What I've Learnt...

Creating the products that i have, i have learnt a lot about technologies on the Apple Mac's. Before starting this coursework i did not know how to do anything on Adobe Photoshop and hadn't even heard of InDesign and so i have made a lot of progress in this sense.
On Adobe Photoshop i have learnt things such as how to 'cut out' images, using the 'lassoo tool' so that the title of the magazine could go behind the head of a main image, something which is used a lot in professional and established magazines.

I also learnt how to use the 'clone tool' to blur blemishes or to hide imperfections within the picture. I used the clone tool to hide the camera reflection in the sunglasses of the person in the main image as this isn't very professional. Also i used the clone tool to hide blemishes on Chris' face as it makes the photo look more professional. The clone tool was also used to get rid of stray hairs on his head that had been moved in the wind when taking the photo's, this way he looks more 'flawless'.

On photoshop i also learnt about putting 'strokes' on pieces of text, on many of my subheadings and titles i used shadows to make the text stand out against the main image.

Those were the main things i learnt on photoshop, without them skills my front cover would not look as professional and would look very boring. None of the text would stand out sufficiently and so the target audience would nto be able to read it from its place on a shop shelf.

For my contents page and double page spread i used Adobe InDesign. I learnt basic things such as how to tilt objects and text and just learnt general things about moving text around.

I also learnt about the magic wand tool on InDesign and how to use this to make mass amount of texts the same font, size, proportions and colour. I learnt how to make the margins between the columns of my main image perfect and coherent and locked the columns so that if i ran out of space when typing the article, it went onto the next column.

General Evaluation

Over all, i think my music magazine pages do not challenge the codes and conventions of a music magazine but follow them. There are some aspects that do not strictly follow these generic rules, for example the pages aren't as full and busy, full of bright colours and boxes that stand out against images. Whereas both my contents page and the front page are simple and reserved compared to magazines such as Kerrang! and Rock Sound.

My pages represent the target audience as music "savvy" people who like to go out to gigs and venues and have a general good time. I think the layout of the front page and the contents page are quite mature and this represents my desired audience.

I think that my magazine 'Trash' would get sold in places that my target audience are likely to go. I also have to consider that my magazine is relatively local and so shops such as Tesco and Waitrose aren't going to sell it as their audiences are nation wide and mainstream. Local skate shops and independent music shops and alternative cafe's would sell my magazine, even alternative music venues and bars, as the people that go to these places are the people that would be more interested in my magazine and it's contents. Also, as my target audience are students or just ventured into a full time job, then i think it would be effective if my magazine would be sold in a college shop or even give copies to colleges to build awareness of Trash so the right audiences would see it.

Main Feature Evaluation 1

After adding the article and the quotes into my double page spread i decided to change certain aesthetic, physical aspects. I changed the font of the title 'Crash Mansion' as originally it was plain and quite boring. Although it looked sophisticated and mature i didn't think it suited my target audience very well. I changed the font to something more stereotypical and conventional to a rock/metal music magazine, this made the title stand out a lot more within the pages.

I have the typical conventions of a double page spread feature in my own product;

• I have a picture on one side filling the whole of the page.
• There are page numbers at the bottom of my pages.
• The title at the top is very bold and stands out.
• I have included who wrote the article near the title.
• The article is in columns with appropriate margins/spacing.
• There are two pull quotes in the double page spread, one on the picture and one in the middle of the second column.
• The first letter is bold and bigger than the rest of the text.
• As my article is like an interview, the questions are bold.

I think that my target audience would be attracted to reading this main feature as the pull qoutes are prominent and intrigues them to read more. For example it may shock the reader to see a typical rock star saying 'music isn't just about having a good time', they may want to read on to be proved wrong on their perceptions of Chris' attitude maybe.

Even though i think the black and white theme of the double page spread can be quite boring as there are no outrageous colours or anything that stands out enormously i think it works well with the sub-culture that would be reading it. I think the main feature and the main image of the front page link well and so they are relevent with eachother. The main feature looks as though it should be in the same issue as the front cover.

Contents Page Evaluation 1

Since my last "contents page" post where i had gotten as far as filling in the titles and adding pictures i have changed quite a lot and added a lot to make the page look more professional, full, and interesting.

This was what my contents page was beginning to look like when i last done an update about it.
This is what it looks like now:

In the corner i added a copy of the front cover, something which is very common in rock music magazines such as Kerrang. I also put the magazine website near the title which is a convention of nearly every magazine. After considering many different styles of layouts and title sytles i thought this one looked the best, the layout is easy on the eye and the audience can easily read it-the subtitles are clear and prominent and the pictures are big enough to attract.

