Finished projects

Whistling Dawg front cover

Whistling Dawg Contents page.

Evaluation- Question Seven

Looking back at your preliminary task (the school magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

One of the main things I have learnt from my prelim task to my final Magazine front cover, double page spread and contents is how to use Photoshop. Mainly shown by my cover images, I learnt how to use the magic eraser tool to erase larger chunks of the unwanted background to make my images look smoother and blend with the colour scheme and background more. On my prelim front cover I used a midshot, but on my final piece I used a more close-up, but still partially midshot as I found it made my magazine look more professional and made my model look at the camera- something a front cover must have otherwise would be uneffective at being eye-catching and engaging the reader- ways how that I have learnt from my progression from the two. I have also learnt and used how to layer on Photoshop to help my magazine look like it fits and works together more in an effective way without looking over the top or too plain- especially with a more variety of fonts than my prelim task. I have also learnt a fair bit on the creative aspect as well, firstly colour palettes and what works well together and compliments each other without looking garish. I also learnt a lot about the appropriate camera shots and angles for each part of my magazine, and got to play about with my lighting and other things on my camera to improve the shots. Fonts were another thing I have deepened my knowledge on through working on this magazine; as to which compliment each other without looking over the top and which fit genres well.

Overall my knowledge of Photoshop has improved, as well as my knowledge of the use of shots to make my magazine look professional, and conventions that keep the magazine looking put together and well-finished.

Evaluation Question Six.

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

For my pictures for the magazine I used a Sony Cyberlink and played around with the lighting and settings to make sure my photos were of the best quality and looked professional. I found correct lighting was the most important in taking a photo- but if light was scarce playing with exposure and such could dramatically improve the quality.

Outside of school, I used my Dell Inspiron for editing on Photoshop Elements. This was a different version to the school one so throughout the process of making my magazine I also learnt about how to use this version I used photoshop elements for editing my pictures, and putting together my magazine. As I'd never used photoshop before, I felt I learnt most about this during the making of my magazine- from the enhance tools, to the magic eraser, to all of the features.- mostly the crop, enhance, magic eraser tools and learnt how to use layers.

Blogger was used to upload my progress on my magazine, and to post my research and planning. By using Blogger I was able to keep track, and easily see what I have done, and what I need to do or improve. Blogger is an example of web 2.0 technology, so my progress was posted online publicly, which came in handy if I needed online feedback or opinions.

As it can add extras that photoshop can't, I used picnik to test filters on my photos and other effects.

Evaluation Question Five

How did you attract/address your audience?

Through my audience questionnaire from September, I found out quite a lot about what would attract my particular audience. Many said that simplicity on the cover helped it look grown-up and not childish which they liked; but also enjoyed the different bright colours making it still look fun and interesting and not at all dull and boring. The choice of pictures came up regularly as well, they also seemed to enjoy the dash of fun personality throughout the pictures- making it relatable and therefore attracting their attention with colour. The hand written fonts came across well as they made the pages look less structured but while still working with the rest of the page. They also added a 'personal' touch and 'creative flair' to the magazine overall. Audience theory is apparent through the use of the hypodermic syringe model as pictures used throughout are fun and give a care free feel, much like the age of the featured artist and target audience, the language used also reflects on the target audience- It is informal and almost chatty, an easy read for a teenager/young adult.

Evaluation Question Four.

Who would be the audience for your media product?
My magazine, Whistling Dawg, would be aimed for those aged between 16 and 25 for both male and female and if primarily anything, perhaps primarily female. This magazine could suit people who are interested in Indie/alternative however, may suit those with no preference in music (people who just enjoy new bands/less known singers.) My audience may also enjoy different fashion, such as when genres are mixed together, they most probably use twitter, facebook and other social networking sites and maybe already purchase other monthly music magazines to keep up with the news in the world of music.

Evaluation Question Three.

