Tuesday 20 October 2015
Monday 19 October 2015
Monday 12 October 2015
Thursday 8 October 2015
Wednesday 7 October 2015
Photography initial ideas
With many of the more upmarket magazines, which I am aiming to create, the central image on the cover has a black background with the main artist centred, often fairly close to the camera (medium close-up to close up.) I am planning on using the drama studio and its lighting to photograph the artist who I will be writing about in my double page spread, Michael Adcock. I will start off with the plain black backdrop, and I will experiment with editing it to look completely black or leaving it as a curtain, as this would connote the film/theatre aspect of my magazine and also add a bit of variety to my images.
I will also keep the mise-en-scene unconventional and unique, with my model holding a ukulele as opposed to the usual conventions of a guitar. I will also have him wearing a red suit including blazer, waistcoat and tie as this is a very different take on what stereotypical teens are depicted as wearing. i.e hoodies, T-shirts and trainers.
This will give my magazine a very distinct feel and make it appeal to my audience (fans of indie and alternative music.)
I will also keep the mise-en-scene unconventional and unique, with my model holding a ukulele as opposed to the usual conventions of a guitar. I will also have him wearing a red suit including blazer, waistcoat and tie as this is a very different take on what stereotypical teens are depicted as wearing. i.e hoodies, T-shirts and trainers.
This will give my magazine a very distinct feel and make it appeal to my audience (fans of indie and alternative music.)
Initial ideas for music magazine.
A hybrid magazine combining music and film; mostly lesser known artists/bands/genres and film makers. Mastheads involving play on words associated with film and music. I.e 'Rock&Rolling' - The 'Rock' of course being about rock music and the 'Rolling' being about film cameras rolling, but it also links with Rock & Roll music, an older genre, as I want my magazine to feature old, classic films and music as well as new. Also some genres that are not often discussed in music magazines.
I want my magazine to appeal to a relatively young audience (teens to early adults) who enjoy indie music and films and I also want it to be of fairly up-market quality and defy some of the generic conventions of music magazines to create something individual, like the music genre and my target audience.
I want my magazine to appeal to a relatively young audience (teens to early adults) who enjoy indie music and films and I also want it to be of fairly up-market quality and defy some of the generic conventions of music magazines to create something individual, like the music genre and my target audience.
Tuesday 6 October 2015
Action Plan
Research and Planning:
-I will research similar, existing products.
-I will consider setting, actors, props ect. when taking photographs for my images.
-I will plan shots for images, layout, drafts and house style/masthead.
-I will effectively present my research and plannning.
-I will manage my time effectively.
Production
-I will create a product suitable for my target audiencce, keeping in mind the conventions used in page layout and design.
-I will vary font styles and sizes on my magazine to acheive diversity and dynamicism.
-I will use appropriate language and ICT skills.
-I will use a balance of illistration, image and text.
-I will manipulate photograps when necessary for the task.
Evaluation
-I shall use appropriate technology and ICT for my evaluation.
-I will refer closely to the choices I made during productions and consequent effects.
-I will consider issues of audience, institution, technology, limitations and conventions faced during production.
-I will utilise good comunication in my evaluation.
WORK FLOW
5th October: -Introduce the task and action plan and post on blogger.
-Post inital ideas for music magazines on blog.
-Post institution research.
-Analyse two front covers from sub-genre magazines.
12th October: -Analyse two contents pages and DBS from selected sub-genre.
-Develop pitch.
26th October: -Complete any outstanding Research and planning tasks.
2nd November: -Magazine production using photoshop.
9th November:-Develop front cover and experimentation.
23rd November: -Design double page spread.
30 November:- Audience feedback.
7th December:-Finalise magazine design.
14th December:-Evaluation preparation
21 December-28th December:-Draft Evaluation.
4th January:-Develop Evaluation
11th January:-Complete evaluation and check blogs.
29th January:-FINAL DEADLINE!!
-I will research similar, existing products.
-I will consider setting, actors, props ect. when taking photographs for my images.
