Evaluation

click here

Evaluation

Final Magazine

In the end, I found that viewers didn't like this image as a front page, but still found the image good, but for something like a poster instead. So I have still used this as a part of my magazine, but as a part of the double page spread.

Front Cover Mock

After trying out some editing techniques for myself, I managed to edit a photo of my own. I used my own camera, and used a manual filter over the lens making the image being taken have a different colour scheme as soon as I took the picture. Here is the original, followed by the edited version.

I have edited the 2nd image to seem unrealistic. By doing this I have created a strange look, 'undead' almost. I have edited the face to give a completely different look of the model, and gotten rid of the background in the original image to make the piece look more professional.

Editing photos

I have looked on many different editing sites and pieces of editing software and familiarized myself with them to the best of my ability. I have then taken a photo off of Google, and edited it, to have a look at what I can do with my own photos when I create my front cover. Below is the original image, along with the edited image afterwards.

In this image, I have softened the background and the image as a whole. I have also added a brick wall overlay, and used the history brush to make it seem that the band members are in front of the wall. This just seems more of a grungy kind of look in my opinion.  Also, the change of colours has made a slight difference, and I've added a ghosty, 3D effect to the middle band member. 

Whilst editing this image, I have added a filter, and also some 'default' overlays and images that blend into the original image, to create a different colour scheme overall. I have also changed it so that everything looks a little blurred, and slightly unrealistic, as that is the overall look I am really going for.

In this image, I have changed the hue, to make the background items seem orange, rather than green. I have then added some filters and used history brush, to make the band member seem more blue, rather than grayscale. I then added more filters, each time using the history brush over the band member, to make the background look completely different in comparison. I also edited out the guitar lead.

Circulation Research

Wired magazine is not your typical magazine. Instead of reading into the latest gossip, music or fashion, this magazine shows you how to create things and really learn about quirky things. This is a relatively niche magazine as it attracts an audience of what is typically known as 'geeks.' This magazine is popular as it has a space in the market that no other magazine has successfully been a huge part of as of yet. Wired has sadly gone down in circulation by 5.3%. This is more than likely down to the fact that what we have known in the past to be 'geek chic' has become unfashionable in comparison to what it was in the past. Also, the fact that we are in a recession means that most magazines and businesses aren't going to be doing as well as they would have done beforehand. A very big reason for Wired not doing as well as they probably deserve, is because many people buy magazines and use forms of media as a form of escapism. This isn't the greatest magazine for that, or the best thing to read if you're not relatively intelligent, which is the only magazines downfall in my personal opinion.

Font Styles

 

Researching similar products: 3 front covers analysis/annotations of CONVENTIONS & Researching similar products: 3 double page articles analysis/annotations of CONVENTIONS

One of the things that stands out to us first is the masthead, ‘SPIN’. This is the only form of colour on the front cover, which makes it very noticeable to the audience. By keeping this the only colour on the page, and being so bold and bright, it encourages us to recognize the magazine’s brand, and associate with it, due to its consistency. Another thing to stand out massively is the main image. The main image seems to be Damian Abraham, the lead singer of a band known as F***ed Up. You can see from the positioning of his hands and face, and his attire that the band, or him himself, could have a rather niche taste, or seem rather niche themselves. The magazine is in greyscale over all, and this makes the magazine more unisex, rather than accustomed to just one gender. This works well as it makes the audience larger, and can make the magazine attracted to everyone in the audience more equally. The cover lines really help to make the magazine more appealing, as they state things like ‘THE BEST OF 2011’ and the magazine is ‘FEATURING’ many bands and artists that made the ‘TOP 40 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR’. This is very appealing as they are showing the most popular bands and artists, making the magazine seem more intriguing, as nobody really wants to read about the least popular, or the worst. Spin have chosen only the best to feature, making the content seem far more interesting over all.

