Music magazine.

From now on i will be planning my front cover and two contents pages for my music magazine. I will research music magazine's such as, NME, Kerrang!, Q, and Rolling Stone, select a model, take my photographs, and use my research to enable me to create my own.

Preliminary task: Eval. questions

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
As i have used a normal idea for my school magazine name, which is to use the schools name itself, and add something extra, i have stuck to the norm where it is concerned. I have placed a logo on the front page, which would commonly be seen on a school magazine, as it would help the reader identify what school it was made for. I used features like an issue number, and date. I also included various events as advertisements for what would be within the magazine. The photograph i used was a typical choice for a school magazine, as it shows two students studying. The contents page also follows the norms and conventions of a school magazine, as it has an image of students working, with the text placed around it, with a plain background that will not distract the reader from the content. The name of the school has been included at the top of the contents page as well, which is a common feature.


2. How does your media product represent particular social group?
My school magazine photographs represent the average school student, which would be associated with homework, and school uniform, which is why they has been included on my own images. The image features 6th Form students wearing the typical black suit that would be required in most schools, and so i feel that they would be the most likely to read my magazine. I also think that their parents would probably read the magazine as well, as it features articles on charity events, interviews with new teachers, and information on the upcoming parents evening.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
As it is a standard school magazine, the funds to produce would probably be quite low, as obviously, it is only for one particular school, and so no one else can benefit from it. This is the reason why i would say the magazine would be distributed by the school itself, as they would know what can and can't be included, and have access to information about the school, that could help with the magazines development. They would also be able to keep control of the distribution, resolving any problems that may arise because of the access they would have to it.


4. Who would be the audience of your media product?
The target audience of my school magazine would be the 6th Form students themselves, as well as their parents, and most likely, the staff at the school itself. I don't think that the younger students would find much interest in the magazine, as the contents is mainly geared towards those in the upper end of school. Some students in year 10 and 11 may also read my school magazine, as it would involve information on higher education, which would be something they would need to research themselves.

5. How did it attract/address your audience?
I think i attracted and addressed my audience by including photographs of people they could relate to. Older students would be interested in the magazine because it would feature people that they study with, while younger students may read it because they respect older students or want to gather some information on the school. Parents would be attracted to the magazine as it features many articles on things that they would often be involved in, like parents evening, pamper evenings, and open day dates, and the school calender.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructiong this product?
Since the beginning of the course, i have not had much time to investigate many other types of software, but the main ones that i have recently learned how to use, and am slowly becoming more confident with, would be Adobe Photoshop CS4, and Adobe InDesign CS4. Photoshop allowed me to edit my photographs, by changing the brightness/contrast of them, and cropping the image to change its size, as well as enabling me to remove any blemishes on the models faces. InDesign allowed me to create different types of text, using different fonts, colours, effects, and sizes, which meant that i could experiment slightly when creating my school magazine title.

Contents page for my school magazine.

I have made my contents similar to the Sugar magazine i evaluated earlier in my blog. I have placed the image of students into the corner, keeping the text clear by using the biggest size font for the page numbers, and the main headers. Under each subheading i have included information on what that area contains, using a dark blue that was used for the magazine title on the front cover. I have kept the background white to ensure all of the text is clear, which is a reason why i have kept all the text underneath the subheadings in black. The lines fill the empty space while also creating a link between the image of the students studying, bringing the pink from the bench, and the green and blue from the school's logo onto the page. Additionally, i have used the space on the students folder as an area to place text, ensuring that there is no blank spaces that distract from the contents page as a whole. Overall, i feel as though the space has been used wisely, i haven't overcrowded the page, but there is a fair amount of information on there to keep the reader entertained.

Contents page planning.

This is the plan that i will use to make my contents page.

Front cover of school magazine.

