Evaluation: Question 7- Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the production from that to the final product?

Music Magazine.....................College Magazine

FRONT COVER: 

-The most obvious difference is the quality of the main image.This is also due to the professional quality of the SLR's in comparison to the digital camera's.

-My college magazine image is extremely yellow whereas my music magazine is a lot cleaner and brighter. The relationship between model and camera/audience is a lot more intense.

-There is a lot of space on my college magazine and the gray background seems to wash all the text and image.

-Laura is the main image and takes up the whole front cover. The text structure and colours are all placed to compliment her and draw focus to her.

- In my music magazine, there has been the inclusion of issue number, website and bar code. This makes it appear more authentic than my college magazine. 

-The masthead is more original and not a cliche font that has been adopted a thousand times before for the genre.

-I played around more with tools such a paint bucket, magic wand, drop shadow and shapes for my music magazine. My college magazine is very simple and overall quite plain.

Contents Page:

- The amount of space is more than apparent on my college magazine contents page. In the time in between both projects, I learnt more about structure.

-My music magazine is a lot more eye-catching with the images being more in quantity, a better quality and nicer colours.

-My college magazine is quite garish, the red is definitely overpowering on top of the gray and the font is fairly bland.

-For my music magazine, I learnt a lot more on lighting, composition and saturation and how these work to make a really good photo. They seem to stand out a lot more in compared to the college magazine.

-As I was just becoming acquainted with photoshop for my college magazine, it lacks effects such as outer-glow, drop shadow, the use of the lasoo tool.

-I used the margins for my music magazine to create balance and proportionality. The same cannot be said for my college magazine...evidently.

Evaluation: Question 6- What have yopu learnt about technologies from the process of creating this product?

I used imovie to construct the accompanying video for my podcast (eg. October 18th 2010)

I then used it to edit and create my interview with Sophie (November 9th 2010)

 

Blogger has been consistently used throughout to keep a consistent record of our progress and research. I can see a clear development in my work and it also works in helping me stay organised.

 

 Prezi has been effective in creating my publication plan (23rd November 2010) and as part of the evaluation process. Through Prezi, I have found a more creative and dynamic way to present my work.

Photoshop is probably the most important piece of software as it was used to create my front cover, contents page and double page spread. It also helped in create the magazine for the preliminary task.

 

Without the Canon SLR, my music magazine wouldn't be half the quality it is now. The technology involved with this camera supplied some high standard photography; looking professional and clean.

 

Garageband was used in recording my podcast to be published on my blogger, (e.g November 2nd 2010) 

 

Evaluation: Question 5- How did you attract/address your audience?

Question 5 on Prezi

Evaluation: Question 4- Who is your target audience and why?

I have chosen 'Imogen' as my target audience because she emulates all that is symbolic and stereotyped for the whole 'folk/indie' scene.
Manchester is one of the poster cities for live and acoustic music so folk is a thriving genre. Imogen represents all the various traits I see out and about. Working for a live venue bar, this is a crowd I am immersed in as well, people and fans like 'Imogen' are the type of people I know and am friends with.

They seem to involve themselves in media based jobs or music related careers. There is a clear passion for vintage and creativity. Although with an eye for fashion, a lot of folk fans are detached from an overly consumerist society.

Although the quality of music within folk is impeccable, in whole- the entire scene appears to be style over substance a lot of the time.

Evaluation: Question 3 cont...

Contents Page, a photo by CareyHadgraft on Flickr.

Evalutation: Question 3 continued

Front Cover, a photo by CareyHadgraft on Flickr.

Evaluation: Question 3- What kind of media institution might distribute your magazine and why?

Double Page Spread, a photo by CareyHadgraft on Flickr.

Evaluation: Question 2- How does your media represent particular social groups?

Below you will see a picture of reputable musician Joni Mitchell; one of the founding artists in the folk movement of the 1960's and a woman still held in high regard today.

Although not a powerful or overly striking photo in terms of model, its demonstrates an effective use of mise-en-scene in regards to representing  the folk movement and all those who were apart of the scene at the time.

-As an artist, she appears shy, not self aware and almost detached from the camera.

-The way she closely cradles her instrument shows the relationship she has with music. 

-Her costume and presence make her blend into the background, her dress similar to the tree trunk.

-She is completely absorbed into her environment. 

-Folk appears removed from the commercial consumerist elements of music.

 

 There are elements within Joni's photograph which I then tried to emulate myself; a respectful homage with a contemporary twist. 

Costume, hair and make-up: 

My photo is much more stylized than the one of Joni to represent the current fashion and audience.

-Make-up has been kept within neutral tones: Light foundation and blusher with minimal mascara/eyeliner. Despite this, the application is still obvious but not over the top to maintain the natural theme.

-Costume although quite simple, are much more striking due to the varying patterns and tight fit, the contrast in materials with the cotton and lace. The light colours make her stand out from the background as oppose to blend in.

Laura's hair is bleached blonde (as similar to current folk artist Laura Marling...see below) and represents the fashion and folk audience today.

All this is to show how the movement has evolved and been embraced by the youth; breaking away from traditional folk stereotypes of old men, camp fires and banjo's. 

Props:

Like with most genre's, instruments are integral to the music. With folk, they are particularly symbolic and now serve as useful semiotics. 

- The violin and flute are now heart to most folk albums and are strongly recognised with the genre.

-The way she is holding them represents how they are an active part of her life, a similar relationship as demonstrated by Joni.

-The parasol is to show the more quirky/vintage/feminine elements of folk.

Location:

Set in woodland, it encompasses the same theme and tone of Joni Mitchell and that of many other folk artists; trees playing an important role. The variant in green, brown and orange colours help to make Laura stand out more.

Posture.Gesture. Expression:

The three different Laura's all have different relationships with the camera/viewer on this photo.

-The most honest and unaware picture is where she is playing the flute. She seems absorbed in her own world and completely removed from the camera and set-up situation.

-Each of Laura's posture is directly linked to her prop. Both the violin and flute images take on the stance of how the musician would hold the instrument and in turn hold themselves. They each look away from the camera. This is to grasp the similar feel of Joni's: Where music is the heart of their being.

 

Evaluation: Question 1- In What Way Does Your Magazine Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms And Conventions Of A Real Media Product?

Below is an imovie presentation of how my music magazine challenges and conforms to that of a 'real' media product.

CONTENTS PAGE FINAL PRODUCT

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD FINAL PRODUCT

FRONT COVER FINAL PRODUCT