Evaluation Question 6

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

The different technologies i have used whilst making both my prelim task and my final music press magazine are:
- Slide share                  - www.brusheezy.com
- Photoshop                  - www.dafont.com  
- Preview                      - www.flickr.com
- Pages                         - www.youtube.com
- Powerpoint                - Microsoft Excel
- imovie
- iphoto
 i have learned that using certain programs can seriously enhance the final product. For example i downloaded a smoky effect from brusheezy.com and downloaded my fonts from dafont.com
also with photoshop i found it easier to use then a program like pages which, although was the right choice of program for my double page spread, i feel you can do a lot less in editing. Preview was also a good way to show work to my teachers or if i myself wanted to see the final result of something. I thought imovie was an interesting was in getting audience feedback as you can see their reaction to the magazine and what they feel about how you have represented your specific social group. Slideshare was helpful as i could do a simple powerpoint presentation and it turned into something i can upload on to websites. In particular, one skill i have picked up is the manipulation if images: See Here

Evaluation Question 5

how did you attract/address the audience for your music publication?

I used bands that the audience can relate to, young people dressed in the same style clothes as they would wear themselves. This was easy because stereotypically ‘indie’ boys wear shirts and suits. Whereas the girls are into jumpsuits and high wasted anything. I also used the right kind of adverts, for blackberry phones as the demographic are very into technology. The image on the front cover also has a sense of mystery as you can see the shilouette of one of the band members and you are left wondering who it is, especially if you don’t know who the band are in the first place. I have also listed a number of other famous bands that will be featured in the magazine so if they are not interesting in the cover band they have a number of alternatives

Evaluation Question 4

who would be the audience for your music magazine?

Young males form the ages of 16-28 with a small spending bracket. Their style is widely known as ‘indie’ which originates from northern bands such as ‘oasis’ and more recently ‘the kooks’. These increasingly common male bands with their own 'unique' style are growing in numbers and their indie style (which is an abbreviation of the word individual) is no longer becoming less exclusive as the years go on. 

However, girls would get their style from bands like Florence and the Machine and Marina and the Diamonds. Any girls that read the magazines will also be able to relate with the styles and trends in the photos of the features. Their interests. would be music, fashion, friends and Parties which are depicted during the interview with the band talking about their own lives and what they do in their own spare time. 

Evaluation Question 3

What kind of institution might distribute your music magazine and why?

The type of institution that would be most likely to distribute my magazine would be chain shops like HMV which is already widely known for it’s merchandise and music sales. Also included would be WHSmiths which has a wide variety of magazine options and S would fit in with other magazines of it’s kind such as NME and KERRANG! However, smaller shops should not neglect this music magazine. For example corner shops that, even though have a smaller selection, people living further away from a major chain would be able to purchase this magazine. This therefore makes the magazine more accessible to everyone.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My music press magazine positively represents my key demographic. This is done by studying how people of this particular style talk, walk and dress. On  the contents page I have had the models pose in a particular way without showing their faces. However, you are made fully aware of the genre through their style and the use of instruments being the main focus. On the cover my female model has a seductive look which helps target mostly males and will catch the attention of the males who see it. However, if you’re thinking stereotypically you would think that girls/women would look to see her styling and how they could get that look Throughout my article I have used the correct mode of address, I have kept the interview light and feeling more like a conversation even if it is layout in a question and answer form. This again helps to target the younger end of my demographic but is formal enough for the older end to feel like they're not reading a childs magazine. a  readers of this magazine might go to this music website which although has many different styles of music has it's on section for the indie genre. 

Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media project use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media projects?

I simply developed the forms and conventions of this particular genre of music press magazine. I used magazine conventions such as the masthead, and main images to correspond with what the key conventions of an indie music press magazine would be like, for example, I used a black white and red colour scheme, the same of NME this worked because any key information I wanted to pick out I could use the red to highlight it. ‘Q’ magazine is named after the founders name so I thought why not use the same thing for my music press magazine, therefore I named it ‘S’. For the main image on the front cover I used the band I was featuring. I used a bright light, which gave a contrasting feel that also runs parallel to the colour scheme with the contrasting red, white and black. For the font I chose one with a paint splattered effect, which I thought, worked well.  It gave a rebellious feel as you would normally expect fonts from in a magazine to be pristine and polished so this goes against the normal conventions of pess magazines. 

Audience Feedback video - Genre

Finnished magazine

article

This is the interview i wrote for my double page spread on a featured artist in my music press magazine. I actually interviewed my friends and i chose to not make it a simple question and answer interview but an interview that sounded like a convorsation that you might have with your friends. This is important as it helps you get closer to your demographic by letting them know you understand they way they speak and think.

However, i will not be able to use this entire article because it's too long and i will cut out some of the text.


Interview.

So guys, how did you come about the name bean and the boy? “Basically I call my brother balb and he used to called me beanf [giggles to flynn] and then that turned into bean face which shortened to bean, and flynn is the boy!

I’ve gone to her house for a few band practices and I was banting and I was really loud one time and her brother jack came in and shouted who’s that boy bean?! [laughs hysterically] and instantly in my head I thought boy and the bean but bean and the boy, we think sounds better.

