Q7. Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?

My preliminary task was to create a front cover and contents page for a college magazine. For that task, I had to take the pictures that I was going to feature on the magazine myself using a Canon EOS 400D I was relativity new with using this camera and so did not take the best of pictures, my lighting was very bad in most and the orientation was wrong in all of them but I done well in keeping my photographs in focus which was a plus. I was also very new to Photoshop so editing my images and putting together my Magazine was a problem I used a few simple tools such the healing tool and stroke, but not many. My final pieces came out pretty bad but it was a good stepping stone to learn how to use this software and equipment.

Since this I have learnt so much more about the different equipment and using Photoshop correctly, in which I’ve created a much more professional looking magazine.

With regards to other things I have was quite efficient in getting my models but just timing and weather was sometimes a problem but I gave enough time to get around that obstacle and get my pictures done. My time management was better on some things than others but I still think I could improve on that as I always could but always met the deadlines, which is the main thing. From learning from my mistakes from my preliminary task I took many pictures so I different ones to choose from. I of course also learnt about the different equipment to improve my pictures.

Font size could always be a problem so in my main task I would print of my work to make sure that it all looked ok. I had some problems with editing images but with the time I had I learnt about new tools to help me. I put much more thought, imagination and work into my main work and it shows in how much more aesthetically pleasing it is

My work giving a positive reception by my teacher and fellow peers which I was very happy about I was very happy with my layout and theme and think I have made a vast improvement from my preliminary.

I think I could of done even more audience research, also I wasn’t happy with some of pictures afterwards and wish I could of taken even more. But overall I am happy with work I have produced.

Audience Feedback:

It was very important to find out what people thought of my work people around generally liked it but to get a wider judgment I posted it on Facebook to see what other people thought about it. I allowed them comment their opinions freely without a questionnaire.

The feedback was overall positive and most people seemed to like it, they commented on the theme and the colours used and said how it was inviting to read.

The only thing that was brought up was the text positioning could be better in some places in particular my double page spread which I would totally agree with. 

Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

My contents page focuses a lot on pictures and colours in a more powerful sense but still keeps part of the theme. It works well as you don’t get bored of the same thing and it looks very attractive. The band members/models in two of the three pictures don’t really notice the camera and just look like they’re doing their thing without a care. They are wearing fashionable clothes which attract to the age group.

Q4.Who would be the audience for your media product?

Shred is targeting an international audience; however, focuses mostly on the British and American civilisations due to the fact that they are the musical pioneers and that most of the bands included on my magazine would originate from these two countries.

I have mainly targeted my magazine to a younger audience of 16 -20 but have thought about my older audience as well with no just new modern bands but also older bands such as Slipknot and Metallica which of course widens my audience resulting in possibly more sales. But its main target audience is of a younger audience which is why I have a wider range of modern rock bands and my pictures are of teenage bands and artists which helps make this clear

It is open to all ethnicities but stereotypically Caucasians who are more likely to be interested in rock music, the magazine equally targets males and females as well as all religions because all can have an interest in the music.

This is a picture made up of other pictures of what I think my typical reader would look like in ethnicity, the way they dress and their hair style.

I could see my audience using apple’s I pod classics to store album and albums of music as they have a passion for listening to music and not to just listen to the odd song they like.

 I would expect them to play their own instruments such as guitar, drums and base and maybe be in bands themselves as a hobby.

The teenagers would be into watching TV; with rebellious, funny shows like family guy or South Park, playing games consoles and music games such as Sony Playstation 3’s Singstar or most likely guitar hero.

I would expect my audience to most defiantly be going to concerts and to enjoy going to smaller venues such as round house, Brixton academy and Sheppard’s bush arena as apposed to bigger venues such as the o2 arena but would still go if a band was there that they wanted to see.

Q3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Looking back to my case study I would try and work with the publishing company Bauer.

Reason 1 - I feel even though they already have ‘KERRANG’ which is quite similar type of magazine. I feel I target the much younger audience and so Bauer could cover all age ranges of a genre resulting in total competition wipe-out.

Reason 2- Bauer to not cover a lot of magazines for the younger generations and so I think I would cover the teen genre well because looking at their magazine they don’t have much.

Reason 3- I Would like to go with Bauer as I feel they would be very beneficial in producing my Magazine and I would be able to bring in more advertising from places such as topman who support the dress sense in my magazine.

