Evaluation (Overall review on work)

Before creating my college magazine I analysed others first, this was to equip myself with the correct knowledge in order to understand the conventions used within the magazines and the reasons for doing so, I then developed this process further by using the term LIIAR to brainstorm ideas and conventions which had the potential to be in my magazine.
The planning stages, as seen on my previous blogs, aided me dramatically when it came to improving upon certain aspects of the magazine, it enabled me to add in extra conventions such as the banner headline which I had not used up to a certain point.
My magazine uses forms and conventions of real print products by using the predictable signs of which the reader expects to see in the magazine such as a mast head, main image and direct mode of address. There were some conventions which I felt were unnecessary to use therefore I did not include them in my magazine such as Puff, i didn't use this because my main target was to promote Wyke college and any other promotion was meaningless
I feel I have managed to match the standards or even excel to a higher level upon the magazines which I initially analysed, this is due to the detailed reviews which I produced and intern I gained a better understanding of the conventions needed to make the magazines better.
The audience feedback was vital in the production of my magazine as any weaknesses which the audience felt needed to be addressed were changed to a more suitable outcome.

A Students Opinion On My Wyke Magazine

The front cover of Hollie's magazine I feel looks highly professional and well produced. The dominant colours of the house style suit the topic perfectly as they are the Wyke College representative colours. The shades of green and the purple contrast well dividing the front cover making it appear more spacious. The title was bold and straight away gave the reader information informing them of what the magazine was about. I found the magazine cover was eye-catching and that the slogan across the front really drew in my full attention. The style of the magazine is very modern attracting a target audience which i feel would appreciate the style and layout. I felt the font used was easy on the eye and was readable from a fair distance allowing me to grasp what the magazine was about, without actually picking it up. On the other hand although overall it was clear to read, particular letters were skinnier than others and looked slightly distorted. The magazine cover explains clearly to the reader the issues which will be discussed inside. I found the topics discussed were really specific to the target audience which i felt was very good as the reader was being delivered information which was relevant to them. I feel the central image compliments the seasonal date of the magazine and that the central image placement was well chosen leaving plenty or space for additional text. The central image and slogan went hand in hand which i felt was significant to the overall look of the magazine cover. In conclusion i feel this magazine cover would draw in reader's due to it's originality and high class production.


This evaluation was written by Jade Watson.

FINISHED PRODUCT!

Conventions of Wyke College magazine

Masthead - I decided to stay consistent with the main, most well known Wyke aspects, such as the masthead for instance.

The masthead is fairly conventional as almost all magazines contain a masthead of some sort and it also establishes what the magazine is about, making it clear what type of audience the magazine is aimed at.

• Denotation - The obvious components of the masthead is that it is large and purple, this is to attract attention.
• Connotation - The Wyke masthead is purple, the colour purple represents ambition, wisdom, independence, creativity and many more. All these connotations reflect the attitude and characteristics needed from a student at Wyke therefore I feel this is the perfect colour to portray Wyke.

Image - The image consists of a student at Wyke, I chose the components of the image carefully and meaningfully, for example, the stance of the student and her facial expression represent a free, happy and achieving persona, which as a result portrays the college in this way.
The banner headline "As free as a bird!" can also be seen as anchorage because it ties down the meaning of the image. The text is relevant as the student looks free and almost as if she is flying; like a bird.

House Style - The house style was kept consistent to make the magazine look more professional. I decided to use the official colours of Wyke, which are predominantly purple, white, and green, each having a different connotation behind them:
Purple - ambition, wisdom, independence
White - purity, innocence
Green - natural, growth, knowledge
Another aspect of my magazine which I kept consistent was the grass behind the student. I used this to give the magazine a natural vibe and also to reflect the autumn season as the magazine is for the autumn edition.

Logo - The main logo is in the bottom right hand side of the page, this again complements my image and this is one of the reasons I chose to use it. I continued to use the arrows on my page so that it becomes recognisable to Wyke.
Text - I created the square boxes with the pin in the corner to represent "post-it" notes, the reason behind this is that since attending college, making notes has a been vital part of every day life for me and I feel it is a good way to portray events which the college have to offer. It is also quite artistic and a different approach to showing events.
I used direct mode of address when writing the events, this was to include the reader and make them feel valued by Wyke.


I am very happy with its appearance and feel I have done the best of my ability to make the products look professional.

ALL unused photos!

Unused photos and why I didn't use them

I had the idea of making my magazine seasonal and this is the reason for the photos of grass, I took a few photos of grass and felt these two were the weakest out of the tree therefore I didn't include them in my product.

I initially used the best photo with the same concept of these on my front cover and then remembered that the figures had to be mid-shots so I had to create a new one.

I found no real reason for the tree to be in my magazine and I it looked slightly out of place with the rest of my pictures I selected.

This was the weakest photo I took of the OAK building therefore I decided not to use it.

The photo above had the potential to be my front cover however I felt the one I chose had more character and meaning therefore I did not use this one.

I believe I had more suitable and interesting photos than these therefore there was no reason to include it into my product.

This picture is very similar to the one which I have chose to use on my front cover however the other one is slightly better due to the problem of not being able to see much of the models face.

The process of making my front cover

In the first stage of producing my magazine, I planned out a rough sketch of what I wished to include within it, not going into too much detail but covering my basic ideas to start with which I would then be able to develop as I proceeded.

I then took this a stage further by using the programme Microsoft Word Publisher to show roughly the colour schemes and layout which I had in mind to include in my media product.



The final production stage of my front cover was the actual creating the magazine cover on the photo manipulation programme Photoshop.
This is an unfinished version of what my magazine will look similar too however there are a few additional changed to be made.

The planning process has dramatically helped me towards creating the best possible outcome for my Wyke magazine. I have been able to take my ideas further, letting them improve and changing the weaker parts of the magazine.

Front Cover!!

After re-checking the brief I noticed that my front cover was missing a vital aspect which needed to be included. The picture I had chosen to use on my front cover was inadequate compared to the one I needed as it was not a mid-shot of the figures.

The figures which I have included on my front screen are considered to be a long shot rather than a mid-shot therefore I am going to have to change the picture in order for it to meet the brief. I spent valuable time creating this image therefore i will not let it go to waste, I will put it on my contents page instead.
I have also made some extra changes to my front cover such as the disposing of the star shape which holds the words "compete to win a FREE laptop!!" as it gives off an unprofessional vibe to the magazine. 

My intentions for Wyke Magazine (LIIAR)

Before producing the magazine, I am going to construct a LIIAR written plan of my intentions which I will then use as guide-lines in the production stages of this task. 
Language:

• Due to be brief stating that a mid-shot is needed in the front page of the magazine I will make sure my picture only includes the models body from the waist upwards
• I will try and experiment with camera angles to show I have thought about the different types of shots and how they can portray different messages and add variation to my magazine
• I am going to continue using the colours which represent wyke as these are well known and recognisable to the college.  There are also connotations behind the colours, for example, green can signify growth, renewal, health and the environment, all of these stages can be seen at wyke, the growth and maturing of a student etc.
• The font style will be kept consistent throughout the magazine to follow the house style and make the magazine look professional

Institution:

• The company I will produce this product for is Wyke College.
• The magazine will be produced mainly for the students attending the college or for those who are planning on choosing the college after school.

Ideology:

• A message or moral will be included in my work as anchorage to which is text which relates to the image used. Wykes motto is "freedom to achieve", I may use this to stay consistent with the wyke theme.

Audience:

• The audience the product will be aimed at are the students attending wyke and also those who are considering the college as a future option.
• The features of my product will be targeted at the audience by including information which relates to them such as the events at wyke. I will also use pictures of both gendered students from the college as this will be the age group which the magazine is targeting.

Representation:

• It is important to promote a positive representation of the college, college students and college life therefore all components of the magazine will be constructive and informative, I shall do this by keeping all aspects of the media product relative.

Unit G321 Preliminary product - Brief & Magazine Analysis

The Brief
Using DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/ college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of DTP



This is the first module of Unit G321. I was introduced into the preliminary task by being shown examples of both good and bad previous college magazines which past media students created, here are some examples of the magazines we analysed:

East Riding College

The front cover is very simplistic due to the lack in the use of different colours however the white writing, which represents connotations of innocence and freshness, contrast well with the black background which in addition draws attention to the magazine. The terminology "Student Life" establishes the target audience to the viewer immediately.
There are some factors which are seen as pointless such as the text which indicates the magazine is "free" as this is obvious due to the fact there is no bar code or price which tells us otherwise yet the college may feel more people will be interested in the magazine if the viewers no it is defiantly free.
The picture is pleasing to the eye and looks quite professional, it also complements the house style well, however there is nothing to suggest why they have chosen this as their front cover other than it being some "media students in Berlin". I also noticed that there is also no official slogan used as anchorage to summarise what the college is about.

