Feedback of Final Product

In order to see if I succeeded in creating an appropriate magazine for my niche audience, I contacted a few people who belong to my niche audience and asked a few questions to see what they thought of my completed media product.

This is the message I sent:

Here are three responses I gathered:

Evaluation - Question 7

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

When I created the school magazine I was new to many technologies, as discussed in Question 6, these include Blogger, Slideshare and Photoshop. In Photoshop I was not very educated on what the purpose was for each tool, but throughout this project I became very well acquainted with Photoshop which I think is demonstrated by my final media product. I learnt how to use a variety of tools including the eyedropper tool, rectangular tool, eraser, crop and also learnt a lot about layers and the options on each one e.g. the ability to create a drop shadow on text, which I did. Slideshare was useful because it allowed me to add work I had completed on Powerpoint to my blog and it also taught me how to do a similar thing with YouTube, copying the embed link into the HTML section of a blog post - I'm sure this will be helpful in the future. Learning how to use Blogger was imperative in order to document my journey of creating my music magazine and I think I have learnt a lot more about it since my preliminary task. At first, I knew how to make a blog post, a simple one. Now, I feel very confident in using Blogger as I am able to edit many things as well as being able to add labels and re-arrange posts to my liking. This is important because it means I could make my blog seem more professional and also make it creative be adding colours, headings, images, videos and so on to my posts. Doing my evaluation has also taught me a few websites to use in order to perform presentations e.g. Powtoons and Padlet offer creative ways to present a project/or information.

My magazine creation made a huge improvement from my school magazine to my music magazine. During my preliminary task, I did not do much in depth research as to what the common features of magazines were, I mostly just did what I felt looked best. I took the image for the front cover on an iPhone and looked at other magazines which inspired me to add cover lines across both sides of the page and a masthead as well as a barcode, strip and puff. For my final media product, I carried out a lot more research (by annotating magazines, researching house style, colour, typography, star image and other stuff which can be shown under the label 'research' on my blog) in order to create the most professional looking product I could. I found out a lot of things that helped me to create an aesthetically pleasing product that in turn made it seem appear more professional and more likely to be bought by my niche audience.

I think my double page spread is a good example of what I have learnt in the progression of making my magazine. It is clear that I have manipulated images well and efficiently to create the best end product which demonstrates the valuable skills I have acquired since my preliminary task. I have also learnt how to gather feedback from focus groups in ways I did not know before, what questions are best (open/closed) and also how to present the results. 

Being able to manage my time effectively was crucial in creating my product. I had to carry out all the research and planning stages of my product so that I could get on to the creation stage which involves; taking the photoshoot/s, choosing images to use in my magazine, starting my project on Photoshop and being able to finish that product and complete the evaluation for a deadline. This taught me a great deal about how to manage my time and also improved my ability to write in a concise way that enabled me to accurately document the process of this creation since my preliminary task.

The contents page mirrors the way I improved as well as my front cover. I think it is appropriate to make the judgement that there is significant difference between my two magazines, all of which was done through my research, planning and ability to learn Photoshop. I learnt a lot about how to structure my contents page, that I did not know doing my preliminary task which made my magazine finish looking effective and professional, similar to that of magazines that inspired me like for example, NME. I think overall, I have learnt a lot about conducting research and embedding that research into my product. I made sure I incorporated elements of what I learnt about other magazines into my product which will help me when I conduct research in the future. Time management is also an important thing this project has taught me, it will help me in my school and work life when I need to complete future tasks and meet future deadlines.

Evaluation - Question 6

Evaluation - Question 5

Evaluation - Question 4

Created with Padlet

Evaluation - Question 3

Evaluation - Question 2

Evaluation - Question 1

Evaluation question 1 from beccaweight16

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

CONTENTS PAGE

FRONT COVER

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD CREATION

I created my DPS on two separate A4 canvas' so that when I finished with them on Photoshop I could put them together. Below I have shown the process of the creation of, firstly, the left page and then the right page. In a post further on I will show what they look like together, when I have the resources to do so.

