Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back at my preliminary task and how far I have come since it, I am much happier with my final piece.

On reflection, I didn't really spend a lot of time on my preliminary task and looking at it now, it clearly shows in the quality of the magazine. I spent a lot longer on my final magazine and was able to create something with a much more professional finish. 

One of the most obvious things when looking at my preliminary task and my first drafts for my final magazine was that I wasn't particularly good at using space efficiently which left me with a lot of white space. I realised that this made my magazine look uninviting and unorganised as there wasn't a lot there to appeal to the reader. After creating my first drafts and realising how unattractive it looked I knew that this was something I urgently needed to work on. By bulking everything out significantly there is now minimal, if any, white space on my final pages which makes my magazine look as if it is packed with information, which will make it appealing to a reader.

My preliminary task was essential in helping me get to grips with creating a magazine, as I had nothing created one or anything particularly similar. As I was more a less completely new to the process it really was useful being able to create something low key like a school magazine using new programmes. Another benefit was that when it came round to creating my final task it meant I already knew how to use new technology and so I had more time to spend on using my own design preferences in order to create something unique.

Creating a music magazine is by no means an easy process and so I had to do a lot of research into music genres and top selling magazines so that I could find out exactly what was going to make my magazine stand out against others in the industry. Although I had done research during my prelim task it wasn't as in depth or narrow focused as my final research, so I feel like I didn't benefit from it quite as much as I could have done.

Obviously the main aim for the final task, aside from creating a music magazine, was to create something that would sell. To help me know what I do to achieve this I looked at current popular magazines within my genre, such as Q and Kerrang, and used them as my style models. I found this an advantage as I was able to see what they had in common, what sells and what appealed to me. As I'm part of my own target audience this was a benefit. I feel that although I did look at some school magazines to give me a rough idea I should have done some more in depth analysis of them like I did for my final style models.

I was undecided about who I wanted as my target audience in my prelim task, and attempted to create a magazine that would able to both adults and students. Due to the significant age difference I should have realised at the time that it would be a difficult task. Therefore when it came to choosing a target audience for my music magazine I chose a much more focussed one, with an age range of 16-25. This gave me a lot more leeway, as they would have similar interests and dislikes and so it would be much easier for me to able to appeal to both ends. I chose to appeal to both sexes as well which although, admittedly, I did find a bit daunting at first I think I was able to pull off by not relying heavily on stereotypical colours like blue and pink, which some magazines rely on.

Creating a school magazine wasn't something that I was particularly interested in doing and I think this shows in the overall quality of the piece. This proved to me that when it came to creating my final piece I needed to chose a genre that I either loved or a genre that was completely out of my comfort zone yet would be enjoyable to create. After how boring I found creating my prelim task I realised that it would be best for me to focus my magazine on a genre that I loved. This is why I chose to go with Alternative Rock. Using a genre that I personally love was a major benefit as it allowed me to relate to my target audience on a more personal level as I would be ensuring that the magazine would appeal to me as well.

Surprisingly, my favourite page to create was actually the contents page, which I had absolutely dreaded in my prelim. As I had never created a contents page before I was very uneasy as to how to go about it or what it should look like. Therefore in my prelim I created it very quickly and accepted it when I thought it looked vaguely okay. However, by using a style model in my final task I was able to create a much more professional looking contents page which is attractive and I believe will appeal to my target audience. Most importantly I really enjoyed creating it! I loved being able to decide exactly would go in and I think adding the 'Editor's note' was a really fun, personal touch.