 What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I initially considered the well-known ICP media to distribute my magazine, but as they have over 60 magazine’s under their influence already, they had no gap in their market for Whistling Dawg and had a few similar genres and target audiences as my magazine- so would be unlikely to take on another similar one that may reduce the sale of their current magazines. I think a media institution like Development Hell Ltd would be an appropriate for my magazine, firstly due to it being an independent company who are focused on magazines that are varied in genre of music they present. They already publish two monthly magazines ‘Word’ and ‘MixMag’, the first of which that targets music and entertainment in general and the second targeting the clubbing scene. As my magazine is also an all-round music magazine but slightly swaying towards the new and upcoming artists, then the company has a gap in their market perfect for Whistling Dawg. Also on their team is former editor for Smash Hits! And Q so there experience in magazines for non-specific genres is large and would be helpful in launching my magazine to their already budding audience. The company also own DontStayIn.com, which is the world’s biggest clubbing social network site aimed at teenagers- the same target audience for my magazine so the advertising through their other franchises can be relayed to Whistling Dawg itself while targeting their exact audience. The Guardian Media Group, a bigger and well-known company, also has shares in Development Hell Ltd so will help branch out and advertise the magazine on a larger and more varied audience. 

Evaluation Question Two.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My initial aim as a social group was to target 16-25 year old's, this would be mainly college and university students. Though they would obviously enjoy music, they are from a generation where fashion and its culture mix in with the music scene so people in this group would be particularly interested in the different music and experience than just the plain sound.  Like most magazines aimed at this age group, it is at a similar price which is  enough for the content provided, but not over budget for a student who would not be able to afford the luxury all the time. Overall, Whistling Dawg fits a teenage/young adult audience, both male and female and if anything, predominately female.
My front cover picture is engaging with the reader by looking into the camera with a background of yellow and themes of orange and black (all neutral colours) fitting with both genders.
As well as pictures, my magazine uses 'up to date' language, so it is more of a fun read and relates to the desired audience.
The questions asked in the interview are questions the average teenager would want to know, again, relating with the audience as if they themselves were asking the question. I had previously looked in to the language used as well as the formality of interviews in music magazines, and aimed for a similar approach.

Evaluation - Question one.

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

Title:  I eventually decided on the font 'Jangly Walk' for my masthead. This font seems

like a win because of its slightly less formal approach giving it that rebellious and different edge to the cover.  It fits the conventions of a typical music magazine by being bold and the ability to attract attention of the potential consumer. However, it could be said that the title also challenges the music magazine conventions by being a little less regimented and together, instead similar to handwriting- Something that is uncommon in most magazine mastheads.

The bold and straight lettering of Cliché, The Fly and NME is apparent in my masthead, but also changes and develops into something a little more 'messy' and less straight forward. This creates a unique look, which should attract more of an audience.

Like most magazines, such as NME and THE FLY, my masthead is made up from capital letters, which helps to make the magazine as a whole stand out on a shop shelf, and also puts emphasis on the informal attitude the magazine carries.  Like most professional magazines, my masthead is repeated onto my contents page. This ties the two pages together, enabling them to flow smoothly and to keep up the style and themes of the magazine.

Layout of the magazine: 

The layout of Whistling Dawg follows conventional ideas throughout. Firstly, the front cover- the masthead fills the top quarter of the page and it is easy to read, even at a first glance and could easily become recognisable.  I also have a central picture in filling my page of my main artist, with the cover line overlapping it (a common conventional magazine technique)

Another way that my Whistling Dawg front cover is following the common conventions of a music magazine is seen through the position of the barcode. It is found in the bottom left hand corner, which is the norm for most music magazines. However, placing it here could be a good move; it is then easy to find for the consumer and avoids confusion at the tills.

My double page spread also follows many of the conventions of the average music magazine, it includes one main photograph, the text is organised in columns and it has the odd inspirational quote on the side. The pictures are also effective as there is not much colour in them apart from the splash of colour from Gingers coat- making them interesting candidates to complement the text. 

Moving on to contents now, unlike many magazines in Whistling Dawg's genre, my contents is built with only two main photo's than a series of small photographs dotted about the page or one large photo.  But, again, there are similarities such as the lures and page numbers written on a featured photo giving the consumer a taste of what they can expect later on in the magazine.

