In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real music magazines?
My media product mainly challenges the norms and conventions surrounding music magazines as I have taken a more abstract approach to each of my pages. This hasn't been entirely successful because each page looks different and some look like they don't really they belong in the same magazine as there is little consistency in the theme.However I'm glad that I included something different and original in each page and each page communicated different topics highlighted in the PBRnB genre. The PBrNB genre itself does not follow the norms present in the music industry and there is lots of experimenting which leads to different unique styles.
I wanted the front page to have a sinister feel to it, and I wanted to communicate this without holding back or sugar coating any of the writing or symbolism involved in the magazine. This was done to imitate the bluntness and sheer honesty some artists from the genre have in the lyrics, regardless of public opinion - their authenticity is clearly communicated in their songs. I noticed that in most magazines, the creator plays with aspects like power rather than emotions or thoughts so I decided to experiment and try to present the artist though his thoughts without falsely trying to make him look more powerful for the front page. The page is mainly dark, and has a contrasting purple accent to give the page some kind of theme in hopes to attract people. I should have definitely put more attention towards the masterhead as it lacks boldness and doesn't really do the rest of the page justice, I am particularly disappointed with it because I have seen how powerful masterheads can be in other magazines.
The Contents Page was more experimental but I think I achieved the connotations of psychedelics and drug use from the blurry distorted writing and colourful background, but this wasn't influenced by any pages from previous magazines. Parts of it were influenced by artwork related to artists who openly communicate their experiences with these types of drugs. The colourful background was inspired by the acid rap mixtape cover and other images with a similar effect.
The double page spread is the one that looks the least abstract. This is because I tried to follow the conventions I researched for a double page spread. This was the only page where the influence was strictly from other magazines rather than individual images or artwork surrounding the PBRnB genre and as a consequence it looks less experimental than the others. For me, the most successful area of my double page spread is the colour variation which was completely unplanned, but I think the contrastingly coloured pages fit nicely together.
Friday, 29 April 2016
Evaluation question 2
How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
My media doesn't really highlight
representations of particular social groups, rather a type of lifestyle or
state of mind. As you can see, clothing is not a factor I wanted to emphasise
in any of my pages, instead the main focus was the thoughts of the artist -
people are supposed to interpret them through their lyrics rather than their
physical appearance.
In what I have produced, there are
connotations of drug use and emotional instability, this is communicated
through the writing on the front page.
These topics are addressed consistently but represented in different ways, be
it through colour variations or symbolism through the appearance of text or the
ways the images are edited. The three images above the main image in the front
cover was an attempt at symbolically representing the three parts of the human
personality, the id, ego and superego to communicate indecisiveness and self
conflict.
The magazine bluntly communicates
negative thoughts or feelings people compress to appear more civil in society,
this is done frequently the music. It is an attempt to represent the repressed,
often neglected side that many people have that makes them question their
morality.
As far as actual people, the magazine is a reflection of the way artists from the genre represent themselves through their lyrics. The average PBrNB artist is a young adult from around early to mid twenties, as the artists are so honest, they are viewed as heartless narcissistic animals who only care about sex, delusional and emotionally scarred. This is not the way I attempt to represent these artists but I am going to stay true to their personality - so they may be viewed like this by certain, more civilised and mature groups of people. There are often references to the nightlife and drug use so, you'd imagine that the people represented by the genre often attend house parties and clubs in attempts to temporarily engage with whoever they a sexually attracted to.
As far as actual people, the magazine is a reflection of the way artists from the genre represent themselves through their lyrics. The average PBrNB artist is a young adult from around early to mid twenties, as the artists are so honest, they are viewed as heartless narcissistic animals who only care about sex, delusional and emotionally scarred. This is not the way I attempt to represent these artists but I am going to stay true to their personality - so they may be viewed like this by certain, more civilised and mature groups of people. There are often references to the nightlife and drug use so, you'd imagine that the people represented by the genre often attend house parties and clubs in attempts to temporarily engage with whoever they a sexually attracted to.
Evaluation question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
My magazine is going to be distributed through the Google play store as it is becoming a hot spot for magazine distribution and requires less work for the consumer to gain access to it. This makes it easier for me to distribute my magazine internationally without having to pay for shipping or printing - as it is a virtual copy. My aim is to start selling issues for 99p on the Play store as it is not to expenses but i'm willing to put it on there free of charge because for my Product, publicity is the priority. more people are likely to read the magazine if it is free, as it is the start, I don't care about profit - I am seeking exposure.
I will be looking to have Bauer Media Group distribute my magazine as they have distributed Q magazines which take risks by promoting experimental artists like lady Gaga, so they are experienced with dealing with magazine production companies that take risks in introducing different things to the public. A magazine like mine is risky to distribute as it barely follows the traditional magazine conventions and there are parts of it that spark controversy - like the scribbled out face in the main image of the magazine.
