Friday 4 May 2012

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt from the progression of it to the full product?


What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?


How did you attract/address your audience?


Who would be the audience for your media product?


What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?


How does your media product represent particular social groups?


In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media poducts?











Audience Survey Evaluation

Audience Survey Evaluation

Front Cover

1. What do you associate with the name (masthead) of the magazine?

'Lets go for it' - a magazine that challenges ideals
Specialist, taking control 
Being the first to achieve something
Innovation
Trying to be different and unique

2. What does the main image on the front cover make you think of?

Alternative Style/ Curious individual
Dedication to a band 
Intrigues you, want to know more about phases
A restless soul
Unique individuals


3. Which of the cover stories do you find most interesting?
All but one thought the most interesting arrticle was the one featured about 'Phases'. The other preferred '7 day tour diary: sonic youth'. This is good as I wanted the cover story to be the most appealing. 

4. Is the front cover appealing?
  • Yes    5
  • No     0
Give a reason for your answer:

Eye-catching shot of girl with a quirky look
Very bold
Simple and easy to read
Informative 


5. Which of the following age groups would you think the magazine is targetted towards?
  • 12-15 year olds    0
  • 16-18 year olds    0
  • 19-24 year olds    5
  • 25-35 year olds    0
  • 36+                            0
6. Which gender do you think this magazine is targetting?
  • Male                         0
  • Female                    0
  • Both                         5  

This is good as the magazine was in fact targeted towards both men and female, however, more so men than women. 

7. Which genre of music would you associate with the cover of the magazine?
  • Rock
  • Pop
  • Alternative         5
  • Indie
  • Dance
  • Rap
  • Other (Please State)........................

8. Is the layout of the front cover effective?
  • Yes         5
  • No          0

Contents Page

9. Is the layout of the contents page clear and easy to use?
  • Yes        5      
  • No         0
10. Is the contents page attractive to look at?
  • Yes        5
  • No         0 
11. Does the contents page resemble a page from a music magazine?
  • Yes       5
  • No        0 
12. Does the contents page include all the neccesary information you would expect to find on this page?
  • Yes       5
  • No        0
Double Page Spread

13. Is the contents of the article of interest to you?
  • Yes     5
  • No      0
Give a reason for your answer:

Shows the story behind the band 
It focuses on day to day life and their music preferences
Gives the back story to the band  
Shows where they are going in their career and their insecurities 
Genre of music I like, good detail on background as well as present work 

14. Does the headline make you want to read the article?
  • Yes      5
  • No       0

15. Does the main image represent the content of the article successfully?
  • Yes     5
  • No      0
16. Are the subsidiary images effective?
  • Yes    5
  • No     0
17. How would you rate the layout of the article? Please circle a number:
       
      Bad < 1 2 3 4 5 > Good

Three people scored me a five, while the remaining two gave me a four. I am pleased witht his as all results are on the top end of the scale.  

18. Would you buy the magazine at cost price, this being £3.99?
  • Yes     3
  • No       0
19. How would you rate the overall quality of the front cover, contents page and double page spread?
      Please circle a number:
     
      Bad < 1 2 3 4 5 > Good 


Again the same three people gave me a five here, whilst the other two gave me a four.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Evaluation: Audience Survey

Music Magazine Evaluation
Audience Survey

Front Cover

1. What do you associate with the name (masthead) of the magazine?

2. What does the main image on the front cover make you think of?

3. Which of the cover stories do you find most interesting?

4. Is the front cover appealing?
  • Yes
  • No
Give a reason for your answer:


5. Which of the following age groups would you think the magazine is targetted towards?
  • 12-15 year olds
  • 16-18 year olds    
  • 19-24 year olds
  • 25-35 year olds
  • 36+
6. Which gender do you think this magazine is targetting?
  • Male
  • Female
  • Both
7. Which genre of music would you associate with the cover of the magazine?
  • Rock
  • Pop
  • Alternative
  • Indie
  • Dance
  • Rap
  • Other (Please State)........................

8. Is the layout of the front cover effective?
  • Yes
  • No

Contents Page

9. Is the layout of the contents page clear and easy to use?
  • Yes
  • No
10. Is the contents page attractive to look at?
  • Yes
  • No
11. Does the contents page resemble a page from a music magazine?
  • Yes
  • No
12. Does the contents page include all the neccesary information you would expect to find on this page?
  • Yes
  • No
Double Page Spread

13. Is the contents of the article of interest to you?
  • Yes
  • No
Give a reason for your answer:


14. Does the headline make you want to read the article?
  • Yes
  • No

15. Does the main image represent the content of the article successfully?
  • Yes
  • No
16. Are the subsidiary images effective?
  • Yes
  • No
17. How would you rate the layout of the article? Please circle a number:
       
      Bad < 1 2 3 4 5 > Good

18. Would you buy the magazine at cost price, this being £3.99?
  • Yes
  • No
19. How would you rate the overall quality of the front cover, contents page and double page spread?
      Please circle a number:
     
      Bad < 1 2 3 4 5 > Good 







Sunday 25 March 2012

What makes an effective contents page?

