Candidate Information

Candidate Name: Lauren Simmons

Candidate Number: 6098

Centre Name: Wilmington Gramar School For Girls

Centre Number: 61119

Final Products

Evaluation Question 7

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

When making my preliminary task at first I found it hard to create an actual magazine, as I was not aware of spacial awareness on the page, and how to fit all features of a magazine together whilst also making it look professional. However I feel that I overcome this problem when it came to my music magazine as I think I created an attractive and successful front page, as well as the other pages, which included all the features of a magazine that I would want it to whilst still making it look professional and uncluttered. When looking for research for my preliminary I did find parts of it hard to correlate to the product of my school magazine. I found finding photographic research particularly hard as I was not specific enough of what route I wanted to go down when making my school magazine. However when making my music magazine and looking for research, I was much more specific and detailed in what I was looking for, as I had planned out exactly what look and style I wanted for my music magazine. As I said in the question before, I was not familiar with the programs that I had to use, and so by the end of this work I am now able to effectively work the program, producing work which is adequate for the task set. I still had a slight problem with time management as in the making process of my double page spread I was fairly rushed, however I can learn and improve from this to make sure that I manage my time more carefully in the future.
I also learnt many technical skills and techniques which proved extremely useful when producing my music magazine. I firstly learnt photosgraphic skills. For example I found out how to successfuly use a professional camera to the best of its abilty to create shots which were I could use in my msic magazine.

Evaluation Question 6

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

Laurens presentation

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Evaluation Question 5

How did it attract/address your audience?

My media product attracted my audience through the bold and striking front cover. It is an r’n’b magazine which includes artist of that genre such as Nicki Minak, so the style of the magazine would initially it appeal more to those who listen to that genre of music. However the photo that is included on the front page is quite alternative, and therefore could appeal to other audiences as well as they may be interested in it. I also think the use of the large quotation on the page as well as other interesting features would attract my audience as it makes it seem that articles inside the magazine are very exciting and makes the audience curious. The use of larger fonts as well as different coloured ones would also be eye-catching for the audience and make them enticed to pick up the magazine to have a look at and buy.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience of your media product?

 

Evaluation Question 3

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

My media could be distributed in a number of different places. My magazine follows along the same line as other high brand music magazines, which are distributed in magazine shops, supermarkets, and corner shops. Therefore my magazine could be sold here as it is not extremely expensive and therefore working and middle class people could afford it. As I feel my magazine is quite upmarket it could also be distributed in music shops such as HMV. This would attract a large amount of customers as they would be interested in the magazine as they are already looking for products which concern the music genre. My media product could also be distributed online and through the post. They could so this by subscribing to the magazine either online or by posting subscription money, and could receive their copy of the magazine that way.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product present particular social groups?

My media product presents particular social groups in many different ways. The style of my magazine represents the younger generation, from about 14 – 25. This is because I believe that the music that is included in the magazine is that of what a teenager or young adult would listen to. The style and look of a magazine is also quite modern and in trend with fashion at the moment, which teenagers and young adults can relate to and be interested in. My magazine also presents the social group that listen to an r’n’b genre of music, as this is what I have based my magazine around.

Evaluation Question 1

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?

When making my magazine I wanted to make sure that it gave the look and feel of a professional magazine throughout. I therefore based my music magazine around real, high end, popular products to create ideas which would give me this professional magazine look. Using conventions of real media work allowed me to create my own proficient product. From researching usic magazines I found a common theme of: bold titles, large features on the front cover, different style texts, fonts, and colours, and alluring and bold pictures.




Front Page: I focused a lot of my ideas around ‘Vibe’ magazine for my front cover, as I felt this was a very professional and popular magazine, with a lot of ideas that I wanted to in co-operate into my own magazine. Vibes front covers always contain bold, striking photos of artists on their front cover, and so I wanted to include this in my own magazine.

Contents Page: For my contents page I largely based it around an issue of ‘Q’ magazine. The layout and design was extremely like what I wanted mine to look like. I liked the use of the large close up picture of the artists face on the right hand side of the page. I thought this was extremely effective and therefore based my contents page around this magazine.

