Final Double Page Spread

Final Contents Page

Final Cover

Conclusion

I'm proud of how the final product has turned out.

From the preliminary task to end, there's been a variety of skills which have been picked up and 'Techno Beat' is a suitable magazine for the target audience.  I think the front cover will attract my audience, the main image and layout work well in the final version and follow the codes and conventions of magazine layout.  The fonts and photography suit the genre too.  The contents page and double page spread also follows the codes and conventions well too and by making the adjustments from the initial draft I think they work well and there's overall a professional style.  As part of the final blog posts, I will upload the cover, contents page and double page spread.

Research into Institutions

The first institution I looked at is IPC Media. It's the UK's leading consumer magazine and digital publisher, so digital distribution would be easier, in terms of distributing the magazine across different platforms. It publishes magazines from a variety of different categories, including Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure and Young Men & Music, showing the different audiences it targets. NME is one of the music magazines they own and is quite an iconic brand, growing into a large multi-platform media proposition and proving IPC Media are committed to representing different genres of magazines, making them a good potential publisher for my Techno Beat music magazine. The other music magazine they publish is Uncut, who target retro music fans and a more niche market showing IPC Media represent different tastes.

NME: The design of the cover looks to be aimed at mainstreamers, and targeting people aged 16-24, a suitable example of a magazine that proves IPC might be a good choice.

Uncut's cover stays true to the philosophy of the magazine of keeping knowledgable music fans who grew up on the classic rock of sixties and seventies up to date with music that connects them to this music.

Different publishing houses can be interested in different magazine genres as for example Bauer Media Group operate in 15 countries worldwide and own a wide variety of magazines, making them a dominant force in the publishing industry.  This may make some publishing groups try and distinguish themselves by publishing magazines that range across different genres or specialisms. Bauer Media Group sell around 38 million magazines a week, among these some of the best music publications including Q - a well known music brand.  My aim for Techno Beat is for it to garner a large audience, so Bauer Media Group with it's size and distribution could be ideal..

Some publishing institutions also like to design their own identity, an example being Warners Group Publications who offer specialist publishing services for niche magazines and are a family-run organisation. They make a profit of over £30 million a year and their publishing services extend beyond magazines. Warners Group Publications represent the interests of their target audiences by ranging across genres ranging from Active Outdoor to Building & Construction, helping to support magazines that have a smaller, niche audience. They wouldn't be suitable for Techno Beat as the aim is for it to try and gain a large following. They do have one music magazine in their portfolio - the "Pianist" which teaches people how to play the piano.

Example of a genre that Warner Group Publications publish:

Railway modelling is a very niche genre and this proves Warners Group Publications might not be the most applicable publishing group for Techno Beat.

Pianist is a music magazine, but it teaches people how to play piano, and piano isn't to everyone's taste, so Warners Group Publications wouldn't necessarily be able to market Techno Beat as "Pianist" is the only music magazine they own.

Of the institutions I have looked at both Bauer and IPC would have been suitable choices as they have experience in publishing music magazines but Techno Beat would fill a gap in their portfolio.  A publisher such as Warners Group Publications wouldn't be suited as their specialism is niche markets and not mass market.  They represent interests of the audience in different ways and are interested in different niche genres for different reasons.

Evaluation 7 : From preliminary task to full product - what I have learnt

From the preliminary task to the end of the main task, I have learnt how to use different programs, such as Photoshop and InDesign and how to utilise their various features. There’s been a variety of skills picked up and developed along the way, including understanding tools in Photoshop like Eyedropper which allows you to as an example to copy a colour and drag it onto another layer. InDesign was a new program that I had never used before, so it was a skill in learning how to operate it and has given me a confidence boost in adjusting to new programs.

I have learnt a lot about the different uses of fonts and how they can catch the eye. Framing photographs in the right position was something important which I discerned, as they have to fit within the overall context, work with the text around them and catch the eye of the reader.  

