2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
3. Bold masthead in an iconic looking font going across the page, to gain reader interest. This is similar to vogue’s style of font. It is dominant and still feminine with its thin geometric style. Short and sweet (to attract young females) coverline to keep a minimal cover. Which is unconventional as they usually use puff. Photo on a plain background so it does not distract attention away from the subject. Which is a common convention. The blazer, lace top and skirt are an indie trend and the sequins connote a celeb status. It uses Important information in left-side third to attract potential readers. I have used the “getting around the media-wise consumer” technique, allowing the reader to not feel manipulated, as I have not used puff to entice the reader and arouse curiosity. Instead it relies on pragmatics and the readers knowledge of the bands featured. The barcode is positioned discreetly in the corner similar to most other magazines. Use of a three colour scheme, the black and white connoting sophistication and the purple connoting femininity. Three font scheme is used. The swirly fonts connote femininity. The block like font looks artistic to attract my target audience.
5. A common convention used on contents pages are use of one or a few images, I however have used many photos therefore challenging this convention. Instruments are used in the photos making connotations to music, along with fun poses. The acoustic guitar is used frequently in indie music so suggests the genre well. The use of frames/brushes is unconventional as it makes the page busy, however it attracts my audience as it is artistic, with its unusual graphology, and quirky which compliments my genre. I have used common techniques to entice the reader such as alliteration and colloquial language “all about the noughties” it also uses puff/lure to entice the reader “exclusive cribs video shoot”. I have used a variety of different fonts (five) which challenge the three font scheme. This breaks up the page making it look less tedious for the reader. The swirly fonts used are stereotypically girlie as they connote as being pretty and delicate similar to the stereotype of a female. I have kept to a three colour scheme, this is a common convention to keep the magazine from looking too busy which I feel I have achieved..
6. a conventional banner/logo (v i n y l) runs through the contents to the double page spread. This looks professional and adds iconography for the magazine. A letter in a larger font is used which is a conventional feature however I have used a varying font to the rest of the article. The cartoon like “T” appeals to the young audience (teens). The Polaroid images develop the conventions as they add more of a genre to the photos e.g. Retro, other frames used may also connote towards certain genres. This however appeals to the “indie” genre as it is retro and original. I have kept to the common convention of a three colour scheme however I have unconventionally used a five font scheme to create a decorative mast head and to break the page up. This looks artistic and quirky to attract reader interest. I have not used puff or lure in the article as I wanted to keep it very original which represents the music of the indie genre. The article directs the reader using rhetorical questions which is colloquial and gains readership trust and forms a relationship with the reader. The use of pronouns and the first person makes it personal also gaining the readers trust.
7. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?
8. Vinyl represents teenage girls, as from the front cover you can connote that it is feminine, this is by the photography, as rather than making obvious connotations to music using props, it uses fashion to attract females, I used a pose similar to one Rankin took of Lily Allen for Elle magazine, it makes the photo appear more dominant and stand out, this is to catch their attention. The handwritten type font is also feminine as stereotypically connoted from swirly writing are girls, most likely young, as it is secretive and personal making connotations to a diary. The purple in the colour scheme is also stereotypically ‘girly’, I felt it was more classy than using a stereotypical pink. I do not feel that my magazine is represented stereotypically, but it is more women dominant. It represents an indie style as it features bands of the indie genre, fashion from celebrities with an indie style (e.g. Daisy Lowe) , who has a similar style to ‘Cherie Cheris’ in her photos.
16. So, what’s a publishing company? A publishing company publish literature, magazines, newspapers and other forms of information. Publishing is the production process of these prints, which includes, the stages of development, acquisition, copyediting, graphic design, production, printing and marketing and distribution of works which deal with information, it may not only be prints as since technology has modernised it may now include electronic media such as software! Once work is accepted by a publisher a commissioning editor negotiates a contract and the purchase of the intellectual property rights and agree on the rates of royalty, (how much the creator of the piece will receive per piece sold). The Distributor buys the product and then sells it on, making a profit, however some companies have their own distributors, which then cuts out the middleman, reducing costs and increasing profits. £££ The money to publish a magazine comes from a bank if it is a smaller publication, where you can take out a loan. However, larger publications may need to require shareholders or investors. Whether the money is from the bank or investors you still need to prove that the product will provide a good return in investment, making lots of profit!
17. Vinyl could be produced by a major magazine producer such as Condé Nast Publications who have published magazines such as vogue, GQ, vanity fair, house and garden and many more. This is because it has not published a music magazine as of yet, or anything aimed mainly at teens (except for teen vogue). The company emphasizes on magazines focussing on a particular class or interest, this is known as a lifestyle magazine. Although they interest in fashion they also focus on other interests so i think a teen music magazine with interest in fashion would fit in well. I think my magazine looks sophisticated enough as it has a professional looking masthead similar to those seen on vogue and harpers bazaar. The only problem I think my magazine would have is the bands featured as they are mainly British, however vogue has a different magazines for 18 countries. The photograph also fits the style of magazines published by the company as it is of the model on a plain background which is similar to the photography used in vogue.