Double Page Spread: I based my double page spread around two different magazines as I felt both had aspects of what I wanted to include in my magazine. They included the look that I wanted for my model and similar layouts to how I wanted my magazine to be laid out. 

Mood Board

As you can see from this mood board I have a running theme throughout. All the models apart from one have dark hair, and I chose this because my model has dark long flowing hair. I chose the picture with the model with blonde hair as it shows the amount of make up, as my model wears quite a lot of eye make up. They are all wearing dark, and quite tight clothing which is also what my model wears throughout the magazine. All of the pictures show models pulling strong, bold poses, which I wanted to represent with my model. These photos are fairly similar and correlate to that of my model.

Evaluation of Double Page Spread

This is the finished product of my double page spread. Overall I think my double page spread was a success. I followed my research so that it correlated with the look and feel that I wanted for it. It also has continuity from the two following pages, as it has elements of the same colour text, as well as the same font. I like the use of the pictures being in co-operated into the text, such as one of the pictures is within the 'L' of the title, and the other is in between the two columns of the interview. Another positive of this double page spread is the fact that all parts of the page, and there are many parts of the page to look at without it being cluttered. I like the use of the different colour font for the 'Laura' title as I think it contrasts form the rest of the page, and makes it more colourful from the white background.If I were to make my double page spread again I would change a few things. The process of taking photos was fairly rushed, and therefore I only had one opportunity to take photos. If I did it again I would make sure that I left myself more time to allow me to do more than one photo shoot so I could experiment with the model. I also think the page would be more effective in a more bright and colourful background colour as I feel this may have drained the page a bit, and it would be more interesting in a different colour. However penultimately I think I am happy with what my double page spread product looks like.

Print Shot Footage of Making of Double Page Spread

I firstly had to change the background to make it all white. The way I did this without going over parts of the model was to use the magic wand tool to create a border around the model which I could not go over. I then used the paint brush and put it on the largest scale possible as the whole background would be white and this was a quicker way to fill in the whole background.

I then had to concentrate in filling in the gaps between her arms. I used the same tools as before however the paint brush size was much smaller as it was much more detailed and intricate work.

Finally I concentrated in colouring in the background around her hair and head. This proved very difficult as it was hard not to go over parts of her hair, but I also had to edit out any stray hairs which made her hair look messy. To do this I zoomed in very close to her hair so I could see exactly what I needed to edit out and what pieces of hair I had to keep on.

I then started to edit the second photo I needed for my double page spread. I did it in the same routine as before, by firstly as a whole editing the background of the photo to make it white.

I then focused on the holes between her legs which needed to be filled in with white paint. To do this I zoomed in again, and made the paint brush much smaller so I could go right to the edge of her legs, without painting over part of her body.

I then focused on her hair which yet again was the hardest part of editing overall. On the left hand side you can see a piece of hair which sticks out marginally from the rest of the hair, and so I decided to edit this out as I thought it was unnecessary in the photo and made her hair look slightly messy.

I then started to lay and set out my double page spread. I firstly put down the large name of 'Laura' as my double page spread would be shaped around this.

After this I added the text that would be on the double page spread and made it the right width columns. I also had to make sure it didn't overlap any of the title as this is a large part of the page. I had to adjust what writing went in what column as at first it was uneven and looked slightly messy.

I then added the photos to the picture and adjusted them so that they fit properly on the page. I had to adjust how far apart the columns of writing were to fit the picture inbetween, but this was not that hard. At first I wanted the model to look as if she were actually standing on the 'L' but this proved extremely difficult and as her feet aren't flat on the ground I could not do this.

I then added the final small features, such as the quotation on the top left hand side and the name of the artist in the corner. The full name of the artist was added as there was an empty space which I felt needed filling, as it looked bare and as if there should be something there.

Photoshoot for Double Page Spread

For this photoshoot I used a backdrop as well as lights. I thought this would be more effective as I was doing a whole body shot of my model, and so I wanted to highlight all parts of her. I took a range of photos with different poses as I wanted to make sure that I had the right pose and look to fit into my double page spread. I also needed to make sure that that all parts of the model were apporpriate for my photo, for example, the look of her hair and make up, the clothes and shoes she was wearing, and the pose and stance she was doing. 