Ensuring Techno Beat’s cover, contents page and double-page spread look professional was necessary, so I did research into covers and contents pages and the outcome was having experience in knowing what the forms and conventions are and using that knowledge to work on my preliminary talk to improve it. An example is the convention for a cover having the model photographed in close up or a head and shoulders shot, and a form is a pug, which are either at the top left and/or right-hand corners and consist of the price, logo, a promotion or a freebie.

Researching different covers, contents pages and double-page spreads gave inspiration and encouraged creativity, as I had inspiration from a variety of sources and music magazines. The double-page spread in particular helped with organisation skills because it was a complex program, and in learning how to use it, encouraged me to be able to organise work and understand all the work that goes into making the final page work. Working from the preliminary task, to the final task helped me to develop independent working patterns.

The preliminary cover was far less professional compared to the final task. One example is the coverlines are mainly in the form of a strip but much less organised and everything feels bunched together, plus the typography is too colourful and isn’t so clear to read, in contrast to the final task where the colour scheme’s balanced and there’s more consistency in font. The masthead is okay but not looking too proficient, it doesn’t catch the eye or anchor the page. None of the coverlines appear to anchor the main image, so the mode-of-address isn’t clear.   

The preliminary contents page was more refined than the preliminary cover, but there was still a lot of improving to be made. Some of the typography was sorted out, including the font for the page number, date and masthead in the top and bottom right corners, albeit inconsistent and the green text is hard to read and some of the first lines and sub lines, although its not clear which articles the images relate to. Some of the colour scheme for the text was set out, with the colour purple, but there was still a lot to be done, including having the firstlines in bold and adding boxes around the sub headings ‘Features’ and ‘Regulars’ and to ‘Contents’. I also put vertical and horizontal lines that divided the sections for the final product, making it more professional and before, the background was quite transparent, so the decision was made to add a white background around the ‘Features’, ‘Contents’ and ‘Review’, and the result, made everything look more fluid.    

One of the similarities between the preliminary cover and final task is the issue number, date and price are centred in the top left in the form of a strip and the masthead and coverlines are the same, as well as the puff. There’s a barcode in the bottom-right. Differences are the main image is different, as well as all of the fonts, and with the exception of in the puff and for the web address, the colours for the typography are different.  

Similarities include the same photos are there on the contents, and Hannah’s still dominant, in the centre and framed in relation to the first cover line, and the images are the same and remain the same shot type (medium). The colour of the masthead’s also the same (purple), as well as for the page number and issue date (purple). Some of the information below the headings, the sub lines, is the same, one example is ‘Interview with Hannah: Interview with an upcoming techno star’ and the sub headings ‘Features’ and ‘Regulars’ have been kept.

Differences include the photos of Hannah and Paige have been cropped and positioned against a white background to allow more space for text and vertical and horizontal lines are split around the page, dividing the page into four clear sections and making the contents page easier to follow and before the background was the image of Hannah and it looked quite simple. The banner at the top also anchors the page better. A web address was added below the issue date as I grew to understand the forms and conventions more.

I have added the Techno Beat logo twice around the page, which is better branding for the magazine. The sub heading ‘Review’ has been added again relating to forms and conventions. Originally the images had page numbers, but this changed when a white background was added and it no longer seemed relevant to have page numbers. As well there was a black box added at the top representing more style. The ‘Contents’ and masthead were re-arranged so the masthead came first, and they were positioned next to each other.

Evaluation 6: What I have learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this magazine

Photography: While taking the photographs, I learned a lot about what works with positioning, in terms of how to position models, and about the different effects being able to create through the use of different angles such as close-ups. I also learnt about lighting, for example whilst doing the photo shoot with Hannah and Samantha, it was outdoors and I had to think about where to position them, to take advantage of light as the first few places we tried came out too dark. Another thing I learnt was regarding shutter speed, how to use it effectively as it has an effect on the appearance of moving objects including increasing the background blurring and if a photograph’s taken at a certain speed such as 1/500s, the blur can be removed. 

I picked up about the advantages and use of props, where to place them and what to use, in addition how important the background can be, as it’s needed to need to think about where to place the various elements, and whether certain things should be cropped out of the final image. For example both the swings were originally present, but I decided it would detract from the model, so they were mainly cropped out. I also learned about the advantages to the final image of the models having makeup or not and the different effects this can create.

