Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Looking back on your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
On reflection looking back at my preliminary task, I feel as if though my design concept was absolutely Ludacris. My image was stretched and I generally think it does not look like a school magazine
First of all, I had no use of the four FS frame, format, formula, function. It was very poorly structured and my cover lines were at the bottom of the page. I have definitely learnt from my mistakes as I used cover lines in my final product.
I think one of the most beneficial things was the research, researching existing magazines to give you a sense of design. It challenged your creativity and essentially how you viewed magazines as an audience. Looking at my final piece I can see I have knowledge of conventions. I could not see my prelim on the shelf's at all! The colour is too bold with the white font which is too large and It doesn't work. When designing my music magazine, I had to consider so much; e.g. name, model, colour scheme, house style etc. I have learnt that when magazine designing, it isn't just handed to you, its not easy at all. You have to edit and re edit drafts over hours to get the correct eye of the magazine. I admire the designers for magazine as I feel it takes a lot of determination, creativity, and an eye for art and of course good marketing skills; That's another major thing I have learnt. In order to attract your target audience, you have to thing of marketing strategies that will engage the reader to buy the magazine e.g. Freebies etc. It was really interesting learning about different theories e.g. The hypodermic needle and how it can be applied to your media product. This had to make me think about how my double page spread could be applied to this e.g. in terms of entertainment. I stuck to using publisher while designing my final piece because I felt comfortable with it since I have been using throughout my school years. I did struggle on where I would put my sell line, cover lines, whether to have a banner etc, because it was tight on fitting everything in, I thought this would be a problem for my double page spread, however I found away around this and I didn't know but you can adjust the page width(in cm) which helped me a lot! I learnt a lot about publisher from the fonts to design format. I used existing and new programmes such as slide share, Prezi, Youtube, Windows movie maker and PowerPoint. One of the most interesting things was making my video for my evaluation, I learnt all the tricks of editing and producing a clip.
I feel as if though doing the prelim task was one of the most important tasks there is to be done, as you can then compare your final product after. I have learned so much in design concept, media institutions e.g Bauer, use of technology, marketing and audience pleasures, theories, and finally blogger!
On reflection looking back at my preliminary task, I feel as if though my design concept was absolutely Ludacris. My image was stretched and I generally think it does not look like a school magazine
First of all, I had no use of the four FS frame, format, formula, function. It was very poorly structured and my cover lines were at the bottom of the page. I have definitely learnt from my mistakes as I used cover lines in my final product.
I think one of the most beneficial things was the research, researching existing magazines to give you a sense of design. It challenged your creativity and essentially how you viewed magazines as an audience. Looking at my final piece I can see I have knowledge of conventions. I could not see my prelim on the shelf's at all! The colour is too bold with the white font which is too large and It doesn't work. When designing my music magazine, I had to consider so much; e.g. name, model, colour scheme, house style etc. I have learnt that when magazine designing, it isn't just handed to you, its not easy at all. You have to edit and re edit drafts over hours to get the correct eye of the magazine. I admire the designers for magazine as I feel it takes a lot of determination, creativity, and an eye for art and of course good marketing skills; That's another major thing I have learnt. In order to attract your target audience, you have to thing of marketing strategies that will engage the reader to buy the magazine e.g. Freebies etc. It was really interesting learning about different theories e.g. The hypodermic needle and how it can be applied to your media product. This had to make me think about how my double page spread could be applied to this e.g. in terms of entertainment. I stuck to using publisher while designing my final piece because I felt comfortable with it since I have been using throughout my school years. I did struggle on where I would put my sell line, cover lines, whether to have a banner etc, because it was tight on fitting everything in, I thought this would be a problem for my double page spread, however I found away around this and I didn't know but you can adjust the page width(in cm) which helped me a lot! I learnt a lot about publisher from the fonts to design format. I used existing and new programmes such as slide share, Prezi, Youtube, Windows movie maker and PowerPoint. One of the most interesting things was making my video for my evaluation, I learnt all the tricks of editing and producing a clip.
