Evaluation: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

At the start of the media course, my partner and I had to create a college magazine front cover and contents page.
We didn’t have any experience in some of the hardware and software we had to use; we also only had simple knowledge of actual magazine layouts and functions.
Because our original magazine was at the beginning of the course, it was basically an opportunity to make mistakes so that we could learn from them before creating our actual magazine for our coursework.
I believe that my magazine “SMACK” is obviously much better quality and has a much more accurate layout than my first magazine (Grades N Babes).
I also believe “SMACK” follows magazine design features very well compared to “Grades ‘N’ Babes”.
Unlike my practice magazine at the start of the course, I spent a lot more time researching, drafting and planning “SMACK”.
It proved very helpful and important, and I think it is because of the improved amount and quality of my planning and designing that “SMACK” was more successful than “Grades N Babes”.
I created a time plan within my planning, so that I didn’t become unorganised when creating “SMACK”. This was very useful because I stuck to this time plan and I avoided losing time and having to rush my work, unlike in the creation of “Grades N Babes”.
I think it is clear to see that the photography within my most recent magazine is much better quality compared to my first magazine. For example, I organised my models more accurately, and had a set design on paper of what poses etc. I wanted them in.
I had pre-planned the setting of my photography for “SMACK” so I even knew before hand where I was going to take my photographs, me and my partner weren’t this organised when creating “Grades N Babes”.
As mentioned previously, I believe I accurately followed conventions of magazines front covers, as well as contents page and double page spread.
Like actual magazines I stuck within grids and borders, and made sure every page was visually tidy and interesting.
In “Grades N Babes” we just wacked text and images anywhere so that we could hit the deadline in time.
I think personally I have a greater knowledge now of both computer programmes, Adobe Photoshop and Quark Express, than when I create my first magazine at the start of the course.
I used to hate using Quark Express; I thought it was awkward and frustrating. I also thought it seemed very simplistic and I would have rather not used it at all.
But now, I have learnt how to use the software much better, my improved knowledge of Quark Express has help me realise its usefulness and how it has advantages over Adobe Photoshop such as in creating the contents page and double page spread.
Unlike the creation of “Grades N Babes”, I considered my target audience a lot more within the creation of “SMACK”. This made the creation of “SMACK” more influenced by who I thought was going to read it, and therefore I was more restricted in what I did and didn’t include.
For example, the clothing on the models in “SMACK” was what my target audience would wear, (hoodys, jeans, track suit bottoms etc.)
Finally, I think I could conclude that I am very happy with the outcome of my work; I can see the improvements between “SMACK” and “Grades and Babes” such as attention to detail and following conventions etc.
The biggest thing I feel I have learnt through the completion of this project, is probably, that if you organise your time correctly, and follow your planning and designs, you will eventually achieve what you intended, and create a product you are proud of.
Thank you for viewing my project.

Evaluation: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout the construction of my magazine, I used a variety of technology and devices to aid me within my work.

Firstly I used a digital single lens reflex camera, which produced very high quality photographs, with the usability of a standard digital camera.

Using this type of camera allowed me to easilly transfer my photographs using the memory card, onto a computer ready for editing and using within my magazine.

After I'd Used the DSLR camera, and used the memory card to move the photographs onto a computer, I began editing my chosen photographs using Adobe Photoshop CS2.

This Programme is extremely successful, and used worldwide by companies in all fields of business.

This programme allowed me to crop photos, change colour balance, create flawless skin on my models, alter eye and hair colour and so much more.

To see my photography before, and after editing using Photoshop, follow the link below...

http://jacksmediastudyblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/main-task-using-adobe-photoshop-to-edit.html

Once my photographs were changed to my satisfaction, and I felt they looked imaculate and airbrushed to perfection, I also used Photoshop to create my front cover for my magazine, which included creating a masthead and coverlines etc.

Unlike my magazine's front cover, I used the computer programme Quark Express to create the contents page and double page spread.

Just like Adobe Photoshop, Quark Express is also a professional programme, which allowed me to create work to an almost proffesional standard even though I have no experience in the business.

Quark Express allowed me to structure my work, and create pages in an alligned, organised and designer standard.

Aswell as the DSLR camera and the two computer programmes, I also used a scanner towards my work, where I scanned money, I also took photographs of the money aswell.

To see how both Adobe Photoshop, and Quark Express helped me create my magazine, follow the links below to have a look at my work's seperate construction logs where it shows images of seperate stages within my magazines creation...

http://jacksmediastudyblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/main-task-construction-log.html

http://jacksmediastudyblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/main-task-construction-log-my-magazines.html

http://jacksmediastudyblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/main-task-construction-log-creating-my.html

Evaluation: How did you attract/address your audience?

I included many features within my magazine to attract my target audience, which is a teenage male audience of sociable, fun backgrounds.

I included eyecatching and trendy page layouts, aswell an attractive colour scheme and an informal typeface and "slang" grammatical style.

I even scanned in actual notes of money and used that as a background to my magazine's pages, to connote the importance of money in a teenager's life, and maybe an even deeper connotion of the crime involved with money and the crimes teenagers will commit to gain money.

Like in my research and planning, I have posted my work on the social networking site Facebook.
Except this time, I posted my actual finished front page, contents page, and double page spread.
Furthermore, when I posted my magazine on facebook, I only requested that certain people comment and give me feedback.
The people I asked to comment were those that I believed fit into my particular social group, my target audience of male teenagers.

