EVALU

1. EVALU ATION By Rosannah Robinson

2. 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

3. Example Magazine Conventions Front Cover Masthead: top left corner. Eyebrow defines issue. Date line and price underneath masthead Smaller image to illustrate cover line. Model looks at camera to make eye contact with reader. Picture exceeds margins and pose draws eye to cover lines (e.g. v necks point to band name). Similar, quite simple font throughout and around 5 different sizes. Headline to centre and much larger than the other cover lines. Banner across bottom Other cover lines in textboxes, at angles and only three different colours used. Bar cod bottom left. Link to more music magazines.

4. Contents Page Bold ‘contents’ and masthead. Date included. Separated into clear sections: features, reviews etc. Website address. Numbers, titles, and abstracts in different formats. One main image and one smaller one and main image reaches the edge of the page. Page number of article linked to main image is bigger than the rest and separate. Section specific to this issue is in a different colour to the rest. Masthead used again with a strapline and title in a textbox. Clear headers in textboxes. Margin around the text. Four muted colours with one bright one for text. Page number at the bottom left.

5. Double Page Spread Large and distinctive title that reflects the style of the artist. It’s also vaguely wrapped around the image. White background with one image of artist featured in article. Whole page is mostly colourless apart from image. Model looks at camera and pose reflects her personality/attitude. Image is full bleed. Footers have page number, name of magazine and issue. There are not pull quotes in this article (probably because the title is a quote), but ordinarily there would be. Drop cap. Four columns used and main text is smaller than the stand first. The red used in some of the text matches the red in the picture.

6. My Magazine Cover Front Cover The masthead goes across the full width of the page and graphically shows that this is a music magazine. This challenges the convention of using a simple masthead such as NME and Q. Convention followed with other cover lines in textboxes (so they are easy to read and separate from the main article), at angles (in keeping with anarchic theme that is associated with rock) and only three different colours used (for clarity). For my secondary cover lines I have conformed to the convention of using a simple font so that it’s easy to read. However I have challenged the convention with the head line, partly so that it stands out from the rest but also to help represent the style of the artist. The cut and pasted style of the cover lines is a reference to stereotypical ransom note and therefore is in keeping with the theme of anarchy. Date line etc. as per convention so it’s easily found in a familiar place. Model looks straight at camera (like the convention). This attracts the viewer as the subject is looking directly at them, creating a subconscious message that the reader/fan is important to the artist. Picture exceeds limits of page to maximise the size of the important areas of the image i.e. her face and is positioned to give room for cover lines. Her pose (i.e. position of the left arm) also draws the eye to her cover line. Main headline is the biggest as it’s the most important article in this issue. I haven’t used an eyebrow or a banner across the bottom so that the front page isn’t overloaded with information. Bar code is in conventional place so that it doesn’t obscure image and is in the same place as other magazines for easy scanning.

7. Contents Page Issue included to give the impression that my magazine is up to date. I’ve added a swirly background to my contents page to fill in the blank areas of the image that make it look empty and sparse. I’ve used a ‘black a black and white with a splash of red’ colour scheme for the text so that the different sections stand out which will make it easier to read. I used red specifically because it is particularly bright and contrasts with the black and white more than any other colour. It also has associations with rebelling against the rules. The page numbers, titles and abstracts are in different formats so that the text doesn’t become jumbled together and so that each piece of information is clear helping the reader One main picture to attract them to the article and a smaller one to demonstrate what the specifics of the article. I used the picture with the guitar as the main image because the artist is more easily recognisable than in costume. The ‘continued pg 46’ is there so that the reader can immediately go to the article related to the picture. I used a different artist to my front cover to show variety within my magazine. The grey design behind the ‘news’ section is there to counter the ‘contents’ header and balance the overall look. My content is separated into sections so that the reader can easily locate different articles. I haven’t included all of the content because I don’t want to overload the page with text and the reader will see other articles as they flick through. Artist names are in bold to attract the eye of the reader so they will see an artist they like and then look for the article.

8. Double Page Spread My title reflects the artist because she’s represented as having a very free life and it flows with her outstretched arms literally going ‘with the flow’. The main text is on a translucent background so that it doesn’t get lost in the background text. The text in the background is about what art is which, as part of her representation, is important to the artist because she doesn’t just write/sing what sells. (Another option would be to use lyrics from her songs). It is also there to represent the fact that she goes against mainstream music because her name and pose goes against the straight lines of the text surrounding her. The large ‘F’ in the background emphasises this because it it is red as opposed to the grey text and Florence Welch’s signature look is her red hair. Pull quotes are used so that the reader will be attracted to the article even if they are flicking through the pages. I used a paintbrush in Photoshop to put a flower design in the corner to reflect the femininity of the artist and to balance the page as a whole so that there wasn’t a noticeable blank space in one corner. The page number, issue and name of magazine are in different formats so that the text can fit into a small space, but still be clearly readable. There is no drop cap because it ruined the text wrap around the arm.

9. 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? • 16-25 year olds (mainly female), the subject of the photo represents the middle of that age group. • The swirly background design is 60s-ish which is associated with free love, communal living, breaking down of strict social views which represents the people of the ‘teenage rebellion’ stage. • The main image is of an artist playing music outside sending a message to the people directly (not through media), however his style of dress indicates that he’s not anarchic in an antisocial wayand the Jimmy Hendrix style guitar strap in bright colours implies he’s sure of his own masculinity without the need to be macho. So the character is trying to offer an alternative, better society. • The ‘Steampunk’ theme of inset image from the series of perfume adverts represents another important group involved with ‘Steampunk’ but having similar socio-political views to the artist. • The casual clothing, but the well known ‘Fender’ guitar represents the range of ABC1 classes.

