Kyle Thornton

G321 MEDIA STUDIES EVALUATION

FRONT COVER AND CONTENTS PAGE

PLAY LIST DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

1

IN WHAT WAY DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT

USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL

MEDIA PRODUCTS?

Masthead

Pugs

Main Cover Line

Date Line and Price

Additional Cover lines

Main Cover Image with Direct Address

Barcode

I used a number of conventions through out my magazine cover. I understood what these conventions where and how to use them through tasks such as : http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/q-magazine-cover-analysis.html

. I also looked further into some of the conventions in order to better under stand how to use it affectively in my final product. http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mastheads.html

I also attempted to structure my magazine around the left third so this was were I included my masthead, pug, beginning of the main cover line and some of the additional cover lines

My magazine subscribes to typical conventions of a magazine cover as it includes a masthead, main cover line, additional cover lines, as well as a date line, price and a barcode.

My biggest influence for my magazine was Q magazine but in the end product one key diff erence was the style of photo used. Q traditional used close ups of the artist featured on the cover but I ended up using a wide shoot of my featured artist.

Another challenge to convention was the colour scheme for the cover of my magazine which are typically very bright eye changing colours but I went to other way in order to stand out by not being a bright colour and so hope full noticeable in the sea of colour on a shops shelf.

Another aspect of my magazine that is diff erent is the style of mast head as I have a continues banner at the top of the page that incorporates my masthead instead of a masthead and a banner along the bottom of the cover. Such as the one on the Magazine in my conventions analysis, http:/ /kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/q-magazine-cover-analysis.html

For my contents page I did some research in to similar products, http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/contents-page-comparisons.html , I liked the style of the Vibe magazine but I also felt like it was not suitable for by style of magazine as it would be closer to that of Q. Q use a list style contents with a selection of images included with in it. This then lead to the style of contents I have now with the text switching from side to side and images filling the space opposite the text. This also allows for me space with which to place the information for contacting the magazine.

I continued to use the same font style for the contents as used in the Masthead to continue the running theme through out the magazine. This was also the reason for the title of the section being This Months PLAY LIST as this goes with name of the magazine and the masthead. Other uses of this can be found in the details on the contents page.I included another image of the cover star in order to illustrate the area of the contents page his article could be found.

I looked further into double page spreads in order to find a style which I thought may suit my style of magazine. http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/double-page-comparison.html I feel that the layout that included a large image of the artist on the one page and the article on the other such as in Q and Rolling Stone magazine. I did alter this slightly though as through my questionnaire, http://

kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/research-and-analysis-of-target-market.html, I discovered that those in my demographic wished to see tour dates in the magazine and so a had an image that cover half of one page and filled the rest of that page with tour dates. I also included the feature artists logo, http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/east-of-west.html, as the background for the article, similar to the one a used in a practice double page spread I created, http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/pageplus.html.

2HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA

PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL

GROUPS?

My magazine will most likely represent of an age range of between 16 and 25, similar to the age of the featured artist

In terms of race, class and gender there is no real distinction of a particular representation.

There is a stereotypical representation of gender on the magazine as the cover is dominated by a male feature artist.

REPRESENTATION

3

WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR

MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?

A media institution that may produce my magazine may be Future plc.

Future plc already publishes music magazines such as FutureMusic, Guitar Techniques, Guitarist, musicradar, Rhythm and Total Guitar.

http://www.futureplc.com/

4WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR

MEDIA PRODUCT?

The audience for my magazine would similar to the audience of Q magazine and potential some of the reader and audience of NME magazine. This audience is a mixture of both genders as well as a variety of races and classes. The age of the audience is typically from the older teenagers around age 16 and up and up to around the mid twenties usually up until around 25. This was also similar to the age of people that I used as a focus group. http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/research-and-analysis-of-target-market.html http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/research-and-analysis-of-target-market.html

5HOW DID YOU ATTRACT YOUR AUDIENCE?

I attempted to attract an audience by not going with the typical brightly coloured covers but instead when for black and white to create a contrasts with the other magazines on the shelf.

I also used a diff erent font for the featured artist in order to attract an audience.

The attitude of the cover artist will also attract my targeted audience as they may see him as a recognisable figure as well as having similar passions and attitude towards life.

The cover image may also attract my audience due to the cover start wearing very recognisable clothing that fi ts a certain style which may be a similar style to that of my target audience.

6

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT

TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF

CONSTRUCTING THE PRODUCT?

Through the process of creating my final products I have used a variety of programmes that can be used in the production of magazines such as PagePlus, Paint.net and Microsoft Publisher. In order to use these programmes I need to learn how to effectively use them, this has included how to uses layers, the ability to manipulate images and also how to use it to construct the magazine itself. Publisher: http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/m-2.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/sound.html http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/pitch.html http://

kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/possible-front-cover-layout-drafting.htmlPaint.net: http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/reznor-rocks-nme.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/paintnet-practise.html PagePlus: http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/pageplus.html

I have also learn how to take a higher quality photograph in order to have a better quality of images that can then be used with in my final product. http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography_2894.htmlhttp://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography_8927.htmlhttp://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography_25.htmlhttp://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography.html

I also had to have a better understanding of how typography should be used in magazines and then also decide which is the most suitable fonts to be used with in my final product. http://issuu.com/pint.size/docs/type_rules/1?e=5736675/6401086http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/potential-band-names-research-and.htmlhttp://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mastheads.htmlhttp://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mastheads.htmlhttp://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/potential-mastheads.html

Through out this process I have presented all of my work using Blogger and my blog - http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/. I feel that blogger is a very simple and effective method of displaying work as it allows for me to track my progress and see what I should focus on next. To add the work to blogger was all so an easy process as it allows for you to quickly and simply upload images, web links and either write or paste in text meaning that you could plan posts out first on word and then copy it to the post, it also allows for the posts to be easily be edited.

Publisher Paint.net PagePlus

A familiar software that I was already

comfortable with

The ability edit images in a variety of ways

Specifically designed for the creation of

similar publications

The ability to easily create font as well as

edit style, size and colour.

The feature to add different filters to an image to change the colour or style of the

image

The ability to export the projects as variety

of file types.

The ability to save documents as JPEGs

and PNGs

Basic tools and effect make it easy to pick up.

STRENGTHS OF PROGRAMMES USED

Publisher Paint.net PagePlus

Publisher has a very limited number of tools that can not be added to

All features have to be downloaded separately

The image editing can be very complicated.

Very difficult to freely structure the project due to certain restrictions.

Can be difficult to edit text once deselected.

WEAKNESS OF PROGRAMMES USED

7

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL

THAT YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL

PRODUCT?

My preliminary task saw me attempt to create a cover and contents page for a school magazine. My preliminary cover is very blank and nothing on it links with anything else on the cover. It also does not include some key

conventions.

Preliminary Final Product

Preliminary Final Product

My Preliminary tasks contents page looks more like a menu than a contents page, it has no real structure and no images or other

information, that show that it is a magazine. Also the pages are very bunched and stop at a very low number.

8

HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOU FEEL YOUR END

PRODUCT IS IN FULFILLING THE TASK? HOW WELL DOES IT FIT

THE BRIEF?

I feel that I have been fairly successful in completing the project laid out in the brief, I have successfully created a front cover for a music magazine that features an original artist as well as taking original photography that feature on my cover. I have also created a feature article with in the magazine on the double page spread I have also created. I also used research in to other magazines of a similar style as well as with my target audience to create a contents page that is consistent with other magazines and also factors that were wanted by my target market.

OVERALL IMPRESSION