This is my completed front cover of my school magazine. Overall, i am quite pleased with how it turned out. The background has been blurred to keep the focus on the image and the text. In addition, i have kept the text fairly simple, leaving the students mostly uncovered, keeping the image clear. Also, the name of the magazine and the logo have been placed at the bottom, making them easily seen. Furthermore, the text has been kept at a fairly large size to enable it to be easily read by all. The colours used for the magazine title and the school's logo have been kept the same, and i have kept the text for the school's events white to ensure it can be read. In addition, i have included the issue number and the date the magazine was published.

Second set of photographs.

I like that this photo is a close up of all of the students, but their faces are still hidden, mostly. They are all very well lit as the image was taken outside, so it's clear. Their facial expressions cannot be seen particularly well, which was one of the points that i addressed earlier when i said that i wanted the faces to be visible in my photo. This image could not be used on my front cover as it does not look particularly professional. When taking a few more pictures, i tried to focus on capturing the students with their faces showing. In addition, i wanted to have more of a background in the picture, which i did not address when taking this photo.

This photo addresses all of the points that i have looked at. It has more of a background, and it also shows the students faces. It focuses on them studying with fairly neutral expressions, and they can all be seen clearly due to the lighting. It looks similar to the last photo i took in my first set of photographs, which is good because that was a photo that i thought with a little editing could be suitable for my front cover. This is the photo that i have selected to be used on the front cover of my school magazine. I will edit the magazine's logo onto it, along with other features further on, but first i will manipulate this photo in Photoshop.

First set of photographs.

After researching various magazine covers and contents pages, i have taken a few pictures of my own that i will analyse and comment on. As my school magazine is aimed at an all girls secondary school, i have used three fellow students as my models.

I like that this picture is a close up of the students working, but the faces are almost completely hidden, mostly by their hair. They are all also quite close to each other, which makes it look quite uncomfortable. There could be more of a background, as there is only a small patch of grass and part of a wooden bench. Overall, this was a good practice shot, but it could not be used on my actual magazine. 

This image is similar to the first shot i took, in the sense that is quite close up with very little background. The faces are a little more visible due to the faces being tilted up slightly, but they are mostly covered by hair again. The background is the same, with only a little grass and a part of the wooden bench visible. To conclude, although this is an improvement when compared to the previous image, it is still not acceptable to be used on my school magazine.

This picture is a slight improvement from the previous image as there is more of a background. You can also see the faces of the students, and more of the work that they are looking at. Although they are still looking down, their faces are mostly still visible. The picture seems to be more clear than the previous image as more space has been used. In addition, the expressions on their faces are either neutral or quite happy, which would be the desired look i would want in my final photo.

Contents page research.

In preparation for making my contents page, i will look at those used in magazine's previously. I will comment on the colours used, the layout, and the images.

Keeping in mind that Elle is a well known fashion magazine, we notice the attention paid to detail. The title; kept big, bold, and clear stands out on the bright salmon pink background. Additionally, we see that pink and peach play a definite role within the magazine as it is used throughout. The background has the pink and peach compacts, the salmon pink background for the title, the contents text is pale pink, as is the dress to the left hand side. By doing this, everything is linked together, making the design appealing. The contents page is also engaging; as it ensures that there is a balance between the amount of text and images, which is why i like this contents page.

Both of these contents pages could be compared as they share a similar layout, but differ on things such as colours and images. Q have kept the red from their logo and used it for the page numbers, and the headers for each area. In contrast, although NME have also kept the red from their logo, they have used it for most of the band index, a few of the headers, and the advertisement at the bottom of the page. Red is also used a little in the main picture. Both magazine's have a very similar layout, with the contents down the sides, advertisements at the bottom, and an artist or band's image close to the centre with writing overlapping it. Q have kept their page fairly clear and plain, using mainly white and black, which also links to the bands image. They have used the green from the field background for some of the text to the side. NME have done the complete opposite, keeping everything very bold, big and bright. The text in Q is easier to read as the text is slightly bigger, whereas the left side of NME has quite small text. Overall, i prefer NME's contents page as although some bits of text are a bit too small; the page is very bright and appealing, which would attract their target audience, which is mostly teenagers.

