Evaluation 1
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Title of the magazine-
My title is the Anarchy symbol, this gives my magazine cover a uniqueness that other magazines don't have, it is this because it is a hip hop magazine and hip hop is renowned for going against the rules and being off centred and this is why i chose to use this symbol. The anarchy symbol is red this is to make it stand out and this will attract my main target audience of hip hop fans as they will be young men of ethnic origin in the majority so the red may signify violence to them which will make them want to read and so they will want to buy it also as the symbol is big and stands out as it is the brightest colour on the page and so their eyes will be automatically drawn to it and then they will see the phrase on the symbol/title which says 'The Real Rap Magazine' this will entice the audience to read it as it makes the magazine sound official and better than other similar products.
The red of the anarchy symbol/title and the white of the phrase go with the house style of the magazine as the colour scheme is black,white and red. I initially got the idea for my title after I looked through similar products to my own, I noticed that they almost all of them had a large masthead at the top of the page, but then i remember that the use of the letter Q on the extremely successful Q magazine, and i thought that using the title as a logo was quite effective and so started to look for a rap/hip hop magazine that had a similar idea but i couldn't find one so put it into my questionnaire and the results showed it was a good idea and would look good.
My title is the Anarchy symbol, this gives my magazine cover a uniqueness that other magazines don't have, it is this because it is a hip hop magazine and hip hop is renowned for going against the rules and being off centred and this is why i chose to use this symbol. The anarchy symbol is red this is to make it stand out and this will attract my main target audience of hip hop fans as they will be young men of ethnic origin in the majority so the red may signify violence to them which will make them want to read and so they will want to buy it also as the symbol is big and stands out as it is the brightest colour on the page and so their eyes will be automatically drawn to it and then they will see the phrase on the symbol/title which says 'The Real Rap Magazine' this will entice the audience to read it as it makes the magazine sound official and better than other similar products.
The red of the anarchy symbol/title and the white of the phrase go with the house style of the magazine as the colour scheme is black,white and red. I initially got the idea for my title after I looked through similar products to my own, I noticed that they almost all of them had a large masthead at the top of the page, but then i remember that the use of the letter Q on the extremely successful Q magazine, and i thought that using the title as a logo was quite effective and so started to look for a rap/hip hop magazine that had a similar idea but i couldn't find one so put it into my questionnaire and the results showed it was a good idea and would look good.
Mise-en-scene of images-
In most of the photos I have taken I have had a white background and been mid-shots, the colours of the established magazines of my music genre were all dominant primary colours, I wanted to keep to what was already working well so I decided to use blue, black and red even though i already had these three colours in the back of my mind my questionnaire. The images through ought my magazine have deep shadows and really stand the whites and blacks also stand out because i edited the curves so that they were more defined and made the photo's look better. I also edited out some of the 'imperfections' in my photos to give the pictures a more professional look.
In most of the photos I have taken I have had a white background and been mid-shots, the colours of the established magazines of my music genre were all dominant primary colours, I wanted to keep to what was already working well so I decided to use blue, black and red even though i already had these three colours in the back of my mind my questionnaire. The images through ought my magazine have deep shadows and really stand the whites and blacks also stand out because i edited the curves so that they were more defined and made the photo's look better. I also edited out some of the 'imperfections' in my photos to give the pictures a more professional look.
costumes and props-
I used a snapback cap and a leather jacket when taking my photos this was to create a sense of the hip hop genre and also to create the necaserry attitude look, I also used a microphone as a prop on my double page spread, I used a microphone as it Is a common prop used in music magazines.
I used a snapback cap and a leather jacket when taking my photos this was to create a sense of the hip hop genre and also to create the necaserry attitude look, I also used a microphone as a prop on my double page spread, I used a microphone as it Is a common prop used in music magazines.
People-
The stereotypical artists that feature in hip hop magazines are usually African-American however i did not have any models that fit this stereotype so i tried to use props and facial expression in order to present the rap/hip hop genre.
The stereotypical artists that feature in hip hop magazines are usually African-American however i did not have any models that fit this stereotype so i tried to use props and facial expression in order to present the rap/hip hop genre.
Title font and style-
I went with a basic font of ‘Bookman Old Style’ this is because my main target audience is 15-17 year olds, and this was the font they chose in the survey i handed out. The title was also in bold this is make it stand out and attract the target market . The titles may be simple but they're eyecatching, the colour of the title also sticks to the houstyle of my magazine as it is red.
I went with a basic font of ‘Bookman Old Style’ this is because my main target audience is 15-17 year olds, and this was the font they chose in the survey i handed out. The title was also in bold this is make it stand out and attract the target market . The titles may be simple but they're eyecatching, the colour of the title also sticks to the houstyle of my magazine as it is red.
