Diary entry 2

Hey guys

Enjoy the first dairy entry? .... good.

This week I did my evaluation from my preliminary task  and then I started my research into different music magazines.

The music magazine I was basing my research on was NME , I chose to do this because it is my style of music and I like the bands that feature in it.

I found the preliminary task well because I has some good ideas on what to put in it and on it and what is was going to be called. I also thought that it was a good starter for the music magazine because it gave you a chance to practice your skills on photoshop and photography.

evaluation for preliminary task

Media Evaluation

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

In comparison to the colour schemes I had looked at in my style model, I decided just to keep a simple colour scheme for my front cover in order to make the magazine look basic and not too complicated. The reason I used such a bright colour was to grab the reader’s attention which I have found, from past class research, is a necessary convention of any magazine.

I have strictly stuck to the “rule of thirds” by keeping the magazine name at the top, and the subheadings on the left. I decided to keep the magazine simple and not challenge the codes and conventions of real media products too much, in order to keep the magazine looking simple and professional, instead of making it look too busy and complex which is one of the negatives of the style model I looked at.

My contents page sticks to the same colour scheme as my front cover. I did this differently to my style model, because I found that this was a negative point, and didn’t make the magazine look professional. I do think my contents may be a bit too basic, but this was only because I didn’t want to challenge the conventions of real media products too much. I am planning to when it comes to doing the real project.

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

I have my personal digital slr therefore I already know my way around a camera, I used my knowledge of different settings to get a effect in my photographs. I used this for an advantage to give a high quality and professional finish to my school magazine and will carry on using this in the future. On Photoshop I also used several things I was taught my Mr Convrey. The things I were taught are the magnetic lasso, hand/move tool, click the tick, hold shift to resize in proportion, colour tool, text tool the spot brush and the healing brush. My blog is what I am uploading all of my coursework to therefore the examiner can read all of my coursework and means that I can access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

front covers

Front Covers.

This is the first cover I found and that I am analysing because it sticks to a strict tri-colour scheme, this is good because it is very eye catching and the pink title stands out from the white/grey background and then the band name is in pink and it shows that they are the main feature in this article.

The rule of thirds is used throughout this front cover for example the title and 7of10 special edition takes up 1 ½ each and foals takes up the centre one and then all of the band members are spread out but still on the rule of thirds.

The structure of the front cover shows that it is professionally finished and put together well because everything looks right and looks like it should be in the place that it is like the barcode is  out of way at the bottom you wouldn’t find it right in the middle.

There is a lot more happening on this front cover, yet again it is a tri-colour scheme with red, black and white. This is good because the red and white will stand out if outlined in black or have a black background. This is also what I’m going to be using for my colour scheme because I think it is best for catching peoples attention.

The main photograph in this cover is Jamie t mainly in the 2 thirds of the cover and has other artists featured on the left hand side and also it is boring having on person on the cover.

It has little features which make it look like a good quality magazine because without these it would look quite unprofessional. There is a lot on this front cover but it is spaced out so it doesn’t look really cramped and has loads of stuff  on it.

The red, black and white colour scheme is the most popular scheme for NME to choose, this why I’m using it for my magazine I found this out when I did my research into this magazine.

The layout of this cover shows that the people featuring in it are very immature because of the font and the way they are positioned and standing in the photograph. The text looks like stereotypical school boy graphite.

The cover also has a variety of what is in the magazine in this week this just shows what is in it and the contents will tell you in more detail.

This has a totally different tri-colour scheme. This scheme is blue grey and white this is good because they blue is really eye-catching because she is using a blue prop as well and it just looks really professionally photographed.

The majority of the text is down the left hand side in the left hand third of the page this is good because it frees up the rest of the page for the photo to show the main feature.

The photograph is expertly taken  because the contrast between the jumper and the face and the background gives it layers and shows the depth of the photo.

This front cover is a good one to choose because the photo shows Pete topless and then the words and text are placed around his body to show the emphasis on the photo.

The pink , red and white show that the colour scheme for this is a nice bright colour scheme to try and show that Pete is not boring.

The font that is used is sans serif this shows that is a up to date magazine and aimed at a younger generation.

contents page

Contents Pages.

NME front covers stick to the traditional r b and w colour scheme this is good because on the contents you are looking for what is going to be in the magazine and the text is black on a white background and it is really good.

Having 2 or 3 photos of different things on your contents is good because it doesn’t distract you but your not bored by all of the text.

The right hand third holds most of the text and that is good but is all in one place you need it spread out across the page for it to look better.

