Lauren Fitzsimons discusses how her media skills have developed over the course of creating her magazine project. When she started, her photo editing skills were basic as she cut out images messily. Her text was simple and unplanned. However, for her core project, she learned advanced Photoshop techniques like using the pen tool and layering text in different sizes. She also gained skills in Illustrator to design her magazine logo. Her photos are now better planned and focused. Overall, her project construction improved as she paid closer attention to magazine conventions and details learned from research.

1. Lauren Fitzsimons
Media evaluation

2. Question 1
• My media products use a lot of the existing conventions because I thought if I wanted to create that of a successful profession finish I would have to
use the features of the real magazine industry. The conventions I used on my products included a wide range spanning from – (on the front cover) a
large mid shot image however I challenged the convention of have it directly in the middle and decided to place it on the right hand side playing with
the rule of thirds – which makes the image attract attention straight away. I also challenge the conventions of having the image in black and white
with the colour bubble gum this is not usually seen within the magazine industry as they have an all colour image and black and white is rarely used. I
thought my choice to abandon the convention picture on the front cover was a successful choice because this makes the cover lines more appealing
and goes with the theme of the convict. I have followed the conventions of the cover lines but have challenged them by putting them in pastel
colours as in traditional conventional magazines they would use bold colours my choice to choose this I think helps tie in the master head. Other
conventions I have used on the front cover is the use of the date, price and barcode this is a commonly used feature and I thought this was very
important and couldn’t make a professional looking magazine without it. The size of the master head is also very conventional although it looks like it
consumes most of the page this is what a professional magazine would have. The conventional language used in magazines I researched this and
found that they would use words such as ‘exclusive’ and ‘reveals all’ I have used these too to create plugs to people would be attracted to the
magazine. My favourite used conventions in the existing media products is the bottom bar which normally includes plugs such as
‘interviews, posters, free tickets’ I liked this so I added it to my own magazine. Promotions which are normally a common feature used by media
products ones such as ‘win a ticket to Spain’ I used on of these but made it more relevant to my music genre such as ‘win meet and greet’ and ‘win
popsicles tickets’. Conventional features used within my contents page were columns I used two here the page numbers and the content is
explained I separated the columns with stars this however is not conventional because I haven’t saw a magazine that does this but I thought I should
because of the audience of my magazine is to the younger generation. I also tried to add the conventional trademark stamps next to the band names
to make it look like they actually existed. The contact information usually at the bottom of the contents page is a conventional feature to my
magazine I have added in it includes the Facebook logo and the information to email your stories. The images I used on my contents page aren’t
conventional I have used a scanned in baby picture of the model on the front as I am doing a look back on the past theme for my double page spread
– I think this non-conventional feature was a good choice because I think that the theme of the double page spread isn’t a commonly done thing to
start off with. I have also added a non-conventional image of a urban environment I decided that I would added the urban genre in to appeal to more
of a wider audience still girly urban music though. The conventional feature of carrying out the colour scheme from the front cover to the contents
page I have used I carried the lime green and baby pink thought out the contents page which I think looks effective and like the pieces match
together. My double page spread uses a variety of conventions it however also goes against quite a lot of them too foe example there isn’t a main
image of the cover star instead I have used old pictures that link to the theme of going back to the begin to tell their background story. I have also
used the language of a real media product for the title I used alliteration to help the title flow better ‘Cheyenne’s childhood chance’ I wanted it to
look like a fairy-tale title so I used girly writing this is a commonly used feature in a magazine aimed at my target audience. I have used the
conventional overused enlarged quote when doing a interview ‘ I’ve got a number one single I am so very aware of that’ . I have gone against most
conventions for my double page spread however I kept some conventional features such as the boxes when the signer have realised there tour dates
I have noticed that they do this a lot they include the dates and the numbers of the arenas they are playing in. I have also kept the overused feature
of the enlarged letter at the beginning of the paragraph to introduce the piece.

