Time Management Update

I have now finished my magazine and I am up to date with my action plan. I will now begin to develop my evaluation.

My Finished Music Magazine.

Here is my finished front cover. I decided to use a different coloured background behind the coverlines as the colour yellow clashed with the pink, this results in it standing out more. I also decided to make the outline of 'OUTSTANDING NEW ARTIST ALERT!!!' bolder in order to emphasise it more to the audience. 

Here is my complete contents page for my music magazine. I decided to straighten up the page numbers, as before it looked quite messy and it was difficult to read. I've also added more colour into my contents page as before it looked quite plain and boring. I decided to highlight the celebrities names in order for them to stand out more, I found that this was a generic convention in other pop magazines. I also added a yellow background to the headings in order to introduce some more continuity between my pages, as I also did this on my front cover. This also resulted in the headings being emphasised and made more visible to my audience. I have also stuck to the same colour palette as my front cover in order to reflect a strong house style and brand identity. 

Here is my completed double page spread. I decided to change my previous page numbers at the bottom of each page as they looked quite messy. I  went back to my research and found that other magazines similar to my genre put their magazine name next to their page numbers, this was a generic convention, therefore I decided to add 'TUTV' infront of each number. I also made sure to include 'TUTV' in the top corner of my magazine in order to make my brand identity clear- they did this on other magazines I analysed. I also stuck with my original colour palette that I used on my front cover and contents page. 

Hollie and India Audience feedback double page spread

Summary of my audience feedback:
-good layout- looks professional
-good range of images
-clothing shows I'm targetting older audience
- continuity in fonts and colours- but maybe too many colours 'unbaring'

Hollie and India audience feedback contents page

Summary of audience feedback:
-good use of highlighting words
- easy to navigate between sections of magazine
- continuity
- good layout, but page numbers could possibly be clearer
- lacking images, or maybe spread the images out

Hollie and India audience feedback for my front cover

Summary of my Audience feedback:
- Too many colours.
- The red and black on my front cover 'connotes rock genre'
- Change some of the colour
- Crowdedness is common among pop magazines
- coverlines and fonts more suitable for an older target audience due to them being mature.

Audience Feedback Questions

Front Cover:
How do my images on my front cover reflect a pop genre?
Does my front cover look suitable for an older target audience? Why? / Why not?
How does my front cover look in comparison to current pop magazine covers on the market?
What changes can I make in order to make my front cover look even more professional?

Contents Page:
How is my brand identity successfully reflected on my contents page?
Do you think my layout is effective? Why? Why not?
How do my chosen fonts on my contents page reflect my pop genre?
Why do you think my contents images are suitable? If not, why not?

Double Page Spread:
How is my language used in my double page spread relative to a pop magazine?
Do my image choices for my double page spread portray a pop genre? How?
How does my general layout reflect a music magazine from the pop genre?
Is my use of columns effective? How / Why not?
What changes can I make to my double page spread in order for it to be even more successful?

My Magazine Production So Far 13 dec

Here is what my double page spread currently looks like. I decided to enlarge the central image to take up a third of the double page, this is common among pop magazines- they have a large image of the celebrity in the centre of the interview. From my research I found that having enlarged pieces of text highlighting sections of the interview is a generic convention of pop magazine interview, this catches the audience's attention, giving them an insight to what's going to feature in the magazine. I also added page numbers and I changed the colour of 'Hollie Gittins' from Yellow to Pink as it stands out against the blue and the yellow.

Time Management Update

I am gradually catching up with my action plan as I've finished my front cover and my contents page, however I'm still yet to finish my double page spread as I spent too much time focusing on my front cover and contents page. I aim to finish my double page spread within the next few days and gain some audience feedback. I will then use this audience feedback in order to make my final adjustments to my magazine in order to make it look as professional and successful as possible. After this I will begin my evaluation.

Double Page Spread Production So Far 11 dec

Here is my double page spread so far.I made sure to add 'TUTV' in the top right-hand corner in order to introduce continuity to my magazine and to portray a strong housestyle and brand identity- this is a generic convention of  pop magazines. I have also continued to use the same colour palette as my front cover and contents page in order to also give off a sense of continuity with my house style and brand identity. From my pop magazine research I found that pop magazines tend to have multiple images of the celebrity which they are interviewing, therefore I made sure I took plenty of potential images for these pages. I edited these pictures resulting in the background being removed as I think by not having a background it draws more attention to the model; also by not having a background it makes the image sink into the page more effectively, making it look more tidy and sophisticated. 