One of the things that stands out to us first is the masthead, ‘NME’. This is one of the largest size fonts on the page, making it more noticeable, and due to the font being so bold, it is also the biggest amount of yellow on the page too. By sticking to the same font as always, it encourages us to recognize the magazine’s brand, and associate with it, due to its consistency. Another thing to stand out massively is the main image. The main image is the band ‘The Horrors’. This makes the main image rather interesting as they are an upcoming band, and are reasonably popular. By using this band as the main image, it attracts attention, especially as the band members are all relatively attractive males. However, the main band member seems to be the one in the middle, as other band members seem to have their faces half showing, and are further back from the camera. Overall, the magazine’s layout is yellow white and perhaps some brown. This is a rather different colour scheme to many other magazines, making it more noticeable, but also makes it seem more unisex, rather than just for girls, or just for boys. This is great, as it makes the audience a wider range because of this, and suits more people’s tastes and wants. Some of the cover lines make the magazine more interesting too, one being ‘How Britain’s best band finally broke through’ This is important, as it makes it seem like you could get to know all about the band and how they managed to become popular, something that many readers are interested in knowing. Other cover lines include things about ‘Amy Winehouse’, ‘Noel Gallagher’ and ‘The Maccabees’. All of which being increasingly popular, making the magazine more intriguing once again. Over all, the cover looks tremendous, and is very different in comparison to other covers made, making the magazine seem really unique.

One of the things that stands out to us first is the masthead, ‘Rolling Stone’. This is one of the only things on the page to be red, or a bold colour in general, making it more noticeable, and due to the font being such a vibrant colour, it is one of the most noticeable pieces of text on the cover. By sticking to the same font as always, it encourages us to recognize the magazine’s brand, and associate with it, due to its consistency. Another thing to stand out massively is the main image. The main image is the band ‘The Rolling Stones’. This makes the main image rather interesting as they are an extremely popular band, and practically share the same name as the magazine itself. By using this band as the main image, it attracts attention, as the band are one of the most popular bands known today, and are loved by a huge amount of people. What really makes the main image special is the fact that all four members are on the page equally, and there is no leading role, making the piece seem better, in my opinion, due to this equality. Overall, the magazine’s layout is red, grey, black and white. This is a rather popular colour scheme used by many other magazines, making it seem very common, which is a rather big disadvantage. However, these colours are very popular, making the magazine seem increasingly more appealing. Some of the cover lines make the magazine more interesting too, one being ‘Mick & Keith THE UNEASY PEACE’ This is very important, as it’s about the main image, and shows you about their conflicts and how they have overcome them, something which any gossiper is dying to know. Other cover lines include things about ‘Fall Out Boy’ and ‘Kanye West’s Secret Album’. All of which being increasingly popular, making the magazine more intriguing once again. Over all, the cover looks great, and they have the perfect cover lines and main image to make it an interesting magazine, that many people will want to get their hands on.

One of the things that stands out to us first is the masthead, ‘Rolling Stone’. This is one of the only things on the page to be red, or a bold colour in general, making it more noticeable, and due to the font being such a vibrant colour, it is one of the most noticeable pieces of text on the cover. By sticking to the same font as always, it encourages us to recognize the magazine’s brand, and associate with it, due to its consistency. Another thing to stand out massively is the main image. The main image is the band ‘The Rolling Stones’. This makes the main image rather interesting as they are an extremely popular band, and practically share the same name as the magazine itself. By using this band as the main image, it attracts attention, as the band are one of the most popular bands known today, and are loved by a huge amount of people. What really makes the main image special is the fact that all four members are on the page equally, and there is no leading role, making the piece seem better, in my opinion, due to this equality. Overall, the magazine’s layout is red, grey, black and white. This is a rather popular colour scheme used by many other magazines, making it seem very common, which is a rather big disadvantage. However, these colours are very popular, making the magazine seem increasingly more appealing. Some of the cover lines make the magazine more interesting too, one being ‘Mick & Keith THE UNEASY PEACE’ This is very important, as it’s about the main image, and shows you about their conflicts and how they have overcome them, something which any gossiper is dying to know. Other cover lines include things about ‘Fall Out Boy’ and ‘Kanye West’s Secret Album’. All of which being increasingly popular, making the magazine more intriguing once again. Over all, the cover looks great, and they have the perfect cover lines and main image to make it an interesting magazine, that many people will want to get their hands on.

