Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Audience feed back results



 Question 1 - What do you think the genre(s) of my magazine are?
The most popular answer I received was that persona is a R&B magazine. I also received responses like hip hop and soul

Question 2 - who do you think the target audience are in terms of age gender and social class
My audience said that the target audiences age ranges between 14-25. In terms of gender most of the Anvers I got back said that the main focus is on both males and females. However the next popular answer was that he focus was on just females. In terms of social class, they said the focus was on the middle class.

Question 3 - do you think the front cover is a good representation of the genre?
100% of my audience feed back agreed and said that they thought it was a good representation.

Question 4 - what do you think of the could scheme of the magazine?
Here are so,e of the responses I recieved...
"I think it looks good, they work well together, however I think they should have been brighter"
"The colour scheme is not consistent throughout the magazine, although each page works well together"
"Its simple and eye catching"

Question 5 - what do you think of the layout of my front cover?
For this question I had three options for them to choose from, they were Poor, Good and Excellent. 25% of my audience said that it was Good, whilst 75% said it was excellent.

Question 6 - what do you think about the layout of my contents page?
I also had the same three options for the audience to choose from. For my contents page 50% said it was good and the other 50% said it was excellent

Question 7 - what do you think of the layout of my double page spread?
I used the same three options again, for the double page spread, 25% of my audience said that it was good and the other 75% said it was excellent.

Question 8 - do you think that I should have included anything else?
Some people didn't answer this question so I guess that means that they diddnt feel I needed to include anything, however out of the people who did answer, here are some of their responses.
"More high quality pictures"
"Something that makes your magazine unique like a twitter QandA session"

Question 9 - what you you think I could improve?
Again not everyone answered this question but some of those that did said this...
"All high quality pictures"
"The font and colour of 'fresh' in the main cover line should stand out more"

Question 10 - do you think the images I used were effective?
100% of my audience who reviewed my magazine said that the images used in persona were effective.


