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

My preliminary task consisted of creating a new school magazine. I concentrated on the Sixth Form and used cover lines relating specifically to their timetable and events in and out of school.
My music magazine is a women's music magazine focusing on current artists of the pop genre.

Looking back at my preliminary task, it is obvious i have gained skills and knowledge of not only the programmes i have used, but how existing magazines use layout and literary techniques. When I created my Sixth Form magazine, i used the programme 'InDesign'; this was because i thought it would be simple to insert text etc. I struggled using this programme as I was not familiar with it, which meant i had less time to focus on making it look professional and spent more time figuring out how to use the tools.

When I came to create my music magazine, I decided to use 'Photoshop'. This not only saved time- because I am familiar with the software- but made my magazine look more professional as I could edit my original images; erasing imperfections, brightening eyes and strengthening colours.

The audience research i conducted for my preliminary task also helped greatly as it enabled me to see what i was doing well and what needed improving. For example, the font i chose to use in my preliminary task was described in my feedback as looking too much like a fashion magazine. This inspired me to use a Sans Serif for my logo to keep it looking modern and also incorperated the rewind sign into the 'R' to keep it focused on the music element.

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

Using photoshop greatly assisted me in getting a 'professional' look for my magazine. Removing imperfections on the skin, brightening the eyes and touching up the make-up greatly improved my original image and consequently made my magazine look better.
I used youtube tutorials to gain knowledge on how to lengthen eyelashes and brighten eyes. I used the 'smudge tool' to stretch the eyelashes and make them look thicker. I highlighted the iris and changed brightness and colour levels then brightened the white area to make them stand out further. I concentrated on the eyes as they were the focus of my image




To get the right font for my double page spread title, i used the website, www.dafont.com.

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

My magazine's audience is women. The stereotypical woman is known to be a 'gossip' so I chose to have my article as a question and answer format; this is less formal.
The cover line 'What's really beneath the Poker Face?' is an inter textual reference to one of the artist, Lady Gaga's songs. This means I have assumed my audience will be familiar with this genre of music and this specific artist's music.
I have chosen blue and white as my main colours. This could be seen as typically male but I believe it appeals to women and doesn't come across as too 'girly', which i did not want my magazine to connote.
I chose to use a Serif font for my cover line to show sophistication but used Sans Serif for my logo however as it seems modern and easily recognisable.
My image connotes a dominant female which my readers should hopefully be inspired by. Although my image does not show much of the face, it should hopefully be instantly apparent who it is because of her well-known status.

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

My audience fit a specific profile as it is for a more specific market.

Gender: Female

As my banner states, my magazine is 'The UK's Biggest Female Music Magazine'. It is based on female artists and explores not only their music and influences but also their lifestyles, hobbies and interests.

Age: 15-30

I have chosen a wide age range as the female artists that feature in the current charts appeal to a range of ages. For example, Lady Gaga (who is featured on my cover) is well known by all people and ages.

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

Future Publishing currently publishes well known Rock/Indie/Pop magazine, Q. I believe there is a gap in this publisher's market for a women's music magazine, which my product is. Q is typically associated with males so i have therefore made a similar style magazine targeted at women.

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

My magazine is aimed at women; therefore, i have chosen to have my cover model as a dominant and iconic female. The bold and dark coloured eye make-up stand out and draw attention to the model's eyes. Having the face taking up the whole frame and containing no background keeps all the focus on the model which mirrors the celebrity's personality that is attention seeking and self-obsessed.

My article is in 'question and answer' form which gives it a less formal tone and comes across as friendly and as though the audience are connected with the artist; for example, 'First of all, the name! Where did the inspiration for Lady Gaga spring from?'

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

My music magazine is aimed at females aged 15-30. It concentrates soley on female artists and not only focuses on music but explores artists lifestyles and likes and dislikes.

Front CoverMy front cover is based on the existing music magazine, 'Q'. I have taken inspiration from their logo to create my own around the title of my magazine- 'Rewind.' The close-up image of my model is supposed to be minimal as i wanted the focus to be on the eyes. This is because the make-up is typical of Lady Gaga. I have used a mid-shot photograph which allows eye contact with the chosen model, this therefore means my magazine would potentially catch the attention of passing customers

Unlike 'Q' however, I have chosen to only use one main coverline; this is because any more would draw attention away from my image which i wanted to be the main focus point. The banner across the top of my front page reads 'The UK's biggest selling music magazine'; this is similar to 'Q''s 'The UK's biggest music magazine'. It enforces the popularity of the magazine and becomes a well-known fact that it is a big seller.

I have followed the conventional 'Z' pattern and positioned my masthead in the top left corner and my main cover line along the bottom. As I have only used one cover line, the 'Z' pattern works very successfully as the two largest and most important texts on the cover are along the top and bottom of the 'Z' shape.

Contents page

I would say that my contents page is not very similar to existing magazines. There are not as many pages as there would be in, for example, 'Q'. However, it is fast and easy to find the article you are looking for as there are clear titles and page numbers displayed before a short summary of what will be included in the article.
I have kept a brand identity as i have used the same shade of blue and included the 'R' logo.
My images are all mid-shots and are anchored by a c aption which reads, 'Newcomer, Abigail Taylor'.
I decided not to include an editors note as it did not fit in with the layout and i felt it was not essential. When analysing this page, i have realised i could have easily included a website address which is often used in convential music magazines.


Double-page spread

I have chosen to use the conventional layout of having one page of my double-page spread as an image with a quote and the second page containing my article.
I have used the common form of 'question and answer' to write my article. This form is easy to read and has multiple entry points as you can start reading at any of the questions. I have also chosen to include a 'Fact File' which is again another entry point and the reader can quickly access information about the chosen celebrity.
The brand identity is continued in these pages as i have used the blue font and used blue for the Fact File box.

Introduction

I am an A-Level student studying Media Studies at Fallibroome High School.

This is my coursework evaluation blog. My coursework brief was Print: Pre-lim exercise to produce the front page of a new Sixth Form magazine cover and contents page.

The main task was to create the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine.

The aim of this blog is to provide an evaluation of my coursework.