Main Task: Double page spread mock ups

These are my double page spread mock ups. I have decided to use the traditional lay out of having the band in the background and the text over it but not covering the actual band. I have decided to use this lay out as it is simple yet professional.

My peers have said that the black boxes behind the text make the double page spread better as you can define the writing. Also, the black boxes do not cover the main singer, Jeremy McKinnon. this tells us that he is still the main focus of the page.

Main Task: Contents page mock ups

 

Main Task: Cover mock ups

These are 3 of my ideas for my magazine cover. I have decided to use the masthead 'BRUTE' as it fits in with the genre and also fits with most colours if I needed to change the colour of the masthead.

 My peers said that this cover work well because the colours stand out due to the house style choice. The red text is eye catching due to the black and white image and gives the main storyline which could interest people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Task: Representation

Representation

Representation can be seen through many things, in this case it is the social group which listen to the genre of music which is rock, with the main focus age of teenagers to young adults. I have constructed a music magazine which will attract people from this social group as it is the same genre of music which they listen to. I have used 3 images which can represent this social group, one being the lead singer of the band Madina Lake, which is a band that has created albums and songs to this genre of music, I have also used an image from another gig I have attended where it has a girls hand in the air with the sign language for rock, this also fits in with the social group my magazine is aimed at. My final image for my double page spread is from Madina Lake's gig, this fits well as it is a band in the type of music genre that this social group like to listen to.

Main Task: Masthead Experimentation

I have created 3 masthead ideas which can be addapted to different cover pages. I like the masthead 'BRUTE' the best as it stands out, gets your attention and also relates to the genre of music I am going to make my magazone.

Main Task: Target Audience

Target Audience

The target audience for my rock magazine will be mainly teenagers, but my magazine can also be aimed at people over 10 and people who are older than teenagers as they may like the music and bands which feature in similar magazines. Also, as I am using some of the conventions from professional rock magazines, this will attract those who are interested in the genre of rock as they will have knowledge of who the bands are.

Main Task: Genre

Genre

For my music magazine I will be basing my genre on rock. I will do this because this is the style of music I like to listen to. I can also use magazines which I have bought such as 'KERRANG' and 'ROCKSOUND' for inspiration and to use the conventions they use to help me with the creation of my music magazine.

Main Task: Analysis of existing double page spread

Analysis of an existing Double Page Spread

This double page spread is from the magazine 'KERRANG' which is an informal rock magazine. One page is dedicated to the image of the band, whereas the other page is for the text which is a interview for the frontman of this band. The white and pink writing which has the black background is good because it gives us a short description of what is to come with the interview of the frontman of the band. The image will attract the target audience because they reader will recognise the artist and it will make them want to read about them to see if there is anything going on with them and the band, which could include new tour dates or even a new album release.

Main Task: Analysis of existing contents page

 

The use of the black text on the white background makes the text stick out, this makes it easier to read for the viewers as the colours are opposite and can easily be read. The font chosen is very simple, which makes it easier for the viewer to read. The image of the American President Barack Obama looks to be coming off the page as it has been put infront of the word 'Contents', in effect he looks 3D as he looks to be coming off the page. We can see from the picture and the contents page itself that the suit Barack Obama is wearing matches the colour code of the text and background, which saves Vibe from making the colours too complicated. The colours are set out like this as it is a serious magazine, and they only use few colours such as the black and white. The regulars on this page are the way the word 'contents' is put on the page, also, the words 'features' and 'fashion' are in the same place every week in every magazine. This contents page is very simple and easy to read, if anyone were to pick up the magazine they would easily beable to find what pages they wanted as the layout is easy to understand.

This title page is very simple yet very effective. The image of the helmet on the stones is a very good image, with everything on the image greyscaled except the vibrant colours and decals on the helmet, the stones and the bushes behind the helmet also have a long depth of field (makes it appear a bit blurry). This would draw the eye of the customer and make them want to them look at the content in the magazine, all they would need to do was look a bit to their left to see the page which shows the content.
The greyscale used in the photo makes it easier to read the black writing which is used for the contents text. This text is shown like this as it is sticking to the colour scale used by the editor. The text used for the contents page is an easily readable, this is because it is a simple text which easy easy for the eye to see. The word 'Contents' is always set like this, it is regular, they keep it the same font because this shows the viewer that there is no change to the magazine. The 2 things that are in focus are the helmet and the contents list, this is because they are the main objects on the page. The image of the helmet makes you feel like you want to read into the magazine because the helmet is basically sticking out due to the vibrant colours and decals, this could show that the contents of the magazine will be eye catching and interesting.

The contents for this magazine are simple and easy to understand, it also looks very proffesional. The abstract art at easch side of the pages is very effective as it draws your eyes into the content in the middle which is split into sections, with the correct topics listed in them. The black and white colour scheme of the contents page makes it easy to distinguish the text on the page, this is good as it does not strain the eyes as you are reading what is on the page.

Main Task: Analysis of existing magazine covers

When you first look at this magazine, you can tell that the major story is about Biffy Clyro who headlined the Leeds and Reading festivals. In the top right corner there is a pug (kicker) about Paramore saying 'I NEVER EXPECTED THINGS TO GET THIS CRAZY!' There is also a very good overlap with the magazine name (Masthead), picture of the band (image which is medium shot) and the main headline (splash). The editors have done a very good job with the overlap on the splash and the image, which makes it look like Simon Neil's hands are 3D and coming off the page.

