Second Draft (Contents Page)

This is the second draft of my contents page. As of now, I have printed it out and I am currently awaiting feedback. I am now going to evaluate how I think I have done on this task, what went well and what I could have improved upon.

First Draft (Contents Page)

I have made lots of improvements to my contents page because, it didn't look like a professional contents page at all. It looked more like a very creative powerpoint presentation.

The main improvement I have made is decreasing the font size. When I printed out the first draft, the text was too big for a contents page. The other reason why I decreased the font size was to include more features to ensure that the magazine had more to offer.

I also included a 'features' and 'regulars' because, I have found that most magazines use this in their contents pages. As a result, I could include more features.

Overall, I think that this task went very well and I am very happy with the progress I have made because, this contents page does look very professional.

First Draft Feedback (Contents Page)

This is the feedback I had received for my first draft contents page.

I was told that a magazine advertises more than 6-7 articles and that the font was too big by an industry standard. I was also told to include more capital letters to make the font stand out and to make my columns straight and even.

This feedback has been a massive help to me because, I now know what I need to do to improve my contents page and get better marks.

First Draft Feedback (Front Cover)

I have now received feedback for the first draft of my front cover. There were lots of things I was told to improve upon.

Starting with the top of the magazine, the feedback stated that the text of the skyline usually covers the length of the top and I would obviously need to change the text. Similar feedback applied to the masthead. I was told that it covers at least 20-25% of the page. For the text below, I was told that it was too big for just essential information so I needed to decrease the size of that.

For the the bottom of the magazine, I was told that the barcode required size reduction because, it is only essential information and it doesn't actually relate to the content of the magazine. I was also told that the content of the main cover line was vague and it didn't really explain what the main article was going to be about. Another aspect that I needed to improve upon was the fonts because, I was told that they were limited. Although, I used different fonts that just looked similar.

The point of this activity is to reflect on what I need to improve upon to get better marks on my coursework.

Preliminary Task Feedback

Preliminary Task Evaluation


The link above takes you to the blog, where I evaluated the preliminary task that was such an essential part of my coursework. This was the task that counted towards nothing in relation to my coursework, but if I didn't complete it, I would lose around 15% of my final mark.

I have now been given feedback for that task. For the preliminary front cover, I received an E grade and for the contents page, I received a U grade. Since this task doesn't actually count towards my final grade, I am not overly concerned about these grades, especially since my main front cover and contents page are a lot better and I should get higher grades for the main task.

I do understand why I received these grades though.

The preliminary front cover doesn't look professional at all and I wouldn't buy this magazine if I saw it in a store. It looks a design brief made on powerpoint. The only essential information that I included on the front cover was the barcode, which didn't really help in making the front cover look professional. I did include the date of the issue, but again, it didn't really help. I also didn't take advantage of the space and I only included few articles with basic text and font that didn't look like text you would find a professional magazine. Not only that, the different colours of the text made it difficult to read.

The preliminary contents page was worse. It looked unfinished and it resembled something you would find on powerpoint. The image I used for the contents was the same image I used for the front cover. Again, the image and the text made it difficult to read. There was also no clear colour scheme because, I used a variety of different colours which all made the text difficult to read. None of the text stood out apart from the text that wasn't ingrained into the contents image.

If I was to undertake this again, there would be several improvements that I would make to both the front cover and the contents page.
For the front cover, I would have a more clearly established colour scheme and an image that was less busy to allow the text to stand out. I would have also used more article suggestions to take advantage of the space because, the front cover looked bare and lifeless. I would have also used a more bolder font and perhaps a different colour and I would take more time to ensure that the text was readable. I would also include more essential information (issue number, magazine website) to make the magazine look more professional.
For the contents page, I would use another image and I would also use more text with different fonts. Like with the front cover, I would use a more clearer colour scheme to relate to the theme of the magazine and I would construct the images better because, the end result of the image looked unfinished and basic.

However, the feedback is going to help me massively for when I undertake this task again because, I now know what improvements I need to make to increase my marks. I suppose it would have helped with the main task if I had received this feedback before I started it because, I would have known not what to do in advance. However, I do think that the front cover and contents page for the main task is a lot better than the preliminary task.