My magazine is going to be distributed through the Google play store as it is becoming a hot spot for magazine distribution and requires less work for the consumer to gain access to it. This makes it easier for me to distribute my magazine internationally without having to pay for shipping or printing - as it is a virtual copy. My aim is to start selling issues for 99p on the Play store as it is not to expenses but i'm willing to put it on there free of charge because for my Product, publicity is the priority. more people are likely to read the magazine if it is free, as it is the start, I don't care about profit - I am seeking exposure.
I will be looking to have Bauer Media Group distribute my magazine as they have distributed Q magazines which take risks by promoting experimental artists like lady Gaga, so they are experienced with dealing with magazine production companies that take risks in introducing different things to the public. A magazine like mine is risky to distribute as it barely follows the traditional magazine conventions and there are parts of it that spark controversy - like the scribbled out face in the main image of the magazine.
Evaluation question 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my magazine would mainly be from 16 - 25 as that is the age where people usually experience stress because they are introduced to a version of the world that alters their perception of life negatively. The PBRnB genre stems from people venting about negative aspects of their lives and people communicating relatable feelings of hopelessness, whether that is in regards to financial issues or flawed attempts at finding love. These topics are relevant for people between this age group. At sixteen, most people want to explore and learn by experiencing new things which is often done through music. This is why the majority of these people seek music outside of what they had previously been pressured into listening to by their social surroundings. The magazine targets individuals from the same age group that is targeted through the PBrNB music genre as the magazine is influenced by the genre in nearly every single way.
Most people choose to listen to artists from this genre as most of the artists are un-afraid to communicate their hardships and emotional state to their audience, regardless of how outrageous that seems and this creates unity between the listener and content creator. Fans tend to stick around to follow the artists journey and each issue from my magazine attempts to highlight an artists current state. This is likely to attract most of the artists fans as these types of artists tend to reject public interviews, so the fans only know what the artists portray through their music. This often is an unintentionally good attempt at publicity because the artists creates a sense of mystery which tends to bring groups of people together out of curiosity in the artist.
The reason the magazine is also targeted at adolescents is because they are intrigued by things that are unfamiliar to them so topics like drugs and sex are likely to make them want to learn more about it through the content, regardless if the artists view regarding the subject is biased. Young people are also more likely to have the time and interest in these artists, so the magazine would be a way for them to engage with the artists beyond the music. I'd imagine that the reader of the magazine would be someone comfortable with being on their own because the music highlighted in the magazine is not likely to be heard by groups of people, these types of topics addressed provoke more of an intimate experience.
I intentionally gave the magazine a dark colour scheme as I wanted it to attract people who are currently in a dark place, so they have someone to relate to and feel less alone in their lonely world. this all sound depressing but the magazine isn't an attempt at promoting this negativity, it is merely accepting that it exists and allows for artists to communicate their feelings from another medium.
The audience for my magazine would mainly be from 16 - 25 as that is the age where people usually experience stress because they are introduced to a version of the world that alters their perception of life negatively. The PBRnB genre stems from people venting about negative aspects of their lives and people communicating relatable feelings of hopelessness, whether that is in regards to financial issues or flawed attempts at finding love. These topics are relevant for people between this age group. At sixteen, most people want to explore and learn by experiencing new things which is often done through music. This is why the majority of these people seek music outside of what they had previously been pressured into listening to by their social surroundings. The magazine targets individuals from the same age group that is targeted through the PBrNB music genre as the magazine is influenced by the genre in nearly every single way.
Most people choose to listen to artists from this genre as most of the artists are un-afraid to communicate their hardships and emotional state to their audience, regardless of how outrageous that seems and this creates unity between the listener and content creator. Fans tend to stick around to follow the artists journey and each issue from my magazine attempts to highlight an artists current state. This is likely to attract most of the artists fans as these types of artists tend to reject public interviews, so the fans only know what the artists portray through their music. This often is an unintentionally good attempt at publicity because the artists creates a sense of mystery which tends to bring groups of people together out of curiosity in the artist.
The reason the magazine is also targeted at adolescents is because they are intrigued by things that are unfamiliar to them so topics like drugs and sex are likely to make them want to learn more about it through the content, regardless if the artists view regarding the subject is biased. Young people are also more likely to have the time and interest in these artists, so the magazine would be a way for them to engage with the artists beyond the music. I'd imagine that the reader of the magazine would be someone comfortable with being on their own because the music highlighted in the magazine is not likely to be heard by groups of people, these types of topics addressed provoke more of an intimate experience.