This contents page has one massive photo in the centre third from top to bottom yet again the text is all down the right hand side but it is separated by the black highlight for the titles of each area.

Traditional colour again, most of NME content pages are the traditional color scheme. But on the left hand side there is and band index showing what bands are featuring in the magazine this week.

The main storey on this contents links in to the photo and it is a big article on an awards night so therefore NME are getting the gossip from there and using it as the main storey.

From first glance this magazine contents page you can clearly see that is a cramped page this is because they have done a massive feature article and there is too much information on the centre third and they haven’t left any room for more information.

The colour scheme has changed only because this issue is a massive article so they have kept the red , black and white but added more and there is too many colours on the page making it look really cramped.

They always have a banner on the bottom containing information about subscription this works well because it is information on a page that is giving information about what is in the magazine.

This contents page has one massive photo in the centre third from top to bottom yet again the text is all down the right hand side but it is separated by the black highlight for the titles of each area.

Traditional colour again, most of NME content pages are the traditional color scheme. But on the left hand side there is and band index showing what bands are featuring in the magazine this week.

The main storey on this contents links in to the photo and it is a big article on an awards night so therefore NME are getting the gossip from there and using it as the main storey.

 

This is the new style of NME contents page with a massive title in the middle immediately catching your attention.  The structure to this contents page is much better because you can spread it about it is not in order it is all jumbled about and it keeps the reader focused and interested on what is in the magazine.

The page numbers featured in the bottom right corner of all the topics really stand out from the photos because they are highlighted in white and it looks really good.

In this the main feature is yet again in the centre but only takes up a half of the page leaving more space for more information.

Double Page Spreads

Double Page Spreads.

This is a great DPS because it has a great tri-colour scheme the bright blue highlights everything and makes it look attractive and then the black and white is used for the text to be able to be readable .

The split between the black and white works really well because the white writing stands out really well and  the blue line seperates it makes look really professional because the of the contrast between them.

The photo is really framed because it has all band members in and it looks like they have just finished a tough gig and then they are just relaxing in the dressing room or at home or at the studio or something. And then the blue box clearly shows some important information.

The 3 columns of text show that this article is a good read and has lots of information in because it is quite long but is split up by this quote in the second 2 thirds and it is really good because it doesn’t make it boring.

The photo is used really well because it take ups the whole left side of the DPS and then the title in the bottom just fills in a gap because there is nothing interesting happening in the photo so it is really well structured and has a professional finish to it.

The lighting in the photo looks like mostly the light in the background but you can tell that the flash was on the camera because there is shadows on the members of the band and the photo looks really good.

The way in which the article has 3 columns compliments the rule of thirds I like the three columns as it looks neat and tidy, it also works really well with the way they have put the three smaller photos down like that it keeps the combination of three a running factor and consistency gives the magazine an overall edge and makes it really effective, keeping in with the rule of thirds the use of the colours compliments the article as they are very bold and catchy, the large photo taking up the first page works well with the three columns on the other page, all the photos are of the band in gigs which proves they love the music and not the fame aspect.

This double page spread also use’s the rule of thirds when it comes to the columns for writing, the photo is really eye catching and covers all of one page and carries on onto the other page slightly, the photo is really catchy and gives off the feel as if they are coming to get you, they want chart hits and they mean business , this compliments the article well as its kind of a comeback, re-establishing there position in the rock/indie industry.  The bold black headline gives it a really edgy effect also again complimenting the article giving off the impression they are back to make a print on the industry, the tri colour scheme also means  it looks neat and tidy and keeps in with the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds in this article exists in that on the first page you have the three articles but on the second page you have 2 articles then a strip of photos this works and gives the effect of three and three the tri colour scheme also compliments the rule of thirds meaning although the article looks a bit messy and thrown together it still works and looks a presentable and catchy. The way in which the photo goes across the bottom of the page is a different, it  works well and as the photo takes up quite a lot of space the 4 smalller photos on the right hand side on the far page compliment it well and break up the blocks of text. The photo positioned in that way really works with the title ‘we are the future’ by saying we are the future it makes them seem a little different to everyone else in the industry and by having the photo in a different position to how any other band would it really gives off the impression that they are different and reinforces the statement. 

Diary entry 3

Hey guys, its me again.

This week I have been analysing 5 front covers, 5 contents pages and 5 double page spread.

Analysing my front covers I used research and what I have learnt from my teachers about how to spot a good front cover.

Analysing my contents pages I used research and what I have learnt from my teachers about how to spot a good contents page and what needs to go where.

