Evaluation for music magazine

Evaluation for music magazine product.

The task given to me was to create a magazine front cover, with a paper draft and computer draft, a contents age with a paper draft and computer draft and a double page spread also with a computer draft and paper draft. As my task was to create a magazine related to music, I had to research many different types of magazines such as kerrang, the source, remix and others, this had to be done so that I get an idea of how to lay out my own magazine cover and what type of stories and other information I should put on it.

My first task was to take the pictures that I had to insert on my front cover, contents page and double page spread. However, I could not get round to this, because the cameras were in use in the first couple of weeks, so I decided that I should start on my front cover so that I do not get left behind later on. The first thing I done was to think of a masthead and then create in using photo shop elements. To do this task I used an apple Mac computer, this was because a Mac offers features such as photo shop elements, and apple works and also makes it easier to insert an image into a different type of document by simply dropping the image to and from the desktop. The Mac includes the ‘move tool’ this lets you move around any layer you wish to around the page, it also lets you resize by just pulling on the sides. If used on a text, it is not necessary to modify the size, by pulling on the size this happens automatically. I then took the pictures that I needed. I first took pictures of instruments that I used on the bottom of the page; I then had to crop around these pictures so that I could fit them onto where I wish to place them. Once this was done, I made the circles, in which I used to write my exclusives and offers in. however I had to only put the edge of the circle on the page, this made it look professional, I got and idea of doing this when I was researching other music magazines. I then added text on the side of the cover, (inside stories); I used the layer effect link to add effects to this text/layer. This was used as a selling point of the magazine; eye-catching colours would attract more audience.

I then started taking pictures that I would include in my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I took these pictures using a digital camera, once taken I had to import them onto the Mac using a connection wire. As this was done, I opened these pictures in photo shop elements and then one by one I cropped around them so that the back ground of these pictures is gone and the picture has perfect fit on the page. I have also added pictures of myself on my product. Keeping in mind that the pictures need to be taken by me, I took the pictures by holding the camera at arms length away from the face. On the contents page there is an image of me, this image is in a circle shape. To do this I did not have to crop around the picture instead I had to use the circle shaped cropping tool and pulled it around my picture. I then dragged it across to the contents page using the move tool and resized it to fit the area.

My media product challenges the forms and conventions of real media products because I have added the conventions of a real media product such as offers and exclusives, the yellow banner on top the page etc. To represent the young and hip hop generation I have used bright and eye catching colours. I have also used the latest headlines in the media that youngsters are interested in. I attracted my audience by using an image of a much younger person to the aimed audience which is fourteen to eighteen year olds. By doing this they will become more attracted into finding out why such a young person is used on the cover. Media institutions such as the bigger and better know magazines such as bliss, kerrang; NME etc can be the appropriate institutions to distribute my media product. Through the process of the construction of the magazine cover I learnt how to use new software such as apple works and Photoshop elements. I also learnt how to use it features and now find it more understanding and find it easier, e.g. cropping. From the designing and creation of my preliminary task which was to create a magazine front cover and contents page for a school magazine, I have learnt that it is not as difficult to create a magazine. I also learnt that it is very important to have a steady hand so that it makes it much easier to crop and hold things to the correct position.

My media product is aimed at teenage girls and to show this I have used only girls in the magazine article (double page spread). Another way I have done this is by using colours that mostly attract girls, such as shades of pink, purple, red, and yellow. The main focus of my magazine is music, and to present a musical look I have used pictures of musical instruments such as the conga, trumpet and guitar on the cover. The stories that I have used on the cover also show its audience that it is a music magazine cover such as the headline of ‘Lil Wayne’ and ‘kid models used in music video’ however I have used other stories relating reality such as the heading on ‘Jade Goody’. My double page spread also includes a music related story.

I learnt that using too many different colours on a magazine cover will not look sophisticated, and that it is sensible and only smart to keep to a colour scheme. This way it will not only help to hold the entire magazine together, but the use of colour and where it is used will help to stand out the important areas. I also noticed that a font cannot be too big or too small, it is just sensible to use big fonts for the main stories, however, after evaluating my preliminary task I have realised the even the main story headlines need to have a certain size depending on the position of it on the page other wise it will look over done.

Once all parts of my magazine project were complete, I had to put up the entire project on to a BlogSpot so that my peers and other students can look and evaluate my work leaving comments on how to improve my work for the final copy.

Overall i feel much more confident using an apple Mac computer.