Evaluation
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
For my preliminary task I had to produce the front cover and contents page of a school magazine. There is a huge difference in my preliminary front cover and music magazine cover, one main factor of this is the photograph and editing.
My front cover was taken in front of a green screen and it was my first time using it so I didn't know the best way to go about it. One mistake I made was not laying something green on the floor so I could edit the carpet out therefore I had to cut the bottom half of the picture out. It wasn't too bad in the end and I used it as a learning point when it came to my music magazine front cover. I also didn't know how to remove a green screen and there was a problem with iMovie on the Apple Macs which took up a lot of my time. However I finally managed to remove the green screen and applied a simple white geometric background. I didn't edit my original photo as I didn't know the tools that were available to me on Pixlr, for example I could have applied a filter and changed the exposure to make it look more professional. Also the quality of my image isn't very good and this is due to putting it through different process to remove the green screen.
My music magazine front cover wasn't taken in front of a green screen which meant I had less trouble when it came to editing. The picture was originally taken in black and white I then brightened it up and sharpened the image to achieve a more professional finish. I also blurred some of the background to get rid of any imperfections
My school magazine is very different to my music magazine in that it has more cover lines and doesn't fit the minimalistic approach that I took on my music magazine. My masthead doesn't stand out as much compared to my music magazine. Also their isn't a direct colour scheme that flows throughout, however I used the same fonts which is similar to my music magazine. The main difference in the two covers is the level of professionalism, style and quality. My school magazine is less professional, has a cluttered and approach and the quality is poorer due to the technology and editing skills I used.
The differences between my preliminary and final contents page are similar to my front cover. I didn't get the dimensions correct for this page meaning it doesn't look professional and also the image doesn't particularly link to the page. I didn't make any changes to the images such as tweaking the exposure or adding an effect. These could have helped improve the professionalism of the image which could have helped improve the overall look of the magazine. Although it is simplistic and less cluttered than the front cover, the quality still isn't good. I didn't do enough research into school magazines to get an idea of how to layout my contents page which limited my ideas of how to approach it. I also didn't research enough into how to edit and didn't pay enough attention to detail as each part of the magazine is vital. Whereas with my final contents page I had some more experience and spent a lot more time editing each section as paying more attention to detail and exploring ideas. For example 'contents' on my school magazine is rather simple and not intriguing compared to my final contents.
Overall, from this process I have learnt how to create a more professional and higher quality magazine. Learning from mistakes in my preliminary task such as the green screen, it's allowed me to improve and know how to take overcome challenges. I've also worked on my editing skills which has allowed me to explore and work with the typical conventions to make them more appealing and improve the look of the magazine. Another thing I've learned is that attention to detail is important in every aspect as it's all apparent to the reader.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I used a combination of different technologies to construct my product.
When it came to taking my pictures I used a Canon Camera and my iPhone 5S. With the Canon the quality was very good and the definition was high however it took a while to get to grabs with it as I had never used one before. With the iPhone 5S the quality was good but obviously not as great as the Canon however I found that I liked using the iPhone as I am more familiar with it. I decided to take my pictures on the Canon however my front cover was taken on a Samsung Galaxy S5 without the intention of it being used for my magazine. But when I came across the picture again I saw the potential for it to be used for my magazine.
For the editing of my pictures I used my iPhone 5S, Word and Pixlr. I edited the backgrounds on my phone when I was trying out different filters and used 'Noir' which meant I didn't have to find a way to edit the green screen using Pixlr which saved me time.
After that I turned to Pixlr to start editing my magazine further such as adding the masthead, cover lines and the double page spread. With Pixlr it took me a while to get to grabs with the software and also I had to take time to explore what each of the tools did and how I could use them. It was very useful in that I could apply layers and the eraser tool to create the masthead and cover line. The biggest advantage of Pixlr is that it helped me to achieve a professional finish which is the aim of the magazine.
I also used Word for my double page spread as I needed a bigger size font which I couldn't access on Pixlr. However it meant that I had to screenshot it then apply it on Pixlr which lead to the quality being deteriorated and it was a little pixelated. There isn't a lot of tools on word to make my whole magazine which is why I only used it a small amount.