Analysing my double page spreads I used research and what I have learnt from my teachers about how to notice what needs to go on a double page spread and what colours schemes should be used.

initial sketches

As you can see my front cover doesn't an image drawn on that is because I couldn't think of what have so I left is blank and also you will notice that the title has changed this is because people did not like it and I took the title from my audience research.  My contents pages is based on my research into music magazines on the market today so I took several ideas on the layout and changed them so it was my own work. My DPS has a military scheme on I originally thought of this idea I asked a few friends if they liked it and they said yes so I stuck with it for my DPS.

Intial ideas

Audience research

audience research

audience research

For my audience research I asked 6 questions. These questions were:

1.     Do you read NME music magazine? Out of 20 people 14 said yes and 6 said no. I didn’t the ones that said no so I automatically stopped reading their questionnaire answers.

2.     Do you think Tri-colour scheme is best? All 14 people said yes, so I am going to use a tri-colour scheme for my magazine.

3.     Do you prefer reading interviews or articles? 9 people said interviews, 1 person said articles and 4 people said both. With the majority of the votes I am going to use an interview style of text for my DPS.

4.     Do you like NMP for a music magazine name? If not my alternative is IN-DEE. 8 people said NMP was a good name but 6 people liked IN-DEE, I liked IN-DEE better and it sounds better so I am going to use IN-DEE for my name.

5.     In a DPS would you prefer 2 columns of text or 3 columns of text? 13people preferred 3 columns of text so I will be using 3 columns of text with an interview style of text on my DPS.

6.     How much would you roughly pay for a music magazine? 7 people said £2-£3, 7 people said £3-£4 and 0 people said £4+. For my music magazine I will price it at £3.50.

Below is my results table.

Photo planning and locations

Photo planning and locations.

Picture	Time and date	Model	Location	Lighting	Mise-en-scene	Camera angle and distance
Main image on front cover.	17th March 10:52	Matt Harris	Media room with white screen	Lighting kit ¼ power	Just Matt in the photo	Close up on matt’s face
Editors comment photo	8th March 16:32	Euan Stenhouse	My house	Daylight	Me working on my document. Laptop. Also camera remote in left hand	Side view high ish angle.
Practice DPS photo	1st March	N/A	Friends house / he lives on  an army base	Daylight	Truck parked on army base.	Low angle and long  distance
Contents page band photo	21st March	Matt Harris, Jake DeHavilland and Jordan Riley  (changed to Jacob Bales for final mag)	Media room with green screen	Lighting kit ¼ power	3 guys with lead signer with arms spread wide.	Medium shot at eye level.
Main DPS of band	6th April 10:50	Matt Harris, Jake DeHavilland and Jacob Bales	Behind PE block because it looks like army barracks	Daylight / sun for shadows on face	All 3 guys leaning up against the wall and 1 with leg up and one with arms crossed and one with hands in pockets	Low angle shot of full body.
Contents of Kieran Graham	24th March	Kieran graham	By Churchill field in front of a bush	Daylight / sun for shadows on face	Kieran standing with hands in pockets looking really indie.	Mid shot
Contents of Joe Harrison	22nd March	Joe Harrison	Media room with green screen	Lighting kit on ¼ power	Joe looking really indie with microphone	Medium to long shot

This is my photo planning sheet for locations and different shots.

Original photos

 I used this photograph on my contents page. I looks really professional becaue the sunlight catches Kierans face and the compesistion of the shot looks really good.

I used this Photo of Joe because he looked like Liam Gallagher and then the Green screen was hard to cut out but then it showed me where I needed to cut out.

Original photos

This is my front cover image. The white cloth in the background is used because it shows the shadows and it is not just plain white it has a gradient in from white to black. 

Original photos

 This was my contents page photo of the coup. I had to change it because jordan couldn't make the other photoshoot so I used jacob instead.

This is my new DPS photo  it looks really good because the pe block looks like Army barracks that is why I chose to use this place.

Original photos

I used this photo for my rough cut DPS because it is linked with what my DPS is about and it is a good photograph.

Original photos

This is my photo for my editors comments. I used my remote control which is in my left hand.

Diary entry 4

Hey guys

This week I completed my audience research and my initial ideas.

My initial ideas was completed before my audience research because it was what I thought I should put in but then if I need to change my idea I could.

My audience research went well because I videoed 2 people and then sent 20 questionnaires around my target audience so I know what to put in my magazine and what people will like.