These are a small sample of some of the photos that I took when doing my photoshoot. I think the model looks very striking and beautiful in these shots, as her brown hair compliments her pale skin and bright red lipstick. I also think the outift that was chosen is extremely fitting for the photo shoot as she is wearing black leather shorts, with a leopard print t-shirt. The t-shirt is much the same style and fit as the one she is wearing on the frot cover, which shows what sort of style she has. She is also wearing black pumps with silver studs on them which gives the outfit a bit of edge and adds to the persnality of the model. Although she is still pulling a serious face in all the pictures, they have slightly more warmth to them and in some of the photos she has go a slight smile which I think is effective. I used a white back drop as I will be using a white background on my double page spread, and it also makes it extremely easy to edit. This photoshoot was a success as I found adequate and appropriate photos to use for my double page spread.

Focused Drawing of Double Page Spread

This is the design layout I will use for my double page spread layout. There is a large title at the bottom which allows a picture to be in co-operated into it. The text above it also continues well, leaving enough room for all the text to be included. Between the two columns of text is another picture. I think these pictures are spaced out well as they are not squashed together next to each other but neither are they on opposite sides of the page, so by placing them where I have it spaces them out well.  I also think the use of the quotation over 3 lines is effective as it draws attention to it and makes it bolder. The use of the larger 'L' compared to the rest of the title also makes the page look more interesting. This design includes all the features I wanted it to and I will use this for my double page spread.

Preliminary Drawings of Double Page Spread

With this first drawing I just tried to experiment by putting all the features on the front page. This proved a useful process as it allowed me to see what I could fit on a page and how I could do it. The layout of this first design is not very effective as I do not like how there is just a picture either side of the page, and there is hardly any room for the quotation so had to be squashed inbetween the title and the text of the article.

 This layout is slightly more effective. I like the use of the large title as I think it shows who the article is about, and draws a lot of attention to it! I also lke how the quoatation is not on one line but on three, as I think it makes i more eye-catching. However I don't like that the two pictures are just placed next to each other as I think this looks unprofessional and makes the page look slighty uncluttered.

This is not a good layout for my double page spread for many reasons. The page is very bland and does not have much to it as there is only one picture and no quotations. I also do not like the fact that the picture just sits on top of the title as I think this would slightly odd. However I do like that the title has been moved to the bottom as I think this draws elements on the page together.

This double page spread design is much more what I would like mine to look like, however there is a problem with this design. It only has one picture of my model and I need to include two pictures on this page. However this is a vast improvement from my other designs as is heading towards what I would base my double page spread around.

Font Research for Double Page Spread

I already knew what fonts I would use for my double page spread when in the making process of it. As I have stuck by using similar or the same fonts I knew that I would use the same for my double page spread. For the large tites and sub-headings I will use 'Trajan Pro' however I will change the weight of the font and the size for different parts of the page. For the text of the interview I will use 'Times New Roman' as this is what I used for the text on my contents page, and is fairly similar to Trajan Pro, therefore creating a running theme throughout. I will change the colour of my fonts on my double page spread to differentiate between the different parts on the page.

Extra Photographic Research of Double Page Spread

I would like my model to be wearing something similar to this, with the use of dark clothing, and some parts may be leather. However my models clothing will not be as revealing as this as that is not the vibe that I am going for throughout my magazine. I like the use of dark clothing as I think it creates mystery and can be used as quite alternative clothing, to create different looks. I will not dress my model with heels as she is already fairly tall and could make her look taller than I want her to. My model also has dark long hair, which can be used well as a prop to do different poses. My model will be wearing a fair amount of make-up, similar style to what she has on the front page.

I would like my model to be doing a pose similar to this, with her hands on her hips and looking straight forward at the camera. When having a picture of a model with hands on her hips it portrays that she is strong and bold. It can also be extremely complimentary to the figure and shows all parts of the outfit that the model is wearing. I will try other similar poses and see whether they are effective or not, but I will stick to this sort of pose when taking photos.