Written content-
There isn’t a lot of written content on my front cover this is because I wanted to use it as a visual aid rather than an informative page, I the amount of text increased dramatically on the contents page this is because it is informing the reader about artists and which page to find them on. On the double page spread there is a 436 word article about a featured artist from the hip-hop genre. At the start of my souble page spread article begins with a large 'W' this sticks to the conventions of magazines, also the first paragraph of my article is in a larger font than the rest of the article this is a common feature in the majority of already established magazines, I used a grab quote on the DPS this is also common feature on other DPS's.
The written content in my magazine uses the conventions of other magazines in the sense that the language is informal, in order to create a sense of similarity with the audience, and slang is used, which will make the reader feel comfortable and allow them to read the magazine in an easier fashion
There isn’t a lot of written content on my front cover this is because I wanted to use it as a visual aid rather than an informative page, I the amount of text increased dramatically on the contents page this is because it is informing the reader about artists and which page to find them on. On the double page spread there is a 436 word article about a featured artist from the hip-hop genre. At the start of my souble page spread article begins with a large 'W' this sticks to the conventions of magazines, also the first paragraph of my article is in a larger font than the rest of the article this is a common feature in the majority of already established magazines, I used a grab quote on the DPS this is also common feature on other DPS's.
The written content in my magazine uses the conventions of other magazines in the sense that the language is informal, in order to create a sense of similarity with the audience, and slang is used, which will make the reader feel comfortable and allow them to read the magazine in an easier fashion
Music genre and how your magazine suggests it-
The music genre of my magazine is hip-hop, my magazine suggests this through the use of colour (the strong bold colours) the images (the bands and artists look intimidating) the names of the performers (they are stereotypical names for rap artists, they would not be found in other music genr magazines) and also the content of the text (it describes the artists and tells the reader about what they are doing in the industry)
The music genre of my magazine is hip-hop, my magazine suggests this through the use of colour (the strong bold colours) the images (the bands and artists look intimidating) the names of the performers (they are stereotypical names for rap artists, they would not be found in other music genr magazines) and also the content of the text (it describes the artists and tells the reader about what they are doing in the industry)
Layout-
The layout is structured and very similar to other magazine in the magazine industry.The layout goes with the music magazine convections as all of the things like masthead, by-line ect. are in the right places, on my contents page i have three columns which is a cmmon feature in other magazines, this is because it makes it more simple so that the reader can navigate there way around my magazine,
The layout is structured and very similar to other magazine in the magazine industry.The layout goes with the music magazine convections as all of the things like masthead, by-line ect. are in the right places, on my contents page i have three columns which is a cmmon feature in other magazines, this is because it makes it more simple so that the reader can navigate there way around my magazine,
Contents pages-
I got the idea for my contents page from other already established hip-hop magazines and so I think I this makes it look professional with a good structured layout with a correct amount of textual content.
I got the idea for my contents page from other already established hip-hop magazines and so I think I this makes it look professional with a good structured layout with a correct amount of textual content.
Evaluation 2
Image 1 Image2
Similarities
·
They are both staring straight at the camera with a face full of attitude-
this makes it look like the artist is staring at the reader aggresivley and makes the image seem personal.
·
They both have a strong stance- this enforces
the hi-hop stereotype of the ‘tough’ hip-hop artist.
·
The picture has been taken from below both
artists this is to give the idea of a big, strong, dominant character.
In both images the models are presenting very aggresive hand gestures this connotes anger and violence.
In both images the models are presenting very aggresive hand gestures this connotes anger and violence.
Differences
·
Image 1 has a microphone so the reader knows
that they are a music artist whereas if the artist in image 2 was not a world
famous performer the reader would have no way of knowing what he did. Infact the theatre behind the performer could throw the audience towards the direction of thinking the artist was an actor.
·
Image 2 has a more active background this is
more effective than the plain inactive background of image 1
The first model is wearing light clothing and uses shadows in order to create the fearful look of the character whereas the second model has dark clothing on and so uses this to create attitude and fear.
The first model is wearing light clothing and uses shadows in order to create the fearful look of the character whereas the second model has dark clothing on and so uses this to create attitude and fear.
Evaluation 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
How would I advertise my magazine?
I understand that the magazine doesn't automatically arrive in the hands of the readers
I could use such music magazine payers as Bauer and IPC
Bauer is Europe's largest privately owned publishing group, it is a multi-platform they are largely viewed and respected as industry innovators. It advertises music magazines such as Kerrang, this shows the success that this publishing group can bring as Kerrang is known largely.
IPC media is the UK's leading consumer magazine publisher, they publish NME this is well respected magazine that is very well known.
Both of these publishers would be effective when i decide to advertise and distribute my magazine.
However there are some underlying factors that would limit my ability to use these publisher:
I could use such music magazine payers as Bauer and IPC
Bauer is Europe's largest privately owned publishing group, it is a multi-platform they are largely viewed and respected as industry innovators. It advertises music magazines such as Kerrang, this shows the success that this publishing group can bring as Kerrang is known largely.
IPC media is the UK's leading consumer magazine publisher, they publish NME this is well respected magazine that is very well known.
Both of these publishers would be effective when i decide to advertise and distribute my magazine.