I feel as if though doing the prelim task was one of the most important tasks there is to be done, as you can then compare your final product after. I have learned so much in design concept, media institutions e.g Bauer, use of technology, marketing and audience pleasures, theories, and finally blogger!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
How did you attract or address your audience?
http://prezi.com/-1cwg-5_oggs/present/?auth_key=mds52ew&follow=wwmuealpulxc&kw=present--1cwg-5_oggs&rc=ref-40370189
http://prezi.com/-1cwg-5_oggs/present/?auth_key=mds52ew&follow=wwmuealpulxc&kw=present--1cwg-5_oggs&rc=ref-40370189
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of creating your media product?
Throughout my media coursework, I have learnt so much to do with different technologies how they work and what's out there.
iMac
I wasn't very familiar with an iMac and it was great to get the chance to use and explore on one. I used pages a lot in researching and drafting different artists, theories etc, it became extremely useful as I could gather information quickly and clearly. I used a editing program called Pixlr to edit my photos on the iMac, the graphic design was extremely good, I could edit quickly and publish to my blog. I learnt so much when using safari also and keynote.
iPhone4/iPad
As I have an iPhone 4 it was familiar to me. One new thing I did learn was changing my camera settings. I used a 'Grid' setting on my iPhone so I could take pictures precisely and use the rule of thirds theory. This was really useful as then I could position my model accurately to fit the design of my page. I used my friends iPad to take some photos as well. My original idea for my double page spread was my model blowing glitter into the camera, in my head it looked effective but when I did take it on the iPhone and iPad it did not work as 1. you could not see the glitter 2. the timing was wrong. In order to do this really effectively I discovered that you need to use a good camera with a high percentage of megapixels, just like a canon one.
Olympus VR370
I love my Olympus camera, its small but really handy to have and very compact. I used this to take some photos of possible locations as it had a 16.0 megapixel and 5x optical zoom. Its a great little camera to have and I learned how to use some different effects on there e.g. Sepia, Black and white
Pixlr
Pixlr was completely and utterly new to me. I haven't really used many editing programs before apart from aviary on the iPhone which you purchase as an app, and Photoshop. Pixlr was actually outstandingly good, thanks for showing us Mr.H! At first it was complicated to use since I entered the advanced program which there was a lot of fiddling about to do in order to achieve the image I wanted. I then switched and used the efficient edition which I could just upload my picture to from my documents and start editing straight away! I loved it. You could have different options such as using an adjustment tool lead you to a series of editing. I was worried how to get rid of red eye on my image as I thought it would be complicated to use, but it was actually really simple. The thing I liked the most on Pixlr is the ability to change the vibrancy and contrast of the image. This made the image exceptionally professional. One of the best things on Pixlr is changing the effects of the image, I loved playing around with this. In the end, I didn't chose to actually play around with the effects as I think it made it look over edited and unprofessional. Finally the thing I was most impressed with, was being able to liquefy the image! It made it look so unique and like an optical illusion.
Windows Movie Maker
Since I was using a HP pavilion g series laptop at home, I had access to windows movie maker where I could make videos for my evaluation. I hadn't used this program before and thought I wanted to expand my knowledge on how to make videos since I was clueless! the program was actually structured in a really clear way for people to use. It kind of reminded me of PowerPoint with all the slides. You could add text, images and sound to any slide and use transitions to your slides easily. I've made 2 videos in my evaluation using this program.
YouTube
Throughout my blog, I am sure of noticed the amount of YouTube videos i have used! I am very familiar to YouTube and would say I cant live without it! I think it enables you to expand your knowledge on all different types of music, reviews etc. I wanted to use YouTube to provide a range of different artists you could listen to and feel my passion for this genre of music.
1001freefonts.com
When coming to conclusion what font I wanted to use, I searched on my search engine Google Chrome, to find out some of the best free fonts. I found some really great fonts on this website which I saved as an image. The thing I found hard was trying to change the colour of the font since they were all in black!