Sorry about the photoshoot bit cold right? It was cold but I liked it, it reminded me of americas next top model.
loser.
wasteman
why you calling me a wasteman
sorry.

Bit of a band mate domestic guys! No we never really have fights.. [flynns phone buzzes with a text] he’s not allowed his phone too many girls text it, it’s the band rule. When has that been the band rule? We only have one band rule! And that’s it.

Another rule is to not be late.. [looks at edith]
I don’t mean to be late! I’m always late I can’t help it.

top 3 favruoite gigs and bands
when I was last at reading I had a really got Saturday cause I saw dizze rascle “who was shit” really?! Yeah but he was after giggs and I like giggs. Yeah but what I mean is dizzle rascle got me dancing and I really enjoyed it. And the libertines play who are my favrouite bands. Yeah they were sick. It was the best gig I’ve evr been to I love them. Bless them they’re so cute. 
OH best gig I’ve been to.. jayz at glasto at the beginning there was loads of stuff on the screen, like a 3 minute clip which was everyone who was douting him and the last thing was noel galleger saying jay z shouldn’t headline glasto he was totally doubting him and he came out singing wonderwall and they lyrics were im gonna throw it back to you. It was sick. Yeah I saw that too.

And after the libertines we went to see pendulum and I was on such a high from seeing the libertines it was such a good night.

We both love the strokes it’s our joint faveoutie bands, our band practiecs are mostly us listing to them, I pull out my air guitar an go mental. We get depressed because we’re not as good as them. We were really gutted cause we might have had the chance to see them but we both and a science GCSE. 

Would you aspire to play at reading? Yeah I love reading. Yeah but glasto is the big one. I don’t know about edith. Well I’ve never been but it’s huge. Glasto pyrmid stage Saturday night headling. Dominating main stage. We could do a montage like the libertines, but it wouldn’t be the same. 
‘who’s the best band member’ ME!, yeah edith agrees.

I’ll kick you out soon ‘’the bean has lost the boy’’ oh s**t I mean the boy has lost the bean.  my mistake!

If I were to look in your fridge what would be in it right now? Definitely a bit of lyod grosmans. Errr what’s that? It’s for pasta.

A bit steak

And we always have cheese. We got cheese in mine too but it’s normall dominated by meat in my house
 and if you were to cook me one meal in 15 minutes what would it be?
steak and broclii, healty it’s the food of sportsman

And edith?
let me think.. beans on toast with cheese. Flynn would add the pepper.

If you could be one charcter from misfits who would it be and why?
curtis, because I think his is most beniftial OR simon so I could sneak into peoples houses. You freak. To steal money
mine would be natha, he’s immortal and got bant  put them together you create bant get killed come back and do it over again. But al your family would die! You’d get more family and friends.

[flynn get’s another text and edith looks at him] shut up
im just self conscious that I never get texts!

If you had a million pounds how would you spend it?
I’d give some charity. Errrm, and buy msyself I nice house in a nice area I’d pick really carefully and a Gibson les paul.

I’d buy a nice house with a big football pitch with flood lights concrete and Astroturf. And there’s a really beautiful fender I want.

Flynn starts tapping out a tune on the table and they break into a freestyle. They seem so relaxed in eachothers company it’s refreshing. 

Well guys I think that’s the perfect place to leave it. Thanks for the mini gig

Organising Photoshoot

i've chosen to do my photoshoot for the front cover, contents and double page at night time. I think this will attract my key demographic as most are teenagers who on the weekends go out themselves, my photo shoot will simply rein-force the idea that night time is 'cool' in one of the 'models' garden there is an easy power source for a lamp so lighting will be taken care of through a lamp that has different intensities. The two people that i will use are in the process of forming a indie band and therefore have the style that i need to this publication.
A common feature of style for indie girls are jumpsuits/playsuits. I will style the girl in the photo shoot in a similar way. however, i will add a big jacket so nobody freezes to death in the cold, it's also lucky that  big jackets and jumpers are another common feature.

before i've taken the photos i need to plan them so i've taken pictures of my plan and added them to a powerpoint presentation and then added the photos i've taken

Powerpoint presentation

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fonts for music press magazine

i used dafont.com for my fonts and out of all the ones i looked at i prefered this one. it also keeps in tone with the key conventions of an indie rock magazine there is a sense of rebelion with the use of paint splatters on each individual letter.
however, i would only use this font for articles and/or sub headings. i would used a bolder font for the masthead itself unless i would be able to add effects on photoshop to make it one whole colour without the paint splatters.

flat plan for key demographic

Flat plan of key demographic on Prezi

Flat Plan For Front Cover + Contents Page

original photos for prelim task

 

 

 

Typography and colours

to find different fonts and to make sure that i wasn't using the same fonts as everyone else i went out on
dafont.com where there are loads of different fonts to choose from.
i chose this font because i liked how you can create definition between the letters which was the reason i
chose to use 'ABSolute' as the name of my arts magazine.
looking back at the planning of my magazine i would of used different colours even thought there was predominantly girls taking art at the college.