After this I typed up my interview, in a chatty, informal language style, which is a generic convention of a pop magazine interview. I did this by using words such as 'haha' and 'kinda', avoiding sounding too formal. I changed my interview slightly from my original draft as I noticed I tended to drift off on a tangent and not really focus on music, therefore I changed it in order to base around the new-comer's music life, other-than her general-life. 

Potential Double Page Images- Hollie

I took multiple images of Hollie in order to have a variety I can chose from. I decided to take a reasonably longer shot image in order to get her figure in the picture. I like the lighting in this image as it's quite bright, giving Hollie a natural, healthy looking glow. Like my last photoshoot with Hollie, I took these images again a plain coloured curtain as a plain background is quite common among magazines of my chosen genre. 

Here's another image I took of Hollie with the camera angle looking up at her. This connotes power and superiority. However, I don't think I'll use this image as having her whole body in the image, it results in less attention being on her face.

I really like this image of Hollie. Her pose is quite out-going and the way she's got her hand in her hair connotes sexiness and maturity. This suits my magazine perfectly as my magazine is aimed at a more mature target audience. 

This is one my favourite image I took of Hollie. I'm considering using this on my double page spread as I love how she looks genuinely happy with her glowing, smiley eyes. I also love the way she's looking over her shoulder as if she's looking back at something. If I was to use this image I think I would edit out the background and add some saturation into the picture making the image looking bolder and sharper. 

Time Management Update

I am currently behind on my action plan as I haven't started producing my double page spread yet as I've been trying to perfect my front cover and my contents page. In order to make sure I'm back on track with my action plan I will take more pictures to use for my double page spread and I will start developing it throughout next week. 

My Magazine Production So Far 4/5th December

In today's lesson I began to develop my contents page more. I decided to add in different categories in my magazine (like billboard) in order to make the navigation of my magazine a lot more smoother. I decided that 'Music' and 'Extras's' seemed like suitable headings. I then began looking at my research in order to give me inspiration of what stories to include on my contents page. In order to portray a strong sense of house style I stuck to the same colours palette and fonts as my front page.

I then decided that instead of just having two categories, having four would make my contents page look a lot fuller, therefore it would look like a successful contents page. I decided by having 'Fashion' and 'TUTV special guests' would add a bit of sophistication into my magazine, plus a fashion section is a generic convention of a pop magazine.

As I was comparing my magazine to other music magazines of my genre, I noticed that my text wasn't really clear to read, therefore I decided to change the main font on this page from 'poplar sd' to 'berlin sans fb'. This has resulted in my contents page being a lot clearer and it overall looks a lot less messy in comparison to the font I used before. I think so far my contents page is looking quite successful, however I need to look back at my research to see whether or not a background will be needed as from my previous feedback I was told that there was too much of a white background in it. 

In order to see whether I have produced a successful contents page I will get some audience feedback from my target audience.

My Double Page Spread Interview Draft

EXCLUSIVE FIRST INTERVIEW ONLY FOR YOUR EYES

GET TO KNOW UK’S FRESHEST,CLASSIEST NEW ARTIST  INSIDE OUT….

HOLLIE GITTINS!

How are you enjoying your first taste of fame- did you ever imagine you would be this famous?

I’m loooving it! It’s so crazy, it feels as if my whole life has been flipped into this spectacular new universe. Never in my whole life did I actually believe I would be this successful and gain so many fans with my first single! I can’t even explain how much I’m enjoying my journey so far, and I hope that I can continue this adventure for the rest of my life.

For those who aren’t so familiar with you at the moment, tell us about your first released single- what is it called and what’s the story behind it?

My first single is called ‘Don’t say what if’. The idea for the name was actually suggested by one of my managers as ‘don’t say what if’ is the moral of the song. Through life I’ve noticed people often avoid doing things by making up excuses, then they ask themselves ‘what if I actually did that?’ My song is basically telling everyone to live everyday as if it’s your last and make the most of your life- don’t dwell on the ‘what if’s’ get out there and have an adventure.

Have you always been a fan of music- who were your favourite artists growing up?

Of course! Ever since I was young I’ve sang- it drove my parents mad because I literally just sang everywhere I went haha! I could be walking around the shops with my parents or getting ready for bed and I’d be singing until my voice went croaky! I’ve always been a fan of The Script and Busted- weird combo’ I know, haha! I’ve been to loads of The Script concerts, one day I aspire to be as big and successful as them.