Microsoft PowerPoint
I love using Microsoft PowerPoint (2010 Edition) as I've used it so many times I know many tips and tricks of using it. I used PowerPoint a lot for evaluating and analysing different music magazines and for my questionnaire analysis.
Slide share
I was completely new to slide share, but I had seen it before. Slide share was really accessible and easy to use surprisingly! I created an account which then I uploaded my PowerPoint and within 30 seconds it had been converted, it was quick and the advantage to it is that you can browse other slide shares from other users.
iTunes
In order to establish what genre I was going to chose for my music magazine, iTunes was really helpful. It gave me inspiration to do the electro/dance genre since I was listening to DaftPunk at the time.
Blogger
Blogger was one of the most significant programs in creating my music magazine! Having to research and plan was a big part of my product which I could then blog, I have learnt so much about Blogger as well, since at the start I was clueless. Blogger enables you to share create and communicate!
Hotmail
Hotmail was so important in this task. From home to school I emailed a numerous amount of pictures, documents and links to school. Without it I think everybody would be stuck!
Technology is our future, it is incredible to see how it has evolved over many years, we are so lucky to have some of the best technology in the world and without it there would be no communication, education or knowledge about anything.
Using Pixlr
Youtube
Throughout my media coursework, I have learnt so much to do with different technologies how they work and what's out there.
iMac
I wasn't very familiar with an iMac and it was great to get the chance to use and explore on one. I used pages a lot in researching and drafting different artists, theories etc, it became extremely useful as I could gather information quickly and clearly. I used a editing program called Pixlr to edit my photos on the iMac, the graphic design was extremely good, I could edit quickly and publish to my blog. I learnt so much when using safari also and keynote.
iPhone4/iPad
As I have an iPhone 4 it was familiar to me. One new thing I did learn was changing my camera settings. I used a 'Grid' setting on my iPhone so I could take pictures precisely and use the rule of thirds theory. This was really useful as then I could position my model accurately to fit the design of my page. I used my friends iPad to take some photos as well. My original idea for my double page spread was my model blowing glitter into the camera, in my head it looked effective but when I did take it on the iPhone and iPad it did not work as 1. you could not see the glitter 2. the timing was wrong. In order to do this really effectively I discovered that you need to use a good camera with a high percentage of megapixels, just like a canon one.
Olympus VR370
I love my Olympus camera, its small but really handy to have and very compact. I used this to take some photos of possible locations as it had a 16.0 megapixel and 5x optical zoom. Its a great little camera to have and I learned how to use some different effects on there e.g. Sepia, Black and white
Pixlr
Pixlr was completely and utterly new to me. I haven't really used many editing programs before apart from aviary on the iPhone which you purchase as an app, and Photoshop. Pixlr was actually outstandingly good, thanks for showing us Mr.H! At first it was complicated to use since I entered the advanced program which there was a lot of fiddling about to do in order to achieve the image I wanted. I then switched and used the efficient edition which I could just upload my picture to from my documents and start editing straight away! I loved it. You could have different options such as using an adjustment tool lead you to a series of editing. I was worried how to get rid of red eye on my image as I thought it would be complicated to use, but it was actually really simple. The thing I liked the most on Pixlr is the ability to change the vibrancy and contrast of the image. This made the image exceptionally professional. One of the best things on Pixlr is changing the effects of the image, I loved playing around with this. In the end, I didn't chose to actually play around with the effects as I think it made it look over edited and unprofessional. Finally the thing I was most impressed with, was being able to liquefy the image! It made it look so unique and like an optical illusion.
Windows Movie Maker
Since I was using a HP pavilion g series laptop at home, I had access to windows movie maker where I could make videos for my evaluation. I hadn't used this program before and thought I wanted to expand my knowledge on how to make videos since I was clueless! the program was actually structured in a really clear way for people to use. It kind of reminded me of PowerPoint with all the slides. You could add text, images and sound to any slide and use transitions to your slides easily. I've made 2 videos in my evaluation using this program.
