Monday, 11 May 2009
How I Asked For Feedback
I looked at other magazines with the same genre I had chosen and I researched into there sorts of ideas for my own magazine. When I was creating my magazine I asked my parents for some feedback and ideas on how to improve my magazine. I showed them images of my magazine design that I was producing. Most of the feedback I got back was positive but I also had a few suggestions on how to improve it. Aswell as asking my parents, I also asked other students to give me feedback on improvements that I could use to improve to appeal to a mainstream audience. They gave me a lot of feedback that helped me throughout my project so that it was the best of my ability, being a quality piece of work that would be a successful everyday magazine.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Glossary of magazine terms
Masthead – The name and logo of the magazine.
The Lead – the introductory paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or capitals.Body copy refers to the text of your written articles, which should be produced as a printed presentation to accepted industry standards, e.g. correct use of language, font size, word limits etc. Usually written in columns.
Serif font – fonts like Times New Roman, or Baskerville Old Face, which have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
Sans serif font – fonts like Impact, or Agency FB, which do not have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
Drop Capitals – Really big letter, which start off an article.
Cross Head – Small sub-heading used to split up a large block of text.
White Space – white parts of a page other than text or pictures.
Mode Of Address – How the magazine talks to the audience.
Sell Lines – Text on the cover that helps to sell the magazine to the audience. Kerrang!’s sell line is “life is loud”.
Banners – text, which stands out because its on a coloured background.
House Style – a magazines distinctive design that distinguishes it from its competitors.
Borders – the gaps at the edges of the page.
Gutters – the gaps between the columns of text.
Leading - the space between lines of text.
Kerning - the space between letters.
Strap Lines – a smaller headline, printed above the main headline.
By-lines - name of the person who wrote the article. Picture Credits - where did the photos come from, or who took them.
Anchorage – The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and visa versa.
Masthead – The name and logo of the magazine.
The Lead – the introductory paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or capitals.Body copy refers to the text of your written articles, which should be produced as a printed presentation to accepted industry standards, e.g. correct use of language, font size, word limits etc. Usually written in columns.
Serif font – fonts like Times New Roman, or Baskerville Old Face, which have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
Sans serif font – fonts like Impact, or Agency FB, which do not have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
Drop Capitals – Really big letter, which start off an article.
Cross Head – Small sub-heading used to split up a large block of text.
White Space – white parts of a page other than text or pictures.
Mode Of Address – How the magazine talks to the audience.
Sell Lines – Text on the cover that helps to sell the magazine to the audience. Kerrang!’s sell line is “life is loud”.
Banners – text, which stands out because its on a coloured background.
House Style – a magazines distinctive design that distinguishes it from its competitors.
Borders – the gaps at the edges of the page.
Gutters – the gaps between the columns of text.
Leading - the space between lines of text.
Kerning - the space between letters.
Strap Lines – a smaller headline, printed above the main headline.
By-lines - name of the person who wrote the article. Picture Credits - where did the photos come from, or who took them.
Anchorage – The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and visa versa.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
1) Question 1- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I have had a certain conventions to create a successful final product, I have created an effective masthead to go with the genre of the magazine, and I have also included this as a similar idea to a popular successful music magazine to make the final product as much like the real magazine as possible. Also I have taken my own pictures for the cover, using a main artist with medium close up shot following the conventions that an ideal magazine uses, for example not cutting body parts off, having the artist looking at the camera. This is so that the image looks like it would be on a normal cover. I have used mainstream audience idea so that my magazine would be for a wide verity of people that would want to buy it, just as a popular magazine would be aimed at, but although mine is aimed at a large audience, some popular magazines are aimed at a smaller more niche audience that would just use conventions to be aimed at the sort of people that would read the magazine.
Question 2- How does your media product represent particular social groups?
I have followed certain social backgrounds to appeal my magazine to, as I couldn’t aim it at every social demographic so I picked a few of the demographic to aim the magazine at, mine is aimed at C1, C2 and D. Which is semi-skilled workers and also labourers because it would be an affordable magazine, not aimed at amore higher paid job audience, and as it is a indie/rock magazine it would be more lower paid audience who enjoy the magazine as it would appeal to them.