-I will plan shots for images, layout, drafts and house style/masthead.
-I will effectively present my research and plannning.
-I will manage my time effectively.
Production
-I will create a product suitable for my target audiencce, keeping in mind the conventions used in page layout and design.
-I will vary font styles and sizes on my magazine to acheive diversity and dynamicism.
-I will use appropriate language and ICT skills.
-I will use a balance of illistration, image and text.
-I will manipulate photograps when necessary for the task.
Evaluation
-I shall use appropriate technology and ICT for my evaluation.
-I will refer closely to the choices I made during productions and consequent effects.
-I will consider issues of audience, institution, technology, limitations and conventions faced during production.
-I will utilise good comunication in my evaluation.
WORK FLOW
5th October: -Introduce the task and action plan and post on blogger.
-Post inital ideas for music magazines on blog.
-Post institution research.
-Analyse two front covers from sub-genre magazines.
12th October: -Analyse two contents pages and DBS from selected sub-genre.
-Develop pitch.
26th October: -Complete any outstanding Research and planning tasks.
2nd November: -Magazine production using photoshop.
9th November:-Develop front cover and experimentation.
23rd November: -Design double page spread.
30 November:- Audience feedback.
7th December:-Finalise magazine design.
14th December:-Evaluation preparation
21 December-28th December:-Draft Evaluation.
4th January:-Develop Evaluation
11th January:-Complete evaluation and check blogs.
29th January:-FINAL DEADLINE!!
Introduction to music magazine task
For my main media coursework, I will be creating a cover, contents and double page spread for a new music magazine. All of the images, stories and text must be created by myself. I must decide which genre it will be and what content it will have.
Monday 5 October 2015
Evaluation Of Student Magazine.
In what ways does your student magazine use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Before I designed my student magazine I researched existing products. They followed similar ideas and conventions; bright colour palette, bold masthead and a central image depicting young people, typically a similar age to the target audience, i.e teenagers. They also mostly maintained a balance between youthfulness and energy/sophistication and grown up. I decided this was essential in creating a successful magazine. To create this balance in the house style I chose the colour palette of black, white and red. The black and white connote sophistication and adulthood, while the red is bright and bold and creates a feeling of fun. I had a bold, black and white title with red borders, this maintained the house style and made it easy to see. For my central image I had three students, one with direct mode of address and smiling and the other two looking to the side. They were stood in front of a tree, it connoted fun and also showed a beautiful natural side of Ludlow. I kept with the convention of having the word student in the masthead. I called it 'Ludlow Student Stop' as the target audience was made clear whilst assuring that it wasn't just a magazine with advice for college. It is a place for students to 'stop' and relax and find out about things to do.
How does your student magazine represent particular social groups?
I took into account my target audience research but I didn't make it too specific for one group. I made it fairly open by having lots of varied content, from film reviews to photography guides; this way there would be something for any student in my magazine. I also made the magazine 99p as the feedback was that it should be very cheap or free for students and money made could go back into producing appealing content for the magazine.
What kind of media institution might distribute your student magazine and why?
I would distribute my magazine through colleges and universities as this is where my target auidence will be most likely to view it.
Who would be the audience for your magazine?
My audience would be students at college and university, so generally young people aged between 16 and 24
How did you attract/address your audience?
I used a colourful, bright central image depicting young people, some of whom were looking directly into the camera, grabbing students' attention. I also used black, white and red for my masthead to create a bold, eye-catching title that would appeal to students through its balance of fun and grown up tone. I did this along with other, varied fonts and colours for my cover stories, creating an interesting, dynamic front page. I addressed the audience in an informal, chatty way to try and relate to students by using puns, relaxed language and direct mode of address without sounding patronising.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of creating your student magazine?
I have learnt that pictures taken that are intended for the central image need to be taken in portrait in order to correctly fit the page and remain clear. I have also learnt that new layers need to be named and in the correct order to remain clear and easy to manage and organise; this way it is easier to move images and text without creating problems for the rest of the layout. Images must also go to the very edge of the page so the ink can bleed to the edges, not just to the margin. I have also found out that the boxes that represent the different layers can interfere with other boxes/shapes so it is even more important to name layers and keep checking how the magazine looks on the review mode so any necessary changes can be made before it becomes too confusing.