There are many fonts on this cover, the main title, the headline, the sub-headings, the kicker that says "kerrang tour 2014" and the "<<READING/LEEDS>>". Kerrang do not always use hese fonts as they are used for specific bands and music festivals, but the main title always has that font as it is recognisable. The colours used in the cover are used to bring out the text more, this draws your eye to everything on the page making you want to read the articles inside. The yellow writing for "BIFFY CLYRO" in the middle of the page makes it stand out. Biffy Clyro are a well know Scottish band, known by most around the world, it is made to stand out so people interested in the band look at the magazine.

The RockSound magazne shows many things which can catch the eye. things such as the image which is a medium shot, splash, and masthead. Olly Sykes, the lead singer of the band is shown to be infront of the other band members, as he is more well known that the others, this would draw the eye of the audience as they would recognise Olly and it will maike them want to pick up the magazine. The main colours used in the text on this cover are red and white, this would draw the viewers eyes as the red and white would stick out on the cover. the black background behind the white text saying 'ROCKSOUND' makes the title stand out, and will make people realise that it is the magazine they are interested in. The target audience for this magazines would be people who are interested in the genre heavy metal, with such bands as Bring Me The Horizon and MCR ((My Chemical Romance) in the kicker) featured on the front cover. The font of the title is the same as it always would be, this is because it can be easily noticed by the audience who buy it, they will know what type of title font to look for when they are searching for a magazine.

 

Rolling stone magazine is one of the most well know magazines around the world, with its views on many things especially music. On this cover we can see the masthead, the image, the splash, sub-headings and a kicker. The masthead is the classic 'Rolling Stone' in the regular font that the magazine always uses, this makes it easier for the customer to recognise the magazine and make them want to pick it up and buy it. The image shown is of the band 'Fall Out Boy', a well known American band. The image is a medium shot, as you can just see their trouser line, the editor has also done a good job overlapping the band member Pete Wentz over the title, this give it the effect of Pete looking 3D and in front of the other band members. This shows that the band is very important on the front cover of the page. The looks on the band members faces show that they mean business and are in control, showing their authority as one of the best rock/punk bands in the world. The main text colours on this magazine covers are red and white, this makes the text stand out and makes it easier for the viewer to read. 

Colour Symbolism

Color symbolism in art and anthropology refers to the use of color as a symbol in various cultures. There is great diversity in the use of colors and their associations between cultures and even within the same culture in different time periods. In fact, the same color may have very different associations within the same culture at any time. For example, red is often used for stop signs or danger. At the same time, red is also frequently used in association with romance, e.g. with Valentine's Day. White variously signifies purity, innocence, wisdom or death. Blue has similarly diverse meanings.

Emotions:
Blue is seen as conservative. Red is power and aggression. Brighter colors such as yellow and orange represent warmth not only with emotions but also with temperature. Cool colors are blue, green, black or any color with a dark shade. When someone is feeling down or depressed, it is said they are feeling "blue." When someone is angry they "see red." When someone is seen to be afraid or "chicken" they are called "yellow."

Preliminary Task: Evaluation of the Preliminary Exercise

Evaluation of the Preliminary Exercise

In what ways does your media product use, develop or change forms and conventions of a school magazine?

One way my product uses the conventions of a school magazine cover is that I have used a simple yet professional layout. also, i have used the house style which matches the schools badge for the lower school as it is mainly aimed at their age groups. Comparing my magazine to ones that i have looked at, my magazine is a bit different in the way that i have a banner at the top and bottom of the cover, whereas the other school magazines would not have a banner or only have one.

 

How effective is the front page of your magazine in focusing on the ethos of the school?

The front cover of my magazine does focus on the ethos of the school. The school always aims for higher results year after year, the picture pointing diagonally upwards shows that students are aiming higher for better results. Also, I have added the phrase 'This year aiming for even higher results!' This tells the reader that there is definitely going to be a higher work ethic to get better results for the students taking their exams this year, GCSE and A level.

 

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

From my audience feedback I now know how my work can be improved. I could cut out the main image better without any white marks from the background on it, also, I could fill in more of the dead space on both the cover page and the contents page. In the dead space I could put the headline of a story from inside the magazine so the magazine cover will look more professional as the dead space will not be there and will be filled in. The colours on the banner at the bottom clash and need to be changed, the black on the dark blue is very hard to read so I could change the background to a lighter blue so you can see the text.

 
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research planning and evaluation stages?

Throughout the construction of my school magazine prelim I used the fireworks software. I was able to use this software easily as it is very simple to use. I could make the front cover however I wanted to and how I pictured it with everything on it. I was also able to download fonts to give my front cover that extra thing to draw the readers eyes. I also used fireworks for my contents page as I found it very easy to use. I was able to do whatever I thought was right for my contents page as fireworks aloud me to work how I wanted and put things where I wanted. Overall I think fireworks is a very good piece of software to use to make a school magazine as it is easy to use and you can work to what you want.

Preliminary Task: Final Products