  • Clearly catagorised (regulars, features, etc)
  • Range of images to draw in the reader (around 5-6)
  • Clear layout
  • Clearly labelled page numbers

Updated Double Spread



I intend on changing the heading, and also its font and colour. I also need to add to the right hand column where I will add photos of albums, as this is intended to be an album recommendation section.

Updated Front Cover


Thursday 1 March 2012

Double Page Articles I Like


The picture in this particular double spread article is the main focus as it takes up the majority of the page. I also noticed that they have only used one image, and you'd think that it would have subsidary imges to intrigue the reader more. This article has a very simplistic design but i think the image makes up for this. The image is very striking and instantly grabs your attention.



I like the use of two different styles of font for the headline, I think this is very efffective. I also like the colour scheme with the black font on the white background. This is simple yet effective. The other think that I particuarly liked about this is the main image.





Sunday 26 February 2012

Double Spread Article So Far



                                                          

Double Spread Images

Below are a series of photos I took for my double spread article:












Monday 20 February 2012

Contents Page Analysis

I have evaluated the contents pages from three different music magazines to get a feel of how they work in terms of layout, design and content.


This particular contents page is from NME. The first thing that stood out to me was the colour scheme, this is  very basic only using black and white. The minimal choices of colour makes the reader focus on the images, which draws their attention to a particular article. In regards to the images, it is clear that they are representing the more exciting and biggest features,or the articles that would appeal to the majority of it's readers. By doing this, their audience are more likely to buy the magazine.
   By each picture is a large number indicating the page number, making it clear and  simple for the reader to find what they are looking for. Under each image is a quote or  sell line giving the reader a glimmer of what to expect from the article. Although it does this to intrigue the reader, along with the images, the only thing I would negatively comment on the text all being in black. If the quotes or  sell lines were of a different colour the text would jump out more on the page. This may help in getting readers even more. Apart from this, I think this contents page is very effective. It still gives all the information to the reader effectively despite the simple design. People  may be more likely to pay attention if there is less going on in the page rather than being overloaded with too much.



This contents page has included their masthead at the top putting their label on the page as a 'Q' magazine and I also like the fact they have the image of the current magazine cover in the top right hand corner of the page.
Similar to NME, Q also uses images to draw attention to the biggest/ most popular articles and features, however it goes into more detail through text to elaborate further. Q have categorized the magazines content into sections making it easier for the reader to find what they need to more quickly. The fact that Q have used more colour, brings the page to life. Again just like NME, they have included the page numbers on the pictures, making it even easier for them to access the most popular, biggest features easily and quickly.


Again like Q, Mojo have put their label on the page by placing the masthead at the top of the page, which stands out. I like the use of the image covering the whole background of the page, and i think its very effective with it being in black and white. This allows the focus to remain on the text. This is another example of simplistic contents page that still works effectively. I like use of red text, as it stands out on the page.

Over the three contents  pages I have looked at I have noticed how they have all used the same colour scheme - red, black and white. They all use a limited amount of colour on the page so the focus isn't taken off the main purpose of a contents page. Also, they all use a range of images and text in order to get the information across to the reader as effectively as possible.

Sunday 19 February 2012

Edited front cover image

This is the final image for my cover now it has been edited:

Now I have a new image, I plan to change the overall colour scheme so it will be more appealing to the eye, as I know feel with this image I am able to do more with colour. Also, now the person in the image is more central to the image I feel it will be easier to see what works in terms of layout. 

Tuesday 14 February 2012

New Front Cover Image

Here is the new image for the front cover of my magazine:


I plan to take away the background and place the image on either a white or grey background. I wanted an image that was striking yet natural at the same time.

Sunday 29 January 2012

The main image currently on my front cover was only temporary as I had problems with models. I'm going to re take the image, however I have decided to keep the same model. I don't think the current image draws you in enough, and I think if I take a new image with the central to the page, it will also make it easier in terms of layout and design.