I think subscription would be a good idea and people seem to prefer it as long as they have got the money in their bank, because it is no hassle, magazine straight to your door and the magazine is guarantee paid for.

I would try and sell my magazine in as many shops as I can WHSmith would be a good place to sell as people go there to buy magazine as it is profound on having books and magazines. But of course any corner shop or music magazine would be just as good.

  

I’m selling it at quite a cheap price of £2.99 which is very inviting to students who don’t have much money on them. it also is a good price to introduce yourself to the magazine world.

Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Q1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

front cover.....contents page.......double page spread

 My front cover

My content page

 My double page spread

Sketches/drafts of my double page spread

I have replaced some words with text to make them more visable.

Sketches/drafts of my contents page

I have replaced some words with text to make them more visable.

Sketches/drafts of my front cover

Pictures...

I took a good number of pictures so I had a good amount to work with and so if any went wrong and if I didn't like certain pictures with regards to being on the magazine.


Here is a couple of pictures of me taking pictures for my magazine you see here the soft box (60cm) and the camera that I'm using.

-I done my pictures from different angles and distances to change the look and feel of the photo.

-This is an example of a good photo. The lighting is good, it is in focus and the distance is how I intended.

the light is soft on her face and enhances her features, the pose is good, but the facial expression might not work for the genre I'm intending I don't think I will be using this but none the less a successful photo.

-This is an example of a terrible photo. The angle is slightly slanted, the third model is cut out of the picture, no one looks like they are ready for the photo and is also a tiny bit out of focus. This picture will not end up on the magazine under any circumstances.

Here are a few more pictures that I took.

Inspirations

When making my contents page I had an idea to make my pictures look like polaroid pictures, has fallen on to the page, with written on the bottom the stories they relate to in a font that looks handwritten.
This came from when I was thinking about a film from Christopher Nolan called memento where which the man has memory lose and so writes on polaroids so he can remember things.

My magazine ideas.

I had inspirations from different things while making my magazine, one of which which the rock music magazines kerrang and rock sound.


 



I liked the colours and style of the magazine and of course related to my genre as it was also rock, so I took a lot from magazine as a bases to work off.

This is the equipment I worked with to take my pictures.

- Canon EOS 400d 

- Bowens Gemini esprit 6m500 Flash 

- Bowens Radio Trigger 

- 60cm Soft Box

- Circulator Reflector

Canon EOS 400d

This is the camera that we used to take the Pictures. 

Bowens Gemini esprit 6m500 Flash

We used this to light up the models for them to be seen clearly in photographs. 

Bowens radio trigger

This is a Trigger which is connected to the light and the camera, when the camera is pressed to take a photo the triggers send a signal to the light to flash at that time of when the picture is being taken. 

60cm Soft Box

 This attached to the lights, the reflective sides within the box reflect the light and make it bounce and controls it creating a softened effect on the model and removing shadows. 

Circulator Reflector

Another person holds this so they can reflect the light on a certain part of the model.

Audience research for the music magazine.

For my audience research I had lots of conversations, group and one on one and here is some screen shots from some conversations.

Mood Board

Here is my mood board in which i have put some stuff i think my audience will be intrested in and represent.

There is a big feel of live music and how they dress. Also rebilous films and programmes such as south park and the warriors which connote the same feeling as rock music likes to do.

Bauer Publishing group

The Bauer publishing group was founded in 1875 and had been run by the Bauer family for four generations, it is now a media empire with over 250 magazines in 15 different countries which are: Austria, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom and USA where its worldwide offices are located. They produce and distribute many popular magazines and had a turn over of 1.79 billion Euros in 2007.

I will be looking at Bauer media, Europe’s largest private owned publishing group. It is based in Hamburg, Germany. It works a lot in the UK mainly in magazine and radio. It is a business that has brought about the biggest Magazines of today with its large and diverse range of magazines including. angling times (1953), FHM (1994) which is a very big selling international magazine, closer (2002) and Grazia (2005).

Bauer Media provide the best magazines you could ask for and will target all types of audiences. They provide for Men, Women and even the youth.

The Bauer Media Group’s men’s portfolio produces magazine titles which have obtained a 33% share of the sector. Magazines such as ‘FHM’ which is the leading men’s lifestyle magazine that is currently in print, online and abroad. ‘Zoo’ is the men’s weekly magazine. These are their reader’s statistics.