Before I designed my student magazine I researched existing products. They followed similar ideas and conventions; bright colour palette, bold masthead and a central image depicting young people, typically a similar age to the target audience, i.e teenagers. They also mostly maintained a balance between youthfulness and energy/sophistication and grown up. I decided this was essential in creating a successful magazine. To create this balance in the house style I chose the colour palette of black, white and red. The black and white connote sophistication and adulthood, while the red is bright and bold and creates a feeling of fun. I had a bold, black and white title with red borders, this maintained the house style and made it easy to see. For my central image I had three students, one with direct mode of address and smiling and the other two looking to the side. They were stood in front of a tree, it connoted fun and also showed a beautiful natural side of Ludlow. I kept with the convention of having the word student in the masthead. I called it 'Ludlow Student Stop' as the target audience was made clear whilst assuring that it wasn't just a magazine with advice for college. It is a place for students to 'stop' and relax and find out about things to do.
How does your student magazine represent particular social groups?
I took into account my target audience research but I didn't make it too specific for one group. I made it fairly open by having lots of varied content, from film reviews to photography guides; this way there would be something for any student in my magazine. I also made the magazine 99p as the feedback was that it should be very cheap or free for students and money made could go back into producing appealing content for the magazine.
What kind of media institution might distribute your student magazine and why?
I would distribute my magazine through colleges and universities as this is where my target auidence will be most likely to view it.
Who would be the audience for your magazine?
My audience would be students at college and university, so generally young people aged between 16 and 24
How did you attract/address your audience?
I used a colourful, bright central image depicting young people, some of whom were looking directly into the camera, grabbing students' attention. I also used black, white and red for my masthead to create a bold, eye-catching title that would appeal to students through its balance of fun and grown up tone. I did this along with other, varied fonts and colours for my cover stories, creating an interesting, dynamic front page. I addressed the audience in an informal, chatty way to try and relate to students by using puns, relaxed language and direct mode of address without sounding patronising.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of creating your student magazine?
I have learnt that pictures taken that are intended for the central image need to be taken in portrait in order to correctly fit the page and remain clear. I have also learnt that new layers need to be named and in the correct order to remain clear and easy to manage and organise; this way it is easier to move images and text without creating problems for the rest of the layout. Images must also go to the very edge of the page so the ink can bleed to the edges, not just to the margin. I have also found out that the boxes that represent the different layers can interfere with other boxes/shapes so it is even more important to name layers and keep checking how the magazine looks on the review mode so any necessary changes can be made before it becomes too confusing.
Sunday 4 October 2015
mock up of cover and contents pages
Continuity must be maintained between the pages, keeping with the mode of address, colours and overall house style. This will give my magazine a memorable identity.
Initial ideas for student magazine.
Name:
Student's Guide- This gives potential readers the message immediately that it is a magazine with advice for students. It is direct, clear and precise. It tells students that it is a guide tailored for them.
Ludlow Life- Uses alliteration to stand out and gives the impression that it is about what to do generally in Ludlow. This may be good, as students may want articles on hobbies, activities and not just advice on exams and college life; however it may also not be clear that it is a student magazine, so use of language, image and colour would need to make this clear.
Ludlow Student Stop- This Masthead combines both of the previous ideas. It has student in the name so the target audience is clear, but it isn't just a guide or advice magazine; it is a 'stop' for students; somewhere for the students of Ludlow college to go and relax, find out about activities and gain some advice too. It is a clear, but open name for my magazine.
House Style:
From my research into the target audience, it is clear that balance is key when designing a student magazine. It must be grown-up, whilst remaining fun but also not patronsing. I intend to achieve this by using contrast: Bright colours such as red, yellows, and purple, connote fun, with black, white and grey which represent sophistication and a level of subtle style. The font must also be interesting to look at and not too boring, but also not be perceived as childish. Continuity is also essential so that the audience know what they are getting from start to finish. Therefore the colour scheme, fonts and language must remain very similar throughout the magazine.
