Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Before the task began I found it hard to capture a good
photograph. I could not manipulate the camera correctly to get my desired
pictures, however due to practice I began to learn. I learnt how to focus the
camera correctly and take a picture. I found it easy to establish lists of the things
I must do to accomplish my desired outcome. I did however struggle with time
keeping whilst producing my product but I was able to strengthen my time
keeping skills through the practice whilst I produced my product. Another thing
I struggled with in my primary task is to make the correct decisions. This was
shown in the poor quality of my first photo-shoot, however through the progression
of time and practice I was able to make the correct decisions to enable my
product to be better.
I have also learnt to be more assertive over the course of
preliminary task. I found it difficult
to begin with to get models and other peers to help me and do as I had asked
however through experiencing difficulties due to my passive behavior I found I
needed to change. I can now direct people in a polite, direct and assertive
manner which allows things to be done as I want them to be done.
I use In Design which I have never used before and I
struggled at first to manipulate the programme correctly however after
exploring the programme I began to find it easier to use. My lessons in class
provided me with the basic skills that I lacked on this programme and then on
my own I researched on the internet tools that I required and played around on
the course to create the effect I desired.
I did not understand the importance of lighting before I
started this project however due to the lessons I received from my teacher and
then pictures I took with minimal lighting I found its importance.
I had used Photoshop before however I knew little of how to
use it to improve a photograph. I was taught about the stamp tool to change
small imperfections and I used this widely to improve anything that I did not
like in both my images. I also learnt of the lasso and magic wand tools to
select pieces of the photograph, when I was taught of these I did not believe
that I would be able to use them within my work however I eventually found them
very useful.
As a whole the preliminary task was a great success in preparing
me for my final task. Without it my final products would be far weaker than
they are.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I learned various skills some of which were more
crucial to the development of my project than others however I needed to know
each and every one to enable to create a better project, make informed decisions
and make my project as efficiently as possible.
I learned about key design features, lighting, camera skills and even
skills whilst using a variety of different software which was crucial to my
work.
Throughout of my project I took an array of different
pictures however I did not take many inside where I would need to utilize
artificial lighting however when I did I had to learn the basics of using
lighting tools. When I took my very first set of photographs I found that the
colour of the light is crucial along with the angle of it. I made the mistake
of using a blue harsh light however I now know that a softer white light worked
better. I also found that positioning the light to the side shining on to the
face worked well for my models and that different side angles would appear
differently. The information on lighting was not as valuable as I had first
hoped in the end as all of the photographs which I chose to use however the
knowledge of the angle of light helped me to position myself and my models
while I was taking all of the different pictures.
When I started the mediaA level course I was not used to
manipulating a camera to create the desired effects so I had to learn to master
even the basic skills of a camera to enable my photographs to be off high
quality. Two of the most basic camera skills which I learned where zoom and
focusing. Both were crucial to create photographs that I could use at all.
Although I used the zoom very little I needed it for variety of my photographs
so that the focus was at the centre of the image and as large as it needed to
be. In my early photographs I needed to use zoom to make sure that images which
were of poor quality only included the
areas of the background that I needed to show. I also used an automatic focus
on my camera however before selecting a focus the camera took me through a
variety of different focus points, by holding my shutter button down the
different focus points were shown before I pressed my shutter button all the
way down to select the image focus that I thought was fitting of this image.
Both of these skills enabled me to shape my image so that the focal point was
always the model as I wanted it to be and that background was always
sufficiently blurred and only the important elements were featured.
After I had taking pictures, I needed to
manipulate my images to create a better overall look that was worthy of being
in a magazine. To do this I needed to use Photoshop, to remove blemishes and to
edit dark lines and hairs I used a combination of the stamp tool and the spot
remover tool. The stamp tool needed the user to select an area to be copying
from and for this reason was more exact whereas the spot remover tool would
chose an area to copy by itself. I found that the spot remover tool was better
for when I did not know where the best match would be however as a whole the
stamp tool was the better tool. The stamp tool is most likely the most
important Photoshop tool that I learned about and used.
The lasso and magic wand tool were both also
vital to the development of the images as without them I would not have been able to apply many of the effects
I did such as changing colour lightness and changing saturation levels. The
lasso was a tool that I could use to select an area manually whereas the magic
wand selected areas of similar colours by itself. I often used a combination of
both so that the magic wand made the process quicker while the lasso tool
enabled me to be as precise as I wanted when I was selecting colours and
images. The lasso tool was an incredibly important and useful skill to learn
while I was using Photoshop as it meant I could select any area without great
difficulty.