I intentionally gave the magazine a dark colour scheme as I wanted it to attract people who are currently in a dark place, so they have someone to relate to and feel less alone in their lonely world. this all sound depressing but the magazine isn't an attempt at promoting this negativity, it is merely accepting that it exists and allows for artists to communicate their feelings from another medium.
Evaluation question 5
How did you attract / address your audience?
For the front page I decided to make the sell lines a compilation of thoughts that seem a bit exaggerated but address issues a lot of people (especially young people) don't really have first hand experience with. Topics like drug abuse, depression and delusion are expressed very briefly through these sell lines which gives the potential consumer a glimpse of topics they may be interested in because they don't really know anything about them. Adolescents lack experience of the real world and introducing them to topics like this will likely intrigue them, especially because they are talked about in popular music - but not with such bluntness and honesty.
The font I decided to use for the front page is the 'Reckoner' font. I used this font because it is bold and it has a sinister feel to it. I made the colour white to contrast the background so it appears clearly on the page. Initially the scribbled face effect I did was an experiment but I thought it complemented the page nicely. I deliberately kept the scribbled face on the main image as that part of the page received the most attention, it was a controversial decision but it gained a lot of attention so I kept it like this in attempt to gain the same type of response from the public. Unfamiliar things either create fear or intrigue people - both start a conversation, and i'm aiming for the most publicity I can get.
I also mentioned that my artist is working with a familiar artist in the music industry (partynextdoor) who also makes music from the pbrnb genre. This allows for a larger potential audience as it may also attract some of partynextdoors fans.
For the front page I decided to make the sell lines a compilation of thoughts that seem a bit exaggerated but address issues a lot of people (especially young people) don't really have first hand experience with. Topics like drug abuse, depression and delusion are expressed very briefly through these sell lines which gives the potential consumer a glimpse of topics they may be interested in because they don't really know anything about them. Adolescents lack experience of the real world and introducing them to topics like this will likely intrigue them, especially because they are talked about in popular music - but not with such bluntness and honesty.
The font I decided to use for the front page is the 'Reckoner' font. I used this font because it is bold and it has a sinister feel to it. I made the colour white to contrast the background so it appears clearly on the page. Initially the scribbled face effect I did was an experiment but I thought it complemented the page nicely. I deliberately kept the scribbled face on the main image as that part of the page received the most attention, it was a controversial decision but it gained a lot of attention so I kept it like this in attempt to gain the same type of response from the public. Unfamiliar things either create fear or intrigue people - both start a conversation, and i'm aiming for the most publicity I can get.
I also mentioned that my artist is working with a familiar artist in the music industry (partynextdoor) who also makes music from the pbrnb genre. This allows for a larger potential audience as it may also attract some of partynextdoors fans.
Evaluation question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I used a canon DSLR for the photoshoot. With the camera I was able to play different features that affect each shot, I experimented with the focus, white balance and exposure of each shot and unitentionally came across a strange effect. When the battery was low the shot took a while to produce and had a blured effect, showing capturing the movement that occured while the shot was taken and it had a unique artistic effect but I was contemplating whether or not it was appropriate for my magazine.
When organising my research, I used powerpoint to make
moodboards so I could categorise inspirational artwork and different magazine
conventions. I also used powerpoint for my presentation, however on reflection
it may have been more effective to present my ideas through prezi because it
has more aesthetic value, nonetheless powerpoint didn't fail functionally and
was successful in chronologically showing the research I produced before
production.
I used onedrive to save my work online in case something went wrong with the computers I was working on, or my usb got lost. It was frustrating trying to get my work from onedrive to the computer at school because the software that filters inappropriate sites prevented me from directly downloading the work on the computer. I used an apple mac for the majority of my magazine production but the versions of photoshop changed halfway through the year, they got updated to CS6 as soon as I finished my contents page. Admittedly there were some complications at the beginning as some of the preferences were altered because of the update but I was able to learn some new commands and change some settings in the process.
I used a canon DSLR for the photoshoot. With the camera I was able to play different features that affect each shot, I experimented with the focus, white balance and exposure of each shot and unitentionally came across a strange effect. When the battery was low the shot took a while to produce and had a blured effect, showing capturing the movement that occured while the shot was taken and it had a unique artistic effect but I was contemplating whether or not it was appropriate for my magazine.
Through a lot of experimenting I was able to learn a lot about photoshop. Using the magnet lasso tool and other cropping tools I was able to experiment with the layout of text and images on each page. Filters were helpful but gave the page a cheap feel. I was able to work with the colour by changing the hue, saturation and brightness, and that was how I was able to create the colour theme on my double page spread. I was also able to edit my illustration for my contents page through photoshop, using fill effect and some uni-colour filters I was able to make it appear more like it was drawn on the computer. Adobe illustrator may have been an easier alternative but I didn't have access to a bamboo pad so the drawings would have been less accurate.
