Evaluation

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

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

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

6. What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

A Canon EOS 1000D was used to take all of the photographs. I used Av Mode - or Aperture Value Mode which allows the user to adjust the light exposure and shutter speed. A high aperture value is very useful for outdoor photography.
I used the auto-exposure button which allows the camera to focus on its own, without human assistance. However, the image stabilizer can be used to manually change the focus is the user wants to.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 is the program I used to edit the photographs and create the magazine pages. As its name suggests, photoshop excels at photo-editing, but it has a variety of other uses as well.
Photoshop requires a lot of knowledge to use well, so it might be difficult for people to use at first, but it's very rewarding once you get used to it. The software allowed me to edit photographs, create neat layouts for the magazine, and make use of aesthetically pleasing filters.

I learned to use a variety of applications for presentation creation. Slideshare was probably the worst one as it's interface is inconvenient and counter-intuitive, and there isn't much freedom for the user to edit things.
Emaze and Prezi were very professional, the interface was easy to navigate, and the user doesn't need much knowledge of the app in order create an attractive presentation.
I think I could have made use of other mediums, such as videos through Youtube or Vimeo.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learned in progression?

I think that the problem with my final cover is that it's too similar to my preliminary one. They both have a masthead in the upper right corner, and a model posing in front of a brick wall.
On the other hand, I do feel like I made a few improvements. The fonts in the final cover are easier to read, and I feel that everything was laid out better. Also, the quality of the photograph is higher, because I better utilised my camera.

My final contents page was a better improvement. I included a page number on the actual page, there are various sections other than features, the masthead doesn't take up as much space, there's an issue number and a date, and there are also website and social network links.
The overall magazine just seems more professional in general, and there are more relevant images and information. It's not perfect but I think I made a notable improvement.



The model in my final cover is closer to the camera than the one in the preliminary, so more of the reader's attention would be directed towards him. I learned the importance of a headline, so I used one that better indicates who or what the article is about, unlike the motivational quote I used the the school magazine.

My preliminary cover and contents pages had a lot of empty space, which formed an awkward layout.
I learned different ways to put more textual and graphic information into my magazine which improved the overall aesthetic. The photoshop knowledge that I gained also allowed me to make the magazine look less stale.

I also learned that banners can often make a magazine look more professional, as it creates more space to insert text around the model. The button and fonts that I used in the school magazine looked very childish, but were to some extent fitting for the magazine type. I tried to make the rock magazine stylish while keeping the professionalism that I tried to portray.

Research and Planning also allowed me to create a better product, as the final materials were the result of a lot of theory work. The preliminary magazine did not have much conception behind it.
I generally kept the products in line with my sketches, while improving the layouts slightly over the course of drafting.

Others have generally said that while my work looks nice and has a decent layout, it doesn't really look like a typical Rock magazine. I understand their views, as it is really important for an audience to know what genre a magazine is by looking at it. I should have tried to make the product look more like a rock magazine by making use of grungy fonts and graphics.

Final Drafts

Cover Draft

Draft One

Here, I used the image of the model pointing towards the left while looking at the camera, because it's a nice front page image that can be played with to make it seem like the model is pointing at text.

Draft Two

Staying with the dark blue and red colour scheme, I've added a strap with the model's name on it for him to point at, and left space for an actual headline. A slogan for the magazine was also placed beside the masthead.

Draft Three

For this draft I went for a darker hue that matched the contents page more. Features have been placed to beneath the masthead and at the bottom of the page. The issue number and date are at the top of the page where they'll be easily seen, but they shouldn't take attention away from the masthead.

The headline 'Against the Wall' has been added to match the photograph of the model. A button displaying information for the prize sits by the bottom of the page.

Conventionally, the bar code has been placed where it won't attract too much attention. It's accompanied by the price, which was decided by the audience research questionnaire.

Cover Plan

Sketch

The plan for the cover follows a conventional format with the model looking directly at the camera and the masthead above their head.

The masthead will be accompanied by a slogan, as well as the issue number and date. All of the important magazine info is at the top of the page.

Artist features and a prize button will be placed beside the model with small font sizes, and hopefully won't take much attention from the strap with the headline and related page number on it. The model will also point towards the headline to direct the reader's attention.

The bottom of the page has additional information such as the magazine's price and bar-code.

Contents Draft

Draft One

I inserted an image of the model into the base that I had made earlier. I tried a blue and red colour scheme and changed the colour of the background to match that, but it looked odd. There was also a general lack of information about the other contents of the magazine.

Draft Two

Here I decreased the size of the primary image to make it less intrusive, and I also attempted to make it seem as though the model was looking at the text. I reverted the colour changes I made to the background and replaced the place-holder text with actual information.

There are now four sections at this point; regulars, features, reviews and prizes.

Draft Three

I used a different image of higher quality to make it stand out from the images beside it. The image in the lower left was also changed as it looked too similar the one on the double-page spread.

The date and issue number were shifted to the left, while a website and various social media links were added to the right of the masthead.

Finally, the 'reviews' and 'prizes' sections were changed to look cleaner, and minor changes were made to the overall colour scheme of the page.