Are there any particular artists you’d enjoy collaborating with? Who?

YEES! I would love to work with Bruno Mars- I just love the way he has so much fun whilst he’s performing! I can just imagine myself stood on the stage next to him having a little boogie- even though I’m not the greatest dancer, in fact- I’m a terrible dancer… maybe I’ll just dance in the background until I get some dance lessons, haha!

In your pre-fame days did you ever perform in front of big audiences?

Haha, well if you call my local pub a big audience then yeah sure! I used to sing and play my guitar there every other week, I used to live in a small countryside village so the largest audience I performed in front of was probably about 40 people! It’s mad that I’m now performing in front of thousands of people and I’m even on TV! It’s as if I’m in a wonderful dream unable to wake up!

Do you suffer with stage fright?

All the time, like I thought it would be something that I would eventually grow out of, but still to this very day I find myself physically shaking and feeling sick before every performance! This one time when I first started performing at my local pub I got so nervous that I threw up in my friends guitar case. I may have accidentally forgot to mention it to him- he wasn’t exactly a happy bunny when he went on to put his guitar in a vomit filled case ha ha! Oops!

Where do you see yourself in the future?

Well, hopefully on a stage in front of millions of people doing what I love most! *Touches Wood* I can’t imagine myself doing anything else except from singing, I think that’s what I’ve been put on this planet to do haha- I’m useless at everything else!

Time Management Update

I am currently up to date with my action plan, however I may need to take some more images in order to use on my double page spread. Next week I am going to continue developing my contents page and create a draft of the interview I am going to include on my double page spread.

My Magazine Development 28/11/14

From today's lesson I received some class feedback. Those who looked at my magazine front cover so far suggested to add some more colour into the background as the white is a bit boring. However, during my magazine research I found that some magazines of my genre don't always have a coloured background as this is what makes each article/coverline stand out more. I will continue to consider whether or not I will make this change to my background as I think if I was to add a colour into my background it would result in my magazine looking quite messy and unsophisticated. From my research I found that a clear layout is a generic convention of a pop magazine.










In today's lesson I also began producing my contents page. For this I've decided to have a mix between a 'Top Of The Pops' theme and 'Billboard' as I want to have a clear portrayal of a pop magazine, yet I don't particularly want it to be too cheesy as I'm aiming to produce a magazine suitable for a target audience of 17+, therefore I am trying to have a slightly sophisticated/mature layout/house style like Billboard. In Billboard, the contents page is split into sections, therefore I'm splitting my magazine into two sections: Music and Extras- this layout is a more convenient way for the audience to locate the particular section of the magazine that they're interested in reading. I have also used the 'WE <3 POP' style of splitting up the page numbers by alternating the colour of the text, this makes it easier for the audience to read the contents without getting the stories mixed up. 

My Music Magazine Production So Far 27/11/14

Here is what my magazine currently looks like. I decided to make some changes to my pop magazine in order to make it look more professional and to suit my target audience more. I decided to make changes to my previous mast head as I believe the colour red was too in your face and somewhat gave off a 'rock' vibe. I decided to change it from red to a purple/blue colour as to me this colour connotes maturity and creates a laid-back atmosphere; this is perfect as I'm aiming to produce a successful pop magazine for an older, more mature target audience (17+). 

Here is my new masthead. I also added a pug onto the top right-hand corner of my magazine in order to promote the free posters which will be included inside. I decided to use a yellow bubble with pink text as the colours clash, therefore resulting in the pug being more eye catching to my audience. These colours also clash with my masthead. I also changed the colour of 'Issue 450 winter edition...' to a red font with a green outline as these colours are typically known to connote Christmas, therefore it fits well with my 'winter edition' magazine. 

In today's lesson I also added another image. This image is of the 'LG Arena' which is a popular concert arena for pop bands; I also added a coverline with this image in order to provide anchorage. As well as this I created my own personalised barcode including the date, issue number and name of the magazine. I also decided to move my previous purple banner which covered the bottom of my magazine as it didn't look very professional having my white barcode on top of it. By moving this purple banner into the left corner it has resulted in my 'exclusive shocking news...' coverline to stand out even more. 

My Magazine Development So Far: 21/11/14

Here is what my pop music magazine is currently looking like. During today's lesson I managed to add my splash, which provides anchorage to my central image, however I'm considering changing the colour as a member of my target audience said that the colour doesn't fit in with the house style. I also added another coverline and image to my magazine, which according to my feedback looks like a typical pop magazine, therefore so far my coverline's seem to be successful.