Question 3- What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
IRM would be distributed by an independent company at the start, mainly because it is a new magazine. An independent company would sell IRM magazine for not much money to begin with because this will bring in the popularity of the magazine and also a little profit. After some time when the magazine has become established and become more popular with its audience a conglomerate company such as IPC Media or Bauer could sell the magazine at a higher price. This will make it more popular and bringing in higher ABC Circulation figures and a large profit. The readership would be able to access the product from monthly subscriptions to a conglomerate company and through newsagent shops.
Question 4- Who would be the audience for your media product?
My demographic target audience is mainly males and an audience of the age of 15-35. The target audience is average people with average lives and jobs that look up to big rock stars. The target audience would dress casually and wear jeans or tracky bottoms and wear casual t-shirts. My audience is people who would enjoys spending time with there friends and go to social events. Also they may be football fans because they enjoy watching and talking about it.
Question 5- How did you attract/address your audience?
IRM attracts its demographic audience by speaking to its audience in a peer to peer mode of address. The magazine front cover has an image of a not as famous and less popular rock star. This connotes to the audience an ideal self. This will attract the reader to buy the magazine. The photo on the front cover of a casual looking rock star addresses the readership to say it could happen to any one. Also this is connoted by a not as famous indie/rock star.
Question 6- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
How to take photographs that have meaning to them. For example this photograph connotes a rock star attitude that thinks he is cool. I learnt that the photo needed to be a medium shot.
I have learnt how to use the software of Photoshop. Photoshop has allowed me to create my front cover. I have learnt how to use different fonts, shadows, banners, different colours shapes and tools to create my own music magazine. With the tools I learnt how to crop and cut images to make them to size.
Also I have learnt how to use QuarkXPress passport. I found this piece of software is better for creating products that involve mostly text, such as a contents page and a double page spread. I learnt who to link up text boxes to one an other so that text continues in one box after the other box is full, this gave me great help and saved me a lot of time when I was writing my double page spread article. I learnt how to create text boxes and rotate them with text in them to create effect on my media product. This is displayed in my final media product, the IRM double page spread has a pink banner on the top of the page. This was done through adding a text box and then making it pink. Also I learnt how to change the size of the gap in between text words.
I have learnt how to use cam studio. This enables me to show people what I have learnt through a video. I can record myself using the computer and save it as a cam studio video.
Question 7- looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
From the preliminary task I feel I have learnt a lot. I have learnt how us software of Photoshop such as photoshop. On photoshop I have learnt how to use different fonts, shadows, banners, different colours, shapes and tools to create my front cover for my own music magazine.
I have also learnt about software called QuarkXPress passport. QuarkXPress allowed me to create my contents, and double page spread. I learnt that QuarkXPress Passport is better to use for contents pages and double pages spreads, rather than a front cover because it its better to use for text. I learnt that QuarkXPress allows you to link up text boxes to one an other so that text continues in one box after the other box is full. Also I learnt on QuarkXPress how to use different colours text and different colour backgrounds to make my contents and double page spread look more appealing.
Also I have learnt how to use cam studio. Cam studio records what you are doing on your screen. This enabled me to create my on video of photoshop to demonstrate how to use it.
I have learnt about how pictures need to look on a contents page of a magazine. It needs to have no cluttered backgrounds. Also make sure to focus on lead singer if it is a band shot so the audience know who they are. If a single audience make sure it a medium shot- close up. Need to leave room for a masthead and don’t cut off heads. Also make sure it isn’t a high angle shot. Also animate your band- make sure they look at the camera
I have had a certain conventions to create a successful final product, I have created an effective masthead to go with the genre of the magazine, and I have also included this as a similar idea to a popular successful music magazine to make the final product as much like the real magazine as possible. Also I have taken my own pictures for the cover, using a main artist with medium close up shot following the conventions that an ideal magazine uses, for example not cutting body parts off, having the artist looking at the camera. This is so that the image looks like it would be on a normal cover. I have used mainstream audience idea so that my magazine would be for a wide verity of people that would want to buy it, just as a popular magazine would be aimed at, but although mine is aimed at a large audience, some popular magazines are aimed at a smaller more niche audience that would just use conventions to be aimed at the sort of people that would read the magazine.