The remaining space on my contents page is filled with a list of page descriptions and numbers. I decided to change these to alternate colours, making it easier to read and follow. I also wanted to make text describing the featured artist (Ginger) and the page number a different colour completely. I feel this emphasised the fact Ginger was a special subject in the magazine. I did this, as contrary to magazines such as NME, I didn't feel it necessary to insert another picture of Ginger for the contents page.

Colour Schemes
I feel my main colours of orange, white, yellow and black work well together, and stand out against each other and most other colours. They are bright colours, which could symbolise fun and happiness, just like the pictures through out my contents page, double page spread and front cover.


Mise-En-Scene

The Mise-En-Scene firstly challenges the convention of the average music magazine as there is no instrument in the photo on the front cover, nor the double page spread. I felt that when an instrument is used in a photo, it narrows the choice of poses for the model, making the pictures rather boring and similar to other magazines. In other ways however, my artist does follow conventions as Ginger looks straight into the camera, a technique used in professional magazines such as NME to give the feel of the artist linking to the audience.

                                                              

The scenery in my double page spread also fits nicely; it shows Ginger jumping in snow, accompanied by an article/interview about her new winter album.

Camera

Another convention that fits with my magazine is the use of a close up shot on the front cover, clearly showing the artists emotion and the use of full body shots on the double page spread clearly show body language and the artists pose.

Focus Group - For everything

Just to get some final feedback and comments on my magazine project,  I asked people in my target audience (16-25) I passed to write a comment about all of my three comments. I asked them to put something they liked, or didn't like so I had a good understanding of where I went wrong, or what I did right! Here's a small extract

So, as you can see, the feedback was generally positive. The comments and opinions have been quite  encouraging, I feel proud. 

Final Double page Spread

Here we have take two (the final version) of my double page spread. By moving my items around the sides, pens and giraffes etc, I was able to fit a lot more text in. I am rather pleased with it as a piece, I think it follows codes and conventions of an indie magazine, but also breaks certain elements with the quirky and fun design.

Inspiration For My Double Page Spread- Take Two

After my disaster of a double page spread, I decided to do a bit more research to see how the pro's do it. The three designs below were ones I particularly liked, all for different reasons and I'd like to try and fit elements of each into my own Whistling Dawg double page spread. 




This double page spread is uniquely different to many others as the main photo covers the whole of the background with the main article of text overlapping it. It is also unique in that the colour of the text also matches with the background, which would normally make the text unreadable but instead ties the words in with the colour scheme of the pages. This use of a photo background isn't seen much in many magazines, but is quite regular in this magazine, Q. The headline of the article does not seem to stand out much, which is a minus of the page, but the 'New To Q' tag at the top helps tie the page to the magazine itself. The use of the red is also a regular re-occuring features of Q magazine. I myself feel that the use of a photo of the background makes the actual article seem unappealing to read, as it is not only a bit overly simple but it makes the words harder to read sue to the small size and similar colour to the background.As much as I like the style of this particular one from Q, I think the same 'not enough text' problem occurs. This double page spread looks as though it is to be continued on to another page, but unfortunately I don't have that option, so I need to be very careful with my design.
I believe this is double page spread might tick a couple more boxes for what I need to create to complete my Whistling Dawg project. The picture is large enough to see, and there is plenty of room left over for text. I have also noticed that the size of the text here is a lot smaller than my the text of my double page spread first draft, this may be something to bear in mind when producing my second. A very apparent red, white and black colour scheme is used, something that occurs a lot in Kerrang! magazine usually. The colours also help tie in with the rock genre the magazine represents. The layout is quite typical in the fact that the photo of the band the article is referring to takes over one of the pages, with the corresponding article on the opposing page. The red quote on the black background helps break up the normal article of black on white and makes it look less long-winded and essay-like, helping encourage the audience to read it. The smaller article in the corner also helps keep the page tied together and doesn't deviate from the theme and make it look messy, but also adds extra interest to a page that is otherwise made up of writing. The font of the title is key in tying in the article to the magazine's rock theme along with the colours so the magazine looks more professional and well put together.

