blue colour that gives the cover depth and serenity. The language is a little informal but not so much as to put the reader off.  The main image is slightly to the left to give the magazine a quirky look. Overall, the magazine easily appeals to its ‘chilled-out’, acoustic-loving, target audience and also, it generates even more readers with the puff they use.

Textual Analysis - Front Cover 3

3. Kerrang Magazine (Recent)

The masthead shows the magazine name ‘Kerrang’ in big yellow letters that look like smashed glass. The dateline is in the barcode so it isn't distracting for the reader. The main image is a picture of the lead singer from Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong. Model credit is used but only the name of the band the person is in. The coverlines are quite small compared to the main image; this is to help not distract people from it. The main coverline looks like it’s the written on a piece of paper that the model is holding, this is to make the reader laugh and get interested in the main story. The cracked K in the left third of the magazine shows that it is “Kerrang” magazine as it’s an iconic symbol. The barcode is out of the way to help not distract the reader; also it is a very standard barcode. The person in the main image is very iconic as Green Day is a popular band and therefore it will make more people buy the magazine. The target audience is for teenagers who follow rock music etc. The clothing is very rebellious as the model is wearing a skull ring and his hair is very messy. There is a metallic background to suggest that he is anti-establishment, goes against conventions etc. The language used is informal, for example it says, “...rock harder than ever before.” Which sounds like something a friend would say to you. The picture is in the middle and centralised, which clearly shows that it’s about the main story. Overall, the front cover appeals to its target audience and, as the man on the front is in a very popular band, this makes the magazine more popular too.

Textual Analysis - Front Cover 2

2. NME Magazine

The masthead shows the magazine name in bold, red and capital letters. The dateline is underneath the masthead with the price because the cover isn't very wordy, it’s just the picture with the main coverline and 2 others. The main image covers the whole front cover and it’s of a new band called “Palma Violets”. Not many people would have heard of them but they would be iconic now, since they are on the front of a popular magazine. Model credit is in front of the image as the main coverline. There are 2 coverlines to the right of the main to show simplicity which will draw the readers in more. The main coverline is large with slang, “Comin’ Up”, and puff, “Best new band in Britain”, this will make the reader want to get to this story to see if what they are saying is correct. The “NM” of “NME” is shown in the left third which makes it obvious that the magazine is “NME” as it is an iconic symbol. The barcode is standard but had date, price and website too. The people on the cover look very rebellious and look like they’re in a small flat which suggests uniqueness, because not many people have a gig in a flat. The magazine has done this because they are trying to promote them, as people like uniqueness. The target audience of this magazine are for people who enjoy all kinds of rock music but are a bit older than “Kerrang” readers as it is more like a newspaper inside. The clothes the band is wearing are quite smart but the clothing is undone, which suggests that they are not conforming to conventions which the target audience would like. The language used is very informal, for example “Comin’ Up” is a slang term so therefore the magazine is speaking to the audience very informally. The cover image is a medium-shot of a couple members of the band playing their gig. The picture covers the whole magazine, this means that the magazine is trying to show the how big this band can become and also, this magazine’s front covers are usually like this. Overall, the style is very “Rock n’ Roll” which makes the magazine draw in a specific target audience as it appeal’s to their style of music.