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

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

Now looking back at my preliminary task and comparing it to my full product, now I can see how I have improved greatly. I feel that when making my full product I have learned a lot to which could have helped me with my preliminary task, also there are a lot of things I did not consider when making my preliminary task.

I have learnt that when creating a product you really need to take into consideration, your audience; what they like and want from a magazine. You need to focus on what age group you are trying to show and even go into research into similar products to see how they do it. By doing this you are able to create a piece of work that you know for definite will be bought by your target audience.

Researching into similar products was the most beneficial thing for me when helping me create my full product as I knew how similar products in my genre portrayed genders therefore when doing my shoot for images that would be used for my magazine, I knew how to portray my models to the point when it came to what they should wear and what sort of mode of address they should give, it is essential to get this correct as you want to create the correct vibe and atmosphere that the magazine should give as then the target audience will be able to relate to the magazine. I have learned the essential forms and conventions that should be used on a magazine, some that I did not really realise I needed when creating my preliminary task. The researching into similar products helped me identify the difference between magazine genres and how to identify the differences between them easily

Comparing my two pieces of work, my use of text sizes, fonts and structure is completely improved, the use of photos look more professional too. I learned basic skills and advice that I should know when creating a magazine, when it came to direct mode of address page layouts and more. It all helped me make my full products, my preliminary task looks like simple class work where as my official pieces look like actual magazine pieces and that is what I am most happy about. Feedback is the main aspect to which helped me progress in my work each step from my preliminary task to my official product was followed by feedback and that is what has allowed me to progress within my work and create a piece to which my target audience will be more than pleased to buy. I knew what colours connote what and which colours fit my magazine this helped set the right atmosphere for my magazine and what aspects fit my genre also.

I learnt that when it comes to a front cover, people do not want a messy page, with a lot of writing all over the page, they want photos to be professional and not poor quality as all of this helps sell the magazine, they want the orientation of the magazine to be constructed well as they want the front over to really burst out to them showing them the genre straight away, I think that realization has helped me make my full product much better than my preliminary task , as you really have to consider what you are trying to demonstrate to your audience. Furthermore, when it came to my contents page I realised people want a page that shows everything that is going on in the magazine, however they want it to be a chilled page, one that is nice to read not confusing and busy, they want all the basic conventions and a cover model to be the main focus.

Audience feedback was crucial to have as it helped me be able to create the perfect magazine for my audience. Feedback was so helpful as it allowed me to get primary feedback, knowing what my specific audience wanted instead of only knowing what the majority of Hip-Hop magazines had as if I created my magazine based purely on similar products, my own product would simply be a copy of another magazine. Therefore, feedback allowed me to create a unique piece of work as well as ensuring it fit the style of the stereotypical Hip-Hop magazine in the sense of representations and conventions.

Just looking at my preliminary task compared to my full products you can see how I have improved and that is all through the help off much research and feedback from audience and teachers as they are the ones who want to buy the magazine  and know the most about them as they are the ones that read any. That is where I mainly went wrong when it came to my preliminary task, I did not do research on what my audience would like and want.

6. What have you learnt about from the process of constructing this product?

6. What have you learnt about from the process of constructing this product?

http://prezi.com/up4iw2ooamoy/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Leading on from the Prezzi presentation, the technology Photoshop helped me edit my images, without them my images I used for my magazine would not have looked as professional as they did, example of these are:

      

 

We can also tell from looking at my preliminary task front cover compared to my official front cover, we can see how technologies such as Photoshop and a higher quality camera have helped ensure my work has come out in a high standard, just from the contrast between both photos we can see they are of a higher quality and that was down to Photoshop and a higher quality camera.

Facebook also helped me, as it allowed me to gain feedback on what my target audience thought of my magazine. Without it, I would not have known what they thought about the magazine resulting in my potentially creating a magazine to which they did not approve of.

Evaluation 5. How did you attract/address your audience?

. As  not only a media student but a teenager also, I knew that for successful product the most important aspect to consider was its audience , as they are the ones who will be buying the product therefore the product had to be what they wanted. Therefore I had to find different ways to attract them in order to ask them about their opinions on not only my magazine by magazines in general.