YouTube
Throughout my blog, I am sure of noticed the amount of YouTube videos i have used! I am very familiar to YouTube and would say I cant live without it! I think it enables you to expand your knowledge on all different types of music, reviews etc. I wanted to use YouTube to provide a range of different artists you could listen to and feel my passion for this genre of music.
1001freefonts.com
When coming to conclusion what font I wanted to use, I searched on my search engine Google Chrome, to find out some of the best free fonts. I found some really great fonts on this website which I saved as an image. The thing I found hard was trying to change the colour of the font since they were all in black!
Microsoft PowerPoint
I love using Microsoft PowerPoint (2010 Edition) as I've used it so many times I know many tips and tricks of using it. I used PowerPoint a lot for evaluating and analysing different music magazines and for my questionnaire analysis.
Slide share
I was completely new to slide share, but I had seen it before. Slide share was really accessible and easy to use surprisingly! I created an account which then I uploaded my PowerPoint and within 30 seconds it had been converted, it was quick and the advantage to it is that you can browse other slide shares from other users.
iTunes
In order to establish what genre I was going to chose for my music magazine, iTunes was really helpful. It gave me inspiration to do the electro/dance genre since I was listening to DaftPunk at the time.
Blogger
Blogger was one of the most significant programs in creating my music magazine! Having to research and plan was a big part of my product which I could then blog, I have learnt so much about Blogger as well, since at the start I was clueless. Blogger enables you to share create and communicate!
Hotmail
Hotmail was so important in this task. From home to school I emailed a numerous amount of pictures, documents and links to school. Without it I think everybody would be stuck!
Technology is our future, it is incredible to see how it has evolved over many years, we are so lucky to have some of the best technology in the world and without it there would be no communication, education or knowledge about anything.
Using Pixlr
Youtube
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Who would be the audience for your magazine?
My audience for my magazine is targeted at females aged 16-24, however this does not have to be specific as anyone is entitled to read my magazine. I think my ideal reader would be someone still in education e.g. University however it can vary who likes to shop at some high-street and vintage shops. . They have interest in other generations of music e.g. the 80s and are very open minded. I do not have a particular socio-economic class. Intentionally my magazine would appeal to the younger ABC1 class. This is because in society people normally associate the middle class to go to university etc. However I do not want to be bias, as my magazine is available to anyone and it encourages ambition. I think my target audience would also pick accessories up from festivals and random boutiques. They have a bit of money considering they go to concerts and on holiday etc. My audience like artists such as DaftPunk, Owl city, Afrojack, Avicii, Calvin Harris, music that makes them feel motivated and alive evoking positive emotions. They would go on holiday to hot locations with a buzzing atmosphere, E.g. Tenerife 2012 - Pitbull. As they are intentionally 'middle class' they like locations such as Cornwall and the Dorset Coast.
My target audience will want to expand their knowledge on this music genre and become a rounded individual. The ethnicity of my target audience will not be targeted at any specific type. I decided that this was the case because many artists from the electro/dance genre come from all around the world with different backgrounds. E.g. David Guetta is from Paris, Swedish House Mafia, (Fairly obvious!) are from Sweden, Calvin Harris is from Dumfries (Scotland). My magazine can be published in any language since I include tour dates from all around the world.
I used SAGEL to evaluate how I perceived my target audience.
S- SOCIO ECONOMIC CLASS
A- AGE
G-GENDER
E-ETHNICITY
L-LIFESTYLE.
My audience for my magazine is targeted at females aged 16-24, however this does not have to be specific as anyone is entitled to read my magazine. I think my ideal reader would be someone still in education e.g. University however it can vary who likes to shop at some high-street and vintage shops. . They have interest in other generations of music e.g. the 80s and are very open minded. I do not have a particular socio-economic class. Intentionally my magazine would appeal to the younger ABC1 class. This is because in society people normally associate the middle class to go to university etc. However I do not want to be bias, as my magazine is available to anyone and it encourages ambition. I think my target audience would also pick accessories up from festivals and random boutiques. They have a bit of money considering they go to concerts and on holiday etc. My audience like artists such as DaftPunk, Owl city, Afrojack, Avicii, Calvin Harris, music that makes them feel motivated and alive evoking positive emotions. They would go on holiday to hot locations with a buzzing atmosphere, E.g. Tenerife 2012 - Pitbull. As they are intentionally 'middle class' they like locations such as Cornwall and the Dorset Coast.
