Institution Research

Update from lessons

At the moment, I am getting on well with creating my magazine, I am finding it quite easy and I hope that this continues on when I am creating my DPS.  The front cover and contents page are coming along well, I just need to put the photos on them and they both should be finished.  I will just need to edit them when the photos are on and also get some feedback from my lecturer to see what I could improve on.

Update on Contents Page

This is the starts of my contents page.  I have stuck to my flat plans because I like the layout of it and I thought it would look good for a regional music magazine.  I think it is simple, like a regional magazine should be, and I plan on keeping the simple look throughout the magazine.  I am yet to put the photos on the front cover and the contents page but I wanted to create them without the photos first because I wanted to see what it would look like before I stet putting photos on there.

Comment on how the research has helped me

This research has developed my ideas because it have helped me understand who I would be up against if my magazine got published and it has helped me be unique with how I have created my magazine because I have seen what styles of magazines is in this region. Also it has helped me define what the difference is between national magazines and regional magazines and why they are different. This has helped me design my magazine to suit people in this region.

Colour Scheme

Colour scheme presentation from MeganBmediastudies

This is a presentation about the colour scheme that I decided to use for my media magazine and also I featured the colour scheme that I did not use and why I didn't choose that colour scheme. 

Target for this lesson...

My target for this lesson is to get as much of my blog done as possible so I can focus on my magazine creation more.

Competition

Difference between National and Regional Magazines

Generic Conventions of a Magazine, Billboard and a Website

December Time Management

Update on Front Cover

This is the start of my front cover.  I haven't kept to the flat plans for certain parts, such as, the main sell lines because they didn't work with how I was originally going to place them so I moved them to the middle and I think it works better that my first idea.  The top of the front cover has stuck to the flat plans and I think it looks better than having the masthead big and filling the top of the page.  I like it like this because you can add more too it and it looks more regional.  It looks more regional because most regional magazines don't have the masthead right across the top of the page, whereas, on national magazines, they usually do.  I may change a few parts of the front cover when I put the photo on there because some parts may not fit or they may not look right when the photo is placed on there.

Difference between National and Regional Magazines

Location Scout

One location that I would like to take my photos at is the Bandstand in Mowbray Park.  I like this location because it is an open space and it would be good if I could get my models to look as if they are playing music on there.  I also think this location would be good because it would add to my Autumn theme with all of the leaves on the ground.  The Bandstand would make my photos look natural instead of having them taken in a studio will artificial lighting; I feel that natural lighting would work better.



Also, I think the bridge in Mowbray Park would look really good in Autumn, too.  I think that it would make I nice setting for an Autumn themed magazine because the bridge is made of wood and I think it would look quite rustic in the photos.



I would also think about taking some photos at Penshaw Monument because it has a lot of wooded areas and, in Autumn, I think it would look really good and add a nice effect to the photos rather that standing next to a tree or taking the photos in a studio because I don't think that the images would look effective taken in those places.  Also the natural lighting would look very effective for an Autumn themed magazine because, to capture the autumn feel, you should take your photos outside.



Also, the woods at Penshaw would look effective because there would be a lot of leaves on the ground to add to the Autumn theme and also I think it would look effective because it would look nice in the background but it would keep the reader's attention on the models and the stories on the double page spread.
 

Barnes Park is another location which I am thinking about for taking my photos. I liked the idea of Barnes Park because it has a lot of trees and also wide open space and I feel that my photos would look effective if taken here.

Font Ideas

These are the fonts that I am thinking about using for my magazine.  I like these fonts because they bold and big and I want that on my magazine.  I think that they go well with the name of my magazine because you can clearly see what it says, which is what I want, also, they stand out and I want that so that it catches the audience's eye.  I also like them because they add to my autumn theme and that is what I want to get across to the audience.  I feel that these would be effective to use for my magazine because, with them being bold, they would be the first thing the audience sees, other than the main image.
I have also chosen to use the font "Titania" which is the 5th font on the page. I chose this font because I feel that it stands out compared to the rest of the fonts. I also chose this font because I think it would look good and it would fit on festival music magazine. It is bold and it makes a statement and I haven't seen this style of font on any other magazines so it with make mine stand out more.

November Time Management

A comment on how it has helped me

All of the research that I have done has helped me a lot to come up with ideas for my product because I have found existing magazines, websites and billboards that are out there and that are successful and I have combined and found different ideas that I can use for my product. Researching into how to create something or to find ideas is a really good idea because it helps you a lot and I have found a lot of ideas to use for my product.