Detailed Research of Double Page Spread

 I really like this double page spread and would use quite a few ideas from this to add to my own work. I really like the use of the large 'C' on the right hand side, and how the words fit around it. I like the use of the quotation at the bottom in a different colour, as it really makes it stand out and is separate from the rest of the interview. There is also a small title at the top telling us the name of the artist which I also think if effective. The picture on the right hand side of Cheryl Cole is more how I would like to base my model around, however most probably not doing this type of pose, but the edgy look she has been given is what I would like to achieve with my model. The only aspect of this double page spread that I don't like is the square picture on the left hand side as I think it does not flow well with the page and there is not continuity with it.

This double page spread example is extremely effective and would be good to base mine around. I like how the model looks, with quite a striking pose, and the black leather outfit is similar to what I would want my model to look like. The use of the faint block writing in the background is effective, and I would like to in co-operate something like this into my double page spread somehow. I again like the use of the large 'D' to show where the interview begins. I will most likely not have my model resting on any sort of prop as this is not the look that I want to go for. I like the use of the picture on the left hand side and the writing on the right hand side, and I also think the use of the same colour background is effective as it uses continuity and doesn't separate the two pages. I would like to base a large amount of my features around this magazine as I feel this example of a double page spread links in with the look and feel of my front cover and double contents page.

Specific Research of Double Page Spread

There are aspects to this double page spread which I think are extremely effective. I like the use of the large picture of the artist in the centre of the page and then the small shots of her dacing at the top of the page. I like the models pose, I think its very striking and shows to the audience what type of artist she is. However I think I would find this extremely hard to do on my magaizne, as I would find it hard to fit all the small shots onto the page, as well as a large picture and article. I like the use of the different colouring text to differentiate the main points, and I think I would use this in my article to differentiate the questions asked and the answers given by the artist. There is a large amount of writing on the page and I am not sure whether readers would find this offputting or not. Although I would not completely base my double page spread around this example, I may use aspects of it in my work.

There are also aspects of this double page spread which I like. The use of the large title is very effective as it attracts readers and lets them know what the article is about. I like the use of the capital 'T' as well, this clearly shows where the interview begins. The use of the large quotation is also very effective and I will definitley inco-operate this into my own magazine. However I do not like how seperated the two sides of the page are, thew right hand side has a light background to see the writing however the left hand side is very different and the background is extremely dark. I wouldn't want my model to look like this as my model will not be a man, and I also do not like the use of the prop he is standing on. Yet again there are aspects of this double page spread which I wikll base my magazine around however this is not the look that I am going for with my magazine.

General Research of Double Page Spread

I feel this double page spread example is not very effective and I would not like to base mine around this idea. Ths is because the writing is pushed over quite far to the right side, and very seperate from the picture. I also do not like how small the writing is, and the use of only one column I think makes the page look quite unappealing. The use of the picture is good as it gets the whole band in, and they are pulling strong bold poses. However there is no sort of title to tell us what the article is about or what the band is called. I would not use this example of a double page spread layout to base around my own one, as I feel this is not the look I am going for.

I like this double page layout and design slightly more. There is large wording of a quote which has been taken from the article, which I will add into my double page spread as I think this is extremely effective and attracts readers and keeps them interested. On the left hand side at the top it also has a small title to say what the article is about which I also like. However I do not like the use of the smaller pictures on the bottom right hand side as I think it makes the page extremely cluttered. I feel the page is quite squashed together and makes it hard to see a focus of the page. I do feel this double page spread layout is adequate however it would not be in keeping with my magazine and it wouldn't be appropriate.

Evaluation of Contents Page

Overall I think my contents page was a success. This was because I followed the design layout of my chosen drawing which allowed me to have focused ideas which I could relate to and follow by. It had all the features that I wanted to include to create the contents page that I wanted. I like the fact that it only has one large picture which makes it simple and uncluttered, whilst not being boring. I have also followed the theme from the front cover with red and blue writing which was on the front cover. I also used similar fonts which also helps to create continuity. The only negative point that I have to my contents page is the fact that at the bottom of the page her hair is cut off which makes it look slightly unatural. This happened because when taking the photo I could not fit all of her hair in without cutting off parts of her face, so I decided to focus more on her face. I had to make some alterations to my contents page and found it tricky findng the right colour scheme to match the backgrounds together, however overall I am happy with the outcome of my contents page.