Skills learned include using Photoshop, using the lasso tool properly, how to select various elements and move them around and the magic wand tool with learning how to select various colours and tones and using it to my advantage, in terms of adjusting the image. I had never used InDesign before so I was pleased with the final result and learnt many skills such as such as the selection tool and eyedropper, which copies attributes including colours that you can apply to other objects and also elements from text, so to make text look similar.

Challenges included learning how to operate the shutter speed of the camera.  I overcame it by learning step-by-step.  Also using InDesign was a challenge as this was a new program that I had no familiarity with and overcame this by asking for assistance and tips from experienced users.  I also found Photoshop a challenge as I had only used it a little before and never to create a complete product, I overcame this challenge by learning how to use all the elements.

I’ve learned a variety of things about technologies. One of these is how to use different programs that I haven’t learnt how to use e.g. InDesign and Blogger. It’s helped give a fuller understanding of what technologies are used in Media, and how to use them effectively.

Regarding other technologies, things learned include how to publish a post in blogging as well and editing the blog, brightening it up and editing the layout and so on. Screen Record, a video/audio recording software has been used for the evaluations and this is the first time I’ve used a programme like this, so it’s been a steep learning curve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fobodIiw5k

Evaluation 5: How I addressed my target audience

Evaluation 4 : Audience

Evaluation 3: What kind of media institution might distribute my magazine and why?

Evaluation 2: How my media product represents particular social groups

For the cover of Techno Beat the photo represents the model (female), DJ Caitlen in a stereotypical female fashion as she’s lively, for instance in terms of body-language as she appears straight, clearly stood up and in one of her hands clings to the wire of the headphones and this may relate to her social group, the “in-crowd” as they’re a laid-back bunch. The typography surrounding varies in terms of contrast and it can be argued for instance the masthead is purple so this exhibits women in a lively fashion and most of the content doesn’t appear female-focused but a woman is featured the main cover line, so this anchors the main image.

DJ’s hair is let down, which connotes to the “in-crowd” as in their crowd they care less about what people think, and she appears content. No make-up is applicable; a comparison to the “in-crowd” as in the gang, a lot of people would be wearing make-up. The costume she wears is a short yellow shirt and within her circle, people like to show off more so this is apt. Regarding mise-en-scene it’s set in a studio, against a red background and it’s possible it’s talking about the “in-crowd” as people who are more confident can turn out to be models.

DJ’s facial expression is a smile and this connotes confidence, relating to the “in-crowd” as they’re a confident bunch. The colour scheme appears to be a mix of red, yellow and white and these are bright, well suited for the circle as they catch the eye more.

The photo represents young people as enthusiastic because DJ’s body positioning is standing up and because of how she holds the headphone wire and her smile and clothing.

The text surrounding is bold, in terms of font and shape, which is a representation of youth and it’s arguable the brightness of the lighting and colours highlight’s youth as they’re a contrast and the content shows young people as ambitious, such as ‘Britain’s most audacious new talent blows us away with her beats’, proving DJ wants to provoke a reaction.

None of the following, sexuality, race, disability or nationality and so on appears to be illustrated. The genre of techno is portrayed through the various elements, such as the masthead and the brightness, combining to give a powerful reaction.

I have equated the appearance of DJ with techno through the design of everything such as the font, everything relevant overall relating her to the genre and it says she wants to put on a show.

Groups such as the male gender are notable for missing as it’s a female-dominated cover, perhaps to give the female presence more power, although it could be said as Prodigy’s a male band, the male gender has a presence.

The photos represent women in different ways. Hannah’s dressed in an attractive way and positioned clinging against a pole, representing women in a provocative manner, which is stereotypical, but Paige Harris appears more genuine, as she’s stood against a wall and not provocative like Hannah.

The text presents women as bolder, considering the bright font and again the content shows women as equal and different, seeing as Hannah’s an “upcoming techno star” and Paige is “usually reclusive”, meaning she’s different from most people.