First Draft (Contents Page)

The next part of my coursework was to develop a contents page to go with the already developed front cover and the upcoming double page spread. Developing the contents page took slightly longer to undertake than it took me to develop the front cover. It took me only one Media lesson to develop the front cover, whilst it took me about three or four media lessons to complete the contents page. This was because, I wanted the contents page to look as professional as possible. When I initially believed that I had finished, I wasn't impressed by how it looked so I decided to change it.

I changed the background colour of the 'Top Spot Contents' box. It was initially red and the colour of the text was white. I thought that it looked like something from a powerpoint presentation and it didn't tie in well with the theme of a rock/indie magazine. I changed the background colour to black and I also changed the font of 'Top Spot' to make it look more professional. I did the same thing to 'contents', except it looked different from 'Top Spot'. Now, it looks professional and something you would find in a music magazine.

I also changed the font and the size of the cover lines. They again resembled something you would find on a powerpoint presentation. However, the cover lines now resemble something you would find in the contents page of a music magazine in the real world of a similar genre to mine.

First Draft (Front Cover)
Overall, this particular task was more difficult than the previous task. It was certainly more challenging to complete because, my contents page lacked a background colour. The background was plain. However, I think that the different font and colours of the text made up for it because, they are types of text, colour and font that are usually found in music magazines like Q, Kerrang and NME. Currently, I am awaiting feedback for this task which I hope will be positive. However, I do think that the front cover looked better and more professional.

If I was to undertake this task again, I would use another image or I could include more text and features because, I have come to discover that most popular magazines (of any genre) have various sections (i.e. regulars, features). However, since it is only a first draft, I feel that I have made a very good attempt.

First Draft (Front Cover)

Magazine Flat Plan and Rationale

This is my magazine front cover for the first draft of my AS Media coursework. This is a vital part of my coursework and it only took me one Media lesson to complete this. Above, is a link to the post which features a flat plan and rationale of my product. When completing this task, I slightly changed the concept of it because, I thought that the product would benefit from more detail to make it look more professional. For example, I decided to feature skyline whilst I was developing the product because, I was looking at other magazine front covers and I thought that a skyline would make my product look more professional. In my opinion, it has. I also decided to feature another cover line because, there was some spare space. I have also used images from the internet. They are; the barcode, the pound sign and the 'red hot chili peppers' logo (at the top right hand of the page). I had to find an image of a pound sign because, I wasn't able to get the pound sign key on the keyboard to work.

I decided to feature the colours of red, grey, black and white because, they are all colours that have been used in real life magazines such as Q and NME (magazines which I have taken inspiration from) I personally think that these colours work well together because, again, it makes the magazine look very professional. The text are different colours because, they stand out more and the target audience will be drawn to the text.

I have also changed the position of the main cover line (star in the making) because, that would have got in the way of the main image.

Overall, I am satisfied with the finished result and it went a lot better than I thought it would. I think it looks very professional and I could picture it on a shelf in a retailer somewhere. The easiest aspects of developing this front cover was inserting the image onto the page. I only had increase the original size of the image. I didn't need to edit the background because, the background colour of a front cover of either Q or NME is normally grey. The hardest aspect of developing this front cover was writing the text in the box. At various points, the box would layer over the text and at other times, the text would stay the same colour as the box even after I had changed the colour. Currently, I am awaiting feedback but I hope that it will be positive.

Time Management

Time Management

This is the time management post. I am undertaking this task because, it can help me to keep track of my progress so far and it can help me to determine what I still need to do.

So far, I have completed 25 blog posts.

However, four of them were completed after we were asked to print out our blogs.

Currently, I am in the process of developing the front cover of my magazine. I now need to complete that, as well as create the contents page and the double page spread. However, I have plenty of time to undertake these tasks and I am sure that I will have no problem in managing my time.

Photography

Photography

I am now undertaking the photography task, in which I have to research images from other magazines, which I will use as inspiration for my magazine.

I have decided to use these images as inspiration for my magazine because, the used models are looking directly at the camera. I personally think that a model staring at the reader would be more effective because, it is as if they are looking at you and when someone is staring at you in real life, it is hard to ignore them.