Monday, 14 January 2013

Full Evaluation



Question 1 -  In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Front cover – UsedI like that the bar code was backed onto a white box, I think it looks neat and shows the relation between the bar code and the text that is also within the box. This is used in other issues of vibe too. The layout of the page, in terms of cover lines is very effective; they’re all lined up down the side of the cover, this allows the audience to see as much of the frame/image as possible. The front cover of this magazine is set in a location. This seemed to be very rare when compared to other magazines; I thought this was a great feature to adopt. The main image being in a location sets the theme and mood of the main story and for the readers; the main idea of my magazine was to focus on UK artists I felt that the location I chose represents London well. The poses of the model/models on the cover of Vibe magazine are very important because it is the first thing the reader notices. Facial expressions and body language projects the atmosphere of the magazine. I kept this in mind when during my photo shoot and when choosing my main image. I chose this image one because I felt it represented the genre of music my artist produces and the theme of the magazine. Front cover – DevelopedAlthough I liked the positioning of the cover lines I decided the change the style and design. I developed them into this because I felt that the colour scheme I used worked well with the main image, and that the backing box made them stand out individually. The main cover line on the cover of vibe Magazine is in the same font, just with different colours and sizes. I chose to develop this idea by using different colours and fonts so that it can standout as the cover line. The plus symbol was small and the design was different from what I had seen in other brands of magazines, I chose to develop this by making mine bigger, but without put the circle behind it because I felt that it stood out better with out it, when I tried it on my front cover I felt that it made it look over crowded. Front cover – Challenged
In vibe magazine the cover lines included stories about the featured artist, I chose not to do this because I thought that the names of the artist alone will entice readers into buying the magazine and find out more about them by reading about them in the included articles Unlike Vibe magazine, I did not include a sky line because I didn't think it was essential to over advertise the products in my magazine I also felt that readers should read through the magazine in order to find out what treats and things we have available inside, rather than showing every feature off. Contents Page – Used 
I love the idea of having a unique logo, which represents Vibe as a brand on every page. This is so readers will recognise the brand, it also acts as a reminder. This consistent feature brings order to each page and a professional edge. I decided to adopt this feature in my magazine; I liked that Vibe didn’t just use the same Font, as on the front cover it was a total different style. I chose to use a font called Identify because I felt that it represents the name of the brand really well and illustrated the individual as each letter looks like a fingerprint. Contents Page – DevelopedVibe has 5 sections to their magazine, I thought this would be too many and the content wouldn’t be as creative/ effective if I had too many. I also thought about the price of my magazine and if I had more pages it would cost more to produce so the overall price would increase for my customers. The image on the contents page was set in the same location, with the same models that were used on the front cover just in different costumes. I decided to develop this idea by changing the model I used because I felt that although my main cover lines was about Lauren Cato, there were other artists in the edition of the magazine who are also underground artists who would need and opportunity to shine too. I decided to use a different model to represent a different artist. Contents Page  - Challenged
Vibe magazine decided to put their editor’s letter on the first page of the ‘Enter’ department, I decided to challenge this convention by making my contents page a double page and putting my editor’s note on it. Along with some pictures of artists who feature in the magazine. I wanted to put mine on the contents page because I felt that it was a great way to introduce the magazine and it was a feature that I thought should be in a visible place. DPS – UsedI liked the idea of having a bold quote on the DPS because I felt that it would allow the readers to have an insight into the topics included in the article. I chose this quote because it doesn't really give much away and it will encourage the reader to want to read on to find out what it's to do with and how it ties into the life of the artist. DPS – DevelopedIn vibe magazine the layout of the page was simple and sophisticated with a picture on one page and all the text, which are in columns on the opposing page. I developed this by having four columns spread across the bottom of the two pages and my images on the top of the page. Another reason why I developed this is because I had more than one picture that I wanted to use to express the personality of the artist and to illustrate the topics in the interview. I like the idea of having the questions separate, in terms of colour coding, because it gives the interview a sense of direction as its easier for the reader to determine what topic is being discussed. DPS – ChallengedI decided to challenge the conventions of the double page spread by changing the layout of the page and the format of the journalism of the actual articles. The article in vibe magazine was more of an account of the interview with descriptions of things in the room, what the artist was doing at that time of the interview and dialogue in speech marks. I challenged this convention by using a Question and Answer format. I've challenged this because I felt that it would be more effective to separate the questions because it gives the interview a sense of direction and structure. Other Magazines I have researched – RWDFront covers – UsedI felt that having the date line under the masthead looked neat and was more noticeable rather than if it was at the bottom of the page near the bar code. I made mine black to match the masthead and I felt that black stood out the best against my background. I like the idea of the masthead covering the whole of the top of the page, I think that it makes it stand out better and advertises the brand better. The style of the masthead is what the readers will remember and recognise so it has to stand out against the main image and it must also be consistent in all issues. Front Cover – DevelopedThe main cover lines on both magazines stands out well against the background and main image especially because there are no additional cover lines on the page. Also the main cover line is in a different font to the masthead, I developed this by incorporating colours and different fonts in my main cover line in an attempt to make it bold against my main image. Front Cover – ChallengedThe RWD magazine didn't have any cover lines on the cover (other than the main cover line); cover lines give readers an idea of what's inside the magazine before they even open it. I decided to challenge this convention by adding cover lines however they were just of the artists name so the reader has a bit of an idea of what's install, without giving too much away.  