3. Master head
Quotes from Date of issue and date
interviews
Competitions
advertised.
Cover lines
Barcode
Plug

4. This is an editors
letter
Page numbers Front cover
to go to 80
Contact Website advert
details

5. Title going
over two Column's
pages
Information
Paragraph
introducing
the
interview.
Boxes
separated to
make
questions
stand out

6. Question 2
• I have represented my target audience of 16-20 teenage girls I choose this because I fit into this
category and would know what people my age would like – chosen by my research and planning i
kept this in mind when I was creating my magazine and I developed the constant intention that I
was making it for these people so I used a range of things to appeal and represent them. The
things I added top represent them was the colour scheme I wanted it to be a girly colour so instead
of just keeping to the one I added the fruity fresh colours of green and pink together I wanted this
to tie in with the master head ‘juice’. The language that was used was also to represent the target
audience I wanted to have a gossip/ style element to the magazine even though a music magazine
this is what teenage girls are interested in things such as ‘get Cheyenne’s look’ which I have used in
my cover lines. The use of props on the cover star I also had in mind my target audience I have used
a flamingo and ice lolly’s which have bright girly colours on I thought these would appeal to the
teenage market. When adding the price I thought the amount of money that the teenagers would
be willing to spend on a magazine like mine so I settled on £2.90 as a reasonable price. I have also
used a lot of language and things that would appeal to my target audience in the contents page for
example ‘the dangers of earphones’ earphones are very popular among my age group and this
would definitely apply to them as well as ‘young wild and free’. The colour scheme on my double
page is linked to the police theme so it has the police banners which are blue and yellow with black
this colour scheme is followed through from the front cover as she is placed in black and white.

7. Question 3
• I think places such as the web might distribute my
magazine and I think this because of my audience
they are teenagers and many of them spend their
time on the internet so I think if it was to be sold
the internet would be the best place or maybe a
PDF digital copy would do quite well. I think
maybe some shops I could see it being sold there
I think the shops that specialise or sell fashion or
a normal music shop with magazines of the same
genre. Places such as WHSmith and Tesco’s would
distribute they would sell it on the shelf on the
newsstand with the similar magazines.

8. Question 4
• The audience for my magazine would be in the Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs would be the belonging category this is how I worked out the sort
of audience I would be catering for it would also be the demographic of
aspirers these are typically younger people who prefer the branding and
how it looks rather than the content from that I noticed I would be
needing to pay close attention to the small details to create an
aesthetically pleasing magazine. I would like to think that the audience is a
active audience that they would use my media products for their
purposes. My audience didn’t change through the process because I think
I had a good insight into what my target audience would want as they are
the same age and gender as me. Because I could relate to the target
audience this made it easier to aim towards creating a magazine and
relate to them as I knew what I would like so I just transferred this when
constructing my magazine. I decided to choose the target audience I the
knowledge that I would get to design a magazine that I would buy and
read so I would say my choice in designing it is very heavily influenced on
personal experience.

9. Question 5
• I attracted my audience by using a variety of different features these included the main image on
the front of the magazine which included of the cover star Cheyenne dressed in a convict fancy
dress costume blowing bubble gum. This image was very young and fresh looking as well as girly.
The theme of the convict would also appeal to the target audience because it’s different to any
other themes existing magazines would do. The image being all black and white and the pink
bubble would definitely appeal to them as its current and new and adds a sense of originality. The
colour scheme of the magazine logo ‘juice’ I also think would appeal to the audience because the
colours are very girly and they relate to the juice words of theme. The colour scheme also runs
through to the contents page so theme isn’t lost. The price which is placed onto the front of the
magazine cover would also appeal to the target audience I did price it in mind that teenage girls
aren’t going to want to spend more than £3.00 on a magazine so I made the price an ecological
£2.90 to be cost efficient. The features I have advertised on the front of the magazine would appeal
to them as well because I added a ‘get Cheyenne’s look’ and 16-19 year old girls are really
interested in fashion and the story behind the star like a gossip type features as well that’s why I
think that my features do appeal to the audiences. My double page spread was the thing that I
think would attract the audiences the most for example the article is about the cover stars
background story from childhood but with a twist of having her on ‘lockdown’. This is the sort of
background story that teenage girls would like to know about the language is also changed to suit
them as its very colloquial and chatty like. The types of questions that the double page spread asks
would also appeal as they are very glamorous and money orientated. The amount of acts featured
would attract my target audience because they read to find out about them and their upcoming
music. Also again because teenage girls don’t have a lot of money either the ‘money off juice’
feature would attract them to save themselves money.