I intend to use this format for my magazine. My front cover will definitely feature a model, who is looking directly at the camera. I intend to do the same thing with the image of the double page spread because, the article in my double page spread will feature quotations. The effect that this will have on the target audience is that they can imagine that they can actually hear what the cover star is saying. This could perhaps make the text more readable to the target audience and they could also find the article more interesting.

Reader Profile

This is the reader profile for my magazine.

My magazine is aimed towards young people aged between 16-30.

My target audience would read the music magazines of Q, NME, Kerrang and Vibe, as well as my magazine, Top Spot.

They are avid listeners of the mainstream BBC Radio 1 and occasionally listen to Kerrang Rdaio, a station that predominately plays rock music. My target audience also like to attend music festivals, whenever they are being held. Examples of festivals include Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe and T in the Park.

My target audience are also actively engaged in social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter) and are all owners of iPods, iPads, iPhones.etc. They use social media and technology on a daily basis and often use their smartphones to listen to their  favorite music. My target audience are also fans of the annual Brit Awards.

A reader profile is going to be a massive help with my coursework because, I can get a better understanding of who my target audience is. I need to understand who my target audience is because, it will help in developing my magazine. I will know what colors to use and what my articles are going to be about.

The Recce

The ‘recce’
Provide answers in paragraph form to the questions below that
are relevant to your production.
 
 
  Are there any potential hazards that could pose a health and safety risk where your photo shoot will take place (trailing cables/traffic/other objects )?- The only hazard I would face during this photoshoot would be that if the keyboard accidentally fell onto my foot.
  

What will you do to ensure these risks are minimised?- I would ensure that the keyboard was securely placed on the unit that was holding it.
    

Will the time of day/weather affect the outcome of the photos? Have you allowed for this?- If I had taken the photographs when it was dark outside, the lighting would have been affected massively. The photos would have been too dark and difficult to see. They would have had to be taken during the day.
   

Have you considered the background to your photos, particularly if taken outside? How will you ensure you will get the background you want?- I have considered the background of my photos. I plan to use a grey coloured background because, I am taking inspiration from Q and NME magazine whose background colours are either grey or white. Thankfully, the room I intend to use has grey wallpaper.
  

Have you considered lighting? What about the ‘problems’ of natural lighting, either outside, or streaming through a window? Will you need to use a flash? Have you considered reflective objects that might spoil the effect?- I have considered lighting. Natural lighting won’t be such a problem because, I can just close the blinds if I need to. I will need to use a flash and that could be a problem for the lighter coloured props I intend to use.

 Do you need permission to take photos in the place/venue you have in mind?- No I don’t because, the photos will be taken at home.

Do you need to book time in a room (eg the photography studio at Shiney)?- No because, the photos will be taken inside a room at home

Are other people/crowds likely to be an issue for you? What have you done to ensure that it will not spoil the effect?- No because, there is only one person taking the photographs and I am the only person that will appearing in the photographs.
  

 Are you reliant on lifts/props/friends’ equipment/models? How have you planned that these things will come together at the appointed time? Plan B?- I am reliant on equipment (a keyboard) which is already in the room that the photos will be taken in.
 

 Finally, have you thought of every eventuality…?- I have considered what I would do if the photos were of a poor quality. I would take them again to improve them.

This is the recce, which I had completed on Microsoft Word. I had copied and pasted the text on this blog. The recce was a document, in which i had to discuss how I was going to undertake my photo shoot.

Magazine Flat Plan and Rationale

 This is the Flat Plan and Rationale for my main product.

The JPEG to the left is flat plan for the front cover and the contents page. I have decided to place the masthead at the top left hand corner of the page because, it enables more focus on the main image and the sell lines. I have also decided to use a cover line to go with the main image because, it provides the target audience with more information as to what the main article could be about. I have decided to feature sell lines on both sides of the page because, it makes the front cover look more lively and interesting.
For the contents page, I have decided to use only one image because, I am taking inspirations from Q, NME and Kerrang magazine. All of their contents pages only feature one image each.
 