Hannah’s body language is shown as posing, in terms of being careful about positioning, speaking to her social group, 20-year-olds as if they posing for a photo, they’d care more about how they stand and where. Paige is closer to 30 and seeing as she’s just hanging against a wall, this shows more commitment, appropriate for her age group.

Hannah has dark brown hair, which says she cares more about her image and this fits with the social group she’s in. Paige on the other hand has light brown, potentially closer to the social group she’s in as people like to dye their hair.

It’s clear Hannah has some make-up and a lot of 20-year-olds are liable to have make-up, whereas Paige wears none, less professional as her crowd would be expected to make more of an effort. Hannah just wears a shirt, shorts and some boots, fitting in with the female gender as they like putting on a show.

Paige wears a purple jumper and some jeans, showing she wants to make an impression. The setting where Hannah had a photo-shoot is by a swing, embodying her age more as people who are young go on the swings and Paige has been shot in an urban environment, relating to techno, as it’s a trendy genre. Hannah’s smile relates to the gender, as females tend to be enthusiastic, Paige’s expression is sombre, a contradiction.

The colour scheme for the photo of Hannah is aglow, in terms of how things are lit and this talks about her gender. In the photo of Paige, there’s more of a mundane scheme, more representative towards her age. The first photo represents young people as eager from the smile of Hannah to her clothing and the second represents young people as shadowy, seeing as Paige has a dour expression and the graffiti provide evidence.

In the text it shows young people as definite, because there are some varied fonts and colour and the content displays young people as rising, with Hannah’s as “Interview with an upcoming techno star, whereas Paige’s cover line shows young people as different “Usually reclusive, the techno artist opens up”.

Sexuality, race, disability, nationality, religion and so forth aren’t displayed in the contents, suggesting this is more of a standard magazine.

Techno is represented as varied and colourful as Hannah’s shown content and there are some appropriate fonts including DS Digital and there are varied cover lines, such as “Features about upcoming music technology” and “The Techno List”.


I’m equating the appearance of Hannah with techno as she lights up, in terms of clothing and so on and this suggests her as a positive person. Paige’s appearance relates to techno as she wears a purple jumper and jeans, giving an overall impression but appears more down, suggesting her as complex.

Groups including males and other age groups aren’t included, implying this as a different magazine, further proved with the techno genre.

The photo for the double-page spread presents women in a calm way, in terms of who Paige is, not appearing special and this isn’t stereotypical. Paige’s body language is placid, saying that females are complex and her hair is light brown, likening to techno as this is a hair colour, which is representative because it’s showy. Paige doesn’t have make-up, making her look more average and perhaps less suited to the techno genre. Her costume is the same as the photo in the contents and the colour of her jumper, is purple which is representative towards techno, as well as the dark blue of the jeans.

The setting is the same as the photo of her in the contents, in an urban environment and it’s a contrast because she’s nearing her 30s, so a different environment might suit her. Paige’s facial expression is similar to the contents, sombre, signifying more towards later 20s. There’s a mute colour scheme, less representative of the techno genre as usually the colours are brighter.

The photo appears to present young people as offbeat because of how its lit, the way she’s positioned and the clothing, the elements combine to give the impression that people who are young tend to stand out more. In terms of text its bold and the colours are black and red, also bold in terms of font, such as Georgia, disclosing that the young crowd like to stand out. Disability (Aspergers) is presented in the double-page as Paige talks about it during a couple of the questions.

Overall the genre of techno’s represented being colourful, with the variety in text and the jumper Paige is wearing, as these give the right impression. I’m equating the appearance of Paige with techno because the genre varies but it’s about being distinct too and what she dresses is different from what’s usually expected. This connotes she intends to be colourful.

With the exception of the female gender and 20-year-olds, as well as techno, no other groups are present.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x0DfWBWdjM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtPH5wjwnIU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj4UhDnI53I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPKXQwbnMQ4

Evaluation 1 : In what ways does my magazine use, develop or challeng forms and conventions of real media products

Introduction to evaluation

The magazine 'Techno Beat' has been completed.  It's a techno music magazine that's targeted towards people aged 16 plus, working class and the consumer characteristic of mainstreamers. There isn't a specific gender that's targeted.

