This document reflects on the learning process of creating a magazine from initial research through to the final product. Key skills learned include researching topics and analyzing magazine styles, planning magazine layouts, improving photography skills in Photoshop, and applying research to inspire content. Feedback was generally positive, praising the vintage photography style and simple yet unique design of the front cover and double page spread while suggesting the content layout could be more engaging. Overall the use of technology was beneficial yet carries risks, and completing the project would have been near impossible without it.

1. Evaluation

2. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? Throughout the coursework, many skills and lessons have been achieved and can be seen in the finished product. Using technology and othersourcesthesegoalshavebeenachieved. Duringtheresearchstage I learntmanywaystofindresearchandhowtoanalyse a magazine. Thishelpedwithideas on a magazine andgaveme a rough idea on whatsort of stylemy magazine would be like. Of coursemakingsomechanges I managedto plan my magazine. TheresearchthenleadtoPlanning a magazine, andthepreliminarytask. Theplanningprocessinvolved; Flatplans, Layouts, PitchandOrganisation. Duetothefactthat I had nevercreatedorplanned a magazine, allthisprocesstaughtmemanynewkeyskills.Planning a magazine involvedlookingback at alltheresearch I had madeearlierandthenapplying it intothisstage of thecoursework.

3. As myphotoshopskillswerenexttonothing I didmypreliminarytask on publisherandrealisedthatthequality of it was no where as good as I washoping it to be. However at theend of theday it lookedlike a magazine and I learntmylesson. I didn’tapplyany of theideas I recievedfromthe magazine research. I justwantedtoget a rough idea on howtomake a magazine. Application of myresearchinspiredmyphotography. Whilelooking at magazine covers I cameacross magazine photoshootsthatleadtotheideas I gotforthestyle of photography I wantedformy final product. Usingmyinterestsandthegenre of music I listen totheideascametogetherandcreatedthedreamphotography I waslookingfor.Finallymyfinal product, is focused on thegenre of what I listen toandthe modern daytrends. Edittingphotoshelpedmegettheimage of what I waslookingfor, theoldvintagewashedoutlook is thelatest trend forteenagersso I thoughtbasingallmywork on thatwouldhelp, as it is whatI’minto.

4. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?? At the start of theproject I had mythoughts set on making a magazine similartoKerrangor NME, I wantedtohave a Punk Rocklooktomy magazine and had thoughtaboutdevelopingandmimicing a magazine likeKerrang. However I realisedthatmirroring an existingproduct, on a genrethatdoes not inspiremewas not what I wantedto do. So I didmoreresearchintoIndie/Folk magazines, and I couldn’tfindanythingthatcoveredboth of thesegenres. So I intentedto set my magazine on challengingexistingmusicmagazinessuch as NME, Kerrangand Q.

5. TheLook of the magazine is toreflectmystyleandthegenre of musicthatinspiresme in everyday life. So I had a rough idea andcouldimaginewhat I wantedto do withmy magazine. Itwasto be simplelookingandjust a relaxedlayout. Where as magazine such as Kerrang had a higherratio of photosthentextwhichmadethepagelooktoobusy, I wantedtotheopposite, Justthemainfrontcoverimagewithbulletins on whattheissuecontains is theonlything I wantedthethefrontcovertoconsist of.

6. Thecontentspagewasalsojustto be simplewith an independentlookto it. The post-it notesgivethe magazine a casuallaidbackimageandthat’swhatitsmeantto be. Editingthephotostolookliketheyarepolaroids is togive a vintagelooktothe magazine.

7. The DPS The DPS is yet againrathersimple, a grey background contrastedwellwiththewashedoutimages. A small polaroid photo in thebottomright is of thealbumcoverwhich is mentioned in thearticle. Alsotheinspiringquotemakesthatpagestandoutmoreandwillhopefullymakethearticlelookinteresting.