Below, is the double page spread. I have decided to locate the main image on one page because, that is what other magazines, of similar genre to mine, do. Also, a large image on one page is going to catch the attention of the target audience because of its size and quality.
All of the text will be located on the other side of the page. I have located the pull quote at the top of the page because, it will also be the header. This is because, a lot of other music magazines do this. I am going to use drop capitals because, it is a way of guiding the reader through very small text.                                                                        

Magazine Inspirations

Magazine Inspirations

When I eventually create my magazine, I will be using front covers like these (i.e. any front cover from Q and NME magazine) as inspiration. I have chosen to use these magazines as inspiration because, they cover similar genres of music to the genres that I will be covering in my magazine. These genres of music are britpop, rock, indie, R&B.

Like with these front covers, I intend to locate the masthead at the top left hand of the page because, it enables more focus on the rest of the front cover. Also, I intend to use the colour of red frequently including for my masthead. However, I will be content if I have to change the colour to suit the background and the image.

When I come to create the contents page, again, I will be using these magazines as inspiration. For my contents page, I intend to use one enlarged image and to make the text bold and reasonably big, just like the following contents pages above. The image will provide the target audience with a visual clue as to what the main article is all about.

To be honest, I am not sure which magazine this double page spread comes from but I chose this image because, it features multiple images. For my double page spread, I intend to use multiple images because, they make the article look more lively and interesting. However, if taking the images doesn't work out, I may end up using only one enlarged image. If that is the case, my double page spread may look something like the image below.

A common theme in both of these double page spreads is that a pull quote is used as the title. This is something I intend to do with my double page spread. It is a way of immeadiately catching the readers attention because, the reader would want to know what the interviewee was talking about.

Survey Analysis and Audience Focus Group

www.surveymonkey.com

This is the web link to a website called Survey Monkey, which allows you to create surveys for free. I had used this website as part of my target audience research task, in which I had to find out who my target audience was and what qualities they think makes a good magazine.

I am undertaking this task, so that I will be able to establish what my magazine is going to look like. However, I have a very good idea of what I am going to do with my magazine anyway. Whatever the result, it will just be mere feedback. So far, I have had no responses so I will have to undertake another method to get information.

On Survey Monkey, I had created a survey which contained 10 questions. These ten questions were;

1. How old are you?

2. What genre of music do you listen to?

3. Do you read any music magazines?

4. If so, what music magazines do you read?

5. Do you regularly attend live concerts?

6. How much would you buy a magazine for?

7. What colours, do you think, are appropriate for a music magazine?

8. What would you like to see on a music magazine front cover?

9. How often would you want to buy a magazine?

10. What would make a magazine contents page look interesting?

These are questions that require more than an answer of yes or no. I am hoping to gain an insight as to what my ideal target audience (16-25 year olds, who have a strong interest in rock/indie/r&b/britpop, of both gender) likes and dislikes. I will be using the results as helpful advice. It might be useful, but ultimately, I have a very good idea of how I am going to develop my magazine.

I gave my survey to ten people, who were aged between 16-25 (the age range of my ideal target audience). I am going to focus on questions 2-10. For Question 2,  2 out of 10 said pop, 5 said rock and 3 said indie. Subsequently, I am going to focus on covering the rock/indie music genre. For Question 3, 3 out of 10 said no, whilst the other 7 said yes. Within the 7, NME, Q, TOTP and Kerrang were magazines that were mentioned. This means that I am going to do extensive research into the magazines of NME and Q because, they were more responses for those magazines and I want to appeal to the target audience as much as I can. The general response I got for Question 5 was that they would attend a live concert depending on when they were and which artist would be performing. This enables me to feature any artist I choose on my magazine front cover. For Question 6, all 10 participants are said 99p and I have decided that 99p will be the price of my magazine. For the next question, the general ideas I got were red, grey, black, yellow and white. This response is ideal for me because, I was intending to use those colours anyway. For the final three questions, I was told that information about what to expect in the magazine and the image of an artist were things that they wanted to see on a front cover. For Question 9, 3 said once a month, 1 said every weekend and the other 6 said once per week. Therefore, if my magazine was real, it would be distributed once a week. The participants said that they thought lots of colour, text and images would make a contents page look interesting.