First of all, I made the background of the page a white brick wall. I did this because when I was creating my front cover, a plain white background was boring, in light of this I thought it would be a good idea to add some texture to the page.

I then added my headline. I used a pull quote from the magazine 'I LOVE music and everything that comes with it' because it gives the reader a feeling of the positivity coming from the article and may encourage them to read it. I used the font 'Orator Std' because the spacing between letters makes it bold and effective. Also I used purple because I am continuing the colour scheme throughout the magazine to promote continuity. I also added a grey looking box which is where I will put the body text for my article.

The next step was to add a sell line above the headline. I used a grey box and reduced the opacity so it would make the white writing bold but also because the background is white, it makes it stand out more and highlights the contrast. I used the word 'Exclusive' to make the reader want to read the article because they may feel like they will find out something thy don't know which is intriguing.

Below the headline I put a stand-first/into to give the reader a brief insight of what the article will be about. I used the same font because it is effective against the white background.

The next step was to add all the text. I started with a drop capital and then began to write my body text. I used white lines to separate the columns and wrote the interviewer's comments in black font and the interviewees comments in purple font - I did this so I was still following the colour scheme but also it stands out against the grey background.

I also added a white font, pull quote because this stands out amongst the rest of the text and again, creates a contrast between white and grey.

The final thing I did was add a folio to the bottom of the page, including the logo, page number and date. Then I began on the right page.

I chose the image I wanted to use from my main photo shoot and spent a while editing around the body and mostly, hair. I then put the image on a white background and duplicated it and flipped it around so they were mirrored.

I then got another image I wanted to use that was less active than the other one. I edited around it and then placed it in between the other two..

I deleted the bottom half of the images legs because I am placing a film strip below these images and the legs may be visible so in order to avoid this problem I thought the most proactive thing to do was to delete them.

I used Google to search for a film strip I could use. I rotated it on the page so it looked interesting and when it's slanted a bit it seems more real, rather than just being straight. Then, the same as I did on the other page, I added a grey box to the bottom of the film strip so I can place my text on top of it.

I added images I took to the page, placing them inside the film strip. I used one image of my model with a guitar and another with a close up of my model with some Bowie vinyls in the background, because she refers to him in the article. Lastly, in the middle I used and image of Venice (one I acquired when I visited the city previously) because she refers to there in the article and I thought it added something different to the page and make it appeal to a wider ranged audience.

I proceeded to add the text of the article, this continued from the left page. At the end of the interview I included information of her world tour, as suggested by my body text response.

The final thing to do on this right page, the same as the last was to add the folio again. I made a mistake during the process because there is a difference of brightness on the background image (brick wall) so I had to flip the image so the brightest parts met in the middle and the dark parts were on the outside of the page. The final outcome is below.

CONTENTS PAGE CREATION

To create the contents page for my magazine was a little more challenging than the front cover because the text was difficult to align and look neat at the the same time, because there is so much of it. I tried my best for the contents magazine to resemble well known magazines such as NME (because that is my favourite layout) but also to interpret my theme as well. I have documented the process below.

The first thing I did was add the logo, title (Contents) and other info. I added the logo and arranged it so it was in the same place as it was for the front cover. I then added a line - using the 'Line tool' and increasing the width - running alongside the logo and making it the same navy blue colour. I used the text tool to insert the word 'Contents' above the line and I think I made it look good as the text looks neat and aligned well.

I then added an image of my model with a guitar but she was wearing a top that did not match the colour scheme so I discarded this idea and used this simple, but effective, image instead. Underneath I typed her name 'Olivia Ashley' and page number in a bold font so it catches the readers eye.

After that I added a 'Features' column with an image of a young man with a guitar in black and white, and also included page numbers and info of what's on those pages. On this page I have decided to put the page numbers in purple and other text in black.

Below that I did a 'News!' column with more info about what's inside the magazine.