Mode Of Address:
My magazine needs to be relate-able to students so should be fairly informal and direct, as if just having a conversation with a student. Again, I must be careful not to be patronising. Being a teen myself, it should be easier to acheive this. Despite this, it should maintain a sense of professionalism and coherency so shouldn't over-use slang, but should contain some element of fun and friendliness.
Central Image:
My central image should show one or more students having fun and making direct eye contact with the camera, this will draw students in and hopefully be relate-able to my target audience. It should also contain some elements of colour as it will be the image for my background so needs to be eye-catching. It will also need to have an interesting background and lighting, possibly somewhere outside on the college campus to connote relaxation and an inspiring outdoor theme,rather than being stuck inside or just stood by a wall.
Content:
My magazine will focus on activities to partake in when the winter weather comes, it will also contain reviews for upcoming films and guides on walking and photography. It will also have guides on college life, such as getting enough sleep and efficient revision techniques. I aim to get the balance between fun activities and useful advice for college right.
Fonts:
I will remain fairly consistent with fonts between my cover and contents pages, but also vary some fonts and sizes on my cover for a dynamic, eye-catching front page. I want some fonts to be more fun, colourful and playful and some more sleek and subtle. This, again, will help to maintain the balance between relate-able and fun/grown up and professional.
Student's Guide- This gives potential readers the message immediately that it is a magazine with advice for students. It is direct, clear and precise. It tells students that it is a guide tailored for them.
Ludlow Life- Uses alliteration to stand out and gives the impression that it is about what to do generally in Ludlow. This may be good, as students may want articles on hobbies, activities and not just advice on exams and college life; however it may also not be clear that it is a student magazine, so use of language, image and colour would need to make this clear.
Ludlow Student Stop- This Masthead combines both of the previous ideas. It has student in the name so the target audience is clear, but it isn't just a guide or advice magazine; it is a 'stop' for students; somewhere for the students of Ludlow college to go and relax, find out about activities and gain some advice too. It is a clear, but open name for my magazine.
House Style:
From my research into the target audience, it is clear that balance is key when designing a student magazine. It must be grown-up, whilst remaining fun but also not patronsing. I intend to achieve this by using contrast: Bright colours such as red, yellows, and purple, connote fun, with black, white and grey which represent sophistication and a level of subtle style. The font must also be interesting to look at and not too boring, but also not be perceived as childish. Continuity is also essential so that the audience know what they are getting from start to finish. Therefore the colour scheme, fonts and language must remain very similar throughout the magazine.
Mode Of Address:
My magazine needs to be relate-able to students so should be fairly informal and direct, as if just having a conversation with a student. Again, I must be careful not to be patronising. Being a teen myself, it should be easier to acheive this. Despite this, it should maintain a sense of professionalism and coherency so shouldn't over-use slang, but should contain some element of fun and friendliness.
Central Image:
My central image should show one or more students having fun and making direct eye contact with the camera, this will draw students in and hopefully be relate-able to my target audience. It should also contain some elements of colour as it will be the image for my background so needs to be eye-catching. It will also need to have an interesting background and lighting, possibly somewhere outside on the college campus to connote relaxation and an inspiring outdoor theme,rather than being stuck inside or just stood by a wall.
Content:
My magazine will focus on activities to partake in when the winter weather comes, it will also contain reviews for upcoming films and guides on walking and photography. It will also have guides on college life, such as getting enough sleep and efficient revision techniques. I aim to get the balance between fun activities and useful advice for college right.
Fonts:
I will remain fairly consistent with fonts between my cover and contents pages, but also vary some fonts and sizes on my cover for a dynamic, eye-catching front page. I want some fonts to be more fun, colourful and playful and some more sleek and subtle. This, again, will help to maintain the balance between relate-able and fun/grown up and professional.
Thursday 1 October 2015
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