Overall, I have found this survey incredibly useful and it has given me loads of ideas as to how I would undertake the three drafts of this vital part of my AS Media coursework. I now have a more clear idea as to how I am going to design my final product as a result of this survey.

Audience Focus Group

Following the construction of the product, I joined the social networking site, Facebook to join undertake an Audience Focus Group. There, I joined the class' group chat and I posted my magazine on the page, where I received comments about my magazine. Below is a print screen of the audience focus group on Facebook and the responses I got. This has been very beneficial to me because, it enables me to make a clear judgement as to whether I have achieved my goal in appealing to my ideal target audience. I believe I have because, of the responses I have got.

Institution Research

EMap is an industry based brand, which specializes in the retail, health, construction, architecture and fashion.
Their aim is to bring professional companies together through social media.
Examples of magazines that are distributed by EMap are SPORT, Smash Hits and Nintendo Official.

                                                                                         
GQ, Glamour and Vogue (all fashion magazines) are among the prime example of magazines that are distributed by Conde Nast. It was founded in 1909 by a man named Conde Nast and it is a mass media company that is based in New York City. They normally produce magazines and this is how their company are distributed.

Natmags are a British magazine publishing company that is based in London. It was founded in 1910 by William Randolph Hearst and they mainly distribute lifestyle magazines. Examples of magazines distributed by Natmags include Coast, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Men's Health.






IPC Media was founded in 1958 in London. Examples of magazines distributed by IPC are Look and Woman, both gossip magazines that are predominantly read by middle aged women.

Future Publishing is a media company that was founded in 1985 by Chris Anderson in Somerton, Somerset. Future Publishing is responsible for the distribution of games magazines including Game and GamesMaster.










The Bauer Media Group is a large European based media company that was founded in 1875 by Bauer Verlagsgruppe in Germany. They are a multi media company that specialize in TV, Radio and Magazine. Examples of magazines distributed by the Bauer Media Group include Take A Break, Q and Kerrang. They also distribute a music TV channel, Box TV. They also own the following radio stations; Kiss FM, Magic and Absolute.



I think that the Bauer Media Group would be the most suitable institution for my magazine because, it doesn't just specialize in magazines, it is a multi media company. It also specializes in TV and Radio, which could be very beneficial for my magazine. For example, there is a music magazine and a music channel that both go by the name of Kerrang. As a result, Kerrang is going to attract masses of public attention on a daily basis.

Mark Scheme Task

For this task, we were put into four groups of four and we had to analyze a former students work (i.e. front cover, contents page and double page spreads). We had to look for the positive and negative aspects of the piece and we had to discuss what grade we would have given it.

My personal opinion on the piece I looked at was that overall, it was very good but there were a lot of improvements that could have been made to it.

The student used the same image on the three sections. On the other hand, the image was manipulated very well and it almost looked original. The front cover looked very professional and it looked like something you would find in a shop. However, there was perhaps too much information and the front cover looked very busy. Despite that, it still looked professional.

The contents page was the strongest section of the magazine. It looked virtually identical to a contents page from Kerrang magazine but it was creative and there was a lot happening. However, the contents page only advertised 24 pages and the magazine's cost was £1.99 which is a slight rip off. Nether less, the contents page was extremely professional.

For the double page spread, the image from the front cover and the contents page was used. One half of the page looked very professional. It contained the image and a pull quote which was designed in a way that blended well with other magazines. However, the other half of the double page spread contained little text with the same font size. Also, the language resembled language you would hear in a television interview and the page numbers were larger than the article text itself.

We graded the piece a B because, overall, it looked professional and it looked like something you find   in a shop.

Photoshop Evaluation

This is a magazine front cover that I developed on a program called Photoshop.

This isn't my final design; this is just a practice. My finished front cover may look nothing like this and I hope that my front cover will look slightly better than this one. As a design, I think this front cover is very good but there are some improvements that I could make to it if I had the chance to undertake this task again.

First of all, I would use different colours for the text because, a lot of the text is very difficult to read. On the other hand, I think that this is due to the colour of the background. It doesn't really blend in well with the colour of the text and I don't really understand why that is. I thought it would have done.

For the actual magazine, I would use a different background colour. A colour, which would be slightly brighter so that the darker colours of the text look more visible to the target audience. I wouldn't change the colours of the text because, they are bright and lively.

On the other hand, I will be using this product as inspiration for the finished result. For example, my magazine will be called 'Top Spot' and I want the layout to look similar to this one. I also want the main image to dominate the front cover. I wouldn't use an original background colour but I would ensure that the background colour of the main image is bright so that the text colour is visible.

I also didn't include a date, a price or an issue number. The only essential information I included was a barcode. Other than that, the magazine merely looks like a publisher presentation. I think that the addition of some more essential information would make the overall product look like a magazine front cover. This is something that I will be taking into consideration when I get onto the main task.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Evaluation

This is my completed preliminary task that I had to undertake as part of my coursework.

In order to complete this task, I had to develop a front cover and a contents page of a magazine that was based around the college.

In preparation for the task, I had to take a series of photographs around the college and I would use these as images for my

magazine. I decided to take photographs of the exterior of the college and other students reading books from the library. However, I encountered a few problems during this process. The main problem was that I initially wasn't sure of how the professional camera operated and when I started taking photographs, they turned out to be videos which had to be deleted. Other photographs I took were too blurry to use and I had to take most of them again. My second attempt was more successful, as proved in the images above.

As you can see, my magazine is called 'college central'. I decided to use that as the masthead for my magazine because, the magazine is about the college and the college is the central focus of the magazine.

I didn't really encounter many problems, whilst developing the front cover. It went fairly well and I was satisfied with the finished result. However, I did face problems with developing the contents page. The problem, was that I only downloaded the image above and I had no access to the memory card of the camera I used. I came up with the solution to use the same image I used for the front cover. If I was given the opportunity to complete this task again, I would download more images. If I was to use another image for the contents page, I would use the photograph I took of the exterior of the college because, it would make the contents page look more appealing to the target audience (an image of a modern building).

In conclusion, I wouldn't really change anything about the front cover. However, I would change several aspects of the contents page. I would use a different image because, it broadens the quality of the magazine. Using the same images on both the front cover and contents page make the magazine look unprofessional and rather unexciting. I would also develop the background as well. I would make it look more colorful because, a plain background doesn't make the magazine look very exciting. It makes the magazine look very basic and unprofessional.

Photoshop Magazine and Contents Page

This is the front cover for the magazine for my preliminary task. It is a task that I must complete as part of my coursework. In preparation for this task, I took a series of photographs which I could potentially use for my magazine.

We had to develop a magazine that was based around the college. My photographs consisted of images of the exterior of the college and other students reading books from the library.

In the end, I decided to use this image as the central image for my front cover because, it represents what a lot of the college students are working towards. That is, the highest grade possible in their A Levels. In order to achieve high grades, you need to revise.

I decided to use a range of colours for the text and I did that in order to make the front cover look more interesting.

This is the contents page. As you can see, I have used a similar colour scheme to the one I used for the front cover because it ties in with the theme of the magazine. However, I only used one image for the contents page because that was the only image I had downloaded. I also included information below the coloured text to provide the target audience with a little more information about what the article is all about.

Flat Plan and Rationale

This is my flat plan and rationale for my preliminary task. The image above is the layout of the front cover. I have decided to locate the masthead at the top left hand corner of the page because, the reader will still be able to see the masthead but there is more focus on the rest of the front cover (i.e. the central image). For my main image, I am going to use another student and I will take a few photographs of that student reading a book. I will choose the one that will look the best for my magazine. The main image will be located at the centre of my front cover and it will dominate the rest of my front cover. The date and price of the magazine will be located below the masthead so that the target audience know exactly what they are going to buy and how much they are going to buy it for. I will advertise the supporting articles in the right hand section of the front cover because, it would enable the target audience to know what to expect whilst looking at the main image.















For my contents page, I am only going to use one image and I will probably use an image of the exterior of the college because, it gives the target audience more information as to what the college is like. I will only use one image on my contents page because, realistically, I am not going to have all the time in the world to take loads of different images.