Lastly, I did a final column labelled 'Reviews'. Along with this I made a line next to the 'News!' column in order to separate the text from the text I inserted below the image. I did this because without it, the text all blurred into one, now it is easier to read and it flows easier.

I created a 'Band Index' on the right side of the page. I used purple page numbers and black text to differentiate the information and make it clear to read. I searched famous indie bands as well as using some from my own knowledge to create a variety or artists.

Below the band index I inserted text saying 'Get in touch...'. Below that I inserted the logo of Instagram, Twitter and of my own magazine 'RPM'. The page number is also in the corner.

On the left hand side of the page, below the three columns I added another section labelled 'Plus'. Here I added more information about what is accessible in the magazine and tried to make it look intriguing and stand out alongside all the other text on the page.

The final thing I added to the page was an advertisement. I placed an image of the front cover I created inside a black box made at the bottom, middle of the page. Then I inserted the text 'Subscribe today for just £5.95 a month! Offer ends in just 5 days. Go to RPMAG.co.uk or (phone number). Terms and conditions may apply...'. I added this so that the page look as real as possible and is representative of other music magazines being sold today.

FRONT COVER CREATION

Below I have showed the progression of the creation of the front cover of my magazine, which I made via the software; Photoshop. Alongside each screenshot I will explain the procedure of how I created the page, including Photoshop tools and creative techniques.

The first thing I did was create an A4 'New Document' with a white background because I want a plain landscape to start my front cover. At the bottom of the page I created a black strip because my image will be placed just above this so it makes it easier to construct the page.

This image is one taken from my main photoshoot which I have used because I think it looks interesting and will comply with the theme of the magazine. On a different window on Photoshop I placed this image on a 'Transparent' background and edited around it using the 'Eraser tool' and 'Magic Eraser tool' so the image did not have a background. This made it easy to copy and paste onto my font cover window.

In the screenshot above I put some text in the strip 'Win tickets to Reading and Leeds festivals!' because this is a feature of many famous magazines. Also, I created a barcode on a different window on Photoshop by getting an image of a barcode from the search engine 'Google' and adding my unique price, date and web address; 'www.RPMAG.co.uk', 'February 2016' and '£3.25'.

At this point, I thought I would have a plain white background for the front cover of my magazine but then I thought this would be too boring. I decided I would have to add something to the page to make it stand out and also look unique. I searched 'club background' into google and I scrolled through many images but could not find one I liked until I came across a smokey feature. I continued looking through 'smoke' looking images and found the one I have placed on the left (and below, right) side of my model. I like this because it adds a mysterious vibe to the page and as this is my first issue of the magazine, this symbolises that the reader is unsure of what they will be encountering when they purchase the magazine. Also the black effect adds more character to the page whilst also sticking to my theme.

I was able to rotate the smoke my copying and pasting the image and then using 'Free Transform' (Ctrl-T) to rotate it 180 degrees clockwise, this is so it is opposite to the other image and creates an interesting effect.

I then added my logo to the top left hand corner of the page (on a previous post I showed how I made my magazine logo on Photoshop).

Once I had the image, barcode and logo on the page I started to add cover lines etc to make it more similar to published magazines. I added a puff to the top right hand corner; I made it purple using the eyedropper tool (to make it the exact same colour as the purple on the jacket) and the fill tool.

I added the date and issue number alongside the logo because these are the sort of credentials that are included at the top of the page on most magazines.

The screenshot above shows the main cover line. I used the 'Horizontal Type tool' to insert text.  I typed in 'Olivia Ashley' in a bold, purple font on the top half of the vinyl and on the bottom half I used a pull quote in white to make clear the purpose of the article to intrigue the audience.

The final step in the process was to add the finishing touches. I added cover lines to both sides of the model. They are short and punctual because the page is busy enough with the large image, colours and background. The cover lines vary in colour and font to add versatility to the page.

I altered my magazine after this point, I gathered opinions from people and also took a step back for a day or two to see if there was anything I wanted to change and below is the final product: