Double-Page Spread - Post Production

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

I tried to stick to the minimalism of the contents page to continue into the double page, this makes the magazine more coherent, and it all ties together well. Also, I think that with my double page being different from other magazine double pages makes it stand out for all the right reasons, and will seem more intriguing and attractive to my selected target audience. I tired to keep the same pictures from my front page so this would add to the coherency that I wanted. I also had a minimal use of colour in the double page as this would make it seem sophisticated, and apply and adapt to the lifestyle of the target audience for the music magazine.
I looked at other content pages of music magazines, such as ‘Kerrang!’ and ‘Vibe’ which gave me ideas as to how I should lay out my double page, and what I would need to do to make it easily accessible and understandable. I also looked at colour schemes and picture layout to gain a bit of knowledge on how I should work with my own magazine. From the magazines I looked at I learned that there weren’t a lot of pictures, as to divert from making the double page too busy, which could possibly make it difficult to understand. In that aspect, I don’t think that I tried to challenge the norms, however I managed to make my double page stand out by using a minimal amount of colour, and choosing a simplistic layout while still sticking to the ‘normal’ double-page spread layout.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have really developed my skills with using InDesign and Photoshop, and I have become more fluent with its use during the production of my front page and my contents page. I have learned how to use layers properly in InDesign, and how to manipulate my photographs in Photoshop using the colour settings. Also, I think that I have become more used to adapting my skills that I learned from working on my preliminary task to my Music Magazine contents page. This has allowed me to develop my skills, and make my contents page look more professional, and link it to my audience.
I have also made the production easier for myself by creating a mock-up contents page on Microsoft word, and this made it easier for me to adapt this into InDesign, since I was relatively new to its use.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Compared to my preliminary contents page, I think that my Music magazine’s content page and double page spread is far more interesting and adapted to my readers’ interests. Also, I think that I knew what I was doing, and was more comfortable with using InDesign when working on my double page for my Music magazine. I also think that I was more experimental and outgoing with my music magazine’s double page because I used a wider range of fonts, a basic colour scheme and varied photographs. I think that this makes my double page tie in with my front cover and contents page more coherently, and it also attracts my target audience. With my preliminary contents page, I didn’t create a mock-up for me to get ideas and inspiration from, but for my music magazine’s contents page the sketch up that I created on Microsoft word enabled me to shorten my production time, which proved effective – instead of wasting time when using InDesign and creating a bad quality contents page and double-page spread.

Double-page Spread - Production

In what ways are you designing your media product to use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

1. For my double page spreads, I wanted it to encompass all of the elements that I put forth in my cover page and contents page. I used the same model and same font so my magazine could be coherent and well put together, as well as keeping my colour scheme simple and minimal, in order for it to appeal to my target audience. I also chose a minimalist colour scheme in order for my magazine to be coherent and flexible.

How are you designing your media product to represent particular social groups?

2. For my double page spread, I am trying to make the design and layout interesting in order for it to interest my reader, and grab their attention. Also, I am using pictures from my photo shoot that the readers haven’t seen before, which also adds to the originality and excitement of my double page spread. Ideally, double-page spreads are supposed to be engaging – this includes and interesting story, nice pictures and an intriguing lay-out, which I am also trying to include in my own double page spread.

How are you attracting/addressing your audience?

3. I’m attracting my audience by making my layout look more appealing and simplistic, as this will appeal to my middle-class, female audience. Also, the text is sophisticated. I looked at other double-page spreads of music magazines, such as ‘Kerrang!’ which gave me ideas as to how I should lay out my double-page spread, and what I would need to do to make it easily accessible and understandable. I also looked at colour schemes and picture layout to gain a bit of knowledge on how I should work with my own magazine. From the magazines I looked at I learned that there weren’t a lot of pictures, as to divert from making the double page too busy, which could possibly make it difficult to understand. In that aspect, I don’t think that I tried to challenge the norms, however I managed to make my double page stand out by using a minimal amount of colour, and choosing a simplistic layout while still sticking to the ‘normal’ double page layout.

Contents Page - Post Production

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I tried to stick to the minimalism of the front page to continue into the contents page, this makes the magazine more coherent, and it all ties together well. Also, I think that with my contents page being different from other magazine contents pages makes it stand out for all the right reasons, and will seem more intriguing and attractive to my selected target audience. I tired to keep the same pictures from my front page so this would add to the coherency that I wanted. I also had a minimal use of colour in the contents page as this would make it seem sophisticated, and apply and adapt to the lifestyle of the target audience for the music magazine.
I looked at other content pages of music magazines, such as ‘Kerrang!’ which gave me ideas as to how I should lay out my contents page, and what I would need to do to make it easily accessible and understandable. I also looked at colour schemes and picture layout to gain a bit of knowledge on how I should work with my own magazine. From the magazines I looked at I learned that there weren’t a lot of pictures, as to divert from making the contents page too busy, which could possibly make it difficult to understand. In that aspect, I don’t think that I tried to challenge the norms, however I managed to make my content page stand out by using a minimal amount of colour, and choosing a simplistic layout while still sticking to the ‘normal’ contents page layout.

2. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have really developed my skills with using InDesign and Photoshop, and I have become more fluent with its use during the production of my front page and my contents page. I have learned how to use layers properly in InDesign, and how to manipulate my photographs in Photoshop using the colour settings. Also, I think that I have become more used to adapting my skills that I learned from working on my preliminary task to my Music Magazine contents page. This has allowed me to develop my skills, and make my contents page look more professional, and link it to my audience.
I have also made the production easier for myself by creating a mock-up contents page on Microsoft word, and this made it easier for me to adapt this into InDesign, since I was relatively new to its use.

3. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Compared to my preliminary contents page, I think that my Music magazine’s content page is far more interesting and adapted to my readers’ interests. Also, I think that I knew what I was doing, and was more comfortable with using InDesign when working on my contents page for my Music magazine. I also think that I was more experimental and outgoing with my music magazine’s content page because I used a wider range of fonts, a basic colour scheme and varied photographs. I think that this makes my contents page tie in with my front cover more coherently, and it also attracts my target audience. With my preliminary contents page, I didn’t create a mock-up for me to get ideas and inspiration from, but for my music magazine’s contents page the sketch up that I created on Microsoft word enabled me to shorten my production time, which proved effective – instead of wasting time when using InDesign and creating a bad quality contents page.

Contents Page - Production

1. In what ways are you designing your media product to use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I tried to stick to the minimalism of the front page to continue into the contents page, this makes the magazine more coherent, and it all ties together well. Also, I think that with my contents page being different from other magazine contents pages makes it stand out for all the right reasons, and will seem more intriguing and attractive to my selected target audience. I tired to keep the same pictures from my front page so this would add to the coherency that I wanted. I also had a minimal use of colour in the contents page as this would make it seem sophisticated, and apply and adapt to the lifestyle of the target audience for the music magazine.
I looked at other content pages of music magazines, such as ‘Kerrang!’ which gave me ideas as to how I should lay out my contents page, and what I would need to do to make it easily accessible and understandable. I also looked at colour schemes and picture layout to gain a bit of knowledge on how I should work with my own magazine. From the magazines I looked at I learned that there weren’t a lot of pictures, as to divert from making the contents page too busy, which could possibly make it difficult to understand. In that aspect, I don’t think that I tried to challenge the norms, however I managed to make my content page stand out by using a minimal amount of colour, and choosing a simplistic layout while still sticking to the ‘normal’ contents page layout.

2. How are you designing your media product to represent particular social groups?
I tried to make my contents page follow the conventions of my front cover, which were sophistication, minimalism and class, which were how I wanted to represent my chosen genre, and those are the types of individuals I want to target through my magazines. I figured that my target audience would mainly consist of middle class, jazz enjoying females, and I therefore strived to emulate their character and lifestyle through my magazine, so I could get the preferred reading that I wanted. I chose the same collection of pictures as my front page, in order to fully tie together the message that I wanted to convey through my magazine. I wanted women to feel empowered and represented when they read my magazine, and I thought it was very important to have this sense of sensibility and class about my magazine, which is the main ways in which I want to attract readers.

3. How are you attracting/addressing your audience?

Although I tried to engage my audience through visual means such as layout, photography, typography and colour scheme, I also though it was extremely important for the audience to be attracted to the core message of the magazine and I thought that the front page should fuel this attraction through it’s simplicity and it’s allowance for easy navigation through the magazine.

Music Magazine - Post-Production

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I think that this magazine front cover is very different to the ones in the same genre, as jazz magazines are quite rare to find and the fact that women are hardly ever on the front cover. Also, the front cover is different from most magazines both because of the picture on the cover and the typography. The picture is minimal and androgynous, which plays on jazz as a male dominated genre, but it also challenges the average conventions on magazines in general as the covers are colourful and bright in order to attract readers’ attention. However, I felt that if I did the opposite, it would be more likely to attract attention as people will find the simplicity and the minimalism interesting. Also, the simplistic nature of the cover is also sophisticated and smart, which is similar to jazz, and I felt that if the front cover and the genre corresponded, it would create more of a dynamic and interesting effect.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt many things with the technicality that is incorporated in making a magazine, I have gotten more comfortable with using InDesign and Photoshop, and I think that I know my way around both programmes for future references. Also, I think that when working with my contents page and double-page spread I will be more comfortable with using the programmes. I have also learned how to control my layering when using InDesign, as this will enable me to work on my magazine without complications and difficulties. Another thing I have learned when it comes to technology is playing and experimenting with fonts and layouts, as I found my main challenge was to chose a font that I felt was most compatible with my front page. I did this by going on many different websites to look for fonts, and to take other magazines into consideration and use their lay outs as inspiration for my own.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
During the progression, I have learned and improved on many qualities such as the technicality behind composing a magazine, and also how to lay out and plan a magazine production. I think that my photographs have become much more intricate and were taken to correspond with my chosen musical genre and they were also of better quality, as I had time to use a better camera and to plan the shoot. I also became much more comfortable with using InDesign and Photoshop, as I felt that during the preliminary task, it was a little difficult to get used to all the short-cuts on the programmes.

Music Magazine - Production

In what ways are you designing your media product to use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In my opinion, I think that my magazine front cover will be quite generic to the real media products. By this I mean that the layout of the magazine in general will replicate the other magazines. However, I want my front cover to be distinguished and different, in order for it to stand out to my target audience, and for it to receive a preferred reading. However, I also want to challenge the concept of underrepresentation in the media of certain social groups, and since my chosen genre is Jazz, I want to represent the wider spectrum of jazz fans, rather than the minimal stereotype.

How are you designing your media product to represent particular social gropus?
I think that since my music magazine is on the Jazz genre, it would be stereotypically directed at the male audience; however, I want to create a magazine that does the opposite. Although there are many talented women in jazz, I think that they are overshadowed by the patriarchy associated with the genre. By creating a music magazine that is as equally representative of the female, as it is the male, I will get the ‘preferred reading’ that I am after.
Also, I want to adapt the mast heads and the layout so I can get my wanted audience to find my media product attractive and interesting. I will do this by choosing a specific model and also, by designing my layout to create the wanted effect on my audience.

How are you attracting/adressing your audience?
As my chosen genere and the audience that I want are quite different, I am trying to appeal to them through the look of my front page. I want my audience to immediately find my magazine attractive, and the only way that I can do this is to appeal to them through the way my front cover looks. I have chosen a female model on my front cover, to exemplify the fact that I would like to gain a predominantely female readership, also, I tried to further emphasise the need for a female audience through my buy-lines and mast heads. however, I have created a quite adrogynous look for my model on the fron page, and the reason for this is to play on the fact that jazz is a ‘male’ genre and I wanted to represent women in this genre, as I feel that they have done a great deal for jazz music. The colour of my front page is heavily black and white, with minimal colour. This is to make my magazine look interesting, and increase the attractive nature of it. It is also for it to catch the audience’s eye and stand out from all the other, colourful magazines that will be on the shelf.
I also felt that by using a female model for my fron cover I was attracting the audience that I wanted, as they would feel respresented and appreciated. Also, I’d want them to feel that within the jazz genre, women are represented equally to the input they have in the actual music.

Music Magazine Pre-Production

For my music magazine, I chose jazz as my genre. I think that jazz would be an easy genre to work with, as it is distinguished and different from most music types, also, jazz already has it’s distinguished trade mark style, which I can work with and enhance to create my desired magazine front cover. However, I feel that because my genre is mainly enjoyed by the older generation, it’s going to be a little challenging for mw to win over the younger target audience.

◆ Jazz, in my opinion, seems very sophisticated and suave; therefore, the artists in this genre echo this ideology through their behaviour and image.

◆ The women and men portrayed as jazz artists seem very dignified and intelligent, and this is shown through the tuxedos and the gowns that they often wear.
Words associated with jazz:

◆ Trumpet

◆ Black &White

◆ Early 20th & 21st Century

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In my opinion, I think that my magazine front cover will be quite generic to the real media products. By this I mean that the layout of the magazine in general will replicate the other magazines. However, I want my front cover to be distinguished and different, in order for it to stand out to my target audience, and for it to receive a preferred reading. However, I also want to challenge the concept of underrepresentation in the media of certain social groups, and since my chosen genre is Jazz, I want to represent the wider spectrum of jazz fans, rather than the minimal stereotype.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
I think that since my music magazine is on the Jazz genre, it would be stereotypically directed at the male audience; however, I want to create a magazine that does the opposite. Although there are many talented women in jazz, I think that they are overshadowed by the patriarchy associated with the genre. By creating a music magazine that is as equally representative of the female, as it is the male, I will get the ‘preferred reading’ that I am after.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I think that I would want my media product to be distributed by an experienced institution. The reason I would want an experienced institution is due to the rarity of a jazz magazine, and I feel that because of this it needs to be marketed specifically in order to appeal to the audience that I have in mind. This would make it easier to market my jazz magazine to a wider audience, and it would also enable the magazine to recognize females as an audience.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
I would like to have a wide range of readers for my magazine; however I would like to have my magazine recognise women as prominent jazz lovers, and therefore I want my magazine to convey this. I feel that jazz is a predominately male genre, and I feel that women deserve recognition too; therefore I have chosen a female readership for my music magazine.