I did find it hard to come up with ideas for my final magazine as they are a lot more straightforward for a school magazine. I found with the school magazine that when I did my group research a lot of the elements that they mentioned they would like I had already included in my magazine. This made it difficult to make my magazine unique as I knew everyone else would also have those articles and so it wouldn't really stand out. I'm grateful that when it came to creating a music magazine it was easy to be much more creative. Although I did chose a niche genre and a niche target audience I included elements from the actual Rock genre itself in order to give myself as much leeway as possible to be creative and create something different to the rest.
Once I had finished my first drafts I realised that is was still very prelim and that I really needed to up my game if I wanted a magazine that would sell. Perhaps the biggest factor in being able to achieve this was my use of technology. For my main task I decided to use more advanced technology. I relied on the iMac a lot more in my main than I did in my prelim as I realised that Pages created a much more professional looking document than Publisher did. I used my own camera, which I know can take good quality photos, and then used Pixlr to enhance the final images, something I didn't do in my prelim. Technology helped create a very professional looking final piece which I am absolutely thrilled with and still can't quite believe that I managed to do myself!

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

How did you attract/address your audience?

Language
I feel that the language I used in my magazine is friendly and appropriate for the age range of my target audience. For example, I didn't use any crude language as not only may people be offended by it but it wouldn't be appropriate for the younger end of my target audience.
As my target audience is 16-25 the language I used was more mature instead of cringe-worthy which is seemingly stereotypical of young adult magazines.

Direct Mode of Address
One way to make my magazine attract my audience is by using direct mode of address. I chose not to use it on my Front Cover but did include it in my Contents Page and DPS. In the photograph I used on my DPS my model is looking straight at the camera. Therefore it is almost as if she is looking at the audience when they are reading the article, making them feel like a part of it.
I used personal pronouns on my Contents Page as a way of enticing the reader as it makes them feel like a part of the magazine. I interpreted them into questions such as 'After reading the lineups, which would you choose?' which again helps to make the reader feel involved with the magazine.

Photographs
When taking my photographs it was important that I chose a model who would appeal to my target audience. Therefore I decided to chose a main model who was within my chosen age range, 16-25.
The model herself is 17 so she is at the younger end but I chose to dress and style her so that she would appeal older. By doing this I have placed her around the middle of the age range ensuring that she will appeal to both the older and younger ends of it. Younger readers may look up to her as an older role model and someone they aspire to whereas older readers may aspire to have her success. 
My duo models are also 17 so I would hope that if I had chosen to base my DPS on them it would have had the same effect.
The photograph of Don Broco would work differently as Bobby is older than my age range and so he would be purely be looked up to as an experienced role model.

Colour Scheme
I followed a 3-Colour Colour Scheme for my magazine, using black, white and red. I chose these colours as I know that they work well together and are appealing to the eye. I chose a vibrant red for the Front Cover as that will be the first part of my magazine a reader would look out and so I need to ensure that it would stand out compared to other magazines. The red also clashed with the colour red of my models trousers which helps to make the magazine attract attention. I used a more pinky-red for my contents page and DPS as I wanted it to blend more with the colour of my models trousers so that the clash wasn't carried the whole way through, preventing my magazine from becoming too tacky.

Media Codes and Conventions
I wanted my magazine to be different and I didn't include many media conventions. 
Although I personally find most media conventions used in magazines tacky it was important that I put my own opinions aside and focussed on what would appeal to my target audience as they would be the one buying my magazine. 
When doing my research I found that the most popular convention used was bursts, to show the reader what else was in the magazine. I decided to put two on my Front Cover as if the reader knows what else they can expect from the magazine they will be more willing to buy it. Therefore I decided to use these in my own magazine.
Media conventions that I decided against using include sell lines, a menu bar and a tagline. This is not purely because I like them, it's because I don't feel that they'd fit in with my style of magazine.

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?

Final Magazine

I am aware that when you look at my draft magazine compared to my final magazine there is a  huge difference between the two products.

I realised that the minimalistic approach I wanted to take really wasn't appropriate for creating an Alternative Rock magazine as Rock is typically associated with chaos and hectic lifestyles. Also, in order for my magazine to stand out against others and to gain the interest of the reader I couldn't completely dismiss all media conventions. It has proved to me that even by following some conventions you can still make the magazine your own. I haven't used as many conventions as the majority of magazines which allows my magazine to still have a bit of a minimalistic edge as it's not overly cluttered and therefore pleasing to the eye. I've realised that at the end of the day you have a target audience for a reason and you need to ensure that they will buy your product or else it's pretty pointless.
I'm thrilled with my final pieces as I feel they look much more professional and they are definitely something that I would be willing to pick up from the shelf. 
I did panic that I didn't have a lot of time left in which to create my final product as I completely changed my mind nine days before the deadline but I've shown that if you're willing to put the effort in then anything is possible.

Final DPS

This is my final DPS. Overall I am really happy with the improvements I have made since my draft as I feel it looks much more professional and attractive.
I swapped the original photo with the photo that had been on my front cover draft as I think this photo works much better for a DPS. I edited it so that it took up just under 50% of the page, giving me more room to write my article. It looks almost as if the model is walking out of the article and I really like this effect.

I decided to put a heading at the top of my article so that by reading it you know what to expect straight away. It also gives the reader something else to look at instead of breaking straight into the interview.

I added more questions and answers to my interview in order to fill out the white space that I had at the bottom. The fact the article is now full makes it look much more interesting as there is clearly a lot of information about the singer. 

I changed all of the fonts from my draft as I felt that they were too boring. The new fonts work well with my genre and they are much more attractive and appealing to the eye.

I changed the line spacing of the name down the side so that it filled nearly the whole side of the photograph, reducing the amount of space that was left in the draft. Doing this has not only made it stand out more but gives another clear focus for the reader to look at on the page. 

Although I have included my 3-colour colour scheme I changed the shade of red slightly to make it a pinky shade, similar to that of my model's jeans. This makes it easier on the eye instead of having an obvious clash, which, even although something stereotypical of music magazines, is not something that I wanted to do.

I chose to put my heading, her name, and my interview questions in uppercase as these are key things that I wanted to be the main focuses. As well as this having all my text in lowercase would have made my article look quite bland and, as capitals look as though they're shouting, this gives an edgy feel to my article.

I'm really pleased with the final outcome for my DPS, as this is the part of the magazine I was the most worried about creating. I feel that I have been able to portray the rock genre well through my choice of photos, fonts, colours and the actual text itself. 

Final Contents Page

This is my final contents page. Again, it has had significant changes to my draft in order to make it look more like a music magazine.
Although I liked the photo I used in my draft I admit that the edit was very tacky and looked unprofessional. Therefore I simply reverted it back to the original image so that I could use that instead. I placed it in the top left half of the magazine as I wanted the actual contents to be able to run alongside it on the right.
I kept the font the same for my 'contents' as I thought it fitted in well with my genre. I did change the colour though as against the black background of the photo the white looked better than the red. I made the text a larger size so that it would fit inside the border of the photo and look like a part of the photo itself.
I decided to put my 'Issue No.' and 'cover date' on a red column as I felt just black text on a white background as it was on the draft looked a bit bare. I think the sudden splash of colour looks appealing and it helps the text to stand out.
I bulked out my list of contents as I said I was going to and it helps give a sense of a fuller magazine. I split the contents under titled headings so that to the reader it is clear exactly what is going on on each page; for example, on page 21 there is a Muse poster. I made the background of each heading black so that they stand out and it makes my magazine look more organised. I changed the colour of the page number to red to differentiate between the two more easily.
Finally, I added an 'editor's note' at the bottom as it is something personal for the readers. I commented on my favourite parts, or what would be my favourite parts, of the magazine and included a photo so that they get to see the 'face behind the magazine'.
I continued my colour scheme on the contents page as it is part of the house style of the magazine. The background to my contents is white, as compared to black on the front cover, which allowed me to use black more. Although black can be quite a boring colour I feel that I managed to use it correctly, along with the red, to make my contents page as interesting as possible.
I used five different fonts on my contents page and I feel they work really well together. I tried to choose fonts that fitted in with my genre and that were easy to read. I steered clear of heavy graphic fonts as well as fonts that appeared too plain.
I'm really happy with my final contents page. It fits in with the house style I created on my front cover and I feel it looks like a proper magazine. When compared with my draft contents page it is a complete contrast. After looking at my final drafted magazine I realised I really needed to turn it around to make it look as close to professional standard as I could. My contents page was a particular worry as after all, this will be the first thing my reader sees when they open my magazine and so it needs to look appealing.

Final Front Cover

This is my final front cover. As you can see I have more or less completely changed it and I am now incredibly happy with it.
The first thing I did was change the background photo. Now when you look at my magazine it is obvious what music genre it is focussed on. I enlarged the photo and placed her head in between the 'M' and 'P' to give it more of an edge.

I decided to call my magazine 'AMP', short for amplify, as it connotes loud, heavy music which is the main element of rock. It is a short, catchy name and will stick in people's minds. I enlarged the font so that it stands out and will be one of the first things my target audience sees when they pick up the magazine. I edited the character spacing to make it fill the top part of my magazine and having it spaced out adds a new dimension to the cover. I changed the colour of the 'M' to red as it makes it look more appealing and it stops the cover from looking too bland.
The main article of my magazine is to do with my model Bethaney, so it was essential that I put this on the front cover. I put 'World Exclusive' at the top which will automatically grab the readers' attention as by purchasing the magazine they will be receiving an interview that no one else is. My choice of phrase, 'SHE'S BACK WITH A BANG' will entice the reader as the article sounds exciting. I changed the character spacing of the phrase, bringing it closer together, to make it look more interesting and it gives my magazine a bit of a rockier feel.
I added two bursts to my cover to give the reader an insight into what else they can expect from the magazine. They are clearly labelled with the name of the band in the photo and also a short sentence giving the reader an idea of what the article will be about. I chose to put the text in blocks so it makes my magazine look cleaner.
I used six different fonts on my cover to make sure it didn't come across as bland and uninteresting. Although six is a lot of fonts I feel it works well on my cover as they fit in with the genre. For the bursts I kept the fonts the same for both so that it didn't confuse the reader too much. Also, as they are both bursts it would make sense to keep the fonts the same.
I followed a 3 colour colour scheme, using red, white and black, all of which are typically associated with rock. The colours work well on my cover, helping to make it look attractive and exciting. I chose a vibrant red so that it stands out and draws the eye. As the background itself is very dark I chose to stick to white font text for the majority of it so that it can be seen. I used red and white for the blocks to make it look more creative and to make it easier to read.
Overall, I'm thrilled with my front cover. After my draft, a very bad attempt at a minimalistic magazine, I feel that this actually looks like a proper music magazine that you would see available in shops. I think I've managed to tie everything together to give it a professional finish.

Final Image - Extra

After creating my draft for my Front Cover I realised I needed to make several alterations in order to make it more appealing to my target audience. One of these was to add some bursts to give an insight into what else is in the magazine and entice the reader into buying it. I wanted to add two bursts, however, as I only had two photoshoots, I didn't have a third photograph to use.

Therefore, I have decided to use an image that I took at a Don Broco gig in February. I am going to edit it the same as I have with my other final images and this way I will be able to create the two bursts that I want.

After creating my draft for my Contents Page I decided to add an 'Editor's Note' at the bottom as this is what a lot of popular magazines seem to do and I feel that it would work well with my magazine. They all include a picture and, as I'm making a Rock magazine, I kept in with the style and took a photo with a rock pose rather than just plain smiling. I didn't like having a plain background and so I decided to cut the photo out and place the image in front of a mod-rock logo instead which suits my genre and makes the image look a little less boring as well. However, I was pretty stupid and deleted the edit afterwards so I can't put it separately in this post for you to look at, sorry!

