EVALUATION CONTINUED

At first, i wanted to have my double page spread like the image below, however i decided not to go for this layout because the fold would cloud the text.

I liked the layout and the simplicity of having one artist on the page because my front cover is very busy so a lesser busy contents page would be appropriate. However, after being advised, i decided to swallow my creative pride, and include more pictures of other artists.

Q8.EVALUATE HOW SUCCESSFUL YOUR PRODUCT IS WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

I asked three males and one male what they though of my final piece. I asked a girl in order to see if my magazine would appeal to the female demographic. However, although she liked the magazine she thought it was better suited for males.


AUDIENCE COMMENTS

MY RESPONSE

Q7.LOOKING BACK AT THE PRELIMINARY TASK WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO A FULL PRODUCT

You can see a drastic improvement from using a few tools at the beginning to utilizing every single Photoshop tool in order to create my finished product. The two magazines are completely different . I have learnt to experiment alot more and to not be afraid to think outside the box. The school magazine is very bland and safe whereas my 'GRIND' cover is very busy, vibrant and busy.
The layout of the two magazines are different. In both magazines i used a variation of pictures and placed the article titles on the right hand side of the page. I learnt to structure my pictures in a more organised and precise manner, this is why i made sure that there was a line to separate each picture on the contents page. 


Time management

I finished all my work before the deadline which showed that I organised my time effectively. I spent a considerable amount of time on my contents page because of my creative stubbornness. I wanted a simple contents page with one image to highlight the nature of the artist, but due to external circumstances i was ‘encouraged’ to change my contents to a page with numerous pictures. However in all honesty, it does look more appealing and busy.

Organisation

I notified all my models about when the photography session would take place. I produced a list detailing what they should wear and how to pose. I provided a variety of props to connote the fact that the magazine is dedicated to music. I also used props in my preliminary task.

Inspiration

I was inspired by other music magazines but mainly my own idea of what i would like my music magazine to look like. Also, my classmates offered suggestions whilst producing my coursework, i sometimes took notice but at the end of the day if you think something looks good then have the confidence to defend your idea and go through with it.

Audience feedback

My audience feedback was very negative, which is understandable but it gave me the motivation to improve.  For example, I was told the font wasn’t appropriate for the type of magazine and the pages didn’t look that exciting this would discourage  people from reading on further into the magazine. 

Draft

I don’t think drafting help because it gave me unrealistic hopes for what i dreamed my magazine would look like. When producing my magazine, the drafts did not help in terms of photos and design but it did help me in terms of how to lay my magazine out

Q6. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?

This project has helped me to develop my Photoshop, photography and design skills. It has also given me an insight into what type of person I am, a creative girl who will change something until it’s perfect.

ICTThroughout the process I used ‘Blogger’ and ‘Slideshare’ extensively. I have heard of blogs but never had the opportunity to use one. I was able to upload my work and receive teacher comments through ‘Blogger’. ‘Slideshare’ helped me convert (embedding) the PowerPoint presentation so that I could my work onto ‘Blogger’.





PHOTOSHOP
This program was used to make a professional looking magazine. It enabled me to edit photographs, add text and filter images etc. To remove photographs from their original background, I used the ‘magnetic lasso’, I used this tool for my front cover. To create the columns for the double page spread i used ‘Rectangular Marquee tool’. ‘Healing Brush tool’ helped enhance the quality of the pictures, removing any blemishes to give that clean cut look. ‘Gradient tool’ was used to form the background color.




DA FONT‘DA FONT’ is a free website which enables you to use different fonts. I used this sight to create my magazine Masthead.

PHOTOGRAPHYI learnt how to take a variety of pictures with different shot sizes. I learnt that pictures taken outside, rather than on a white background, look more attractive, natural and realistic. During the photography session, it is important to take a lot of pictures so that you have more choice.

REFLECTION
I learnt that before beginning a task, i must research and plan what i'm going to do, to give me guidance in case i struggle. Also, that it is OK to take a few ideas as long as you develop the idea and make it your own. 

Q5. HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Q4.WHO WOULD BE YOUR AUDIENCE FOR THIS MEDIA PRODUCT

'GRIND' is not your typical R & B magazine as it isn't centered around negative stereotypes associated with teenagers/young adults. The main artist is a successful,well-educated young man, the suit helps portray this.

NO                                                                                   YES

People who aspire to be musicians may read my magazine to gain inspiration and read about the key to R & B stardom. The readers range from lower to upper class, the magazine appeals to all classes as it inspires those of deprived backgrounds to dream big and encourages those of the upper class to branch out and not conform to stereotypes e.g. oxford graduates should only listen to classical music etc.




Teenage girls are a possible audience because girls are often infatuated by the latest singing sensations who are stereotypical  'hotties'. My front cover is of an 'attractive' male, who girls would be drawn to. 




People in the music magazine may also be interested in the magazine as they can scout for potential talent

PROFILES OF TYPICAL 'GRIND' READERS

Name: Tom Smith
Occupation: Oxford Student
Age: 21
Nationality: Caucasian 
Interests: Admirer of poetry, croquet and physics but to his parents surprise wants to work in the hip-hop music industry

Name: Tyrone Black
Occupation: currently unemployed
Age: 18
Nationality: Black-African
Interests: Dreams of going to University to study medicine, 'GRIND' encourages him to think big 

Name: Lizzie Jacobs
Occupation: Health & Beauty student
Age: 19
Nationality: Mixed ethnicity
Interests: Celebrity admire, very interested in the celebrity world, groupie

Q3. WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?

Bauer Media would distribute my magazine because it currently distributes music magazines such as 'Kerrang', which is a rock metal magazine. Adding an R & B magazine to their company would add variation to their existing company. It would also give Bauer a chance to expand their clientele;not only would they have people who like rock buying 'Kerrang' but people who like R & B buying 'Grind'. Also because my magazine is targeted at young males, it would help Bauer reach a younger audience rather than the 19 million adults that already buy their magazines. The fact that my target audience is late teens to early twenties means it would be more convenient to distribute it in shops such as WHSmith or music shops or places like Sports direct because its a popular shopping destination for males and so by selling it in those type sof establishments you'll increase the chance of people purchasing 'Grind'.

http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/






Conde Nast UK wouldn't be an appropriate company to distribute my magazine because its a very female orientated company. The magazines are feminine and aimed at women therefore the company wouldn't be knowledgeable about distributing a magazine to the male market. They don't distribute alot of music magazines which again shows they are inexperienced in this area.

http://www.condenast.co.uk/

Q2. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?

Q1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

I chose to evaluate RnB magazines as well as other genre magazines in order to ensure that my own product challenged typical conventions of an RnB magazine that way my magazine would be more niche. In analyzing a range of genres i can gather alot more ideas.

FINAL 'GRIND'

Research and Planning mark

17/20