 

One of the things that stands out to us first is the main heading, ‘THE VACCINES’. This is the boldest piece of writing on the page, which makes it very noticeable to the audience. By making this so bold, it makes us more likely to read the writing and see what the double page spread is about.  Another thing to stand out massively is the main image. The main image seems to be the band The Vaccines, a relatively popular band, known for being indie. You can see from the positioning of the band members who the most important band member is, as they are at the front, and closer up, meanwhile the other band members are further behind and seem less important. Their apparel also shows how indie they are. The double page spread seems vintage, this works well as it really sets the colour scheme well, whilst continuing to show individuality. Also, the colour scheme looks brilliant, as there are mostly browns and creams and tertiary colours, but then there are little splashes of a vibrant blue, to give the spread some life, and really add to it, which works terrifically. It is also very appealing as the double page spread seems put together well, without there being far too much writing, or too many pictures. Overall, it looks brilliant, and I would recommend it to those around me.

 

One of the things that stands out to us first is the main heading, ‘GENERATION X’. This is the boldest piece of writing on the page, which makes it very noticeable to the audience. By making this so bold, it makes us more likely to read the writing and see what the double page spread is about.  Another thing to stand out massively is the main image. The main image seems to be of a man performing, perhaps on stage. You can see from the positioning of the young man that he is halfway through a performance or is in the middle of doing something as he is not looking at the camera, and is holding something that he seems to be in the middle of moving. His apparel also shows what sort of trends he follows, or even sets perhaps. The double page spread is black and white, but also has a few bursts of colour to make the spread seem a little more vibrant and eye-catching. The double page spread also seems put together well, without there being far too much writing, or too many pictures, which makes it look far more intriguing, and makes people far more likely to read. Overall, it looks wonderful, and I would definitely recommend it to those around me.

Questionnaire and Questionnaire Results

Methods of distribution

Background of music genre

''Indie rock can be (loosely) defined as a melodic or punk genre guitar-based of rock music, and a means of producing that music, that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s as an alternative to the mainstream music of the time. The indie genre, it could be claimed, was mainly inspired by the Sex Pistols and the punk rock movement in the UK, which led to a more DIY approach to music and inspired young people to form bands. For example, on 4 June 1976 in the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester - in a smaller room above the main hall, the Sex Pistols played a gig that is widely believed to have been the catalyst to the punk rock movement, New Wave, and the subsequent indie movement.
Many of the musicians who attended the either of these two famous gigs by the Sex Pistols (as they returned to play another date) went on to form some of the important and critically acclaimed bands of the era. People who are believed to have attended these gigs include The Smith's front man Morrissey, Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, members of Joy Division/New Order (Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook), members of the Buzzcocks (Howard Devoto, Pete Shelley, Steve Diggle), and The Fall's Mark E Smith.''

This is part of an article I have read regarding the background of Indie Rock music in the United Kingdom. I know far more about the origins and beginnings of this genre than I did before, and I am now more certain of what sort of artistes and what sort of artiste information I want to add into my own magazine.

Mood Board

Prezi Presentation of Questionnaire Results

http://prezi.com/vjg15azlvvjj/questionnaire-results/

Front Cover Analysis (The Fly)

Here, I have a front cover of 'THE FLY'. It is an indie music magazine, that I personally find very interesting. The main image is of a band called 'Foals'. The person in the middle comes over the title, and you can see this as is head is in front of the 'E' on the title. This gives the person quite a dominating, important look, as he is in front of the title, and could be seen as just as important as the magazine itself, if not more. Also, the main pieces of text are kept to a small amount, making the cover seem rather tidy and minimalistic. The main text reads 'FOALS Band of the moment. Album of the year.' This keeps everything sharp and snappy, and because the magazine is to the point, this means that there is no need for any more text than there already is, keeping everything looking great overall without much going on at all. Also, the colour scheme is brilliant. All font is either black or white, and there isn't much colour in the main image either, as there is a lack of saturation, and a blueish coloured filter. This makes things seem the same, and minimalistic once again, which is great. However, there is a sign on the top left, just underneath the beginning of the title that is a bright yellow colour, making people interested in what it might say and could cause people to want to read it, and see what it has to offer, instantly making it more interesting to anybody that walks by. The magazine also shows a website, just underneath the end of the title, which is brilliant as it advertises the main site straight away, giving the target audience another place to look to read more about the magazine itself, which could increase profits and popularity massively, making this a rather smart move to make. Altogether, I think everything works brilliantly, as there is not too much going on, rather, not enough, giving it a basic look, but still keeping it classy and attractive to look at. I think that this magazine is brilliant altogether, and I would rate it an 8 or 9 out of 10.