In many of my pictures the background was too
bright and held to many different colors for me to be able to place writing
over the top, so in order to be able to use the photographs I needed to change
this. I did it by darkening or lightening this background, I started by using the lasso to select the area
and I then edited the light/dark levels
so that the area was now darker or lighter than before. This also made my
models stand out against the crowd in pictures as well as enabling writing and
images to be clearly seen over this excess background space.
Another tool I used to
enable me to see the background was the gradient tool as this would put a light
transparent colour over the background therefore any writing on top would have
been in a contrasting colour and easily seen. After selecting an area with the
lasso or magic wand tools, I would create a gradient by selecting a colour,
transparency and how thick it should be at its height. I then drew in the
gradient by drawing one line in the direction of the gradient I wanted to
create. The gradient tool does not feature in my final work therefore the time
spent learning it may have been wasted however I still believe implementing the
gradients was a key part of the development of all my pieces.
Blogger was software which I had to learn to
manage in order to succeed within this project. I found Blogger hard to use and
difficult to manipulate so in order to complete my project to a high standard I
had to learn how to use Blogger. One technique that I used in order to put work
on my blog was to create all my work on PowerPoint first before transferring it
onto the blog. I would type out all the text I wished to use and then paste the
images I wanted to incorporate, I also cropped the images on PowerPoint as I
realized that when I cropped in word, saved then tried to move it across the
original picture was still shown. After I set up the work, I would copy the
text and then paste it as plain text so that abided by the page’s text settings
and not the previous settings, I would also save the images as a jpeg and then
insert them as well. This all meant that text and images I inputted were
presented as I wanted them to be. Overall, this method was helpful and fitted
the task well, putting things on the blog took longer due to this process
meaning it may not have been as efficient as possible however this method still
did what I needed it to do.
Another issue I encountered with Blogger is the
fact that the order the posts were in was by last large edit and not creation
so posts on different things such as the task front cover and contents page
would be amongst each other. To solve this I learnt about labels, I was able to
label each post with a variety of different categories such as contents page,
final piece, research and preliminary task. I then added in a labels section on
to the face of my blog site so that the links could be clicked and the needed
posts would be shown without having to look to hard to find. This made my blog
much easier to navigate and enabled my teachers and myself to use my blog with
little effort.
The most important feature that I learned to use
on InDesign was the character tool box; I used InDesign primarily to create
text on my work so this tool box which enabled me to manipulate the text was
important to creating a good project. I was able to use the spacing, size,
width, height, font and even make it italic using this tool box. Every single
font I featured I had to manipulate using this box to create the final product
that I wanted, this could be argued to be the most important thing I learnt
throughout the project as without it my work would not be to the standard it
currently is.
The eye dropper tool on InDesign was also key to
the creation of my project; a key design skill is the ability to match the
colours throughout your work so there is continuity. I learned that the eye
dropper tool could pick up any colour from the photograph and then enabled me
to place it in the swatches tool box therefore enabling me to change the colour
of any shape or text. The use of this tool created continuity throughout my
work which enabled me to create final pieces which looked professional.
Overall, the fact that I learned all these key
skills was imperative to my work and the development of it. InDesign, Photoshop
and Blogger may have been difficult software’s to master however without
knowing how to use them as well as I now do I would not have achieved half of
the things I have achieved within my project now.
My target audience are a rather niche market of people, they
are young people, mainly teenage girls who are interested in music specifically
country music. Due to this niche market
the success criteria for my magazine was fairly particular. Overall I needed to
successfully merge the teenage audience with the country music theme.
My overall aesthetic was aimed directly at my target
audience, I included feminine yet sophisticated colours (pastels), I thought
using a colour scheme of this nature would enable me to reach the female market
yet still appeal to teenagers who are approaching adulthood and want to see
things which appeal to this. I have made the design fairly minimalist to give
it a modern and stylish edge which I think will appeal to my target market.
I included small details which I thought would appeal to my
target market. I made sure that my price was visible and a good amount (£2.99),
this amount is appropriate for the middle class market I am aiming to entice
with my magazine. For my listing of employees I have included a range of multi-cultural
names as the generation whom my magazine are aimed at have been born into a
diverse nation and would be expecting this from employment.
I have included only female teenage models which I think
will appeal to my target audience as they will be able to relate to this. The
models I have used are not average incredibly skinny models that are normally
in commercial magazines, I have deliberately used are normal girls whom the
models can relate or could potentially have similar friends. This paired with
minimal make up and average clothes enabled my models to be normal and come across
as role models as they are real girls and not the norm too far to reach fashion
models.
A range of articles are displayed through my double page
spread and my contents page, this range of articles meet the needs of a teenage
girl and of a country music fan. I have featured music articles, teenage help
articles and articles on young country artists. This all together will make my
magazine a brilliant fit for my target audience.