Photoshop

i really liked using photoshop because you can either drastically or subtly change a picture and it makes all the difference

This is my original photograph for the cover of my arts magazine.

this is the edited version

i used a tool called liquify to allow me to warp the background and i changes and brightness and contrast by using to toolbar

Analyising Prelim Task

For our prelim task we were asked to design a front cover and contents page for an arts magazine for our school. We took original pictures and used photoshop for editing the images.

Presentation1

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Research into the Music Press

In recent years there has been a growth into the amount of music magazines available for a variety of genres. There's bound to be a music magazine out there for everyone that concentrates on the genre of your choice. the old school magazines such as NME and KERRANG! have a combined age of 77 which proves that even though reviews, new bands, interviews etc can be found quicker and for free online there is still a market for magazine readers.

                                                         

You can see the drastic difference between the two front pages of NME. The left is a copy from the 1980s and the right from 2008. This change could have been because their key demographic became younger and they needed a more clean cut look. Other contributing factors would have been technology advancing and allowing them to add different effects and logos to the covers.
NMEs total circulation from July-December was 38,486 copies and KERRANG! had a total circulation of 43,000 insinating there is a larger rock/metal following than there is of indie rock.

so im not just concentrating on NME and KERRANG i swapped KERRANG with Uncut magazine in doing the following research

readership (%)









ways of consuming music (%)

feelings about music (%)

Masthead Research

Before we start the prelim task i picked for magazine mastheads and analysed them this gave insight into the type of genre i would like my music magazine to be and what conventions i would need to include to achieve this goal.

Comparative Analysis and Evaluation of Music Press Front Page

                                                    

The generic music convention code employed by NME suggest the target audience are young males from 16-24. You are made aware of the older ages as the bands that are mentioned are all bands that have been around for a long time and 24 year olds would have been listening to them when they were teenagers. This magazine is predominantly male as all bands mentioned and shown are male icons, however this will attract a small amount of girls/women who admire them for their looks. The fonts used are also a reflection of the stereotypical male; bold and strong and the front cover as a whole doesn’t looks as pristine as other music magazines such as Q. This gives a younger fresher feel.
KERRANG!’s key conventions suggest a similar target audience, young males from the ages of 16-30. However, It is evident from the font cover that although they derive from the same music genre KERRANG is heavy metal/rock. Its masthead is a reflection of this. It’s been given a shattered effect which suggests rebellion, something which the heavy metal/rock scene seems to promote. The word KERRANG! Also sounds like the sound a guitar makes when it has been distorted, an instrument which is very important within this genre.

The mode of address suggests that the audience is not of a very high education level. All features are written in short sharp sentences. With little to no expansion on what the feature also contains. For example on the NME front cover there is just a list of bands with little explanation of what will be contained within the article 

  

Comparatively it is clear that both magazines have different intentions, purpose and target audience. NME may appear to be for a younger more mainstream audience however, both magazines are targeting different audiences from different genres of music

Here is an example of the two bands featured on the front pages of these music magazines

Content Analysis and Target Audience

Recently i have been analysing the content of popular music magazines NME and KERRANG! We have been looking into target audience which is split into demographics and psychographics. Demographics is where you study the hobbies, interests, culture, race, gender etc. 

Psychographics is where you study the way your audience thinks. 

 Inside the magazines we have studied the use of advertising and if the adverts are suitable for the target audience of the magazine.

Demographics is where you study the hobbies, interests, culture, race, gender etc. of your target audience.

Psychographics is where you study the way your audience thinks.

NME is a popular music magazine. based on the research done on NME (focusing on advertising, features, psychographics and demographics)  NMEs key demographic are specifically inner city males from the ages of 16-24 interested in music and forming/helping to create 'original' music and bands. You can tell this as most weeks there are male icons on the front cover, re-enforcing a male dominance throughout its demographic. Readers will have to have a large spending bracket as buying NME every week for a year will add up to £119.11. Throughout the magazine there is constant theme when it comes to advertising; video games has a 4 page spread even before the contents page. Collectively there is roughly 22 1/2 pages dedicated to tour dates with the remaining space being taken up with adverts for recording studios and other various musical and technology based products. In the particular issue i looked at NMEs features range from music festival reviews and updates to a double page spread on unknown and possibly unsigned bands in Manchester, this feature in particular connects with a majority of NMEs readers who themselves might be in a band or looking for ways to 'make it'.

There are some similarities between the demographics of KERRANG! and NME. KERRANG! has a slightly older demographic, which will be due to the fact that it's masthead font is striking and the colour theme is quite dark and a younger group of children are drawn to the brighter colours and 'lighter' sounding music the NME promotes. KERRANG! readers would be between the ages of 16-30 again predominately male. Advertising is similar in both. However, there seems to be more adverts for band merchandise then NME. This is because their readership are into rock and metal music, this group of people are very proud of the bands they like and choose to wear their band logos on clothes not just in concerts but during the day. This in itself acts as ''free'' advertising for the band. KERRANG! contains more adverts for band auditions. The rest of the adverts between the two magazines don't tend to differ much; HMV adverts for their latest deals can be found in both publications.