Question 2- How does your media product represent particular social groups?
I have followed certain social backgrounds to appeal my magazine to, as I couldn’t aim it at every social demographic so I picked a few of the demographic to aim the magazine at, mine is aimed at C1, C2 and D. Which is semi-skilled workers and also labourers because it would be an affordable magazine, not aimed at amore higher paid job audience, and as it is a indie/rock magazine it would be more lower paid audience who enjoy the magazine as it would appeal to them.
Question 3- What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
IRM would be distributed by an independent company at the start, mainly because it is a new magazine. An independent company would sell IRM magazine for not much money to begin with because this will bring in the popularity of the magazine and also a little profit. After some time when the magazine has become established and become more popular with its audience a conglomerate company such as IPC Media or Bauer could sell the magazine at a higher price. This will make it more popular and bringing in higher ABC Circulation figures and a large profit. The readership would be able to access the product from monthly subscriptions to a conglomerate company and through newsagent shops.
Question 4- Who would be the audience for your media product?
My demographic target audience is mainly males and an audience of the age of 15-35. The target audience is average people with average lives and jobs that look up to big rock stars. The target audience would dress casually and wear jeans or tracky bottoms and wear casual t-shirts. My audience is people who would enjoys spending time with there friends and go to social events. Also they may be football fans because they enjoy watching and talking about it.
Question 5- How did you attract/address your audience?
IRM attracts its demographic audience by speaking to its audience in a peer to peer mode of address. The magazine front cover has an image of a not as famous and less popular rock star. This connotes to the audience an ideal self. This will attract the reader to buy the magazine. The photo on the front cover of a casual looking rock star addresses the readership to say it could happen to any one. Also this is connoted by a not as famous indie/rock star.
Question 6- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
How to take photographs that have meaning to them. For example this photograph connotes a rock star attitude that thinks he is cool. I learnt that the photo needed to be a medium shot.
I have learnt how to use the software of Photoshop. Photoshop has allowed me to create my front cover. I have learnt how to use different fonts, shadows, banners, different colours shapes and tools to create my own music magazine. With the tools I learnt how to crop and cut images to make them to size.
Also I have learnt how to use QuarkXPress passport. I found this piece of software is better for creating products that involve mostly text, such as a contents page and a double page spread. I learnt who to link up text boxes to one an other so that text continues in one box after the other box is full, this gave me great help and saved me a lot of time when I was writing my double page spread article. I learnt how to create text boxes and rotate them with text in them to create effect on my media product. This is displayed in my final media product, the IRM double page spread has a pink banner on the top of the page. This was done through adding a text box and then making it pink. Also I learnt how to change the size of the gap in between text words.
I have learnt how to use cam studio. This enables me to show people what I have learnt through a video. I can record myself using the computer and save it as a cam studio video.
Question 7- looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
From the preliminary task I feel I have learnt a lot. I have learnt how us software of Photoshop such as photoshop. On photoshop I have learnt how to use different fonts, shadows, banners, different colours, shapes and tools to create my front cover for my own music magazine.
I have also learnt about software called QuarkXPress passport. QuarkXPress allowed me to create my contents, and double page spread. I learnt that QuarkXPress Passport is better to use for contents pages and double pages spreads, rather than a front cover because it its better to use for text. I learnt that QuarkXPress allows you to link up text boxes to one an other so that text continues in one box after the other box is full. Also I learnt on QuarkXPress how to use different colours text and different colour backgrounds to make my contents and double page spread look more appealing.
Also I have learnt how to use cam studio. Cam studio records what you are doing on your screen. This enabled me to create my on video of photoshop to demonstrate how to use it.
I have learnt about how pictures need to look on a contents page of a magazine. It needs to have no cluttered backgrounds. Also make sure to focus on lead singer if it is a band shot so the audience know who they are. If a single audience make sure it a medium shot- close up. Need to leave room for a masthead and don’t cut off heads. Also make sure it isn’t a high angle shot. Also animate your band- make sure they look at the camera
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