Contents + Cover Photoshoot

For the cover I wanted a simple image of the model looking at the camera, but it a different environment to that of the DPS. This time I the model wore mostly black, which is fitting of the genre. I also had him wear glasses just for style, but in this photograph, they're reflecting too much light.

I had experimented with different poses that I could exploit during the construction of the cover, and I found this one important, as the model is pointing with his index finger.
Things could be arranged around this image to make his gesture seem more significant.

An attempt at a slightly longer shot. This was useful as it showed me what I don't want in the magazine. I feel that closer shots are more fitting for this type of magazine.
However, this long shots can work, as there was a long shot of Dave Grohl in Q's contents page.

Experimenting with the model, taking a few photographs in which he isn't looking at the camera.
During construction I could possibly make it seem like he is looking at text, but I don't think this is a suitable cover photo.

Here I tried to change to another location that looked more natural, just for variation to avoid putting too many similar images in the magazine.

This image is similar to the previous one, but with slight changes. This close-up at a slightly low angle was taken for the main image of the contents page, as the reader can't see the model's eyes so it wouldn't be suitable for the cover.

Contents Concept

Sketch

For the contents I want to use a slightly less conventional format, with a main image accompanied by three subsidiary images on the left. Instead of the word 'Contents', I've used the phrase 'Welcome to TNV' to help give the magazine its own style.

The magazine date and issue number are also at the top of the page where they will be more easily noticed. The bulk of the content information will be at the bottom of the page, just above the page number.

DPS Drafts

Draft One

For this draft I changed parts of the flat plan to a red colour and inserted the high angle shot of the model. I then covered the right page in a dark overlay and refined its edges to create a blur effect. The text was then added in a simple format, with dropped shadows to help it stand out.

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Draft Two

Upon receiving constructive criticism, I've made some changes to the spread. I used colder colours and overlays to make the overall image feel more natural, filled some empty space beside the headline, repositioned the quote and added a stand-first to open the article.
There's also two columns for the article now, rather than a wall of text like the previous draft, with a darker backdrop behind it, and the old photograph has been replaced by one of higher quality.

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Draft Three

The colour of the photograph has been changed moderately so that it fits in more with the overall red colour scheme. The title has been shortened to fit firmly onto the right page, and a proper stand-first has been added that actually summarises the editorial.
I've also removed most of the gaps between the paragraphs and included editorial and photography credit.

DPS Article Draft

Adam Kowalski and I are taking a leisurely walk through a forest in what seems to be the middle of nowhere, as the artist loosely hums the refrain melody from Nirvana's hit, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. We weave through the path, while he stares blankly into space, detached from the living world around him. He suddenly points leftward;

"Let's go that way," he says.

The man continues humming, albeit to a completely different rhythm - as if he'd just switched channels. 26, Polish-born in 1988, Adam now calls London his home, and has returned to the path he used to walk as a youth.
I ask for any inside info related to anything he's working on, and he pulls out his phone, and plays a sound all too familiar, yet unique in its own way. Distorted electric guitars, a slow tempo, and that raw sound that almost made the grunge genre its own art form. His band, 'Growing Pains' is going strong for their upcoming third album.

As the music plays, we come to a grinding halt before the small excavation site ahead. A large digger takes its time, backing up across our road forward.
"A lot of construction work goes on here, nowadays," he tells me to pass the time.
I cunningly remind him of the 'reconstruction' that he's been working between himself and weed. His face lights up briefly with a smile, before returning to its default, preoccupied state.

"Yeah, drugs are bad," he mentions jokingly, "After our first album succeeded, we - I kind of fell off." It was as if he were confessing this for the first time. It's no secret, however, that the band entered the mainstream in a bang, before fading back into obscurity in 2010. When the lead singer of a band goes out on drugs, it's bad news for those left behind. And the weed was only the beginning. Adam had entered a world of drugs he'd never seen before, and fell off the radar for what felt like a long time.

"We attempted a comeback in... late 2012, to early '13..." he didn't finish that particular sentence - but he didn't need to. It is known that Growing Pains released a second album in January 2013 that didn't show up on the radar in the first place.

"Ghosts," he  mumbled, "We were unheard from again. And people wrote us off as a one-hit-wonder, but things go way deeper than that."

"There was a lot going on back then that doesn't reach the surface, really. People say I let the fame get to my head, but there was a whirlwind of trouble that threw me off the spot light. Trust was lost, relationships ceased. Those were bleak times."

It's clear that at this point, he feels the world is sleeping on him.
It also seems that the band has been working very, very hard on this next release.
To ease the mood, I chime in to remind him of the times when the people referred to Growing Pains as the second coming of Nirvana.

"Forget that," Adam shrugs, "We don't want to be known as the second anything. We want to be number one, we want to be better than Nirvana."

The excavator finally began to haul itself out of our sight, and as we marched on, Adam continued;

"...And I want to live past the age of 27."

We both laughed heartily as we looked forward, to a time when hopefully Adam and his band release a great album that will return alternative rock to the mainstream.

Fingers crossed.