Flat Plan for Magazine Cover and Contents Pages

TA Profile

Name: Matt

Age: 21

Ethnicity: White British

Political Bias: None

Region: Manchester

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Relationship Status: Single

Any Children?: No

Current reading material: PC  Zone, PC Gamer, NME, etc.

Media Use: Uses internet, mobile phone, computer, other consoles, mostly PC. Doesn’t watch much TV, doesn’t read magazines or newspapers apart from the odd gaming magazine or music magazine, gets news and info from the internet.

How much time does he spend on the internet? Too much. About 8 hours a day is used on the PC for online gaming, more on the weekends (Perhaps 10 hours).

Occupation: Part time job in Game Station, aspiring to be a YouTuber or musician though.

Hobbies: Gaming, music, vlogging, blogging, computers, games.

Lifestyle: Spends money on ready made meals or frozen pizza etc. Doesn’t go out a lot, spends a lot of time on video games, may have friends over to play video games with, doesn’t really do much else.

5 Week Plan

Week	Focus	Tasks	Needs
1	Research and Planning	I will need to create a task brief giving details into what I have to do. I will then be writing a blog post giving my initial thoughts and ideas of the task given, before creating a five week plan to give a clear pathway as to what it is I will need to accomplish over the next five weeks. I will then be doing research of other school magazines, and getting images too. I will be looking into the front covers and contents pages to annotate accordingly and give me some form of idea as to where I am going to go with my own mock magazine.	I shall need to find 3 school magazine front covers and contents pages in order to annotate them and get some form of inspiration from pieces I find useful. I will really need to think about how to manage my time accordingly in order to finish each piece in the time given.
2	Audience Needs and Production	I will create a questionnaire to hand around to other classmates to decipher the needs of my target audience.  I will also need to take four images that suit the magazine fittingly, before using them in my own magazine.	I will need to create a questionnaire that suits the target audience and helps me to get the answers I need. I will then need to plan what my original images will be of, and then create those images accordingly.
3	Drafting and Editing	I shall need to look at my four images, edit them to give them a higher standard and really create a sense of professionalism. I will then need to create a flat plan for both the front cover and contents page to really boost my decision as to how I want my finished magazine to look.	I shall be looking into what works best when editing images, to really get the best out of the images I have created. I will also think deeply into the layout of my magazine, and how my images will fit with it.
4	Feedback and Redrafting	After creating my magazine, I shall be looking for feedback as to whether or not my target audience is happy with the piece created.  This will determine whether or not my piece will stay the same, or change slightly to fit the audience needs more appropriately.	I will have to create a second questionnaire, this time to gain feedback from those around me and find out what people truly think about my magazine. This will help me gain understanding of what I am doing right or wrong.
5	Editing and Completion	I shall need to look at the feedback given by my target audience before making changes to fit accordingly.  After this, the piece created should be to a much more appropriate standard for the target audience, making it more professional and far more satisfying for the audience intended, meaning that my piece is complete as a result.	At this point I will need to look at the feedback I have been given and look into how I can change my magazine to satisfy the target audience more whilst doing so.

Initial Thoughts

I have given some thought into what I would like to do, and my initial thoughts are that I will do something indie, and perhaps vintage, or punk. This is something I am passionate about, meaning I will be more inspired and motivated to make the piece my own, and create it to the best of my ability. Also, I think that I will make the magazine to be relatively high class, meaning that the price could get a little steep. I'm thinking of charging between £3 to £4. This could be seen as expensive, especially for the target audience. The target audience, males and females aged between 15 and 25. This is a good target audience to have, as it's the later teenage years going towards being a young adult, which can be not only a great target audience to aim towards due to being in that target audience myself, but also, that target audience can be seen as quite niche at times, meaning that I could go towards creating something less popular. My inspiration is things like the shopping centre Afflecks in Manchester, as that has a lot to do with this sort of genre, and this target audience. Also, NME as they also strive towards indie music. Altogether, I think my ideas are coming together, and that I am close to finding out exactly what I would like to do right now.

Brief

For our main task, we have been asked to create a front page, contents page and double page spread for a new music magazine. We can use any material we own ourselves to do so, however, we have to ensure that anything used to create these pieces belong to us. We have to ensure that we use a minimum of 4 images per person, and that we have taken the photos ourselves. We now need to think of our initial thoughts, and post them to see what we want to begin with ideally.