My target audience will want to expand their knowledge on this music genre and become a rounded individual. The ethnicity of my target audience will not be targeted at any specific type. I decided that this was the case because many artists from the electro/dance genre come from all around the world with different backgrounds. E.g. David Guetta is from Paris, Swedish House Mafia, (Fairly obvious!) are from Sweden, Calvin Harris is from Dumfries (Scotland). My magazine can be published in any language since I include tour dates from all around the world.
I used SAGEL to evaluate how I perceived my target audience.
S- SOCIO ECONOMIC CLASS
A- AGE
G-GENDER
E-ETHNICITY
L-LIFESTYLE.
What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why?
I did some research on media institutions and there are many that are successful in distributing magazines.
What is a media institution?
Media institutions are companies which have a role in the production of media texts. E.g. ranging from;
Companies/organisations
Producers
Distributors
Marketing
editors/directors/producers etc..
After careful consideration, I would chose Development Hell Ltd as they have had success in MixMag, a magazine similar to mine. As Development Hell Ltd knows the electro/dance genre I think it would be a good idea to go with them.
MixMag has similarities to mine e.g. promoting free mix cd and content etc. As I buy magazines myself as a consumer I would definitely want my magazine to be stocked at all major supermarkets e.g. Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrison's, when I am walking home I walk through Sainsbury's and it tempts me to buy a magazine, so hopefully Electraheart will be available in all supermarkets. Also I would want it to be stocked in WH Smith and online as I think these are key stockists, WH smith are extremely successful offering a wide variety of magazines. In addition I think online and on IPhone, Android would be good as it could be purchased portably. As my magazine is electro/dance if people are going away on holiday they could be sitting on the beach and downloading it on the App store which is quick and cheap. For a uni student it would be useful as well as they would already have a lot of books to carry, so having access online would be efficient.
I did some research on media institutions and there are many that are successful in distributing magazines.
What is a media institution?
Media institutions are companies which have a role in the production of media texts. E.g. ranging from;
Companies/organisations
Producers
Distributors
Marketing
editors/directors/producers etc..
After careful consideration, I would chose Development Hell Ltd as they have had success in MixMag, a magazine similar to mine. As Development Hell Ltd knows the electro/dance genre I think it would be a good idea to go with them.
MixMag has similarities to mine e.g. promoting free mix cd and content etc. As I buy magazines myself as a consumer I would definitely want my magazine to be stocked at all major supermarkets e.g. Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrison's, when I am walking home I walk through Sainsbury's and it tempts me to buy a magazine, so hopefully Electraheart will be available in all supermarkets. Also I would want it to be stocked in WH Smith and online as I think these are key stockists, WH smith are extremely successful offering a wide variety of magazines. In addition I think online and on IPhone, Android would be good as it could be purchased portably. As my magazine is electro/dance if people are going away on holiday they could be sitting on the beach and downloading it on the App store which is quick and cheap. For a uni student it would be useful as well as they would already have a lot of books to carry, so having access online would be efficient.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/20528672 (Click the link)
This is a short presentation on how my media product represented chosen social groups. I wanted my media product to represent my target audience and others in a positive way and hopefully this has shown through. Normally the electro/dance genre is associated with teenagers getting drunk and doing silly things, however this magazine is focussing on ambitions and the music, e.g like from the 80s.
http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/20528672 (Click the link)
This is a short presentation on how my media product represented chosen social groups. I wanted my media product to represent my target audience and others in a positive way and hopefully this has shown through. Normally the electro/dance genre is associated with teenagers getting drunk and doing silly things, however this magazine is focussing on ambitions and the music, e.g like from the 80s.
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