10. 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? IPC would distribute my product because, due to the size of their stable and their attempt to capture as wide an audience as possible, they publish magazines as disparate as NME and Shooting Times. IPC is profit orientated as opposed to wanting to cater to a specific audience so they have the resources to market my magazine and attract the largest possible audience. They are also specific to the UK and my magazine deals with mainly British artists and my target audience is young British people. There is also a gap in the market represented by IPC that my magazine would fill. Because IPC is owned by Time Warner, it is part of an enormous media conglomerate with worldwide marketing possibilities. “IPC Media produces over 60 iconic media brands, with print alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men.” www.ipcmedia.com

11. 4. Who would be the audience for your media product? Demographic Female: 82% Male: 18% Student: 45% Class: B C1 Minority of A class are also targeted. These would be the kind of young people who are reacting against their parents’ social status and morality by listening to less mainstream music and having left wing views. They would probably dress in clothes that their parents don’t approve of e.g. grunge style. Interests: Technology such as music making software (e.g. garage band). Are currently, or have previously studied music subjects. Play an instrument and possibly in a band. Social status: Quite influential in their friendship group, but follows celebrities they look up to. For further detail see research and planning on blog.

12. Addressing the aspirations of my audience My target audience sees in the artists that the magazine covers a freedom of expression in both the styles of their music and their fashion sense as well as their perceived lifestyles. This freedom is not expressed in a stereotypical anarchic rock manner, rather they exude a self-confidence that allows them to live relatively normal lives i.e. you don’t hear in the news about the wild exploits of the artists featured, but their success makes their lives seem more adventurous and exciting than the ordinary lives of the target audience and therefore creates something for them to aspire to. The articles in my magazine are therefore about the artists own aspirations and way of life so that the reader can relate to them. They are also often centered around the music that they create and its inspiration as opposed to sensationalism and gossip.

13. 5. How did you attract/address your audience? The initial attraction for any magazine is the front cover as has been previously analysed. Inside the magazine images and graphics are used to give a visual representation of the perceived freedom of lifestyle and self-confidence of the artists, creating in the audience a mimetic desire to be the kind of person they perceive their favourite artists to be. For example, the font of the large ‘F’ in the double page spread is the font used for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and therefore subliminally reinforces the theme of Steampunk that fits the ideology. Furthermore, she’s in a very loose, aloof, free pose that represents independence of spirit of the character she presents, that the audience feels they need and so they read the magazine to briefly satisfy that need. It suspends their disbelief that they could ever achieve the ideal way of life that the artist appears to have.

14. 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? During the process of constructing this product I have had to become familiar with digital cameras and studio lighting. Learning to control depth of field and exposure, soft and hard lighting, props and backgrounds helped to give the desired end result. In post-production I have had to learn how to manipulate the images produced in terms of colour correction, cropping, contrast and more advanced digital manipulation such as removing the background, overlaying text and the use of effects filters in Photoshop. For example, I used the paintbrush tool (lowering the opacity) in Photoshop to paint over her hair so that it looked redder. I removed the background by selecting around her with the magic wand tool and the quick selection tool and deleting it. After the desired images had been created, they had to be laid out alongside the editorial copy using InDesign. This involved learning to insert and position the various elements of each page. Other tools used included the pen tool to control the shape of the text wrap around the central image on the double page spread. ‘Styles’ were used to make text formatting more efficient.

15. “ The writing is a bit small but the headings work well because it’s easy to tell what the articles are going to be about. I like the font that you’ve written ‘Florence in’. and it’s clever the way you’ve used a wire for feedback. Advertising Page Contents page I had to search for the price on the cover but I’d definitely pay £2.40 for it because I like the artists in it and it looks like what you’re going to say about them goes a bit deeper than the usual gossip. The flowers in the corner and all the colours tone in well. That’s good because it draws your attention to the human figure because of the contrast. It’s like you’ve got hard and soft working against each other but together. There’s no middle ground. It’s stark but its brilliant. That looks like quite a high class perfume but the fact that it appears in a magazine that’s obviously aimed at a younger audience tells me that I would probably be able to afford it at a stretch. I love the text in the big f. it took me a moment to see what you did with the colour but its great. The contents page is great. That swirly red design is like the way you’ve written Florence on the front cover and the bricks in the background match the front cover. Front Cover The flesh and colour and roundedness and curvy ness of ‘Florence’ contrasts with the mechanical computer like words in the background. ” It’s not the usual boring pop stuff you get on the cover of a magazine. It’s stylish more than it’s girly and I like that. The way you’ve made the title flow reminds me of how notes appear on a musical score. Double Page Spread The reds are vibrant and classy and the man in the ad looks very Steampunk. I’d buy that perfume for my boyfriend. Is that because of the feedback you get off speakers. I think it’s clever the way you’ve made the bricks a different colour because it really makes her hair stand out as red which is kind of her trademark. AUDIENCEFEEDBACK

16. 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? Through the analysis of existing magazines, it very quickly became obvious that everything in them is very carefully planned from the outset and even the smallest details have a specific purpose. Therefore you need a vision of the finished product before you even start so that each step is geared towards fulfilling the original idea. I’ve also learned that my audience will subconsciously read meaning into every aspect of the material presented to them. It is therefore, extremely important to make sure that each element of the final product conveys the right message. For example, regardless of how it was presented the word ‘Feedback’, not only has associations with live music, but implies a personal relationship between the people behind the magazine and their audience which makes the reader feel important and want to further the relationship by buying the magazine regularly. I have had to learn how to write an article with the appropriate register and content through looking at other articles aimed at a similar audience, finding the right balance between speaking their own language and not patronising them. I also had to work to a word count to fill the correct amount of space on the page.