Both issues of RWD magazine use a colour scheme on the front cover of black and white, I developed this by having a colour scheme of cream, burgundy and black on the front cover, this matched the main image I used so I though it went well. I would not continue this particular colour scheme in every issue of Persona; the colour scheme on the front cover would vary depending on the main image.  These RWD magazines were free so there wasn't a bar code on the front cover (it didn't say that it was free at all), I challenged the idea of having a free magazine because the brand of persona is new and to be giving free copies away wouldn't produce a profit. There for I put the price of my magazine at £2.99. I made sure it was notice able by putting the price line under the date line.  I challenged the conventions of this magazine by having the main image in a location where as the main image in both RWD magazines were set in a photography studio. I done this because I felt that because the main focus on the brand was on up and coming urban artists in the UK, London was a good place to illustrate this. Contents Page – UsedI really liked that RWD magazine had different categories to separate the content of the magazine. Although I didn't have as many sections, I still adopted this because I felt that it brings order and structure to the page and the whole magazine. The colour scheme I used for each section would be continued through out the articles of the magazine; depending on what section it falls into. This was also the system used in RWD magazine. The main image used in the first magazine is in a location, I decided to use this trait because I felt that it sets the theme of the magazine really well, and allows the reader to have an insight into the technical aspect of creating the magazine. Contents Page – DevelopedThe images used on both magazines don't really include any props that indicate that it is a music magazine; the ipad featured represents media and technology. The models on both contents pages are artists but if the audience aren't aware of this then there's no additional indicator. I developed this by including a prop; headphones that I hoped would be noticed. DPS – UsedI liked the house style of the magazine, it includes a decorative box above the title of each page, this adds to the design of the page, without making it over crowded, it also sets the colour theme of the page. I used this by matching the colours from the contents page to that of the article, depending on what section it is in. I think the format that the interview is conducted and presented (Q and A) was effective, especially because of the context of the article, I also liked that the colours of the question also matched that of the decorative box. I used this format because I felt that it was the most effective way to present my interview. DPS – DevelopedIn the second issue of RWD magazine they featured a section, which advertises a series of Nike trainers. I liked that they were advertising something within the page, which was relevant to the article, rather than having a separate page to advertise this. I chose to use this feature of having an advertising section to help to illustrate the propose of the magazine and to advertise the brand that my artist 'Lauren Cato' was supporting; she talks about the 'Cato87' brand in the article. I used Bigga Fish to illustrate the motive of my media product because the propose of this organization is to also help up and coming artists from all over England to get heard and pave a way in this competitive music industry. Many of the artists featured in Persona started off small and have taken to the Bigga Fish stage. Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups? I felt that my magazine represents the age range of my target audience because...Featured ArtistsThe ages of the artists featured in Persona are of a similar age to that of my target audience; and mainly produce music for people within their generation. I also think that people find it easier to identify with artists who they can relate to if they have something in common with them, whether this is the genre of music, gender or age group.These are just a few artists who would feature in my media product; Paigey cakey, Bobii Lewis, Cashtastic and Floetic LaraImages UsedThe images I used in my magazine were also a representation of my audience because I felt that the main image on my front cover was a representation of the propose of the magazine and could represent my target audience in terms of the scenes and nature of my model and location. I felt that my target audience would make the link between the location of the image and the model and would therefore be able to identify with her as someone who is young, talented, from an urban city like London and trying to make her way in the music industry.My model is represented as a young woman who isn't using sex or a provocative nature to sell my product. This shows that my magazine can sell without the need to reveal her body.The main image I used on the contents page was of a different model from the one on the front cover, the costume she was wearing is very fashionable right now and I felt that my audience could relate to the image I created for her and her sense of style. I though that this may even act as inspiration for someone. Also this model isn’t using a sexual nature to promote her music or illustrate herself as an artist. I think that this is very important because my target audience does include people of a young age, who tend to copy what they see in the media, from role models and people who they can identify with. The intention of the images in persona is to give the audience a visual source of new artists not to corrupt their mind with provocative images.The images I used on my DPS were all taken in a photography studio I felt that this showed more of a conventional/traditional edge to the page as they were the only images I took I'm a photography studio. I also fell that they would work well with the more mature range of my target audience. The pictures taken of this model are very important because she features on the front cover as well as the double page. She represents the target audience well because she is also within their age rage. Language usedThe language used in my magazine isn't too formal, I think it's somewhere between informal and formal; semi formal. The language in my editors note is humorous to invite the audience into the magazine, make them feel comfortable and welcome and also for them to get an idea of the character who edits and puts all the ideas for Persona together I feel that this feature is key and very important in the magazine. The text on the DPS is the most informal, I felt that this was because I conducted the interview in a casual and relaxed situation so my artist 'Lauren Cato' didn't feel obliged to speak too formally. I think that the language used is appropriate for my target audience's social class. I didn't want to restrict my readers by making the text too formal or informal as my media product isn't aimed at a specifically social group or age group, this is because the age range of my target audience is so wide, I felt that semi formal language would appeal the range the best. My magazine is targeted at people between the ages if 15-35.In the modern society that we live in today, I don't believe that any particular genre of music is or should be associated with any one particular ethnic Group or age. This is a really good trait as it doesn't restrict my target audience at all and allows the reader to have the freedom to explore any genre they desire. I think this is represented by the artists featured in the magazine, the props used in my photo shoots, locations etc. I felt that the props and costumes used in my media product will act as inspiration for readers, although it is a music magazine the different fashion styles used by the artists should be useful to readers who are also interested in new trends. Question 3 - What kind of media institution would distribute your media product and why? I did do quite a bit of research when it came to deciding on a publisher because the motive of my media product is so different to conventional products; so I wanted to choose a company that is successful in terms of distributing modern media products, this is why I chose IPC media to publish my magazine. They currently publish NME and Uncut magazine that are also current magazines. Another reason why I wanted to use IPC media was because persona is a unique product and something that as a company wouldn’t have ever published before.
