Introduction To My Portfolio.

AS Media Portfolio Introduction

Amina Adan

Candidate Number: 6056

Centre Number: 12320

For my AS Media Portfolio, I was asked to create a music magazine of the genre of my choice, including a front cover, contents page and double page spread. Before doing this task, I analysed several different music magazines, as well as creating a college magazine as my preliminary task. I also had the chance to use Adobe Photoshop CS4 to create these. Before completing these tasks, I carried out different surveys as well as analysing my results and concluding with what to include.

By creating a college magazine, it gave me the chance to familiarise myself with Photoshop, as well as the different conventions that I would be including in my music magazine such as barcode’s, price tags as well as mastheads and selling prices. By completing this, I realised what I would include and how I would include it. Also, whilst taking the photograph’s for the college magazine, the different shot types I took made me realise what type of shots I’d like to take for my music magazine. Also keeping in mind the scenery background and the lighting and angle.

Once I completed my preliminary task, I evaluated my final product, comparing it to my draft and how it looked in the end. I also decided on things that I could have added. By completing this task, it made me have a much clearly view of the steps I’d be taking to complete and create my Music Magazine. 

Introduction to my Preliminary Task

First I completed my research study on what students would like to see in the College Magazine so I carried out a survey. Once I completed my research, I began to draft my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I had to make sure that my front cover had a medium close up image.Although my draft of the front cover contained an image of two people instead of one, I had changed it for my final cover. Lastly, once I finished my draft's and research; I began to take pictures for my front cover and contents page. Once I had completed that, I began to edit my magazine on Photoshop. Once I had completed my first draft of my front cover, I had realized I didn't include a ''selling line'', therefore I re-drafted it, to make my magazine better. Once I added my selling line and others, I realized the my final front cover was complete. Once I finished my front cover, I started my contents page. I kept in mind all the articles that students voted for, therefore I added it to my contents page.

Front Cover

I liked my front cover, as I felt that the layout, structure and typography matched the genre and my audience.

Contents Page

I like my contents page for many different reasons. Firstly, I feel that I met my own personal standards, as well as the audiences. Nevertheless, I feel that the colour scheme that I chose doesn't attract anyone nor does it stand out. Although this is only a College magazine and I don't need to worry about competition, I should keep it in mind that once I start to create my Music magazine, I should worry about the influences that can attract my audience and beat my competition, one of the main ones being the colour scheme.

Secondly, I think that some of the text I included on my contents page could have been included on my front cover instead. This is because I put all the interesting text's on the contents page and this may not attract audience. Once again, I should consider this for my Music magazine.

Lastly, I think that I included one too many images. Instead, I should have put one image on the contents page and a few on the front cover. Nevertheless, the image's and the colour scheme all related to each other, therefore I'm keeping a continuous house style, which represents the maturity of the age group that its aimed at.

Preliminary Task Reflection

As part of the coursework, I looked back at what I did and considered what I would do differently in my main task. I wrote an evaluation for this and this can be found here.

Magazine Terminology

To help me learn magazine terminology, I created the following visual glossary of Vibe .

Analyses

I analysed three front covers, contents pages and double page spreads of music magazines.
They can be found here:

NME
Vibe
Q

Music Magazine Questionnaire and Results

I carried out a questionnaire to see what context my audience would like in the magazine. Once completing this, I   totalled my results and carried out an analyse on the results, to help me conclude with idea's.

Questionnaire.
Results.
Questionnaire Analyse.

Primary Research and Presentation

I completed an additional research for my music magazine as well as a reflection presentation.

Drafts

These are the hand drawn draft's for my music magazine.

Front Cover.

Contents Page.

Double Page Spread.

Music Magazine- First Draft Front Cover

What do you like about my front cover?
What do you dislike?
What would you change?
What would you keep the same?

Music Magazine- First Draft Contents Page

What do you like?
What do you dislike?
What would you change?
What would you keep the same?

Music Magazine- First Draft Double Page Spread

What do you like?
What do you dislike?
What would you change?
What would you keep the same?

Product Reflection

I like the fact that my front cover has one key image therefore it'll take all the focus to the surrounding text and cover lines.
Also, I feel that the double page spread looks simple but neat.
Lastly, the contents page resembles a typical contents page of a music magazine and the context included, nevertheless there is still room for improvement and changes.
Taking into account the feedback I recieved from my audience, I feel that I could change the background as a lot of people classed it as 'dull' or 'boring'.
I feel that, that may be because I haven't included much detail on my front cover, in contrast to magazine's as Kerrang or Vibe.
Also, I feel that I could restructure the layout of my contents page, so it could show a link or resemblences to the front cover and double page spread.
Lastly, I feel that I could reorganise the layouts of the images on the double page spread aswellas change the colours of the article.

Final Product

Front Cover

Here is my final product of my front cover, contents page and double page spread.

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Conventions

Developed, challenged forms and conventions my media product used.


I printed screened 9 elements and paste it on to a document where I discussed and analysed why and how I used such conventions, the document can be found here.

The music magazine I created uses different forms of conventions, similar to the music magazine’s you find in shop shelves. For example; including a barcode and price is one of the key elements.

The title and font is the main attraction of the magazine. If this doesn’t stand out, magazines may fail to sell. For example; an issue of Vibe has a black background, as well as the costume of the key image being black. Nevertheless the title is in a bold, white text. Usually, the font and colour stands out, therefore for my magazine, the masthead was in black, with a yellow shadowed, background text, in contrast to the white background. 

One of the media institutions that may publish may be Inter Media Advisors, a private equity investment fund that purchased Vibe Magazine in 2007.

Another institution that would publish my magazine is ‘’Harris Publications’’; an American consumer magazine that publish XXL.