Overall at first I found Pixlr difficult to use as it was my first time. It was frustrating and time - consuming however I managed to overcome this as I used it more and more throughout editing my magazine. I found Word easy to use as I have used it a lot it just didn't provide all the tools that I needed to create a professional looking magazine. The Canon camera gave me good quality photos however as it was school's property I couldn't have it whenever I needed it. My iPhone 5S was very easy to use and helped me overcome the big issue of the green screen which I was yet to conquer.
After that I turned to Pixlr to start editing my magazine further such as adding the masthead, cover lines and the double page spread. With Pixlr it took me a while to get to grabs with the software and also I had to take time to explore what each of the tools did and how I could use them. It was very useful in that I could apply layers and the eraser tool to create the masthead and cover line. The biggest advantage of Pixlr is that it helped me to achieve a professional finish which is the aim of the magazine.
I also used Word for my double page spread as I needed a bigger size font which I couldn't access on Pixlr. However it meant that I had to screenshot it then apply it on Pixlr which lead to the quality being deteriorated and it was a little pixelated. There isn't a lot of tools on word to make my whole magazine which is why I only used it a small amount.
Overall at first I found Pixlr difficult to use as it was my first time. It was frustrating and time - consuming however I managed to overcome this as I used it more and more throughout editing my magazine. I found Word easy to use as I have used it a lot it just didn't provide all the tools that I needed to create a professional looking magazine. The Canon camera gave me good quality photos however as it was school's property I couldn't have it whenever I needed it. My iPhone 5S was very easy to use and helped me overcome the big issue of the green screen which I was yet to conquer.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine mainly includes Black artist this is because my genres of music - Hip - Hop/Rap/RnB predominantly originate from black Africans. Hip - Hop came around in the 1970s and was an underground urban movement that was developed in the South Bronx in New York City. R&B which stands for Rhythm and blues originated in the 1940s. The R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African-American experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy. Rap stands for rhythm and poetry and the origins of the phenomenon can be said to pre-date hip-hop culture by centuries. From this the particular social group my magazine represents are young street black Africans.
Stereotypically, in films we see the young black boys on the streets playing basketball in their fresh trainers, who then go back to their home where they have struggling families and money problems. In the mainstream media blacks are seen as thugs, criminals and lazy, however that doesn't portray all young black adults I personally think that this stereotype is over too concentrated on and exaggerated.
The people of my social group are young, street, creative and ambitious. They love music and don't go a day without it and are dedicated to their favourite artist. They don't follow trends they create them. My social group is similar to the artist featured in my magazine. Andrietta is young upcoming but still in school studying A Levels which is how I imagine the consumers of my magazine.
The social groups that aren't included in my magazine are those who aren't really into my genre of music. For example those who love pop music might not as they are into all the mainstream music and follow trends whereas my social group create the trends. Also those who love Indie music as they love to be different and they are not exactly defined which is why they are indie.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
According to Wikipedia a media institution is 'a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet.'There are two different types of publishers.
There are institutions and independent publishers. Institutions as previously mentioned is a company that owns other large companies and produces a mass of media. An independent publisher is one company that produces a small amount of magazines. My text is aimed at a mass audience so I think it is most likely to be published by an institution. Although I do believe there is a gap in the market for my publication as there are many rock, indie and pop magazines such as MOJO, Q and NME here in the UK but not any Hip - Hop/Rap/RnB magazines. Looking at the NRS website there was a lack of magazines in this genre which proves their is a gap in the market. There has been magazines of the genre such as 'Hip - Hop Connection' which is the longest running monthly magazine devoted to hip - hop but it unfortunately did not last and published its 232nd and last issue in 2008. I think my magazine would be popular as the genre has become a lot more popular and apparent as artist such as Drake, Kanye West and J.Cole are well loved and very influential on this generation.
I think I would want Bauer Media to publish my magazine. This is due to the fact that they are a multi - platform UK based group and is Europe's largest privately owned publishing group. They manage more than 600 magazines, over 400 digital products and 50 radio/TV stations around the world. They produce some of the top brands in the UK such as Kerrang!, Q and MOJO. Even though these magazines aren't the same genre as mine, Bauer is a very successful publisher and I think they'd help get my magazine out there and help contribute to making it successful. They manage over 600 magazines so they must have the correct strategy and I would love for them to apply that to my magazine and fill that gap in the market.