However there are some underlying factors that would limit my ability to use these publisher:
- I have limited funds for my publishing so may not be able to afford to use these
So i could go to a more independent publisher such as Century One Publishing Ltd:This would let me publish more cheaply
However by using a smaller publisher I would reduce the exposure i possibly could have gotten if i went with a larger publisher.
Evaluation 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
a stereotypical view of a fan of my magazine.
The stereotypical fan of my magazine would be an young black male living in an urban city in the UK such as London or Birmingham , they would wear baggy clothes such as hoodies and jeans, they would also wear fashionable sports trainers they would also wear caps or snap backs, they would wear jewellery gold and silver chains would be most common they are also likely to have tattoos all over their bodies they would also probably be from a poor area of the city.
The music taste of this man is hip-hop/rap they would probably perform some music themselves. The reason they would want to buy my magazine is that it provides a range of hip hop music but also it would have fashion in it and would also contain stuff like graffiti and sports which would also most probably interest them.
Evaluation 5
How did you attract/adress your audience?
finished front cover analysed
finished contents page analysed
Double Page Spread analysed
Evaluation 6
what have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?I used many different forms of technology when making my magazine, i used a cameras, tripod, card reader, portable lights(with coloured filters), a large plug in light (with barn doors), a reflector ,photoshop,a computer,survey monkey, blogger, prezi and flickr.
- that in order to capture a good image I don't need to use flash,
- I also learned what settings the camera needed to be on in order for it to work effectively.
- Also that zoom is effective when wanting to give a personal close up photograph
When using the Tripod i learnt:
- the camera also needs to be correctly positioned and steadied using a tripod
- it allowed me to have the camera at different heights but keep the camera stable
- it reduced blur
- also the adjustable lengths on the tripod legs allowed me to have a steady way to take photographs in usually awkward situations like staircases.
when using the card reader I learnt that:
- It is used to get my images from my camera to my computer
- it was an essential piece of technology that i had never used before but it was simple to pick up and so used it with ease.
When using the hand held lights i learnt that:
- they can give you more eye catching image,
- It had adjustable strengths so you could alternate between the amount of light it gave out
- the light came with 3 different filters
- a clear one that was used to reduce the strength of the light,
- the rose-pink filter which was used to give the light a natural look
- and an orange filter which gave the photograph some warmth and makes the photo look brighter.
when using the the large plug in light i learnt that:
- it is a very powerful light that can light up a very large area
- it can be used to light up a specific area through the use of the barn doors, this is very effective as it can be used to light up just the models face and this can give a very professional look.
- it can be shortened or increased in height in order to get different lighting effects
- it can also be angled o give different lighting effects
When using the reflector i learnt that:
- There was three sides of the reflector
- One was gold, this side reflected light and gave a warm effect
- another was silver, this gave cold effect
- and finally the white one enhanced the light which makes everything look brighter
when using Photoshop i learnt that:
- you can use it to get rid of the imperfections of my models
- it can make photos look more professional,
- it can be used to rearrange my images and text
- it has guide lines and grids to help give it the most professional arrangement possible.
- I have been using a computer for years and so didn't learn anything new when making my magazine however it was necessary in the completion of my media product.
When using survey monkey i learnt that:
- survey monkey lets you get closer to and understand your target audience through a questionnaire
- also that i can share my survey as it allows you to share it through email or Facebook.
When using blogger i learnt that:
- i could keep track of what i was doing easily by using blogger
- , i could upload the progress on everything i did to blogger.
- I could receive comments and act on them accordingly
When using Prezi I learnt that:
- Prezi allows you to give a simple but effective presentation
- It gives a good tutorial on how to use Prezi
- Flickr allows you to annotate images
- it is a organised and safe way to sort my work out.
Evaluation 7
looking back at your peliminary task (the school magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to ful product?
The original front cover was plain and boring, the text doesn’t stand out very well and the picture has not been edited so I relied completely on my non-existent photography skills, which made the magazine look unprofessional. This image also has a variation of fonts on the front cover this makes the magazine look unprepared and messy, this is down to my little knowledge of Photoshop and the different conventions of magazines. The title on the magazine doesn't stand out as well as it should due to It having a similar colour to the background.
However I think that my second magazine has much more professional look to it it was also much brighter and gave a better effect , the colour scheme of the house style complement each other, the title is large and eye-catching, I was a lot more familiar with the photography equipment, I also introduced lighting effects to enhance the photographs. All of the text throughout my magazine is the same font this is more professional and tidy, I had a greater knowledge of Photoshop when doing this task and so I could edit photographs to remove ‘imperfections’ and darken the shadows and enhance the bright colours making it look better, This front page had less going on which made it easier to structure giving it a much better looking layout which in turn made the front cover much easier on the eye.
Dan you need to put more reflective detail into some of the questions, thinking about why you've done something, rather than simply describing it.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of writing here, could you at least subhead it and break it into smaller paragraphs in order to make it clearer to read.