I also moved my masthead to the left of the magazine as this meant I had more space to add a pug in the top right corner. As well as this I noticed that 'Top Of The Pops'  and 'We <3 Pop' also tend to have their brand identity slightly to the left. Next I will insert a 'free posters of your favourite pop artists' onto the pug, which therefore expresses to the audience that my magazine is full of pop-related fun!

Design Work In Progress

I decided to change my main image to a different image of Hollie, as I believed this one is more appropriate for my music genre. I also decided to change the colour of my brand identity/masthead as I believe the colour purple connotes a more relaxed, mature vibe; other than a bright pink or red which I believe is too 'in your face' and immature. I also believe the colour red that I previously had as my masthead gave off more of a Rock genre vibe- which isn't what I am trying to portray in my magazine. From my class feedback, I found that my use of font colours is effective as it gives off  pop genre.

I also inserted an image I took of the pop, girl-band name 'Little Mix'- I decided to include these in my magazine as they are a typical, popular girlband; this would result in people seeing the words 'Little Mix' and automatically thinking 'Pop', resulting in them reading my magazine (if they are fans of Pop). 

I am sticking to a colour palette of blue, purple, pink and white- I think these colours connote fun and they are quite calm, laid back colours, which connotes a maturer vibe to it. 

Time Management Update

Due to being absent from last lesson I believe I'm currently behind on my magazine production, however I'm going to work hard in order to catch up with my action plan. I will do this by continuing my magazine development and I'll begin organizing a photo-shoot for my contents page.

Images/ Experimental Images For My Music Magazine: Jess Shore

I really like this image of Jess. I decided on taking this image as a medium close up as this way you can see the fashionable 'poppy' top she's wearing, as well as the main focal point- her face.  The way the light is glowing on the side of her face looks like a professional effect on this image, which is found in a pop magazine. Her somewhat shocked expression is also quite effective as it connotes cheekiness, which is a common convention in pop magazines. Usually I think posed images like this look extremely cheesy in pop magazines, however due to her not so exaggerated facial expression it has resulted in the image looking really effective, this is why I'm planning on using this image in my magazine. 

Here is another image I took of Jess. I took this image as a mid-shot as it meant that I could also include her stance/body language in the image, as this connotes cheekiness and relaxation. This is quite a common pose in pop magazines, therefore re-creating it successfully would result in my magazine looking like a successful, mass-produced pop magazine. The only thing I dislike about this image is that I accidentally got the skirting boards and the carpet in it, however I could just edit this out of the image. 

This is my favourite image I took of Jess. This pose is extremely common in pop magazines as it connotes fun and cheekiness. Jess' facial expression is also really effective in this image as she looks genuinely happy and joyful, often the mood of the magazine rubs off onto the audience, therefore by using this image it would result in my audience feeling cheerful. As well as this, Jess' natural pinkness to her cheeks connotes youth, innocence and possibly cheekiness, which is suitable for my magazine. I will definitely use this image somewhere in my magazine. 

Images/ Experimental Images For My Music Magazine. Main Model: Hollie

Hollie:

  I decided against using this image as black and white images aren't a generic convention of pop magazines, they are more of an indie convention; therefore by using this image it would contrast my genre, therefore possibly making the audience believe that my magazine is in fact indie- not pop. 

I quite like this image I took of Hollie. It looks as if she's laughing and the way she's kind of hiding her face behind her hood gives off the impression that she's done something embarrassing or she's being cheeky- this is perfect for a pop magazine as it connotes amusement and cheekiness. Also the way she's looking over her shoulder is a common pose I've noticed among pop magazines. I'm considering using this image on my double page spread as I've decided that Hollie is going to be the main model in my pop music magazine. Hollie looks like a perfect pop model in comparison to the other magazines that I have researched.

I think this image is quite successful as it looks similar to the front cover  central image on magazines such as Billboard. However, I think this image would be a lot more effective if I edited the lighting a little bit as to me I feel as if the colour is quite dull, especially if I'm trying to produce an effective pop magazine. This means I will have to brighten the image and maybe add some saturation, therefore giving off a warmer look to my image which will catch people's attention more.

This is one of my favourite images I took of Hollie as she looks naturally happy as her eyes are also glowing. I decided to take this image as a medium close up shot as this means that her face is the main focal point- the way she's looking directly into the camera provides a connection with the audience as it's as if she's directly addressing them.