I feel that these two may publish my magazine as it’s a similar genre to the current magazines they publish. Also, these are American based magazines, the competition in UK for RnB and Hip Hop magazines isn’t really competitive, therefore sales over here with my magazine would most likely to be high than the ones in USA as competition for this genre is high over there. 

Analyses of my front cover, contents page and double page spread. 

Audience

My audience for my media product.

 The age I’m aiming to attract is young, teenagers. Male and female. Also, the ethnic background plays an important role. As, just like the typical stereotype, white people usually wouldn’t be interested in an RnB and Hip Hop magazine. Usually, that’s black people’s interests.

Usually, these type of audience’s shop in modern day shops, wearing clothing that are currently in fashion such as Snapbacks, Chino’s and Jordan’s. On the other hand, the same audience may also shop in stores and create their own fashion, instead of following the latest trends.

Also, this audience would be into similar television programmes. The main channel being B.E.T (Black Entertainment Television). The reason being, this channel promotes black music and talent of the similar genre with shoes such as 106 & Park, The Wendy William’s Show and many more.

The age range would be between the ages of 16-25. I give such a broad age range as my magazine would most likely attract people 20+ as the current artist’s in the RnB and Hip Hop genres use explicit language and explicit video’s, therefore they would probably be aiming for older people as well.

I feel like they would by my magazine as it relates to the modern day music industry with artists such as Wiz Khalifa and Beyoncé included. Also, not only is the price a suitable range, but I feel that the context included would attract them such as interviews, posters and many competitions in one issue.  Lastly, I also feel that the front page is different to other magazines of the similar genre, although there aren’t many magazines of such genre; this one stands out from some. For example; the title ‘Notes and Sounds’ are different to others as they have one word titles such as ‘Vibe’ or ‘XXL’. 

My magazine opposes the typical stereotype of hip hop and rnb music such as ‘’thugs’’, tattoos, chains and skinny jeans and vests. Although, the artist is wearing baggy clothing in all his images. Also, I don’t use slang words whilst interviewing the artist, this opposes the stereotype of illiterate teenagers words of ‘’slang’’ that usually the audience of this genre would use, such as abbreviation of words.

How does my media product represent particular social groups?

Posture:  

My own photo (1) shows my artist posing with his hands where you can see above his waist. He’s wearing a white top in contrast to the blue and green hat. On the other hand, the artist of XXL is also wearing all white, with only sunglasses and a chain. They both have similar postures and similar clothing on (white clothing).

Props:

Both images have plain backgrounds which matches the simplicity of the way both artists are dressed. This may represent the simple and straight forward context in both magazines. On the other hand, the artist in image 1 is wearing a hat that stands out from everything else, although the artist in image 2 isn’t wearing anything that stands out. This may be because the artist on image 2 is already well known in this genre and music scene, on the other hand the artist in image 1 is an upcoming artist therefore he must stand out without recognition.

Expression:

In both images, both artists have a straight, serious look on their face. This shows the seriousness that they apply to their career. The artist in image 1 is holding his head up high but the artist in image 2 is simply looking straight into the camera.  

Costume and Hair:  

The difference between image 1 and image 2 is that the artist in image 1 is wearing a hat and barely showing his hair, nevertheless the artist in image 2 is showing his hair but covering his eyes with sun glasses. Also, the artist in image 2 is slightly showing his teeth and his silver tooth to match his silver chain. Failing to make eye contact with the audience, makes it feel that the artist in image 2 is up to something, covering his eyes with all black sun glasses.

Technology

Technologies I used in the process of production.

 ·        I used a SLR camera to take the photographs for my magazines. I learnt that the main concept for my magazines revolves around the photograph taking and the images and how the turn out. If the lighting, angle or the posture of the artist of the image is wrong, this may result to a front cover that looks ‘’tacky’’ due to the image. Therefore, I’ve learnt the key thing for the whole magazine is the image and how it turns out.

·        I used blogger to upload the steps I’ve taken in creating my two magazines as well as receiving feedback online. I’ve realised that the feedback I received by uploading my work on blogger is much easier instead of going around and handing out my magazines are writing down feedback.

·        Before these tasks, I have never used an Apple product or an Adobe product. This was the first time I ever used Photoshop CS4 and iMac. I learnt different stuff from Photoshop such as editing images, creating magazines and also fixing up images.

·        I also used Google Docs to upload my Microsoft Word and Power Point tasks on to my blogger by linking a word to a link. This makes it easier to attach my tasks straight to my blogger and therefore the readers would only have to click a button for it to take them to my Word or Power Point document. 

Main Task and Preliminary Task

Progression from my college magazine to my final product of my music magazine.

Front Cover of my College
Magazine.

In my College Magazine, I used a background and font colour that clashed, therefore the masthead and cover lines didn't stand out like a usual magazine would. Therefore; when I created my music magazine, I used a font colour that stood out for the masthead, so I used a white background in contrast to the Black and Yellow masthead including the red text.

The placing of the key image for my music magazine and college magazine are similar, this is because I felt that if I did this, I could build the text and cover lines around the image. Both images are medium close ups.

I felt that I didn't add enough context on the front cover of the college magazine

Contents Page of my Music
Magazine.

to make it clear of what is included, therefore I made sure I added cover lines on
the music magazine making it clear of what I had included.

Also, my contents page of music magazine contain's information for contacting
the music magazine. Although I never included this on my college magazine,
this makes it easier for audience to contact us if they have any questions.

I included images of different people instead of the same ones like I did on my
college magazine. By doing this, it shows the variety I use.

Front Cover of my Music
Magazine.

Contents Page of my College
Magazine.