1. FRONT COVER, DOUBLE PAGE
SPREAD AND CONTENTS PAGE
EVALUATION
AS Media: Evaluation of Foundation
PortfolioQuestions:
2. In what ways does your magazine use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real music magazines?
Front Cover:
My front cover of my music magazine follows the forms and conventions of a real music magazine
as I have positioned my cover using thirds vertically and horizontally then subdivided the third
into thirds horizontally at the top of my magazine. My front cover also follows forms and
conventions as I have used my main shot as a long shot of my model, just as various magazines do
such as ‘VIBe’ whose layout I am trying to follow, the model in the shot I have used is looking
directly into the camera, just as models do on most music front cover so that it is more personal
to the audience. I have followed the forms and conventions as I have used a continuation of
colour from the models clothes into the colour scheme of red, yellow and green which are too
the colours that are widely associated with reggae. In addition to this I have placed my masthead
at the top of my page and used the optical centre to feature what I want the audience to mainly
focus on which is the cover line ‘TAVANNA HUTCHINSON’. I have also supported the forms and
conventions due to my variety of fonts that have been used so that the magazine remains
interesting to the audience. In addition to this I have used surveillance and diversion on my front
cover so that the audience can be distracted from their everyday stress and pressures and catch
up on the celebrity lifestyle that differs from their own.
3. Double page spread:
My double page spread follows the forms and conventions of a music magazine as
I have set my columns of text so that the width of each column is equal to the
other. I have also followed the forms and conventions by displaying two images
within my double page spread with the “artist” that is being interviewed with text
that follows the outline of the image so it looks like it is written around her
Contents page:
My contents page follows the forms and conventions of a real music magazine as
there is a continuation from the front cover to the contents page, this has been
done by using photos that are from the same photo shoot that is featured on the
front cover with the same mise-en-scene however is a different shot so that there
is a continuation from the front cover to the contents page but is also a new
image for the audience to enjoy so they do not feel cheated. In addition to this I
have created continuation to ensure the two pages look like they're from the
same magazine as I have used the cover lines from the front cover and displayed
the masthead logo at the top of the magazine so that there is a clear indication of
what magazine it is, continuing the colour scheme of red, yellow and green has
also helped enforce this. My magazine is similar to a real music magazine because
I have used links of social networking on my contents page for further access of
my magazine.
4. How does your music magazine represent particular social
groups?
My music magazine represents young adult females who enjoy my chosen genre of
reggae as happy yet strong and independent, I have done this by positioning my
model with her hand on her hip so she upkeeps a strong figure but her face is relaxed
and slightly smiling to represent she is happy. As a cause of this my front cover is also
linked to the genre reggae as ‘love’, ‘happiness’ and ‘strength’ are commonly
associated with this genre. My magazine represents young females as happy as on my
contents page and my double page spread my model is smiling and wearing red so the
bright colours reflect her cheerful character.
My use of colour scheme of bright colours on my front cover, double page spread and
contents page also represents this social group as vibrant and lively. By my model
wearing a love heart necklace she is representing the ‘love’ associated with reggae.
5. What kind of media institution might distribute your music
magazine and why?
My music magazine will be distributed in a music shop and online so that
there is a wider access to my magazine for the audience. By distributing it
online my magazine can be shared in social networking sites and can be
reached by a wide variety of people so that my audience is extended by
different age groups as the internet is where a lot of younger females will be
able to reach the magazine.
In addition to this by distributing my music magazine online my magazine will
become ubiquitous as it could be accessed at any place and any time.
I want my music magazine to have a wide access so that it can be shared
amongst the audience.
6. Who would be the audience for your music magazine?
The audience for my music magazine is for young adults (aged 17-24) that are
female. I chose my target audience to be female as there are limited reggae
magazines that are for girls as they mostly target men therefore this will
increase the number of my audience as it is a unique magazine. The young
girls that my music magazine targets will be looking diversion which is
provided in my magazine as they will have the daily stresses and pressures
such as exams.
7. How have you addressed you target audience?
I have addressed my target audience by featuring a female model in my
shots for my magazine, by doing so the audience should feel they can relate
to my magazine as my target audience are too females, in addition to this I
used a young model that is in the same age range as the audience (17)
therefore have used social interaction. I have used the use of language
within this magazine to address my target audience to attract the certain age
and social group. I have done this by using personal language and language
that would be used when speaking to a friend. I have used forms and
conventions to address my audience by using diversion in my cover lines
‘Tavanna Hutchinson my journey so far’ and ’30 cool things you must
absolutely know right now’ by doing so I have distracted the audience from
their daily stresses and provided them with something entertaining to read. I
have also used surveillance so that the audience has an idea of what's going
on and is up to date with new thing about their idol celebrities. I have
addressed my audience by using direct language such as ‘you’ to make the
magazine more personal to the audience.
8. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing your music magazine?
In the process of constructing my music magazine I have learnt about various technologies such
as using and learning new tools and techniques on the software Photoshop which I used to
design my magazine. On Photoshop I learnt how to create rulers on the page so that I am
consistent in using alignment in my magazine. I learnt how to create shapes on my contents page
with the use of overlay effect on layer. I also used the stroke effect when giving text or an image a
boarder. In addition to this when using Photoshop to create my magazine I learnt to familiarise
myself with the polygonal lasso tool which was used to trace the outline of the model in my
images and the magic wand tool to delete the green backdrop from the shots (a green backdrop
was used as it is the most furthest colour away from skin colour so easy to delete from around
the model when using the ‘magic wand’ tool) In the process of constructing this magazine I now
know how to composition layers correctly on Photoshop so that they are positioned right when
my magazine is finished. In the making of my music magazine I used the “hue and saturation”
adjustment to alter the colour of my images to connect to my colour scheme of my magazine. I
learnt how to use the ‘fill-content aware’ to take away any shine or over-exposed areas on my
photo shoot shots and used the clone tool along with both the dodge and burn tool to control
shades on my models. I discovered how to add shadowing by adding a drop shadow and for my
final draft created my own barcode with the shapes tool.
I have learnt about various technologies such as using Mac computers and how to upload
different files to my blog by using websites such as slideshare and Scribd.
9. Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have
learnt from it?
From the progression of my preliminary task I have learnt to apply forms and
conventions to my work so that it is alike to a to a real music magazine. By doing
so my front cover, contents page and double page spread have progressed due to
my action to the feedback I was given. Since the preliminary task I have learnt the
forms and conventions of the importance of alignment in my music magazine as
well as how to composition my photographs and the importance of the
representation of people in my chosen genre. In addition to this I have learnt to
divide my magazine into thirds , to use a variety of text so the typography is not
basic and to use shots where the model is making direct eye contact so that the
shots are personal to the audience. I have learnt since the preliminary task to stick
to a colour scheme so that the 3 pages are easily linked together and recognisable
and applied audience theory to my product.
I have learnt about the importance of the distribution of my magazine to my
audience therefore linked social networking sites for my magazine to be shared. In
addition to this I have learnt how to manipulate images on Photoshop properly.