I used onedrive to save my work online in case something went wrong with the computers I was working on, or my usb got lost. It was frustrating trying to get my work from onedrive to the computer at school because the software that filters inappropriate sites prevented me from directly downloading the work on the computer. I used an apple mac for the majority of my magazine production but the versions of photoshop changed halfway through the year, they got updated to CS6 as soon as I finished my contents page. Admittedly there were some complications at the beginning as some of the preferences were altered because of the update but I was able to learn some new commands and change some settings in the process.
Evaluation Question 7
What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from your preliminary task to the full product?
It is apparent through my work that I have been learning while producing each page. I think my font choice is more appropriate, in my preliminary task there were various fonts randomly placed for no real reason, whereas in my current pages the fonts were selected carefully to suit the page and connote certain feelings.
In my preliminary task there was no context or real meaning behind the magazine but with current project i've been able to play around with colour and edit certain images to give the magazine meaning through sybolism. This allowed me to experiment more with different tools and I was able to apply different effects to different areas on my pages that I never knew existed. I'm glad I was able to work on three pages for the full product as this gave me more of a chance to progressively learn things. At the begining the attention to detail was poor and this resulted in badly cropped images and untidy arrangement of text - this changed when producing the second magazine as I discovered the quick select tool and different lasso tools which helped crop the images more accurately. I also had a better understanding of resolution and dimensions once I started the actual product.
The shots for my current project were planned out more thoroughly than the ones for the preliminary task as each photo had to communicate a certain feeling or hint at certain situations the artist was in. I did a storyboard before the shoot for the actual magazine but for the preliminary task cover I didn't plan at all.I had to follow the concept of mise en scene to convey certain aspects of the artist's life which could be deciphered from, lighting, props, positions; facial expressions had to be specific. In the preliminary task, the aim was to take a photo that I thought just looked good without wanting to portray a specific message.
There were some things I wish I had learned earlier that would have made the production process a lot more easy. During the time I was making my first two pages, I wasn't aware that I could download fonts from the computers at school because I assumed that the action was blocked, so all the text in the first two pages were from cropped screenshots - this was extremely time consuming but I prefered that rather than the pre-installed fonts on Photoshop.
Through experimenting I was able to create different colour combinations, admittedly, to begin with they looked pretty bad but as I progressed I was able to create some colour themes that nicely complimented the individual pages. I also changed the lighting in some of the photos I took through photoshop so they fit better on the page. As I experimented I found myself taking more risks by furthering myself from the standard coventions, mainly in the first two pages - which explains the more abstact appearance.
It is apparent through my work that I have been learning while producing each page. I think my font choice is more appropriate, in my preliminary task there were various fonts randomly placed for no real reason, whereas in my current pages the fonts were selected carefully to suit the page and connote certain feelings.
In my preliminary task there was no context or real meaning behind the magazine but with current project i've been able to play around with colour and edit certain images to give the magazine meaning through sybolism. This allowed me to experiment more with different tools and I was able to apply different effects to different areas on my pages that I never knew existed. I'm glad I was able to work on three pages for the full product as this gave me more of a chance to progressively learn things. At the begining the attention to detail was poor and this resulted in badly cropped images and untidy arrangement of text - this changed when producing the second magazine as I discovered the quick select tool and different lasso tools which helped crop the images more accurately. I also had a better understanding of resolution and dimensions once I started the actual product.
The shots for my current project were planned out more thoroughly than the ones for the preliminary task as each photo had to communicate a certain feeling or hint at certain situations the artist was in. I did a storyboard before the shoot for the actual magazine but for the preliminary task cover I didn't plan at all.I had to follow the concept of mise en scene to convey certain aspects of the artist's life which could be deciphered from, lighting, props, positions; facial expressions had to be specific. In the preliminary task, the aim was to take a photo that I thought just looked good without wanting to portray a specific message.
There were some things I wish I had learned earlier that would have made the production process a lot more easy. During the time I was making my first two pages, I wasn't aware that I could download fonts from the computers at school because I assumed that the action was blocked, so all the text in the first two pages were from cropped screenshots - this was extremely time consuming but I prefered that rather than the pre-installed fonts on Photoshop.
Through experimenting I was able to create different colour combinations, admittedly, to begin with they looked pretty bad but as I progressed I was able to create some colour themes that nicely complimented the individual pages. I also changed the lighting in some of the photos I took through photoshop so they fit better on the page. As I experimented I found myself taking more risks by furthering myself from the standard coventions, mainly in the first two pages - which explains the more abstact appearance.
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