This magazine's contents page, although quite clear, has no page numbers, which would make the pages mentioned harder to find. The only colour comes from the images, the "T" from the title, and "Fashion Rocks", leaving the page quite dull and plain. The text on the images is a little too small, and the image in the top right hand corner does not seem to link to the others used on the left. In comparison, it is a lot darker than the other two, which both have sky blue used in some way. In addition, the "On The Cover" part of the contents seems to be almost just thrown onto the page, as it is both too small to fit the space given, and is too far over to the right, leaving a blank empty space with nothing to fill it. Overall, i do not like this contents page as it seems almost too plain, the text is a little small in some places, and the layout does not seem very well thought out.

This contents page is also one of my favourites, along with NME. The colour purple has been used throughout the page on the entire left hand side, one of the headers, parts of the title "Contents", page numbers, and on the clothes. The text is clear and bold, keeping everything easy to read. The white on the purple background links to the logo. The layout is also well thought out as the main image is to the right, but kept near the centre, with a dark grey background that links to the models top, and the suit the woman on the left hand side is wearing. There is also text underneath the main image which is bold and clear, with a few more images added to it, which relate to the text itself. To conclude, i would like to try and incorporate some of the ideas used on this contents page and the contents page for NME onto my own contents page for my school magazine.

School magazine research continued: Photographs.

From my previous magazine research, i have decided that my cover image will be of a student studying within a classroom, or outdoors. I will find images that follow this focus, and analyse and comment on them.

I like this photo as it seems fairly realistic, but the expression on the child's face does not seem as though he is enjoying the work. It would not encourage others to work themselves, as it looks as though he is struggling. I also find the blurred students in the background a good effect to add, as it keeps the focus on the student at the front of the class. The attention on the student is also reinforced by the blurred board, leaving nothing to be distracted by. I would like to use an image similar to this on my front cover, but with a few adjustments made.

This image is well lighted, and seems to focus on their faces more than what they are studying. It is unclear whether they are actually working, as they look more like a few friends that decided to spend time together. For that reason i would not use an image similar to this on my front cover. Their expressions seem quite genuine and relaxed, but all of the arms and hands over the computer seem to be both distracting and confusing as we can not see who's arm belongs to who.

I like that in this image you can clearly see the students working in a relaxed and calm environment, but everything seems too cluttered. The pens, bottles, fruit and work are all piled up on one side, leaving them with what looks like little room. Additionally, we can not see more than half the face on each person, as they all hide each other. They do not have much, if any expression on their faces, and the picture is uninteresting and unvaried.

The expressions on their faces are inviting and would hopefully encourage someone to read the magazine if it was used on the front cover. It is not natural at all, but they are lighted well, and the focus on studying is addressed as they all have a ook and pen in their laps. The background is warm and adds a little colour to the otherwise plain photo. I will pay attention to the expression on my model's face when i take the pictures for my cover.

27/09/10 - Magazine Titles

These are my first set of magazine titles, that i created on Adobe InDesign CS4. I created them all by experimenting with the effects, colours, and fonts. Using these designs for my title, i will create 5 or 6 more designs using design ideas from these, and combining them. This will help me to choose how my title will look, as i would have narrowed the options down. I like many of these designs, but quite a few are hard to read as they are not clear. Some are also two intricate for a school magazine. My title should be fairly easy to read, as it is not the focus of the magazine. The focus should be on the contents on the inside.

From the previous titles i have selected two and combined them to narrow down my selection. Using these six new designs, i will select my final title that i will use on my school magazine. I think that although these designs okay for a magazine, a few are still unclear and too intricate, so i will select the one that is clearest and easiest to read.

I have finished developing my title designs and have selected the above image as my final title as i think it is clear, colourful, but also quite simple. I also feel as though it is quite memorable, and eye catching. Through using stages, i have changed the font, the size, colour, alignment, and experimented with the many different effects available.