10. This is my masthead I made this in in illustrator I chose this one to go on my front
cover.

11. These were my two final choices in the end I chose the one at the top as I thought it
would appeal more to my target audience.

12. This is my unedited photo which I
chose to use on the front of my
cover I chose this because I thought
it would appeal to my target
audience.

13. Because of my developed
Photoshop skills I was able to
transform a normal image above to
this one which I used masks to
create and coloured in her chewing
gum to create this effect.

14. This is one of the photos I didn’t use
but was a unsuccessful photos so I
thought it was best not to put it on
my front cover.

15. Question 6
• The technologies I used was photo shop to create my front page and my content’s page I used in design to create
my double page spread. When I first started this project I didn’t know how to use any of these programmes but
now I know how to use variety of different ways to manipulate images and create things such as
shapes, cropping, text, masking, how to adjust images like to change it to black and white and change colour
balance levels. I also used illustrator to create my ‘juice’ logo this was very hard to use as I thought it was a little
too complicated. The collaborative software such as Photoshop layers enabled me to design text and shapes on
different layers so it made it easier to move and delete layers without destroying the whole thing. The masking I
used on my main image and this wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative software. It was necessary
to manipulate the images because without changing my main image my front cover would have just looked
normal with the manipulating you can design/make something unique. Editing or manipulating also helps better
the quality of some images like the main image of my cover start I think looks better in black and white because of
the theme rather than colour without editing I wouldn’t have been able to try this out and experiment. I also
manipulated the board on the main image because I had drawn on with a pen it wasn’t very clear so I used the
spray can and used black to go over it and make it look better to the camera. The only other thing I changed with
the image is when the image was all together I wanted the girl to be cut out so I used the pen tool and inversed
selected it so all I was left with was her and the background deleted. To document all my progress I used other
technology such as word press I created my own blog and every time I changed something new I would upload it
onto my account in order to make the presentation more presentable and suitable I used other technologies
within this. Other technologies I used within the word press account was slide share on many occasions I made
power points then uploaded them to slide share and the eventually uploaded them to word press. Other
presentation like sides was Prezzie.com this is a interactive service which allows you to make a virtual tour of your
work it’s a version of a fancy PowerPoint. To upload videos I made in my research and planning I used YouTube to
upload my videos after I had documenting me making my interviews.

16. I found out what my target audience would like by making a questionnaire: these are
some of the questions asked…

17. This was created on adobe in design programme.

18. Here I am making the police tape that has run as a theme throughout my project I have
used Photoshop to make these – here these are my different versions of the tape at the
end I chose to use the bottom two.

19. Here I have also used Photoshop to complete my front cover of the Juice magazine

20. Question 7
• Looking back when I first started to make my first task until now I noticed that I
have developed my technology skills in Photoshop because I had used it so much.
When I cut out my images on my first task I had cut them out using the rubber this
looked messy but when I had developed my skills so on my cores work I used my
skills to cut it out using the pen tool and reversing the selection to delete
everything but the person. The writing and text in the first task was also very
simple and not thought of whereas in my cores work I used illustrator to design my
own master head which was more complex. The images on my first task were also
taken really unprofessionally they were blurry and not posed for whereas the
image on my from page the costume was planned and I had taken it so it was clear
and focused this made an overall difference on the outcome of the cores work. On
the first task I also didn’t really take into consideration the small details but on the
coursework I researched existing magazines in depth down to the language used
to construct articles and the format and layout they used. The differences between
the construction of the first task and the cores work task was that the text layers
in the coursework construction had to be all varied and all different with different
sizes the text and size of the first task is all the same this doesn’t look effective. I
also had to design a logo which it would run throughout the development of my
magazine.

21. This is my first task made using Photoshop at the beginning of the year

22. For my first task I made two versions this is the one I thought was better.

23. This is my first task and this is my contents page