This is another design I really rather liked. The colours used on this double page spread is the first noticeable concept your eyes are drawn to- the typical American red, white and blue- with only blacks and greys added in to keep the focus on the photo without making it look unprofessional and too garish using too much colour. The photo takes up a whole page and a half, making it the main focal point and makes the page look interesting and exciting. The fonts give the article a sophisticated look to go with the singer’s regal looking pose atop what looks like the American flag. The columns of writing help the article look both neat and organised, but also break up the text so as not to make it look too lengthy and boring. The overlap of the title and the photo helps to tie the whole spread together and helps keep it professional looking.

Text For My Double Page Spread

After doing a bit of research into the actual text of music magazine double page spreads, it became clear that most of it is questions and answers about the features artist. I focused on the style of language used in the interviews just like this one from Kerrang! magazine.
So from there, I set to work on creating some questions for my artist and asked my friend (Ginger) to come up with some answers and I edited them from there to sound professional and 'musician like'. 
However, after experimenting with adding text to my particular layout of my double page spread,  I soon came to the conclusion I just had not left enough room  for as much text as i'd like to include. So it is back to the drawing board for a new double page spread design. 

See what I mean? Just not enough text there. Not at all.

Finished Contents page

Her we have the completed Whistling Dawg contents page which include my photographs I mentioned in the previous post.
I also used that good old font, 'Earths Greatest' (also mentioned in the previous post) as it is clear and effective for the list of pages and descriptions of pages, as seen on the left hand side.
I also managed to sneak in The Whislting Dawg logo on the background wall in the main picture, I thought this looked very proffesional and cheery.
Im decided to put the list of pages and number of those pages in alternate colours of blue and black, so it is easy to follow and read. I chose these colours as they fit nicely with the page as a whole, and my whistling dawg logo is also black. With the blue theme in mind, I thought as a background for this section something other than a solid colour would work nicely. I scanned in this tea stained paper, and changed the colour of it to blue, bingbangboom we have a lovely pattern for the background.

Contents Page Photographs

These are the two main pictures I wish to pop on to my contents page. Although they are both of the same person (my cousin) that is a bit tricky to tell, so I can easily name them as different artists and so on.  I thought the picture with the milk van would go nicely with the heading 'Highlights of Sheep wash Festival' as, after all, I did take the picture at a festival and it shows wellies and mud - typical festival conditions. Obviously the picture will have to be rotated so we don't have to tilt our heads to look at it and it will also have to be cropped because of that inconvenient arm sneaking in on the left hand side, but these problems can be easily fixed, get in!
Moving on to the picture on the right, I didn't realise how good looking this one was at the time, but it has come out really nicely. The colours should contrast splendidly with the not so bright 'Milk picture', and it should fit nicely with a heading such as 'Mae's Guide To The Top Ten Events This Summer'. By giving my cousin a name in the magazine, the amount of people in it is broadened, making the Whistling Dawg magazine look more professional by the minute! Also, just before I go, I thought this font would be nice to use for the headings, and any other text used on the contents page:

All of you with hawk eyes may have noticed I have indeed used this very same font before, just here on the double page spread(circled in red). I think reusing the fonts on different pages is a good move- it's always a good idea to keep running similarities and themes going throughout I reckon it just makes the whole thing far more professional looking.

I also have a plan for my contents page to  be:

Double Page spread - So far

So, like the title says, this is my double page spread so far, without the text.

I think the 'desktop items' around the right hand side are working tremendously, and I am rather pleased with the text and colour schemes, especially the alternate colours of  the subheading.  However, I do worry it looks a bit cluttered, but I shall see what my double page spread focus group says about the matter, it can easily be changed after all.

Update On The Double Page Spread

 I am currently working on the design of the double page spread. Paper clips have been   added to the pictures, which I thought looked really effective. For these, actually, for everything I scanned in I set the white background transparent so it looks like it is happily sitting on the background behind. It's a good, professional looking technique that works most of the time when the picture is of a good quality and the background isn't too busy. 





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Double Page Spread Plan

Here we have a cheeky drawing of how I wish to lay my double page spread out.  It includes two pictures of my artist, as well as scanned in items, which I hope to add around the sides of my main text to create a desk top effect. Below are some pictures of the items I wish to use. You may notice, they all have a yellow/orange colour theme, which fits splendidly with my artist, Ginger as well as my yellow and orange Whistling Dawg  front cover.