DPS Photoshoot

I started taking photographs of the model with the possibility of him being on the cover. I wanted to take mid shots with natural scenery in the background.
This shot was more of a close-up than a mid shot, but it's still usable.

It's more appropriate to call this mid shot, and I got to capture more of the surrounding environment, including buildings. I tried to keep the model in the depth of field, while keeping the background out of focus.
I'm satisfied with the outcome.

This shot was taken with the DPS in mind. The model was positioned to the left of a tree as I wanted the photograph to span over the entire double-page spread, with the article over the tree.
Even though the model is on the left, his is still the focal point of the photograph.

Another DPS shot, with a skyline in stead of a high angle shot like the previous one. While I used a high angle for the photo above to make the reader empathise with the model, I had him look sad in this image to try and emulate that effect.

This close up was taken as potential cover material, and I positioned the model facing away from the sun to help make him stand out from the bright background.
The bounced lighting around the model's hair and shoulders also looks nice.

Yet another shot of the model looking sad. This shot is a close up, but not to the extent of the previous image.
This shot was purely experimental, and probably won't appear in the magazine, but overall I don't think it was bad.

Here is a miscellaneous sub-image that I can use on any page.

This is another disposable image that can make an appearance.

This misc. photo is being used as an album cover for another page.

DPS Concept

Sketch

The model will be allocated to the left page as I want the reader to examine the image before reading the article. He will look at the camera with a sad look on his face, with a heading and quote above him and a page number below.

The right page will consist of an article, accompanied by the subheading and its own page number. At the lower right corner will be the magazine logo. This is an attempt at a simple, orderly composition, that will hopefully help make the magazine appear professional and classy.

Fonts - DPS Headline

DPS Headline Draft

Fonts: Mortuary and PunkRockShow

The theme of the Article is the impact of drugs on a growing artist, so I've used the headline 'Growing Pains' to set the tone. I wanted to use a classy font to represent growth, alongside a grunge font that connote pain, but they didn't mesh well and one of the fonts were already used for the Masthead.

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Final DPS Headline

Fonts: Newsflash and Outliner No. 45

I continued experimenting with clean fonts for growth and gritty fonts for pain, and eventually used two sans-serif fonts as they're generally better for logos, headlines and such since they're visually appealing to look at, rather than easy to read.

I've warped the word 'growing' to make it bulge as it approaches the word 'pains' which creates a stronger thematic link, as the text itself mimics growth. I also used contrasting colours for each word; White for growth, as it's seen as a pure and natural - and Red for pain, which is the same colour as our blood.

Fonts - Masthead

First Masthead Draft

Font: Wretched Remains

I first experimented with a rough-looking font that could represent the Grunge of Alternative Rock music, but the Masthead ended up looking messy and rather difficult to read. The text on the left is the entire masthead, while the 'TNV' on the right is it's abbreviated form that will appear on the DPS.

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Second Masthead Draft

Font: Straight to Hell

I found a more lean font and changed the Masthead's composition. Instead of the title spanning across the entire page, the words have been shoved to the left side, much like Q, NME and XXL have done. However, I still thought that the font is inappropriate for a Masthead, so I didn't pick this one.

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Third Masthead Draft

Fonts: Mortuary and Questa

This font is a lot cleaner than the previous two, and it even has serifs, like the audience preferred. I added the word 'magazine' beneath the title so the overall Masthead could look more professional, and a red border to the abbreviated icon for a similar purpose.

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Final Masthead

Fonts: Mortuary and Questa

Market Research

A Questionnaire was formed in order to learn about the target audience (young males)' preferences.

Maximum amount of money people are willing to spend on the magazine.

In order to ensure that people answered the question appropriately, I asked them to tell me the maximum magazine price that they would pay, rather than let them freely choose a price.
The majority said they would pay up to £3 for the magazine, which is an tolerable price, especially considering the fact that young people don't buy magazines often.

Preference of the Black/White/Red colour scheme.

The chosen colour scheme was in favour of the majority in this case, but some participants suggested using cooler colours.

While such suggestions have been acknowledged, it can't be ignored that many rock magazines - including those I've previously analysed - conform to the black, white and red style for whatever reason.

Appropriateness of the Magazine Title; 'The New Vale'.

I had explained that my idea for the Masthead involved Valleys, which is a low area of land between hills and mountains. Alternative rock is similar in that it's the rock that is overshadowed by larger sub genres. The big mountains of mainstream rock are overshadowing the valley that is indie rock. Most of the participants approved of the title.

Overall preference between Serif and Sans-Serif fonts.

This question was more controversial, but it seems that the audience prefer fonts with serifs. The magazine will look more classy as a result, but it won't be limited to the Serif style.
Q Magazine was filled with Serif typography, XXL had a lot of Sans-serif fonts, while Mojo had a mix of both, leaning slightly towards the serif.

Interest in the idea of a drug-related DPS article.

As drugs and rock music seem to go hand in hand, most of my participants found the former to be an appropriate topic for the article. While stereotypical, it's an easy topic to write about - plus, sad stories like this (and Corinne's Mojo DPS Article) often attract more readers as people enjoy drama related to their favourite celebrities.