Monday 16 January 2012

Main Article: Second Draft

Phase Two
On the approach of their new album, "#2", Phases talk about their busy year, working with new producer and the excitement of touring with Arcade Fire.
   Phases, the blues rock trio, who bring a new life and energy to rock on their new album, (album name), come from Camden, London, which is where we find the lead singer, Alexi Jenkins. Despite the success of their debut, there is still an unease about her presence. It is clear that Phases still aren't comfortablewith all the hype that has built over the past year, and they seem unanaware of how successful they could be: "When we were recording songs in Johnny's apartment and performing in local pubs to about ten people each night, to people who didn't understnd why we wanted to be part of band, not one of us realised how quickly we would spring up into the limelight.", says Alexis. The success of the band has overwhelmed Phases, it all came at once Alexis states, "It just seemed to click and everything just came together for the band. We've had an extremely hectic year, but we've loved every minute of it!".
   Phases were founded by Alexis herself, she met Johnny, the lead guitarist of the band, when they both started the same school. Both Alexis and Johnny knew they wanted to create music very early on, this realisation being caused by the long conversations they had about their similar music tastes. "We were both as passionate about music as one another, and loved all the same bands, and so one day just decided to start a band. We were always the quiet kids in school. We would be playing music all day indoors, whilst every other kid our age were out socialising.". Music had obviously been a big part of their lives, even back then, however, they both went seperate ways when they decided to go to university. The band didn't stay apart for long though, as they both realised that making music was what they wanted to do all along. The bond between them was created when rebelling against the strictness and traditionality of music within the grammar school. The band allowed them to push music in new directions. This time inspirations grew from their previous grunge rock sound, where they recruited Mark Thomas, now drummer of the band. Alexis explains how "Mark definately brought a lot to the band, definately in terms of it's sound. Being new to the band, he was eager to experiment with different sounds and concepts, which ultimately helped in finding the overall sound of Phases today.
   Phases have definately come a long way since the early days of their career spent playing to people who didn't appreciate what they were doing, however it seems worth it as they are now a well recognized band for the fans of the alternative/ underground scene. The sound developed by Mark, has now been further developed by the addition of new producer, Danger Mouse, creating a more maturer sounding record. Alexis explains how they came to work with him: "We were in the studio, as was he at the time, and overheard some of our demos. He said he would love to work with us, and we jumped at the chance! he was also currently working with The Black Keys at the time, which we are all huge fans of, and seeing the success they'd had, it seemed too good an oppurtunity to turn down."
   "We were proud of our debut, but we knew we could push our ideas and sound further". It is obvious that Phases knew what they wanted to achieve on this record, and the addition of Danger Mouse has definately worked in their favour. Stand out tracks include, "I got you", "Indigo" and "Invisible"  which create the core basis of the album, bringing in nostalgic sounds with layers of blues infused guitar. The influence of this album is evident with the pure sense of nostalgia you get from just the first listen which is fundamental in such an experimental record.
   "#2" has made Phases a great contender for best album of 2011, with the nomination of 'Best Breakthrough Artist'. To add to such hype, Phases have also been added to BBC sound of 2012. With all this already behind the band, they have recently been booked to support Arcade Fire on their upcoming UK tour. This has made them one step closer to bringing phases huge amounts of popularity, and seeing their potential on their second album, they have a long road ahead of them yet.

The new album, '#2' will be released on the 9th February. For more information visit www.pioneermusic.com

Main Article: First Draft

Phases, the blues rock trio who bring a new life to rock on new album, " come from Camden, London, which is where we find the lead singer, Alexis Jenkins. Despite the success of their debut, there is still an unease about her presence. It is clear that Phases still aren't comfortable with all the hype that has builded over the past year, they obviously still haven't got used to the attention. They seem unaware of how successful they could be: " When we were recording songs in Johnny's apartment and performing in local pubs to about ten people, to people who didn't understand why we wanted to be part of a band, not one of us realised how quickly we would spring up into the limelight.", says Alexis. The success of the band has overwhelmed Phases, it has all come at once as Alexis states, "It just all seemed to click and everything just came together for the band. We've had an extremely hectic year, but we've loved every minute of it.".
   Phases have definately come a long way since the early days of their career spent playing to people who didn't appreciate what they were doing, however, is seems worth it as they are now a well recognozised band for the fans of alternative/underground scene. The gritty sound of their debut, has now transformed into a more mature sounding record, with the help of their new producer, Danger Mouse.  Alexis explains how they came to work with him: "We were in the studio, as was he at the time, and heard some of our demos. He said he'd love to work with us, and we jumped at the chance! He was also currently working with The Black Keys at the time, who we are all huge fans of. It just felt like too good an oppurtunity to turn down.".
  "We didn't want to make an album that everyone expected of us, and didn't want to be the band that kept doing the same thing, album after album.", and this they certainly haven't. With the addition of Danger Mouse, Phases have created their best album yet. "We were proud of our first album, but we knew we could push our ideas and our sound further.". It is obvious that Phases know in their own mind what they wanted to achieve, and they definately know what they're doing, and this is definately working.
   This blues infuzed guitar sound has made them a huge contender for some of the best music of 2011. Supporting Arcade Fire on their current UK tour is just one step closer to bringing them huge amounts of populatity, and seeing what they can do on just their second album, they have a long road ahead of them yet.