The contents page doesn't stay consistent with the house style as it differs from the cover in many ways such as the fonts used for the text and although the black and white colours are continued to be used, there is an introduction of a colour green which wasn't included on the front cover, this automatically lowers the professionalism of the magazine.

Also, when listing the page numbers on a magazine you do not generally say which page the article goes up to whereas this magazine has, again this is pointless.

The pictures have no specific structure and I have noticed that some body parts of the people within the images have been cut off such as their hands.

Throughout the contents page, direct mode of address has been used which implies that the magazine is including the reader and it is emphasising that the opinions of the students attending the East Riding College, which is the institution that has created this magazine, is valued.

GX magazine

The "gx magazine" masthead instantly draws the eyes attention due to its sheer size and its contrast against the background, it is quite simplistic in the way it is presented however it is bold and clear.

The main figures on the front cover have been edited using a photo manipulation programme and this gives the magazine a cartoon/ unrealistic feel to it therefore the photograph in the bottom right corner looks extremely out of place. 

The use of terminology and the style of the figures indicate that it is aimed at a teenage audience. A house style consisting of the colours blue, grey and white is used on the first page, it shows consistency however it is quite dull and boring, it is also difficult to read some of the text due to its colour against the background.

The contents page shows no comparisons to the front cover therefore there is no specific house style which all professional magazines should have, however the text at the bottom of the page "the word on the street..." continues throughout the magazine, this may be seen as the anchorage to the text as the images look "hip".

Once again direct mode of address is used on the contents page, this is done for the same reasons as the East Riding College magazine, to include the reader and emphasise that the students are valued greatly.

This exercise has helped me with  the further planning of my magazine as I now have the knowledge needed to make a good magazine and can identify the conventions within them.

My college magazine will be based around Wyke College as it is the most convenient option considering the time provided to finish the magazine and also the fact that all the pictures taken have to be original images among other aspects.

AS Media Studies Introduction Task

I was given an introduction task in which I was to produce a magazine advert for one of two new products, either a new fragrance or a new mobile phone. I chose to produce a new fragrance advert which was aimed at men.
This is my finished product.

The 1st stage in my magazine design was the planning however this was done on paper as I enjoy sketching out my ideas.

Once I had finished producing my product I evaluated it, this is my finished evaluation:

Media Evaluation

Before I started creating my advert I looked at others to find the conventions that are used in them, I found that all perfume adverts show the actual product they are promoting and most have a model in it.

I chose to produce a magazine advert on a new fragrance which is specifically aimed at men. I had the idea of making my advert quite animalistic in order to emphasise the masculinity of the cologne and for who the cologne is aimed at.

I used written codes within my advert by giving the product the brand name “unleashed” and also a slogan as anchorage, “for the beast within…”. This implies the idea of the cologne literally “unleashing” a more masculine persona for who ever uses it.

The target audience I chose to aim my product at was the male gender, no specific age in particular however aimed at adults rather than children.

It will appeal to the target audience for a number of different reasons such as:

• There may be men who feel they are lacking in masculinity and therefore will buy the product in the hope of being seen as more manly and confident.
• It will also appeal to women with male partners, they may feel the sex appeal which “unleashed” portray and wish to get their partner the product.
• Some people might feel that this product matches their personality.

I produced my advert by firstly planning the different aspects within it, such as what the brand name may be, what type of background I wanted and thinking about the type of photo which is suitable for the product.

Once I had a good idea of everything I wished to include in my advert, I began to collect all of the resources I needed, for example, taking the photographs of the male figure which I needed to include into my work and also the perfume bottle, the technical code I used for my model was the mid-shot.

I initially chose to just have the male model stood posing for the camera however with further thought I decided to add symbolic codes into the advert by making the model wear a wolf mask and gloves, this was to represent the beast within the man, it also implies the idea that this male has used the fragrance and as a result of it a the beast within him has been "unleashed".

After I collected my photographs I started to edit the ones I needed using Photoshop, this was one of the most difficult parts of the task as I encountered many obstacles whilst putting my advert together like trying to get the background of the picture to disappear, I had to carefully rub out any unwanted parts of the photo and I found this was very time consuming and quite boring.

I believe my advert would be best displayed in a magazine such as "nuts" because this is one of the more popular men’s magazines, meaning more men will see the advert and also the advert fits in well with the genre of the magazine. Men who get this magazine are mostly interested in women and therefore an advert such as this would inspire them to use the product and “get the girl”.

When I received my introduction task feedback sheet I found that I had got 73 marks out of 100 which is equivalent to a grade B or level 3. Overall I am extremely happy with my work and I now know the conventions needed to get the best marks possible in my further tasks.