Overall, I feel from speaking to a focus group of my target audience
that my magazine is directly aimed at teenage country music fans. My magazine
is stylish, modern and feminine, it features content which is directly aimed at
those I wish to sell my magazine to so to conclude it addresses my audience well.
My target market will consistent of a considerably
niche market. I will aim my magazine at 15-17 year old girls who are young yet
interested in country music. They will still be in full-time education however
they will have other things which will take up there time such as part time
retail jobs and hobbies/ clubs. They will have an interest in singing
themselves and will be interested in music and playing music as a whole but are
focused more on country music. They will most likely belong to the middle class
and be fairly wealthy living in a large house and are financially comfortable.
The may also have a holiday home as they are wealthy and enjoy spending time
with their families. They will live in small towns and villages yet will be
close to cities and hotspots where they can experience more. They will most
likely be interested in animals, perhaps even horses which are clearly linked
with Country music.
On a magazine my target market will be drawn more to feminine
colours and young men or women models as these types of people interest them
more. They will be looking for articles that involve country singers but also
bring in their likes such as animals and hobbies. As they are of this age group
they may be looking for subject matters that are important to them at this age
such as boys, hair, make-up and clothes advice. They will be looking for fairly
adult and serious magazines as they break into adulthood however will still
desire a youthful flare which does not make the magazine childish but produces
a more interesting subject matter. As they are interested in music, they will
want the magazine to really focus on this but to also introduce the instruments
as well as this will also be of interest for them.
Target Market Samples:
- Holly Glenister. She has a strong
interest in country music and plays the piano with aspirations to one day learn
how to play the guitar. She lives in a town and is in full time education and
is a keen ballerina in her spare time. She comes from a fairly wealthy family
who live in a nice large house in a nice area. She is seventeen years old.
- Ellie Smith. She also has a strong
interest in country music and in films featuring country themes and music. She
can also play the piano and is interested in singing. She lives in a village
which is surrounded by other small villages and towns. She is in full time
education. She also lives in a large house and is wealthy, she previously owned
a holiday home abroad. She babysits her brother and family friends in her spare
time. She also enjoys running and cycling. She is seventeen years old.
- Megan Lines. She is interested in
female country singers and enjoys their music the most. She is keen horse rider
and feels that this is where her interest in country started from. She is from
a middle class background and owns a large house in England and a holiday home
in Spain. She also lives in a small village however it is close to larger
towns. She enjoys singing and until recently went to frequent singing lessons.
She works part-time at the stables when she is not in school. She is sixteen
years old.
What Kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
There are many different modern magazine publishers which publish country music magazines. There are some publisher who publish country music magazines alongside very well-known publications such as American Media Inc., others supply a niche market with only country relating magazines, and some others even only publish that one country music magazine. The scope of interest in country music is vast therefore the types of media institutions who publish them are also vast.
Modern West Media Inc. is one such media institution, it is in an extremely small company who focus on the niche market of young women whom are interested in fashion and country music. They only produce and distribute COWGIRL magazine to entertain this audience. They are based in Cave Creek, Arizona as this is where the audience they are attempting to please are based. It is distributed to a range of book stores, supermarkets and country styled fashion stores. The fact that this magazine is targeted at three different types of store shows that its scope of distribution is wide enough to find as many people as possible within its audience. It was founded in April 2009 which also means that it will now be well established, and have the appropriate production and distribution methods to an effective level. Overall, this small media institution seeks out its audience appropriately however it is a relatively new and a small institution.
The USFR Media Group is a slightly bigger media institution based in Houston, Texas. This once again is a prime location as Texas is within the deep south of America where country music is extremely popular. It has an annual income between 10 and 20 million dollars which is relatively small for a publishing company yet the fact that it publishes only two magazines means that this moderate amount is not a sign of a bad media institution. It publishes the magazine Cowboys & Indians as well as Western & English Today which are both country magazines, the benefit of it publishing only country style magazines means that it will know the niche market extremely well. Therefore, it will be able to distribute my magazine effectively as it can use the experience of the other country magazines. USFR Media Group is small yet it understands the market for country magazines well so will be able to distribute my magazine to the level it deserves and requires to make it a success.
There is also American Media Inc. (AMI) which is a large well known American media institution which has the top return of sales from the top ten publishing companies in the US. AMI produces a large quantity of magazines such as OK!, STAR and muscle and fitness. It is the US’s leading celebrity media publisher, which means it is a very successful media institution therefore it will have the time and resources require to make my magazine a success through effective distribution and marketing. It has an annual income of 1.6 billion dollars which is a huge sum and shows clearly how successful this company is. However, the fact that it is such a large company can be a draw back as they may not devote enough time to my magazine and it may get lost amongst the other more established magazines. The fact that they only have one country devoted magazine whereas all the other target markets have at least two magazines targeted at them may also show that this company does not feel confident with the country sector. American Media Inc. is a huge company with a huge annual income however the fact that it is so large may mean that enough time and energy is not put into making it a success as AMI already have many successes.