Persona is exclusive because it includes a variety of genres: Soul, R’n’B and Rap/Grime. The artists featured in my media product are all up and coming artists from the UK. This makes the magazine like no other produced because represents new talented artists and introduces them into the industry. I believe that its important to give them a chance to show people what their about because even the unpopular artists crave recognition for their efforts and hard work, Persona will allow them to have their time to shine whilst providing them with some exposure.I believe that Persona as a media product would be very successful because there is a gap in the market for an innovative product. The diversity that persona brings because it is associated with new artists who may just need that extra support. Question 4 - Who would be the audience for your media product? The content of my magazine will be appropriate for both males and females. The colour scheme I originally planed to use was purple, black and white, however I decided to change this so that it was more accommodating for the male readers. I done this by slightly changing the colours I used, I incorporating purple and blue into the contents page to represent specific sections of the magazine. On the front cover I used burgundy, cream and black.My target audience are between the ages of 15 and 35. My magazine isn’t directed specifically at a particular social class because I didn’t want to restrict my readers. I tried to make it accessible to everyone by making the language a cross between formal and semi formal.Because technology has evolved so much I decided to use this feature to my advantage by having an application available for smart phones and a website so that my target audience can access Persona territory quickly and easily. Question 5 - How did you attract your target audience? I attracted my audience by the use of my models; although the majority of the models in my magazine are female I still think that males would be interested in the product because they may be drawn to the models I’ve used. I think that because all of the models used in my magazine don't promote anything if a sexual nature this will stand out to people and hopefully attract them to the magazine.I chose Lauren Cato to be my main model and feature on the front cover and in the DPS because I think that she is a good representation of my target audience and I felt that she could be a role model and inspiration for young females.  Lauren is also within the age range of the audience so I will be easy for them to identify with her. The costumes worn by all the models were specifically chosen to represent them as an artist, in a way that my audience would enjoy, as well as being a projection of the actual music they produce. This is why I had such a variety of pictures throughout the magazine to give the audience a visual insight into the artists. The layout of the front cover is set up in a way to allow the audience to see as much of the main image as possible. I especially wanted them to recognise the setting and scenery of the picture and make the association between the propose of the magazine (to highlight up and coming artists from the UK). The cover lines I used were also to entice the audience because it featured the names of artists they may or may not recognise. The motive behind not having story cover lines were because the name of the artist alone should encourage the audience to want to know more about them.The colour scheme I originally planed to use was purple, black and white, however I decided to change this so that it was more accommodating for the male readers, I changed the colours used through out the magazine to burgundy, cream, black, white, blue and purple.  Thank you, I also chose to address my readers by using language in my magazine that isn't too formal, I think it's somewhere between informal and formal; so it is semi formal. The language in the editors note is a bit humorous to invite the audience into the magazine and for them to get an idea of the character that edits and puts all the ideas of the magazine together I feel that this feature is very important.In the modern society that we live in today, I don't believe that any particular genre of music is or should be associated with any one particular ethnic background age group or gender. My readers are fully entitled to free will to choose what genre(s) they read in the magazine. Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process if constructing this product? I’ve learnt so much about many different technologies and software’s like, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Prezi etc. how to use them and the results they can produce. My front cover was done on Adobe Photoshop, before this project I had never used this software so at first it was a bit tricky to get the hang of, however once I had mastered the basic techniques everything else was down to experimenting. I had no major problems with Photoshop and I found that it helped me to realise that maybe some of the designs that I had planned prior to the construction wouldn’t have worked as well as I had hoped but once I got into it everything fell into place well. I am now confidant with Photoshop and really enjoyed using it to create the cover of Persona.Using Adobe InDesign was tricky for me at first too because I had used I had only used it briefly used it before a while ago so I had forgotten what to do; but once I remembered how to use it, it was easy. I liked that it allows you to be creative and as organised as you desire. I felt that using this software for both the contents page and the double page spread meant that I could apply some of the same basic stricture in terms of spacing, for example where the page numbers ere, fonts, the size of the text and the positioning of the masthead.When it came to me using the Photography studio I found it relatively simple, because I have a similar camera at home that I use regularly. The only thing I struggled with was getting the lighting balance right on the opposite side to the flash, but once I figured that out it was all right. One thing that I was very surprised and pleased with were the quality of the pictures in the studio. I liked that the backdrop was black and not white because the creases in it didn’t show up as much. The quality of the pictures that I took in my locations weren’t as good but were all right to use.Using blogger was also very simple, although I had no experience of using it, I got the hang of it really quickly and I thought it was a really effective way of presenting my progress and developments in this project. Prezi was one of the main technologies that I used to present my evaluation got the hang of it quickly I thought that it was also very effective. I liked the outcome and the animations it looked great! For task 10 I used survey monkey, I enjoyed putting it together because it was simple and easy to use. Question 7 - looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