Just like my front page, i think my contents page doesn't really challenge codes and conventions of a music genre contents page. For example i have pictures, titles, page numbers and a copy of the front cover. Though the colours and the amount of text isn't very stereotypical of the magazine sub-genre i chose. Contents pages for magazines such as Kerrang and Rock Sound (popular rock/metal music magazines) are very busy and colourful, with lots of boxes that are made to stand out. Here is an example:


My contents page is much more reserved and simple compared to this, although i am satisfied with the simple approach. I think the colour scheme of my contents is just as effective as everything stands out enough and it runs with the theme of the front page, linking the two together so it is obvious they are part of the same issue. The pictures are all relevant to the titles on the front cover also, showing their importance. The biggest picture on the contents page is the one of Chris Page (the band member on my front cover), this shows it is the main feature.

Final Front Cover Evaluation 2

The target audience for my magazine was male and females varying ages between 16 and 21. The income brackets being c-b1. My magazine was mainly aimed at students (school/college/university) and so most of them wouldn't have full time jobs, this is represented through the pricing of my magazine. It is not very expensive and is affordable for people with small part time jobs and even for people getting EMA. In my opinion this is important as a high price can deter a younger target audience as they cannot afford to spend money on magazines.

My target audience are a social group that are heavily passionate about rock music and go to gigs regularly. This is represented through the sub-heading on my front cover; including 2010 festivals and gig reviews. (Also the stamp on his hand shows attendance of a local music venue and so they may recognise this stamp "tradition" and relate to his interests) This will attract people interested in live music as they will want to be recommended good bands and see reviews of gigs they had possible gone to. Also, considering the subheading includes a 'Gallows' album review then they could be interested in buying albums/CD's. Another point is that Chris Page is holding a cigerette, and although it is hard to see as the main feature title is in front of it, it shows the stereotpye of people that my magazine is trying to attract.

Even though the colour of the font on the front cover is connotated as a "girly" colour, it could represent the social group i am trying to reach to. For example, the frontman who is pictured in my main image is from a modern 'glam rock' band, and so feminine colours are relevant. Also personally i believe that a lot of the rock music magazines that are published and sold seem to have masculine heavy fonts and colour schemes (Kerrang in particular), something which i intended to steer clear of so more females (feminine girls) are attracted to the magazine. I like the softness of the colour itself but then the way it still stands out against the black and white main image.

I think my front cover represents the target social group positively and well. It indicates they are interested in the music scene and recreational gigs and venues. It represents them as sociable in the fact that they want to know what is going on within the rock music business and industry.

Final Front Cover Evaluation 1

After editing and changing small aspects of my magazine front cover, I am now satisfied with how it has turned out. I feel that the finished product now looks professional and tidy, and looks like a real rock music front cover. Here is the front cover;

My front cover doesn't really challenge the conventions of a rock music magazine, except from the fact that the page is not as busy as some covers such as Kerrang and Big Cheese (famous metal/rock music magazines). They generically have very busy pages with lots of striking subheading which stand out.
The things that are conventional are; The bar code, the sub-headings, tilted text, the banner at the top of the page about the title, the shape in the left hand corner of the page, the layout of the text, the main feature title at the bottom and bigger than the rest of the fonts.
Another point that is unconventional and not generic is the fact that the person in the main image is wearing sunglasses, he is not making direct eye contact with the audience at all. This is unusual as most of the time the person on the front makes eye contact with the possible buyer, building a relationship with them and enticing them to buy the magazine.

Double Page Spread Progress

I am currently putting my contents page and front page progress aside for the moment as I am now focusing on my double page spread. I decided to take a photo from the shoot of which the front cover picture came from and turn it black and white. Editing it on photoshop and turning it to black and white will make the theme continue from the front cover, a common code and convention of a music magazine.
Tpyically, the photo is seen on one full side of the double page spread and the text is on the other half. I thought I would use this generic convention for my article.
I have used a gradient edit on the photo using photoshop, this makes a nice soft link/line between the two pages.
The big tilted font is a common convention of a rock music magazine as the font itself is very loud and in your face, representing the music.
When writing out the actual article and putting in bold quotes, i will do them in a purple colour because this follows on from the theme of the front cover. ( the text in the upper right hand corner will be changed to a purple colour also as, after looking at it properly, it does not stand out enough)