13/09/10 - School Magazine Research

This magazine does not seem appealing to me at all as i feel the colours are garish, and clash too much. The students outlined in yellow and green blend into the background, and so it looks blurry, which leads us to believe it is of bad quality. Also, the students faces are undefined, leaving the picture unclear. From the writing on the side of the magazine we can assume the theme of this issue is sports, but again it is quite unclear. The sports equipment is almost hidden away in some places, and it took me a while before i even saw that one of the girls was holding a tennis racket. The writing on the side that says, "Junior Athletics On The Go!" overlaps, making the writing less clear. There is white writing in the bottom right hand corner that says, "see back page sports news", but it took me five minutes to realise this is what it said. In addition, the block of writing in the bottom left hand corner is just shoved there, and personally if i was reading this magazine, i would not be drawn to read it. As the magazine seems to be based on sports, the picture of a girl horse riding, the American flag and the camera come across as irrelevant. The logo for the school looks as though it should be for a car company, or an estate agents, not a school. It also is very plain, and takes up quite a lot of the space available on the front cover.

I like that the focus of the magazine cover is on the student, but i feel as though the image could be of someone more enthusiastic. Also, the picture could have a better background, instead of what looks to be a tree, part of a building and a pond. The magazine comes across as too simple and uninteresting. The font, although fairly simple and easy to read, is a colour that blends into the background far too easily. The writing at the bottom of the magazine is written in a colour that clashes with the greens and blues used throughout. In addition, the writing in the top left hand corner that reads, "November 2009" with some writing underneath, is so unclear and pale, blending into the background, that i can not read it very well at all. Many of the words are in a font too small to read easily.

I like the focus on the artwork by the student, but she is posed quite awkwardly. The font used for "Magazine" in the top right hand corner could be seen as too elaborate. Furthermore, "Fall 2009" is rather faint, in the corner, and blends into the background. The writing underneath "Tallulah Falls School" can not be interpreted at all, due to the colour being the same colour as the background it is on, but fainter. It also looks rather blurry. The bottom of the magazine has some writing on it, most likely talking about what the magazine contains and the features, but it is written in white. It is all too faint for us to see what it says immediately, which would in turn, leave the reader impatient, and unwilling to read the inside properly.

On this magazine, i like that as the magazine is focused on science, the students are participating in what looks to be a science lesson. Although the image links into the magazine's purpose, the student used, even though he is in a natural pose, does not seem to be at ease. The little smile almost seems too false, and so, it would possibly be better if he was either posing completely, or having his picture taken during an actual lesson, in a more natural state. The logo for the magazine is clear, large and bold, which is effective. "The Science on Energy Smart Schools" seems almost thrown onto the front cover to use space. Also, the edges of the letters as edged in white seem to blur into the image of the uniforms. Addiotionally, the writing on the bottom of the magazine is far too small to read. The colours used blend too much into the background, making the words seem almost blurry.

07/09/10 - The beginning of the magazine task.

Today we started to work with the camera's that had been brought in. We learnt how the amount of pixels effects the quality of picture taken, as does the amount of light. After this, we started working on the information for our school that our magazine would be based on.

School Magazine

Name of the school – Taversham’s Grammar School for Girls
Location - Dartford
Type of school - Secondary school that also teaches 6th form students. It specialises in Computing and Languages.
History - Taversham’s Grammar School for Girls is a secondary grammar school in Dartford, Kent, England, that has over 700 pupils. The school also teaches 6th form students. It was built in the 1950s, and was originally three houses belonging to the Regina family.
Target Audience - The teenage students, and their parents or guardians.

06/09/10 - My first media lesson.

We all had our first Media lesson today in which we were shown the tasks that we would eventually have to complete, and the finished projects from previous students. We were also told to make our own blog using this website, and make our first post. Tomorrow during the lesson, we will be learning how to use our own cameras so we can use them correctly when taking pictures for our magazines.