For starters, before I had even begun making drafts for my potential magazine, I was in the research process in to similar products etc. Therefore, I wanted to find out from potential target audience members what they would want in a magazine and what they enjoy getting out of a magazine etc. In order to do that I needed to attract my target audience and make them feel as if they were apart of the magazine, after all without them there is no magazine therefore it is their magazine. To attract my target audience I started of by creating a fun and fast questionnaire to which I would give to many different groups of people that fit my target audience ideal readers and fit the age group, I would give it to people to whom would give it to their friends and so forth. Once I had my feedback back I was able to tally up what my results where to which I would then be able to start creating a magazine  to which they would enjoy and relate too and go on to the next step.

Within my questionnaire one of my questions asked was whether they would be happy to be apart of my focus group. My focus group was to ask my target audience what layouts they had preferred and why, from the research I had done through similar products, it allowed me to realize what the most popular layout was. From different layout choices I made some of my own and showed my focus group giving them examples of what they would potentially look like. Once I had my focus groups opinions I was able to analyse them and find out what my layout choices would be for my magazine when I began creating drafts for it.

<div style=”margin-bottom:5px”> <strong> <a href=”https://www.slideshare.net/shanaaee/question-5-30856605&#8243; title=”Question 5″ target=”_blank”>Question 5</a> </strong> from <strong><a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/shanaaee&#8221; target=”_blank”>shanaaee</a></strong> </div>

Through every process of creation I always made sure, my target audience was apart of it, making sure they were involved in choices and changes that needed to be made, it was important to do this as the magazine had to be perfect for them, something they would be happy to buy every month. Therefore, now I knew how my target audience wanted the magazine to be like and what they possibly wanted featured within it every month, I began starting the process of creation, I made drafts of what the official pieces would potentially look like, taking all their opinions in. Once I had created my drafts I posted them onto Facebook, where lots of my target audience members would be, I asked for what they liked disliked and thought could be changed and they did so. Once I had that feedback I asked more of my class members who too fit my target audience for their feedback as more feedback the better. Once I had all their feedback I took it into consideration for when creating my official pieces.

Once I had done a shoot and has all my photos for my official pieces I began making them taking my target audiences opinions into consideration. Once I had made them I yet again posted them onto Facebook and asked my class members for their opinions as these opinions where the ones that really mattered as these where the officials pieces. Getting all their opinions back once again I made the changes which they thought would make the pieces look the best they can be.

Without all the feedback and help from my target audience I do not believe my magazine would be what it is. With their feedback it helped me create a magazine to which they would enjoy and be more than happy to read.

Evaluation 4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The target audience for Prestige magazine are people between the ages of 17-26. They love and feel apart of the Hip-Hop and RnB culture, they’re also apart of the media culture, always wanting to know the latest news on artists, actors and entertainers. Our audience wants to be at every concert and festival there is instagramming, tweeting and even Keeking! Prestige’s audience are always on top of their game when it comes to fashion and music always having the latest gear as soon as it comes out. Apart from all the characteristics that make them fit the magazines genre perfectly, the audience of prestige are passionate for life and when it comes to everything they do, they want to live everyday to the fullest making everyday count. They enjoy the important things in life and that is family and friends; spending time with the ones who love spending time with them. More so, Prestige’s audience have a positives attitude and outlook on life, respectful and ambitious. Prestige’s readers only aim for the best.

Name: Jermaine

Age: 20

Occupation: University student

Interests: Music, sports and fashion

Hobbies: Football and basketball with local teams and friends

Favourite Music: RnB & Hip-Hop

Target Audience Member on how it appeals to them ( Click link to view video)

Name: Renee

Age: 18

Occupation: College and part time job at HMV

Interests: Music Fashion and TV dramas

Hobbies: Media Out looker, gossiping with friends and social networking

Evaluation 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

 

 

Evaluation 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents different social groups in different ways. For starters through the choice of pictures we can get a sense of what social group this is. All the pictures illustrate a demographic of around 17-26 as it is things that would interest them, that being Hip-Hop music, artists and clothing. With the target audience viewing these pictures it would show them if they are interested in these things too, then being able to relate to the magazine. The main example of this is through the use of star appeal on the front cover and contents page; these artists are some of the biggest artists around and just from seeing these artists the audience will relate to them through their own knowledge of knowing what the artists are like, this then makes them want to read the articles based on these artists.