My magazine would be sold in all types of store across the UK, firstly I would aim to get it into popular supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury as many people tend to pick up a magazine on their weekly shop. I would also aim to get into into shops where books and magazine are more specifically sold such as WHSmith as many go in there with the intention of buying a magazine. Both locations would make my magazine more accessible and open my magazine up to a large audience people beyond my target audience which could be a bonus.
How did you attract/address your audience?
Here is some feedback on what people thought about my magazine and what intrigued them.
In terms of the written language on my front cover and contents page I have used simple, straight to the point language as previously mentioned rap/hip-hop/RnB have lyrics that are straight to the point. So therefore I think my target audience would appreciate the language I have used throughout my magazine and they will be intrigued to read it. I haven't used a lot of stereotypical rap language such as 'yo' and 'swag' as I think this stereotype has begun to fade out and is less focused on.The language on my double page spread is more detailed as there is more information. As it's the beginning of an interview, it's more casual, laid back and less formal. I think this is attractive to my audience as stereotypically lovers of my chosen genre aren't formal and neither is the music so therefore they would find it enjoyable to read.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
 |
| Examples of current Rap/Hip-Hop magazines |
In terms of my magazine, one thing I have taken from the rap magazine conventions is that I placed my image in front of the masthead to show that my artist is new, fresh and upcoming. I out my artist name - Andrietta, in front of the image as she is a new artist and people need to get to know her name. One thing I definitely did challenge is how women are seen as sexual objects as I disagree and dislike this stereotype, also in this day and age feminism is highly promoted movement that I agree with. To avoid this I didn't make my artist wear anything that was seen as provocative and also I steered away from the invitational pose which suggest mystery and mischief in a sexual way. Another typical convention I also didn't follow is the iconography, guns, chains/jewellery, cigarettes/cigars and stacks of money. I personally don't like that look as I don't agree with the promotion of gun violence and smoking. The materialistic things can come across as arrogant and very 'look at me' which I wanted to avoid as it doesn't appeal to me. In terms of fonts, layout designs, columns and such, I did take inspiration from typical rap magazines as I went for a chunkier more bold font and did it in a bright colour. For my double page spread I looked at double page spread of Wiz Khalifa that I liked as it was minimal.
 |
| Wiz Khalifa Double Page Spread |
I went for the same layout design in that I had one side of my dps as just an image of my artist then on the other side the article. My image was inspired by this as well as this one is simple with no special backgrounds and editing but is effective.
As for my front cover it has aspects of other rap magazines but is minimalistic instead of cluttered. They tend to have a lot of cover lines that cover the main image and there is always a lot going on, on the page. On my magazine I have one main cover line as I wanted all the attention to be on my main image which is a single artist as many rap magazine covers don't have bands and groups. My artist is also black as it is a typical convention and hip-hop/rap/RnB originates from African and Rap stands for rhythmic African poetry.
I previously composed a questionnaire with a series of open and closed questions as out magazines to get an idea of what do for my own. I originally planned to use all the answers from my questionnaire but, as I started to create my magazine I found new ideas and styles that I wanted to go with instead of basing it purely off of my questionnaire. One answer I did take from my questionnaire and develop is that more preferred an uncluttered look and wanted a conventional style. I followed the conventional style in that I had a masthead, main cover line, main image, date line and such. Even though my magazine is more minimalistic it still uses the typical magazine features and doesn't challenge forms of real media products.
A few other bits of research from my questionnaire that I followed were that a single artist on the cover was most popular and pictures and headings were most preferred. I was inspired by fader magazine which fitted the style of answers that I was given as they are minimal and feature single artist.
The format, formula, frame and function are the same as most rap magazines. It has the same content inside as I have an interview on my double page spread which are featured in many rap magazine. I have also stuck to the normal magazine frames as I have a gone for a conventional style. The function of my magazine is the same as any other, it's a source of entertainment and to provide news and information about my genre of music.