Feedback from Lecturer for Pitch

The Recce for Outdoor Photo shoot

the ‘recce’

Provide answers in paragraph form to the questions below that

are relevant to your production.

1.    Are there any potential hazards that could pose a health and safety risk where your photo shoot will take place (trailing cables/traffic/other objects)?

I will be taking my photos in a park and a wooded area.  There will be a lot of hazards around.  Tree branches will be on the ground and my models could trip over them.  Also, there will be people walking their dogs and my models and I will have to watch out for that. 

2.    What will you do to ensure these risks are minimised?

I will make sure the risks are minimised by moving objects out of the way before I take the photos just in case my models trip over or hurt themselves. 

3.    Will the time of day/weather affect the outcome of the photos? Have you allowed for this?

The time of day and the weather may affect my photos because it maybe raining and then my photos won’t look as good and also it maybe over cast and the photos won’t come out right. 

4.    Have you considered the background to your photos, particularly if taken outside? How will you ensure you will get the background you want?

I have considered the background to my photos because I will be taking them outside so the background will be trees and a park with a wide-open space.  If the photos don’t look right, I will move somewhere else in the same location and see if they look better there.

5.    Have you considered lighting? What about the ‘problems’ of natural lighting, either outside, or streaming through a window? Will you need to use a flash? Have you considered reflective objects that might spoil the effect?

The lighting make be effected, especially outside, because the weather is unpredictable and it may come in dark or over cast and the photos won’t look as good.

6.    Do you need permission to take photos in the place/venue you have in mind?

I won’t need to ask for permission because, where I’m taking my photos, it’s in a public place and it won’t be disturbing anyone. 

7.    Do you need to book time in a room (eg the photography studio at Shiney)?

I will need a photography room of my front cover photo so I will be booking the photography room in the VPA building. 

8.    Are other people/crowds likely to be an issue for you? What have you done to ensure that it will not spoil the effect?

People will be walking about in the park but it won’t disturb and spoil the effect of the photos because it will add to it and make it look natural. 

9.    Are you reliant on lifts/props/friends’ equipment/models? How have you planned that these things will come together at the appointed time? Plan B?

I have made plans for my models and I to meet up to take the photos but they are all on different days because of work and college.  If it comes down to me having to change my idea, I will and I will change it to something that requires less photos of a group of people. 

 10. Finally, have you thought of every eventuality…?

I have thought of how I want things to turn out and also how things may turn out if people don’t turn up or if they can’t make it on the day they said.  I have thought about things that could go wrong, such as, the photos not looking right or them being blurry and I have thought about the weather because it may not be the right weather to take the photos because it may be raining or over cast which will effect the outcome of the photos.  However, if any of these do happen, I have a back up plan to sort it all out.

Pinterest ideas for Props, Costume, Location and Hairstyles

Visit Megan's profile on Pinterest. 

When looking through Pinterest, I found some ideas for my magazine and I thought they would go well will it.  For the front cover, I want my model to have a white T-Shirt on because I am taking the photo from the shoulders up and I want it to be white because I will also be having a white background and the only main colour that will be there is the colour of the rainbow effect or paint that I will be using to put over the model's face.
Within the magazine on the double page spread, I will have a lot of different models, male and female, so it appeals to all genders.  They will all have different styles depending on the type of music they will be playing and also their age.  If they are older and more sophisticated, they will probably wear smart, casual clothing, whereas, younger artists/bands will probably wear casual everyday clothing such as checkered shirts and girls would probably wear jeans and a T-Shirt.
For location, I really like the idea of the woods and having that as the background to some of the photos or maybe a park with a bandstand in to show where the event will be held.
For the front cover model's hairstyle, I want it to be big and wavy so when I take the photos, her face and hair fill the page.  I liked the idea of her hair being down and very wavy but I also liked the idea of a braid in her hair but I would want the braid to be messy so it still has waves.  I like this because it adds to the summer theme that I'm going for and I think it would attract the audience to read it.

Website Inspirations

This is a presentation about the websites that have inspired me for my website that I will be creating.

Overall, How the research helped

This research has helped me because I have looked for how well they magazine company has created the regional magazine and I have been able to take tips and inspiration from this to create my own music magazine.

Research into Articles for my Main Product

Inspirations for my Music Magazine

Magazine inspirations from MeganBmediastudies 

Presentation on what has inspired me to create my magazine.