Men 15+: 5,272,000 - 23.4% of population
Men 15-34: 2,679,000 - 21.9% of population
Men ABC1: 3,128,000 - 33.7% of population

The Bauer Media Group’s women’s portfolio is made to cover a large range of topics to appeal to the audience. ‘Heat’ and ‘Closer’ deliver celebrity news and gossip. ‘Grazia’ delivers designer fashion and glamour to its audience. ‘More!’ delivers interesting stories about life. ‘Top Sante’ is the market leader in celebrity health and beauty. ‘Yours’ delivers lifestyle topics for women aged 50+ every fortnight. Also, Bauer Media publishes titles such as ‘Mother & Baby’ and ‘Pregnancy and Birth’ for parenting advice for women. These are their reader’s statistics.

Women 15+: 4,994,000 - 34.7% of population
Women 15-34: 2,673,000 - 19.6% of population
Women ABC1: 2,774,000 - 20% of population

Their youth magazines consists of ‘match’ a young persons football update magazine and ‘heat’ which goes well with teenagers, in particular girls.

Bauer Media is a sister company of H Bauer UK, publisher of the UK's biggest TV listings, Take a Break and Bella.

Bauer media also bring the leading music magazines in the UK, titles such as ‘KERRANG’ the popular weekly rock magazine,  ‘MOJO’ which is very well known and keeps undying music live on, ‘empire’ which is massive, leading movie magazine that is known for it’s amazing front cover. ‘Q’ which connects lifestyles and movies with music. ‘Q’ is very popular in the UK and one of the leading selling magazines.

The simple reason for Bauer Media publishing such a wide range of titles is to make sure and have a wider range of audience. Of course not only does this bring in more money by selling different magazines, but the publisher also makes money from advertisers advertising in the different magazines, which is their main source of income because the high cost to printing all of the magazine to that sold to the people. To get advertising spaces picked for different companies they make statistics through data they collect on what sort of people are reading their magazines. Then they can decide what magazine should advertise what.

They do this so it makes sense to what advert should go in what Magazine. So if you were to have a magazine such as ‘empire’ which is a big magazine so they most probably use a one of the big companies that want to use their advertising space such as Sony who own a lot of new tech. And is one of the leading tech industries. Big industries = the big magazines Or it would also make sense if a cinema was advertised in ‘empire’ because of what ‘empire’ promote.

Beacause they targeting so many different audiences, in age groups, social classes, and gender, because they have so many specicific audiences also, Bauer Media can benefit from more income from an even bigger variety of advertisers building a strong rep in lots of different areas. Also try not to compete with itself and try to instead just to cover the whole weekend. 

Textual analysis of double page spread

Denotation of this shows a double page spread with the background being three men, with guitars looking like they are playing a live show it is a wide angle shot, stretching over the two pages. In the top left hand of the left page there is a title which says "Anything Could Happen" this is written in a bold, upper case, sans serif font. The biggest word is the first, "Anything" which is half red and half white which looks a bit like blood dripping down the word. Under this "could happen" is written in the same font, just slightly smaller and all white. This title is in quote marks, therefore suggesting that someone had said it. There is then a subtitle below which says "Exclusive: Fall Out Boy to Play intimate K!-sponsored show" this is written in a slightly unusual font, it is quite jagged along the edges which looks like it is moving, giving the impression of music and sound. The word "exclusive" is written in red and the rest is written in white, therefore "exclusive" stands out, grabbing your attention, making it look special.

Other than the traditional Kerrang yellow which is only used stated the section of the magazine. The only colour they use is red which denotes anger, love, energy etc. This is appropriate for rock as opposed to a calm blue. There is also a box in the bottom right saying ‘Win a pair of Fall Out Boy tickets’, it is the only writing on this side of the page so stands out the word win is bigger than the rest of the writing so stands out and catches your eye and people always like to win things.

The background picture is of Fall Out Boy in concert. It is not a posed shot; they are not looking at the camera or even seem to be aware of it being there, they are just showing them looking at their instruments showing that they care about the music they are playing, giving a good impression of the band. It looks quite personal and close as though the reader is at the concert front row which kind of makes you want to be in that position for real.

Kerrang have used their colour well on this spread it is all in black and white. And the picture is in grey scale it looks very cool and personal which is the impression they wanted to give with Fall Out Boy, but also they use bits of colour to draw eyes to different things but are still very subtle about it, to keep the background the main focus point.