Final Image Edits

For my final edits I chose to stick with simple edits as I feel the original photos fit in my genre well enough to enable me to stick to something simplistic. Therefore I simply edited the vibrancy on two of my female model photos, along with my photo of Don Broco to make them brighter and more interesting. I masked a circle onto my Don Broco and The Labels photos so that they would look like bursts on my front cover.

However, when it came to creating the burst for The Labels photo I had to be a bit more creative.

As the photoshoot had been taken in a garden the background wasn't very fitting with the Rock genre. To ensure that it did I needed to change the background. 

I found a backstage photo on the internet and decided to use this. I then cut my original photo out and pasted it onto the new background. The background itself was a very grainy image but this didn't faze me as once I had masked it into a burst it's not noticeable at all. This way my photo now fits in with my genre and style of magazine instead of looking quite so 'boys next door'.

Final Front Cover, Contents Page and DPS

Image Editing

For my drafts I edited the image used on my contents page. This was a straightforward edit in that I cut it out and removed it from the background so that it could go against my plain background. Once I had cut it out I changed the colour vibrancy to make it brighter and more appealing to the eye. Looking back on the edit itself it is rough around the edges and so therefore I am going to tidy it up for my final contents page.

The original photo.

After cutting it out.

The finished edit.

DPS - Draft

This is my DPS draft. Overall I am happy with the layout and the storyline behind my article.
I chose to split the text into two columns as I feel that it looks cleaner when compared to one or three columns. I added the name down the side as it automatically draws attention when a reader comes across the page and they will also know who the article is about straight away. 
My photo takes up just over half of the DPS and is the main focus for a reader when first looking at the page which is what I was aiming for. 
There are still some improvements that I need to make to my DPS. For example my photo needs to be made slightly smaller so that the photo : text ratio is around 50/50. The colours for the article are too plain as I have only used black so I am going to change the colour of the questions so that they stand out more and make it look more interesting. In conjunction with this I'm going to put the questions into bold to, once again, make the article look more interesting. I have a lot of whitespace at the end of the text so I am going to fill it either by adding a callout or by adding more questions.

Contents Page - Draft

This is the draft for my Contents Page. As I went for a minimalistic Front Page I created a minimalistic Contents Page to fit in with the style of the magazine. As with the Front Cover however, I can see that it is too plain and very bland. 

In order to make my Contents Page more appealing there are several things I hope to improve on. I am going to use a different photo of my model as the cut out is rough around the edges and looks unprofessional. I like my choice of fonts but I am going to make the list font smaller and add more to it so that my magazine looks fuller and the size of the font isn't so overwhelming. I'm also going to split it up so that it is clear what each page refers to instead of making the reader have to guess or flick through to find out instead of knowing straight away.

I chose to keep the house colours on the Contents Page as well as it makes the magazine link together well and it keeps my genre running throughout. 

Front Cover - Draft

This is my draft for my magazine Front Cover. I wanted to play around with different ideas and so for my draft I went very minimalistic. However, it clearly doesn't work. The cover is far too plain and therefore very uninteresting. This has made me realise that although Ray Gun may have been my personal favourite when I was doing my research in order to fit in with my genre and to ensure it appeals to my target audience I need to focus on making it similar to NME, Q and Kerrang magazine. 
I want to change the colour and font of my masthead. I feel that the shade of red is too dark to work properly with the photograph and so needs to be changed. I feel that I could find a font that fits in better with my genre as well. 
Once I've made these changes I'll be much more confident with my front cover.
I'm happy with my choice of colours as black, white and red work well together and fit in with my Alternative Rock genre. They are colours that catch the attention of the reader and would entice them into buying my magazine.

Images

I had a second photoshoot with a different model after deciding that my first set of photos weren't right for my magazine. I definitely prefer this set of photos as I feel they fit in with the Alternative Rock genre much better. Below are my favourites and I am going to test them out on my magazine to decide which look best.