I don't know whether to use this image in my music magazine as to me I don't know whether it's suitable for my target audience as it kind of looks cheesy and immature, as if it's for a younger target audience.

Images/ Experimental Images for My Music Magazine: Dana & India

Dana & India

Here's an image I took of my model Dana. I decided to have a plain creamy coloured background as it connotes a layed-back, calm atmosphere. I found that this type of plain background is a generic convention of pop magazine images as it results in the audience's main focus being on the model in the image, other-than what's going on in the background. However, due to not being able to see Dana much in order to take images of her, I decided against using her as a model. The few images I took of Dana were not very successful as in most of the images she looked quite nervous and timid, which is the complete opposite to how music magazine models are perceived. 

 Here is an image I took of Dana and India. I quite like this image as India's smiling with her mouth open (on the left), connoting confidence, excitement and cheekiness, this is quite common in pop music magazines. I also chose for this image to be taken on a plain background therefore resulting in them being the focus of attention. I think this image of Dana is a lot more successful than the others as she looks a lot more comfortable and less timid, therefore I'm considering having this image feature on the contents page. 

Here is another picture I took of India.  I like this image a lot as it connotes cheekiness and fun- which is a generic convention of  pop music magazines. I also made the background of this image a creamy plain colour as it contrasted with the darkness of her clothes, therefore it resulted in her standing out more, catching the audience's attention. I'm considering using this image as a coverline on my front page for my music magazine.

Images/Experimental Images for My Music Magazine: Jess M (Fashion Model)

Jess M:

My first model I took images of is Jess M. Although Jess is a fashionable, pretty girl I found it extremely hard trying to take an appropriate image which connotes pop. I began the photo-shoot by explaining to Jess for the reasoning of it and by asking Jess to 'pose', this resulted in Jess posing with a pout. Although Jess thought this was suitable, due to my research I found that female models in music magazines don't really tend to pout. This meant that I had to explain further what I meant by 'pose', to help me explain I decided to show her some images from previous pop magazines that I analysed and I suggested how she should pose.I won't be using this image in my magazine.

This is the second image I took of Jess. I decided to have a plain black background as it contrasts with the colour of her skin and the colour of her hair, resulting in her becoming more eye-catching. The use of plain backgrounds is a generic convention of music magazine images as from my research I found that the majority of models posed against a plain background, which meant more attention was drawn to them. I won't be using this image in my magazine as I think this image makes Jess look quite immature due to the way she is smiling, therefore this image may  portray a sense of immaturity, which wouldn't suit my maturer target audience. 

Here is the third image I took of Jess. From my research I found that often fashion models have long-shot photo-shoots, this means that their whole outfit gets in the shot, which is perfect if you're advertising the clothes that they are wearing. I also found that the orange-brick background is quite common among magazines of my genre, this background much like other pop image backgrounds is rather plain, however the pattern connotes organisation and sophistication- something which I am trying to portray to my audience. Much like my other images, I don't think I am going to use this image as I don't think the camera angle is very effective as it makes her look small and inferior as she somewhat looks quite timid (this could also be due to her feeling nervous because I was taking multiple images of her). This look contrasts how music magazine models look as I found that they are portrayed to be superior, confident and outgoing. 

This is my fourth and favourite image of Jess. I like this image a lot as I believe the angle (from the floor looking up) I have chosen connotes superior-ness and power, which is common among music magazine models. I think the way the brick background makes her outfit stand out works extremely effectively, therefore I am considering Jess to be my fashion model of my magazine. Her body language is also very effective as not only does it connote power, but it also connotes confidence, which is really important when it comes to modelling clothes as the more confident the model comes across the more drawn to the clothes the audience will be. I will use this image in the fashion section of my pop music magazine. 

My magazine production so far...

This is what my music magazine currently looks like. I've decided on my fonts for my masthead, splash's and cover lines. These 3 fonts are: Berlin Sans FB Demi, Poplar std and hobo std. From my feedback I found that these fonts are working successfully, therefore making my magazine look like a typical pop magazine. I also decided to use the colours: Red, Black, Yellow, Pink and Blue. However from my feedback I found that the colour of my masthead could be improved, therefore I am considering changing it from Red to Pink, I will experiment with these colours next lesson. I have also used two images so far in my magazine, however I plan on editing the cover line image and I plan on developing my central image further as currently when I enlarge the image it becomes pixelated.