Rough Cuts

These are my rough cuts for my magazine

Diary entry 5

Hey guys

Hope you all liked my rough cuts feedback is on its way after this diary entry and I guess that is what I did for this weeks dairy entry.

So rough cuts went down well we had a lesson this week where we all looked at each others rough cuts and gave them our feedback. I went first just so I could get mine over and done with! hope you enjoy reading all my feedback.  See you later for diary entry 6.

Rough cut feedback

Rough cut feedback.

Teachers Feedback:

What do you like about my project at this stage?

FC: Strong image, clean style and an eye catching colour scheme.

CONT: Middle image works well, title is clear bold page No.s

DPS: Unique style to page, good layout.

What could I improve?

FC: Maybe avoid dark background for shapes more features/photos.

CONT: More diversity with photos, for black text capitals/ different font.

DPS: More images of the band! Break text with quotes dead space.

Students Feedback:

There are a lot of students in my class so I have looked through my feedback and picked out the most important things for my magazine.

What do you like about my project at this stage?

FC: good bold title of the magazine, like the title, the inside circle/rectangle, positioning of the barcode, composition of the shot, layout, the banner at the top and the white background.

CONT: Stories separated well using red lines, random positioning of the lines looks good, band index, font used and nice composition of the images used on the contents page.

DPS: The title stands out really well, title looks amazing, the layout of the text with the green separation lines and the use of the IN-DEE logos/page numbers in bottom corners.

What could I improve?

FC: Sub-headings on front cover should be clearer, change the red text to make it stand out more and a couple more sub-heading on the front cover look a little plain.

CONT: Photo is too dark on contents, needs empty spaces filling up and make the Kieran Graham story smaller because The Coup is the main story.

DPS: More photos of the band, change the large photo and have more inset photos, text is too small, DPS looks clustered and make the quote bigger.

Dairy entry 6

Hey guys

I think my feedback back was pretty good, big thanks to 12C (my media class).

Well it's now time to crack on with getting this feedback put into place on my magazine and get the final draft finished.

Technical guide

Technical guide

During this project I have used lots of technology from technology that I already new how to use and technology that I have just been taught about.

The list of different technologies I have used during this project are:

·        Adobe photoshop

·        Nikon DSLR cameras

·        Nikon remote control

·        Professional lighting kit

·        Windows computers

·        Apple Mac book

·        Adobe photoshop free download

·        Blogger/blogspot.com

·        Media studies disk box

·        Transcend memory sticks

Photoshop

I used photo shop to edit all of my music magazine and my school magazine. I also used Photoshop during the lessons when we were learning how to use it and edit on it. This technology allowed me to have all 3 pages of my magazine open at once and working on which ever I wanted to work on.

Nikon DSLR cameras

I used my own Nikon D500 to take some photos but for the photographs in school I used the media departments Nikon D3000. Both cameras produced great quality photos and made them look really professional.

Nikon remote control

For my magazine I would like a photo of me to go on my contents page as an editors comment photo. I wasn’t allowed to get someone else to take it so I set my camera up on the tripod and then set my camera to the remote control setting and then took a photo of me working for my magazine and it is a good use of technology.

Professional light kit

The media department had just invested in a brand new lighting kit with a white and green screen for the background. This was excellent because we could get a great photo using the lights and the background was easy to take out or it gave a good effect that’s why I left it in on my front cover photograph.

Microsoft windows

The school computers were Microsoft computers and I used windows for the software that adobe photoshop was loaded onto.

Apple Mac book

For the work I did at home I used my Mac book, it is hard work because you have to save the file as a Microsoft format as well as Mac format.

Adobe photoshop free download

When I wanted to edit my magazine at home I downloaded the free 30-day trial for photoshop, this was really useful because it was practically the same as the photoshop at school. This is a really good use of technology because it means I can be working on my magazine as homework and class work.

Blogger/blogspot.com

Blogger/blogspot.com is what I am using to upload my entire project we do this so it is easy for the examiner to read it and mark it. I had to create a website for my blog, I upload everything that I have done involving this project from preliminary sketches to my final evaluation. This also means that I can access my blog anywhere with and internet connection.

Media studies disk box

The disk box is where I am saving all of my work in school for my project. The school had to create the disk box because there wasn’t enough room on my personal documents. It is very easy to access and has the whole of the year 12 media on it so all the teachers can check how the students are coming along.

Transcend memory stick

I used my memory stick to transfer my work from the school computers to my Mac or from my Mac to the school computers. This was also an advantage because if the school network went down I have it backed up on my memory stick.