October Time Management

Billboards that Inspire me

Target Audience Research

For my magazine, I was thinking about making my magazine £2.50 but with the feedback I got, I may average it out to £2.00 because the feedback I got was in the £2.00 mark so I think I will change that.
Also, they said that they would want a Q&A in a music magazine but they also would prefer a lot of images rather than one main image on the Double Page Spread.  So, I was thinking that I could still create a music events page and leave out the Q&A but in the descriptions about the bands/artists I may put in a little bit of speech from a band member/the artist talking about their album or the event that they are in and what people will expect from it.
They all said that they would want the image of the band/artist on the front cover because that would attract them more to buying it.  I already had this idea for my magazine because on a music magazine, you almost always have an image of the band/artist on the front cover.
Also, they said they would want a bold and short Masthead to attract them to read it because they didn't want a long Masthead because it would look boring and too big for the front cover.  They said that you need a bold and snappy Masthead to attract the reader to buy a music magazine.  I was already going to do this idea because I was thinking about making my Masthead "Festival" so the audience knew exactly what the magazine would be about before reading it and also it's short which appeals to my target audience.

Double Page Spread Flat Plan

Rationale

Colour Usage: For colour, I want it still to have the earthy colours because I want this theme shown throughout the magazine.

Image Usage: For the images, I want two main images, one on the left side and the other on the right side. I want this because it will be two artist's stories but they will both be performing in the new Autumn event called "The Harvest Moon Festival".  I want two different artists because it will get the audience to focus on them and also, if they go to the event, they will look out for these two artists.

Text Usage: For the text, I want there to be text underneath the images and I want the title to be across the top.  The text underneath will be about each artist and maybe have a little interview with them talking about how they started out and how they became to be performing at this event.

Layout and Font: For the layout and font, I want it to still be simple like the front cover and the contents page, but there will be more images and more text.  This will be the main article in the magazine so it has to have the most information on it.

Contents Page Flat Plan

Rationale

Colour Usage: For colour, I will be using Autumn colours because my magazine is going to be based around music events in Autumn so I want the Autumn theme to come through by using earthy colours.

Image Usage: I will be using one image, just like the front cover, because it will show the audience what the magazine is about but I want them to be more focused on the text next to the image because that is where the different articles will be.  I want to use one image because I want to keep the magazine simple because it is regional and I think it will be more effective that way.

Text Usage: For the text, I want there to be more text on the contents page than there is on the front cover because the contents page should have enough information on it to direct the reader to the different stories.

Layout and Font: For the layout and font, I want the text to be on the left side and the image on the right side.  I want this so the reader can clearly see the text and so it isn't confusing for them to find the articles.  For the font, I want to have the mast head the same as the front cover but for the actual text, I want to have it so the audience can clearly see it but I don't want it too big because I won't be able to fit all of the text on the contents page.

Front Cover Flatplan

Rationale

Colour Usage: For the colour, I want my model to be holding some leaves or holding one over her eye because it will clearly get across to the audience what the magazine theme is and also, with the text, what type of magazine it is.  I want earthy colours to be the main colours on the magazine.

Image Usage: For the image, I want there to be one image which will be the dominant image.  I want this because I want to keep the magazine simple and also the main image will fill the whole page and I wouldn't need any other images on there.  I think that one image will be effective enough because it will get across to the audience the theme and also the music theme to the magazine is it will be clear as well as having the text one the cover.

Text Usage: For the text, I want there to be minimal text because I want my magazine to be simple be effective enough so the audience want to read it.

Layout and Font:  For the layout and font, I want the text mainly on the left side of the page maybe even have the masthead on the left of the page.  I want this because there won't be a lot of text on the page anyway but I want the audience to clearly see the text and clearly see the main image and by setting it out like this, it will all be clearly seen.  For the font, I want the masthead to be big and bold so the reader can see what the magazine is called and I want it to be one of the main things that the reader sees as well as the main image.