The genre of techno was chosen because it's a genre that's lively. Research was done into some other music and techno magazines to get the magazine looking professional.  This helped me to understand the codes and conventions of magazines and how a techno magazine should look. From the preliminary task to first draft I gained experience in the processes involved in creating a magazine so the overall product will look brilliant.

An evaluation will be carried out that analyses seven questions.

Feedback for contents page

The word 'contents' and masthead should be in a box along with the dateline and page number. There should be a second image, the column also looks too plain and there should be a page number on the main image anchoring the article as well as adding more headings.

Feedback on cover

The feedback for the cover is there should be a drop shadow around the masthead, the puff looks too plain and the font for the coverlines should look closer to the techno genre amongst others, detailed below.

Initial feedback for magazine pages

Drafts of my productions and feedback received and why and how I changed them:

Preliminary cover, contents page and double-page spread:
                                                                       
For my preliminary cover feedback I was given is that it looks pretty although the black typography is hard to read and the same is true of the yellow typography. The photo also doesn't really relate to the techno genre and the cover lines are jumbled. The fonts also aren't too professional and for the dateline, the J should be a capital.

                                           

Feedback for this is the green writing isn't clear at all and the image of Paige Harris unnecessarily overlays Hannah, the fonts aren't very professional plus it's hard to see the dateline and the background takes over the contents too much. There should also be borders for the coverlines.



















Double-page spread

The interview is too bunched together and there's too much going on, making it difficult to be able to see the writing and the fonts could be clearer and typography should go around or across the image, rather than over. The final box has too much space.  The page numbers, masthead and subheading beneath the title could look more professional and the title doesn't look close enough to the techno genre. The writing for the interview should be larger and the red should be altered. 

                                                                     

Draft 2:

The feedback for this is the font looks entirely different and more suitable for the techno genre and the colour scheme is more streamlined, making the cover look more professional overall and the typography is easier to read as a result. Another photoshoot was done to gain more photos and see if there would be a more suitable one for my cover. The result is that this suits the Techno genre much better and because the coverlines have been rearranged, they're easier to see. 

This time the typography's easier to see and this has been achieved by adjusting the fonts, colours and making the headings bold, along with changing the information below in Italics, making a separate coloured column for the features and regulars. Also separating the images with a clear heading for the Techno Beat review.

Paige is much more in the background now, so whilst maintaining continuity the image is less dominant, with text much more in the foreground and easier to read. 

F

Contents page first draft

Contents

Cover first draft

Cover

Double page spread first draft

Double page

Interview for double page spread

Classy: The Interview

Paige Harris

Quote ‘What made you come out of your shell’

In an interview with Q, Paige reveals all from her upcoming release to early life. Normally like a clam, Paige has agreed to reveal her secrets to Q, and talk about her upcoming release, as well as share facts.

Words: Photos: Quote – I’m more experienced

Q: What made you come out of your shell?

I decided it was the right time. There’s nothing to hide and the public is going to continue to scrutinize, so you should be open.

Do you specifically refer to the fiasco with the Sun, with drugs?

Partly. It’s annoying because they like to pick a target, I happened to be one of them, and I went in arms and managed to win the court battle.

Would you say you have a temptation to get back in drugs?

No. This is when I was younger, I’ve matured, so that’s behind.

How do you feel about the buzz for your upcoming album?

It feels good. I’d say this is me at my most creative, and there’s been scrutiny, so to come to the public and give them a show, feeling of elation.

What would you say to haters?

I’d say I’ll give a show. In the past I’ve felt shy to talk to press, unable to show myself, but you bite the bullet, prove the audience you can put a show.

Any regrets?

No. I believe if you have regrets, it consumes you, you worry about what you could have done different so there are things I’d have liked to do different, but you move on.

How do you feel about your album?

It feels good. In the past I’ve had varied experiences, where results don’t turn out so good, but this time I’m more experienced, and know what I’m doing, so it’s good.

How much do you want to reveal about it?

Not a lot. I believe the element of surprise, so I’d like people to experience it anew. Though I can say I’ll be talking about memories more, considering I’m making a comeback, and it feels fresh. There will be more of a personal vibe than you’d expect in most techno music.