8. How does your media product represent particular social groups? Class Myproductdoesn’trepresentanycertainsocialclass, Thephotographsweretaken in a gardenagainstthegaragewall, thisrepresentsthatthebandarecloseenoughtohang at eachothershouse. Theclothesthattheyarewearingare not brandedand can reflectthe modern dayfashion of thevintage/indielook.

9. Gender Thebandconsists of 2 malesand a female. Thefemale is theleadsingeralongsideone of themales. There is no higherpower in gender as theyallhaveequaljobs. Thebanddon’treflecttoonespecificgender as bothmalesandfemalesnowadaysareinto a mixedgenderbands. Howevertherearen’tmanyindie/folk bandsaround. TheclosestbeingFlorenceandTheMachine.

10. Theage of thepeople in thebandarethetype of agetheyaretorepresent as manyadultsmay not appreciatenewoffthe radar music. Theagegroupsthatthe magazine is thoughttorepresentis of 15-21 yearolds Age

11. Who would be the audience for your media product? Mytargetaudience is of theage of lateteenstoearlytwenties. Thedress sence of theaudiencewill be vintageandtheyarecomfortablewearingsomethinguniqueandindependent. Not part of anyparticularsocialclassand of allgenders.Mostprobablycherishsacousticguitarmusicmorethananything, and is alwayslookingfor a newbandthataredifferent in theirownindividualway. Musicsuch as Mumford & Sons, TheKooksetc.aretheonlyfamousbands he/shewillkeeptrack of as theirotherbandsare not known in themainstreamworldtheylive in.

12. How did you attract/address your audience? Thestyle of photographyandthesimplelayout of thefrontcoverwillattractteens of myera. Thewashedoutandsepiaphotographycoverthevintageeratodays modern fashionworld is goingthrough at the moment. Thefontsusedare a range of handwrittenscripts. Togivetheoldvintagelookgoing, alsothetitle ‘Vinyl’ symbolisesthevintageera as vinylrecordsarenowcomingbackto be morevaluablethen ever.

13. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? Photoshop- neverknewhowtouse it beforesoeverything I usedtomakemy final productsuch as photoediting, putting a shadow on mytitleetc.Camera – Learntdifferenttechnicalcodes, differentlightingeffectspicturequality.Dafont- A web pagethathelpedmefigureoutwhat font I woulduse as mytitle.Powerpoint – Preparingmyworkandplanningeverythingout in a simpleway.

14. What I could/couldn’thave done without… Could Couldn’t ComputerCameraPhotoshop A blogWord Memorystick Thefactthatcompletingthe magazine would be impossibleif I couldn’tusethisshows on howmuchtechnology is importanttothecoursework Instead of using a blog I couldhave done thework on paperandhanded it in as a folder, alsoinstead of word I couldhavewritten it allupstraightontophotoshop.

15. Benefits & Downsides of Technology Theuse of technology has madetheprocesssomuchquickerandwithouttheuse of technologyfinishingtheprojectwouldhavebeenimpossible. Howeversometimestechnology can not go in yourway as a computercouldcrashandallyourworkcould be lost. Photoshopmadeputtingeverythingtogethersomuchquickerandeasierandgavethe final product a betterlookandmore of a professionallook.

16. Feedback Aftershowingmy final productto a range of friends, I gotmanypositivefeedbackandsometips on what I couldhave done tomakethe magazine lookbetter Thephotographyattractedeveryonesattentionandgreatcommentsweregivenwiththestlyeandtheediting.TheFrontcoverwassaidto be easytounderstandandfittedthegenre I wasaimingfor, thecoloursusedweresimpleandcontrastedwellwiththepicture. TheContentspagewassaidto be a bit boring, but stilleverythingcameacrosswellandunderstandably, manypeoplesaidthatthecontentspage had itsownuniquestyleandwasdifferenttoanyother magazineThe DPS standedoutwellandcameacross as a professionallymadedps, the background coloursfittedwellwiththephotosandthequotewassaidto be quiteinspiring, andmadethereaderswanttoreadmore.