American Media Inc. may have the most income and publish some well-known magazines however it does not specialize or understand the market of youthful country magazine. Modern West Inc. may publish COWGIRL which is a magazine very similar to my own, however they only publish this one magazine therefore they are not well known and cannot distribute my magazine in a way I would like. This means that my desired institution to publish my magazine is USFR media Inc.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In all of my photography I have used young women as the
model however instead of conforming to the norm of the magazine industry of
highly sexualising young women by making them wear skimpy clothing, thick
makeup, and sleek hairdos and posed inappropriately, I have shown a different
more wholesome side of young women. The country theme has enabled me to challenge
the convention; I have presented the young women in my magazine as fresh faced
and natural. My front cover model appears to be real girl, she is shown with
frizzy hair, natural make up and clothing that would not be unusual for a
teenage girl to wear, this all challenges the norm put allows a highly positive
atmosphere to be developed. This empowering atmosphere continues on the double
page spread as a very natural girl with unhidden freckles and a young, vibrant
yet normal outfit.
I have used pretty young girls as my model which does abide
by the age convention of magazine industry; the convention is to show something
that people would want ot look out and something that is pleasant to look at
such as something that looks nice and young. By showing someone who is young
also stops people thinking about things which people like to stay away from
such as age, death and illness. I only showed young attractive people to stick
to these convention.
The models I have chosen are all white; this conforms to the
convention of the country music industry being dominated by white people. I
have conformed to this convention to allow the country music theme to flourish
as presenting a black or Asian person could confuse the audience as
unfortunately any white people have the connotation of being involved in
country music.
I have enlarged upon the convention of thinking that all
teen audiences have short attention spans and do not want to read great lengths
of formal language. I used fairly informal language throughout my magazine to
appeal to the stereotypical ‘slacker’ teen and I have broken up any large
pieces of text using colour, images and enlarged writing. This all joins to
create the overall conformity to the convention of seeing teenagers as lazy.
I have used the rule thirds convention strictly as by using
it I hoped to create a better designed product, this convention is in place in
the design world as it can make a better design so I abided by for the good of
my product. In some small places I have strayed from its strict guidelines to
create small areas of originality to make my work more interesting.
I have created a colour scheme and kept with the socially
accepted form of having linking complimentary colours. By keeping with this
form I will create a more generically aesthetically pleasing product which will
be liked by many. All my colours are pastels and link throughout, however on
each page the main colour of the page i.e. pink, green or blue is shown all
over the page so that entire page ties in and complementary colours are used
alongside it.
Another conventional design form is floating which is the
concept of making sure no design feature or text is on the edge of the page and
that everything is enough inside to be anchored to the page. I have floated all
my work, meeting with this form to allow my work to appear better quality.
The last design form I have stayed with is the form
requiring all ends of the texts to be a full line or phrase and not just a word
or two words. If it is just a few words hanging below they appear out of place
therefore a whole line looks better, I have stuck with this form to make my work
look better and more professional.
After finished my product I went back to the research so that I could see where the research had influenced the final piece.
Specific Research
Black:
They all had a piece of text at the start which introduced the article,
this meant I did not start with the questions either, allowing a long
piece of text to truly introduce the article.
Blue: They
all show the name of the artist at the top and in bold so that the most
important feature of the page can be seen straight away, my own work
shows this.
Green: The green rings show how the magazines influenced my photograph
that I used. The Carrie Underwood article strongly influenced my
placement of my model in the photo and was backed up by the wild child
article who also showed the image to be there and of roughly the same
size. questions
followed by long answers so I produced my article in this way as well.
Light Blue: All but one showed quotations from the interviewee embedded among the text as I have done in my final piece.
Red: All apart form one article was made up off short bold
Yellow: Half of the articles supported my decision to place a page number in the bottom right hand corner.
Teenage Magazine Research
My research into teenage magazines, revealed many things such as that main image belonged on the left hand side, that quotations from the interviewee should
Drawings
As can be seen from the comparison, my final piece had been greatly influenced by my sketches of what the outcome was to be.
Font Research
The font research gave me the font for the title which matched the font of the quotations while the font of the main text complemented the title font well as my font research was successful,
Photo shoot preparation
The photo shoot preparation was the process through which I chose how I would present my model and it is also the process through which I chose the location for the photo shoot.