Geting feedback off an intended audience will give me some idea whether my final product is successful, because if my target audience enjoy my magazine, then I have therefore achieved what I originally intended.

Here is what some sociable, teenage males said about my magazine after I showed it to them via Facebook...

Aswell as collecting feedback through comments off Facebook, I also filmed what some of my target audience had to say about my magazine.

Once I had filmed what they thought of my magazine, I published the videos onto Youtube, before copying onto this blog for you to see.

Here's what a couple of lads from my magazine's particular social group had to say about my media product...

Evaluation: Who would be the audience for your media product?

As mentioned in my research and planning, The audience for my magazine would be young males, between the age of around 15 to 19.

They would be sociable, lively and happy.

According to psychographic profiles, my audience would be "strivers" as they would be eager, social, trendy and somewhat unsure of themselves as a unique person.

They would also be definate "Experiencers" because they would be impatient, impulsive, spontaneous, young and enthusiastic. Except they obviously wouldn't be enthusiastic towards college work or school work!

For even more detailed information on my audience profile,
follow the link below to a previous blog I created...
http://jacksmediastudyblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/main-task-audience-profile.html

Evaluation: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

A mainstream publisher would probably be best to distribute my magazine, because my magazine is not very independant, and its target audience is very large.

My magazine also has lots of competition on the market, because it has a wide audience, there is a wide range of magazines such as "VIBE" and "The Source" which teenage males (my audience) might be interested in.

Therefore it would probably be a better idea to be part of a mainstream publisher and to be distributed alongside other magazines to avoid competition and worries of profit.
Because unlike an independant publisher, being part of a mainstream distributer would make it easier to get advertisements and sponsors etc.

Evaluation: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In my planning and research, I wanted my magazine to represent, teenage boys, of a sociable and maybe badly behaved stereotype.

The target audience of my magazine was teenage males, so I did everything I could to make my magazine represent this.
I think my magazine and the way it represents my particular social group is very realistic, as a large variety of the UK's population is made up of teenage males, therefore my magazine already had the advantage of being able to cover a large number of individuals.
I then narrowed my audience down, to badly behaved, yet sociable teenage males, such as the ones modeled in my photography.

I used teenage male models, and included content within my magazine that teenage males could relate to, such as hip hop music, girls, gadgets and other interests most boys have of this stereotypical genre.

I made sure the models within my magazines pages, followed the dress code of my intended audience, such as hooded jackets, branded T-shirts and trainer shoes. Aswell as making sure my models looked correct, I also made sure the setting of my photographs were accurate, I used streets as the setting to take my photographs in, so that my audience could relate to it more naturally, and could even be reading the magazine representing the streets, while they were in the streets.

I used sans serif fonts, a trendy colour scheme and images and contents that teenage boys would like to see.

One of the main aspects within my work, where I relate it to my particualr social group, Is that throughout my work, including the front page, contents page and double page spread, I used the same style of grammar and vocabulary that the social group reading my magazine would use.

For example "Bare" and "sick" are used in obviously the wrong context, but to a teenage boy, that fits in with my target group, he could understand every phrase within my magazine.

I did not include teenage boys, that are polite, and helpful, and working hard, and I didn't include the correct grammar that should have been used because I wanted to emphasise everything that is my audience. This is a way that absent representation emphasises the stereotype that is my audience.

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

Use of a skyline at the top of the page...

Use of structured columns and intergrated images within text...

Use of a mid-close up model touching the masthead...

Use of coverlines, a barcode,

and other vital information such as issue number and date...

Use of large central masthead covering the top of the model's head...

Above are just a few examples of how my magazine uses many conventions of actual magazines. My magazine uses a house style as mentioned in my powerpoint presentation, the use of a house style allowed me to spread the genre of my magazine across all the pages of my work, through the use of colour and fonts.

I wanted my magazine to connote a street lifestyle, which is why I stuck to my designs and used teenage models wearing urban clothing, in urban settings, for example having a rough, grey wall in the background etc.

Throughout my double page spread, I stuck to very strict margins and borders that I created myself, but I allowed text and images to bleed and break the borders slightly in order to once again, connote freedom and "breaking the rules" like in actual magazines on the market.

I used screamers within my magazine, most importantly I had a screamer as part of my masthead, to emphasise the word "SMACK" and make it seem more violent.

I mentioned earlier my use of fonts, and how I chose carefully the typeface I wanted to use. Which ended up being a sans serif, urban font.

Media Blog Presentation

View more presentations from Jack Parsons.

MAIN TASK: My Finished Magazines Double Page Spread...

MAIN TASK: Construction Log 3- Creating My Magazines Double Page Spread...

Just like my contents page, I used Quark Express to create my double page spread...

MAIN TASK: My Finished Magazines Contents Page...

MAIN TASK: Construction Log 2- Creating My Magazines Contents Page...

I used Quark Express to create my contents page. The images from bottom to top show the trasnformation of my work as time went on...

MAIN TASK: My Finished Magazines Front Cover...

MAIN TASK: Construction Log 1- Creating My Magazines Front Cover...

I used Adobe Photoshop to create my magazine front cover. The images go in order from bottom to top...