It’s been a while since you last officially released an album. Do you prefer working in chunks or was it a choice to add variety?

It was a choice to take a break, as I’ve been on tours, amongst doing other things, but I feel its good to have variety.

Did you enjoy your recent tour around Britain?

Yes. I felt it would be a good way to make a comeback, and other bands were doing a tour, so I felt it would be the best way for awareness.

What’s your favourite tour experience?

Probably going to Manchester last summer, as it’s a busy city and something I haven’t experienced.

How about when you went to France?

That wasn’t so much a tour, but more I was enjoying the country. There were a few places I performed at, such as the Au Café de Paris and the Le Club, but there wasn’t a lot of hype.

I love the Au Café de Paris. A couple of years ago I went there and it has a great vibe.

Yes. The customers were great and the staff were friendly. It has a better vibe than most places.

How early do you have to book to get a spot in a place?

Depends on how famous you are. I’d say mine’s moderate so compared to Daft Punk, I’d probably have to book earlier.

What have your past experiences been like?

I’ve had some hits, some not. One of my best hits was a few months ago, and there was a period of saturation. You go through stages where creatively you’re saturated.

Are you specifically referring to the period during 2009?

Yes, in 2009 I went through a stage where I didn’t do a lot of hits. You win, lose some.

Talk about ‘Lonely Hearts’, one of your greatest hits?

This was a few months back. It comes from personal memories, having a lonely heart, and fed into the techno.

You don’t think you’re ready for a relationship?

It’s not that. I haven’t found the right person, and I’ve been in relationships in the past but I don’t want to rush, so until I find someone…

What kind of fan mail do you get?

It varies. I’ve got a Facebook group so a lot of it comes through that, but I get a share of mail, and most of it’s positive.

Would you give advice to fans?

Yes, never back down and believe.

Would you consider yourself an inspiration?

That’s a good question. I’ve made mistakes, stuff I’m not proud of. In the sense that I don’t back, whatever happens, I carry, so in that sense I’m an inspiration.

What’s your favourite song?

Around the World – by Daft Punk.

So was Daft Punk an influence?

Not as such, but there are things I’ve poached subconsciously.

Such as?

Their style, elements from music.

Have you met them?

Once I went to one of their gigs, and I met them backstage, so it was a good experience.

How was your early life?

It varied. I had a complex childhood, starting with the separation of my mother, so I grew up with my father. I knew I wanted to work in music from the age of 8, and I became a techno musician.

Being Aspergic, it makes you have fixations so this is why from 8, I knew what I wanted to do.

Who was your hero growing up?

I didn’t have one as such, but there were a variety of people I enjoyed, such as Inner City.

Do you feel maybe people prejudged you before because of your Aspergers?

Growing up, Aspergers wasn’t as aware, so people didn’t understand, but now more people are aware, there’s less judgement.

Did friends notice your talent?

They did. I used to perform in school concerts, at the front. One suggested one day I should be a musician.

How did you take that?

With flattery. It confirmed my belief that from a young age, I wanted to be a musician.

What influenced the techno choice?

It was a variety of things. General taste, and I wanted to stand out, and I felt techno would be the way to go, as it’s a different genre, and growing up liking Daft Punk.

Do you have brothers or sisters?

I have two brothers and one sister. The three of them are younger. Growing up I felt like the dominant figure, as previously I didn’t have any cousins.

Do you believe any of them wanted to be a musician?

No. One of them, Daniel, went through a phase where he wanted to be a singer.

What’s it like where you live, in London?

I live in Hounslow, in a moderate house, as I want to live like others, and I get attention, but not as much as others, so I’m better off.

You’ve got a talent for pool. Do you like to show off?

Not really. I play pool with friends, but I don’t tend to show off.

Did you consider being in a group?

I believe if you’re a techno musician, it’s better to perform solo, and I knew where my career’s headed. Plus being in a group brings complexity, so it’s better to perform solo.

Lastly, is there anything else you can say?

Look forward to my album, and never back down.

Thanks for your time!


I wrote this based on improvisation and inspiration from magazine interviews.