18. Who would be the audience for your media product?
19. The target audience for Vinyl is teenage girls from 16 to around 23, most likely to be students. I have kept the audience profile I created earlier in the project in mind though out creating vinyl. The fonts I have chosen appeal to women as the handwritten type font (arsenale white) and the masthead’s font (editorial) are appealing in different ways, arsenale white and the handwritten type font on the contents are very delicate and pretty which stereotypically interest females so will appeal to them. The tall thin font on the masthead looks sophisticated which is also appealing to girls getting more mature, transforming into sophisticated women. The cartoon ‘T’ on the double page spread (DPS) is playful and fun to appeal to a younger audience. The colour purple in the scheme is also stereotypically ‘girly’ so therefore it is appealing. The slogan “shh..” is playful yet innocent which may also draw in the girls attention as it is not taking itself too seriously, looking fun and up beat. It is similar to POP magazine which has a fairly similar style of cover, POP appeals to females with an interest in fashion varying from teens to early 30’s. The photography used appeals to the indie genre and the clothing & props (acoustic guitar) used, all make connotations to indie style music. The bands mentioned on the contents & coverlines are all defined as part of the indie genre.
20. Vinyl is suited well to the age group and sex specified, it also matches their background information as it is quirky yet modern and is different to other music magazines, as it is aimed at females! It also includes fashion which is different to other music magazines, and therefore would attract this audience’s custom! I think that vinyl has kept to the “likes” section very well! As it is retro, arty, has different photography and editing and also relates to art and fashion! Vinyl presents indie, acoustic and live music very well! And the contents page mentions unpopular bands! So I think it has captured the audience’s musical interests really well!
22. My magazine attracts teenage girls with an indie style as it uses fashion rather than props on the cover to relate to them. From the indie style outfit you can make the necessary connotations towards the indie genre. This is similar to the fly, they both use iconography in the title, and they both use very minimal converlines. They have the slogan in a similar place which looks sophisticated. The colour schemes are fairly similar using black, white and a bright contrasting colour. Vinyl has a unique selling point, as the front cover has a very sophisticated appearance, mixed with fresh young photos, bands and the playful slogan “shh..” adds a cheeky feel to the magazine. The artistic fonts and chic colour scheme would also attract my target audience, as the editing is quirky picking out colour only on the lips and tights, this may appeal to their artistic interests. The bands listed give a really good indication of what vinyl includes, this I feel would be the selling point, as it would attract audience interest, as the bands are of an indie genre and are successful within the indie music industry! The reader can therefore connote that the magazine will interest them!
23. The Polaroid frames, notebook, playing card and clapperboard, are rather random and quirky and break the common conventions, which would appeal to my target audience’s artistic interest. The objects remind me of the art by Audrey Flack. I have used six smaller photo’s rather than one large photo, the will entice the reader giving them a taste of what to expect in later pages. It may also appeal to their photography interests. Kerrang uses a similar style. The quirky images could be an iconic part of the magazine to attract the target audience and gain regular and loyal readership. However the banner running through the contents and double page spread is iconic, as it identifies the magazine as being vinyl. The iconography used may attract readers as it looks professional, gaining reputability, which will attract them to future and current issues.
24. The cartoon fonts are artistic and are stereotypically aimed at a younger age group. This is appealing as it looks playful and fun, so you can connote a laid back approach to the interview! It is similar to the font used here! I have use colloquial language to relate to the reader and using the first person and rhetorical questions builds a relationship between us, this may entice the reader and be an effective selling point, as it is easy to read and understand! And covers everyday topics and celebrity topics (e.g. On tour)! The photography uses a mix of poses and emotions, there is serious connoting attitude, a playful pout, and casually with the guitar. This may appeal to the audience’s photographic interests and also their interest in fashion as it displays a stylish indie outfit! The colour scheme runs through the three pages, however I have used a watercolour brush around the page in an opaque purple, and a pink/purple at the bottom of the page, this stereotypically attracts girls, I think I have used it in an artistic way, creating a watercolour pattern which is appealing.
25. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
26. Throughout making Vinyl I have developed my Photoshop skills and general IT skills. I have downloaded brushes and fonts and learnt how to extract them onto Photoshop. I have become a lot more confident in using Photoshop as from my earlier mock ups my cutting skills were extremely poor but since then I have learnt to feather the edge of what I cut creating a professional finish. I have learnt also how to replace colours, (e.g. The once red lipstick is now purple) at first this looked very amateur but I have since learn how to make it look smooth and more professional. I have also become a lot more confident at using layers within Photoshop, I found that adjusting the colours (e.g. Brightness & contrast, hue etc.) very useful in making the photographs looks professional and of a better quality. The tool I found most useful was the magnetic lasso as I used it to edit almost every photograph.
40. Looking back at the preliminary task I have discovered that from my research and planning I can have a much broader idea of how I want my magazine to look as I can look at others to influence me. It has also allowed me to create mock ups and test ideas and also develop my Photoshop skills in a more sophisticated and professional way, as before when I cut parts out it looked rough and very amateur, whereas now it is smooth and polished. Another weakness I had when doing the preliminary was that I was not brave so kept the skills very basic only cutting geometric shapes, whereas now I can cut figures successfully. The font was all the same which I now realise was not a successful image, and now I have learnt to download fonts it looks far more successful and professional, so I now feel very confident with Photoshop. Overall I think my magazine is very successful and I am very pleased with the outcome, as when I started the coursework I doubted my editing abilities, but have since proved myself wrong, so I am extremely happy with the final piece, I feel my hard work has paid off.
41. The Journey Of Improvement.. I think that my preliminary looks very amateur from the one font scheme and the common colour scheme. I think the graphics look unprofessional along with the photography, I have learnt a lot from making Vinyl, my skills have developed greatly, which I can see from the quality of my preliminary compared to my final contents, cover and double page spread.