When I constructed the student magazine in the preliminary task, I had very little knowledge on the software and image manipulating programs like Adobe Photo shop and InDesign. My experiences of conventional magazines and their house styles where limited too. My student magazine was very basic however I did follow a colour scheme. The images I used weren’t very good because I had not considered the lighting or anything on that technical scale. I feel like on the preliminary task I didn’t really realise or acknowledge the significance of planning, I planned the lay put of may front cover and contents page but I didn’t consider the images I would use or the locations they would be taken in – that was mostly improvisation.However now that I have produced Persona Magazine I feel much more confidant that I can produce a media product that appeals to my target audience and has its own conventions. I have learnt that location, lighting and the models are very important in media products because they are a key part to representing the nature and atmosphere of the product. The location of an image tells a story for the readers and gives them a visual insight into different themes.I now know that the language used also represents my audience depending on their social class and age. These things, must be carefully planned before the construction of the magazine in order for there to be control and organisation in the project. Despite this, I do feel that improvisation is important because without experimenting and having the freedom to change things the best results cannot be achieved.                                             

Media Evaluation - Question 7

Media Evaluation - Question 6

Media Evaluation - Question 5

Media Evaluation - Question 5
by: Almondshampoo

Media Evaluation - Questions 3 and 4


Media Evaluation - Question 2

Media Evaluation - Question 1