Proposal Form

AS Coursework Proposal Table

Type of Magazine (fashion, music, etc)	My magazine genre is going to be music/music events magazine focusing on music that is going on in the North East.
Name of Magazine	The name of my magazine is going to be ‘Festival’ because my magazine is going to have an Autumn theme and I think it would be good to advertise events that are taking place in Autumn.
Audience (male/female)	The target audience of my magazine is both male and female because music is enjoyed by all genders.
Audience (attitudes and interests)	The interests of my audience is going out to festivals and gigs and also listening to new and upcoming music, which is perfect of my magazine.
Outlet (where it can be bought from?)	It can be purchased from any music studio and any colleges and universities. This is so my target audience are able to find it easily.
Necessary Information	The necessary information will include the issue number, the barcode, the date and the price of the magazine.  My issue number will be number 20 so it isn’t the first issue of it and it would attract the audience more.  The price of my magazine will be £1.00 because it is a regional magazine and it will mainly be students buying it so I want it to be cheap so they are more likely to buy it.
Selling Point	The selling point of my magazine will be the new event featured inside.  It will be advertising this events so people can go out and have fun in the Autumn season even when it's cold.  Festivals don't have to just be in Summer.
Theme (article)	The theme of my magazine is based around Autumn because I think the Autumn colours would look good and also the Autumn theme will add a warmness to the magazine.
Images Front Cover	The main image on the front cover will be of a girl and I will take the photo from her shoulders,up.  I want her hair to fill the page and also I want to take it outside near trees so it still has that Autumn theme on the cover. Also, I want my model to be either holding a pile of leaves in her hands or having some in her hair of having her hold a single leaf over her eye and pulling a shocked facial expression.  I want this because I think it will add a fun look to the cover, which will entice the audience to buy the magazine.
Images Inside	The images inside the magazine will be of two people, one on each page.  I want the images to be taken outside near trees and a bandstand so it expresses the music theme and also add to the Autumn theme.  There will obviously be leaves scattered around, adding a burst of colour to the double page spread.

Deconstructions of Billboards

Deconstruction of Vibe Magazine

Time Management Post (September)

How I will make my presentation Regional

These are some of the ideas of how I will make my magazine regional.

Pitch Feedback

This is the feedback I got from my class mates about my pitch.  We went around the class room looking at each others pitches and we then wrote down feedback about what we thought was good and one thing we thought they could improve or work on.  most people said that my pitch was informative and had a lot of detail. However, they also said that I needed to talk about the colour scheme more and provide images on the target audience.   

Pitch

Deconstruction of The Crack Magazine

Deconstruction of SPARK Magazine

AS Reflection

What could I have improved on the front cover?

I could have spent more time working on it to make it better and I could have used more magazines to take inspiration from. I feel that the text on the cover isn't typical of a magazine and that I should have found a font that went with the genre of magazine that I was creating. I was told that the brick wall in the image wasn't good but I tried to take it out and edit it but it didn't look right either; i should have spent more time working on the front cover to make it better and I should have experimented more with it.

What did you struggle with on the front cover?

I struggled with trying to finish the front cover on time and I also struggled with trying to make it look as professional as possible. I found using photoshop hard because I had never used it before and I feel that the lack of knowledge of photoshop let me down when creating my magazine. I should have played around with photoshop first so I could become better at using it.

What will you do better next time?

I will make sure to get work done on time and make sure that I spend more time working on it to make it look the best that I can. I will make sure I do everything right and that I should experiment more with the different softwares and programs that I have to use. I will also make sure that I research more into magazines and how they are created so I can make mine look as professional as possible.



What could I improve on the contents page?

I could have improved on the way I set out my text and I could have used different colours instead of red to make it stand out more and look more appealing to the audience. I should have wrote more underneath the articles so they audience knew what was in them. Also I should have made my text smaller so I could fit more information on the page and that would have helped me to gain more marks.

What did you struggle with on the contents page?

I struggled with trying to make it look like a current magazine and also trying to set everything out so it was easier to read.I didn't know how to set it out at first and I think that took a lot of time away from me actually creating it. I should have used my time wisely so I had enough time when it came to the contents page.

What will you do better next time?

I will make sure that I make to design of the contents page better by looking at examples of past students work and also look at current magazines that I could take inspiration from to make it look as professional as possible. I will make sure that I spend more time on it than I did and that I should plan out how I want it and always ask for feedback so I can achieve my goals.




What could I have improved on the double page spread?

I could have made to pull quote look a little better by trying out different techniques on it to see what would look the best and I also could have spent more time with the actual article itself by maybe changing the colour of the question and answers or changing the way I set out the images.I should have put more colour on the double page because it looks quite dark and it wouldn't appeal to a big audience.

What did you struggle with on the double page spread?

I struggled with trying to get all of the text on the page and make it big enough for the reader to see.  Also, I could have tested different techniques out to see what would look better for the actual article. I struggled with trying to set out the photos next to the text because they kept overlapping each other and I spent a lot of time trying to fix it.

What will you do better next time?

I will spend most of my time on my double page spread to make it look a lot better and also I will make it look more vibrant and interesting to the audience and try and make it look a lot more like a professional magazine.I will make sure that I concentrate on how to set out images and text next to each other if I do that again because it took up a lot of my time trying to get it right which probably affected my marks.

Time Management June