Clothing also shows in the photos, style is something that you can tell through an age group, different styles connote different types of people and from photos we can tell these are rappers and female singers, through their choices of jewellery and outfits.  Attitude is another aspect that we can tell from these photos on my magazine. From my front cover and contents page the attitude giving is quite a hostile mode of address, this enforces the lifestyles of this genre which to represents the social group that surrounds this genre.

The colour scheme used being neutral shows that this is a magazine for male and female although through the pictures and text we can see this genre is dominantly a masculine one. The colour also connote a lifestyle of anger and money, which too fits with the genre, this then reflects on the social group surrounded by this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JwTXsQ7-6I&feature=youtu.be

 

Evaluation 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

<div style=”margin-bottom:5px”> <strong> <a href=”https://www.slideshare.net/shanaaee/question-1-30381704″ title=”Question 1 Evaluation 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?” target=”_blank”>Question 1 Evaluation 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?</a> </strong> from <strong><a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/shanaaee” target=”_blank”>shanaaee</a></strong> </div>

However, my magazine does too conform with the usual stereotypes of a Hip-Hip magazine as even though I have challenged many representation, my magazine still uses a mail for the front cover, as the Hip-Hop genre is stereotyped as a very masculine genre, therefore, I have abided by that stereotype however through my magazine I have still challenged some stereotypes with the way male rappers in general are represented on the front covers of this genres magazine.

Prestige’s Final Drafts In Full

 

 

 

 

Prestige Magazine Before & After Drafts!

After receiving all the feedback on my last drafts, I had made the changes that were advised. With my new and final drafts I have put them with my old drafts as a ‘before & after’ so we can see the differences between the two. I believe my final drafts are perfect now and really shows the Prestige’s hopes for the magazine.
Front Cover:

Contents:

Double Page Spread:

Prestige’s First Drafts Class Feedback

After getting feedback from Facebook, from some target audience members, I still wanted to get more feedback as it would really give me an idea of what to change. Therefore, gathering my class members I asked them on their opinions of the pieces so far, as they would know critical changes they may need to be changed to take my pieces to the next level, therefore they gave me feedback on each piece.

Front Cover:

When it came to my front cover, firstly my class mate members agreed that I should move my ‘Hip Hop on another level’ to the other side of the page, move the ‘September’ issue to underneath the masthead and to possibly fill the space with a possible skyline or something similar. They also agreed that I needed to clean up and tidy up the masthead where I have used superimposition, to make it look more professional which was a fair point.
They then agreed that when it came to the cover lines, they needed to be positioned to where they all fit and aligned as most magazines are conventionalized that way. When it came to the main cover line, they said I should emphasize on the word ‘EEZY’ possibly making it better, as it uses star appeal. They also said I should possibly use the colour red on the word ‘vengeance’ as it would bring attention on what the article is about.
After these points they said I should lastly just possibly pick up the colour red more and use this colour more throughout the front cover. They also said I should take another look on sizing options on my text and different articles to show the importance of what is being said.

Contents:

Looking at my contents page, my class members said they liked the overall look of the contents page, however some changes would take the page up a step. Firstly they said when it came to the secondary images, I should possibly only use two as the other two photos did not need to be there as they were of the cover models, and to possibly change the format of the layout of it as it may allow me to bring my text higher on the page, allowing me to add more. Also when it came to my text they said to change the page numbers and to highlight the sub-headings to make them stand out.
Lastly they said when it came to the pull quote I should allow my audience to know who the cover model is and to possibly use a different layout for the text. After these changes they said that I should just look over the page and to check all my sizing choices.

Double Page Spread:

For my double page spread my class members firstly brought attention to the main image, they said it look stretched and with the shape of the photo, it was not in the middle of the page, this meant that there was not enough room for the article side of the page,therefore I needed to find a way to correct it or to possibly use another image. After that there was not much to say apart from minor changes I should look for. In the article I needed to check that it was all aligned and correct. Also to make the article longer to fit the page more. After this I had to check fonts and sizing techniques just to make my double page spread that little bit better.

With all this feedback along with my Facebook feedback, I will now make swift changes to my magazine pieces as I want it to be the best it can be ensuring that my audience receive a magazine which they will enjoy.