Print shot Footage of Contents Page

I firstly chose my picture that I wanted to use for my contents page. For this process of editing I used adobe photo shop as it can give me the best results that I need for my photo, and is the easiest programme for editing.

To make sure my editing was done effectively I had to zoom in on her face so that I could clearly see what I needed to edit. When zooming on her face I found some blemishes on her face, such as on her chin and forehead, which I needed to remove on her face to give a clearer complexion.

Here you can see she has much smoother skin and her skin is all one colour and looks very clear. For this I used the spot healing tool which removed all her blemishes. For the slightly red skin under her nose I used the clone stamp to make it the same colour as the rest of her face.

I then had to edit her lips as if you look in previous screen shots, that some of her red lipstick is coming off her lips and it is not fully red throughout all her lips. I decided to edit them by using the clone stamp and simply going over parts of the lip which weren't as bright red, making them look fuller and stand out more.

I then needed to edit the background of my picture to a different colour so that it matched the colour of the background of my contents page. For this I used the magic wand tool to make it easier for myself as this allows me to colour in the background without going over parts of the photo that I don't want to such as the models hair or headphones. I then coloured the background in a grey/purple colour with the brush tool. 

 I then had to crop, cutting the right hand side of it off as I am only using half of the photo in my contents page as this is what my research shows.

 I then started to design my contents page. I followed the layout of my drawing ideas by having a large title, and sub titles down the left hand side of my page.

I then added page numbers and information, as well as the small bit of writing I said I would have just below the large title. I made clear what information was where by having larger sub titles than the rest of the information on the page, and this will make it easier for the audience to read.

I then added the picture to the page on the right hand side. I also had to make the writing on the left hand side come out more to the middle as there were empty spaces in the middle of the page which I could not fill with anything else. I thought this would fault my contents page however it didn't. I also had to make the background of my contents page to the background of the photo which proved a difficult task as it took me a while to find the exact same right colour, however by the end I found one which almost perfectly matched.

1st Set of Photos from Contents Page Photoshoot

                                                                                          

For this photoshoot I decided to make it very specific, with the model only doing one pose throughout. This was because I knew exactly how I wanted the photos to look and I also knew what I wanted to be included. From these photos you can see that the model is pulling a straight face with a minimal pout, and her eyes are also very open. I decided I wanted her to have a serious pose to her as it was not her pose that I mainly wanted to focus on, but her make up and the headphones she is wearing. As you can see form these photos she is not wearing large amounts of make up, but the make up she is wearing is used effectively. She has eye make up on which really excentuates her eyes, giving her beautiful long lashes and bringing out the colour in her eyes.   
She is also wearing bright red lipstick which is effective as it is a contrast from her quite pale skin. The colour of her lips also conjoins with the colour of the headphones as they are red and white. Her hair is not in her face and is placed behind her and down by her sides as I did not want that to get in the way and take over the majority of the photo.

Finally I chose this photo to use for my contents page. I think this one is most effective as her eyes are extremely bold, creating a statement. Her lips are very red and slightly pouting which gives off a slight attitude to her without that being the main focus of the photo. the headphones are also well included in the photo and we can see them well and that it is one of the main focuses of the picture. However my research shows that the photo would only have half of the models face. When doing the photoshoot I tried to take photos of only half the models face, however this proved very difficult due to shadowing and getting the right exact amount of the face into the photo. Therefore when editing my photo I will just cut out half of her face and only focus on one half to add to my contents page as this seems a more conevenient idea.



Focused Drawing of Contents Page

The design drawn here is the design that I will use for my contents page. It has all the features I want on it such as; sub headings and information down the left hand side on the page, a large bold title at the top of the page, one large photo taking up the right hand side of the page, and a small bit of writing at the top to make it more interesting for the reader. I think this will be an effective contents page as it allows the reader clearly to see what is on what page without having to search different sections to find the information they want. Its also a bold and eye-catching page and I think will run well throughout my magazine, with continuity from the front page.