Sunday, 27 April 2014

Evaluation, Question 7

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

As you can see I have learnt a lot regarding colour scheme and adding things that are suiting for the genre and purpose of the magazine.
I've added new features such as tag lines, new fonts, strips, puffs, quotes...and an appropriately sized bar code!
I have learnt that, if I were looking for a new magazine and I were the target audience, what would want. So while making my final product I have put myself in my audiences shoes and imagined what I want from a rock magazine.

Not only have I learned of the above, but I have a new-found love for Photoshop. Previously I had only little experience with Photoshop making simple posters, but I have learned much more skills in the area. For example I now know how to use a 'magic wand' and to return to a colour that I have already used. 

My preliminary task looked like this:


And here is my final product:

Front Cover
Contents Page
Double Page Spread


Saturday, 26 April 2014

Evaluation, Question 6

Please enjoy this emaze presentation of question 6. Powered by emaze

Evaluation, Question 5

Question 5 has been answered on tumblr. 5. How did you attract/address your audience?


Before I aimed to address my audience, I needed to find out who they were. So I made a fact file of a member of my target audience. Please click on the image below to be re-directed to the post.


Evaluation, Question 4

Question 4 has been answered. Here is a short clip to enjoy. Please pause if you need more time to read the writing.

  question 4 by 9mawj on GoAnimate

Evaluation, Question 3

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


I have written a newspaper article on why NewBay media is the perfect publishing institute for 'FREAK'.
(Please view in full screen).
Powered by emaze

This is a direct copy of the letter I wrote to NewBay Media.


Dear NewBay Media

I would like to offer you a once in a life time opportunity to recognize my brand new music magazine idea.

freak magazine is an original, cutting-edge music magazine, specialising in all sub-genres of rock.
From heavy metal to piano, synth to classic, I hope to attract an audience of mainly young adult, or musically interested persons.

I am writing specifically to you because, during my research, I came across the infamous company that publishes world-wide successes such as 'Revolver', 'Guitar Player' and 'Radio' that is NewBay Media. And as my business proposal is in your field of expertise, music magazines, I thought you should be the first to know.

My aim in this magazine is inform our young audience on the world of music, keeping them up-to-date with the latest new of their favourite artists, and to encourage young people to have a more diverse range of hobbies and interests.

I absolutely feel that NewBay Media is the right choice for freak magazine as you are one of the most
successful broadcasting, gaming and educating companies in the world.

Kind regards,

Madeleine Williams.

Evaluation, Question 2

Here you will find my answers to question 2.

Evaluation, Question 1

Below is a slideshare of the first question, answered.

Thursday, 3 April 2014

The Final Chapter

As Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day sang
"Nothing is ever built to last".

Which is unfortunately true. Several months have been spent putting together 'Freak' magazine; capturing the mise-en-scene, what colour connotes what and, of course, blogging.

Is seems to be that my media journey as come to end...

... For now.


Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Twitter Feedback

I tweeted the other day for feedback on my magazine. Here's what I said:
Here's what my audience said:


Sunday, 30 March 2014

Friday, 28 March 2014

Audience Research Part 2

I asked members of my target audience to comment on my magazine so far. I have shown them all three  parts of the magazine and requested of them to comment on and suggest improvement on my magazine.



Tuesday, 25 March 2014

When Life Gives You Photoshop

A few months ago I was face-to-face with a blank page on a computer screen.
Then week by week a magazine was being put together with the goal of what I had in my imagination.
But how did I make it?

Photoshop tool bar
 Once images have been placed onto the Photoshop page, you can do anything; the possibilities are limitless.

Front Cover
First, using the paint brush, I designed a suitable background for the main images and masthead. I created a spotlight effect by making an all back background and erasing a circle in the centre with the fading setting, allowing a gradient effect.
 Then using the text button, I wrote the masthead, tag line, strip, cover lines and all writing on the front cover. Of course I altered the colour to whatever suited it's background.
Different fonts include 321Perfect, American Typewriter, Forgotten Junk and BlairMdlTC TT.
Using the eraser and magic wand I was able to edit backgrounds out of photographs and pictures so they look more appropriate and less blocky. Pictures are placed by clicking 'file' and 'place', selecting your image and 'place'.
I used the shape tool to create rectangles and circles for the top left 'win' puff and the strip at the bottom. Again I changed the colour to fit what was behind.
I place a picture of a photo of a real band, as I cannot make one for them.

Contents Page
With the text tool I wrote 'Inside' instead of 'Contents', I thought this would make what is actually inside more exclusive and as if it was a secret for the reader.
I asked a friend of mine to tweet about the band Paramore, so I screen-capped it, and placed it into the contents page. This allowed social media and followed the colour scheme.
I have inserted fan photos and my photos onto the contents page, with no burning or erasing, all were placed and left with not editing.
Using the shape tool I inserted red rectangles behind the sub-titles of the page.
Using the paint brush tool I created a gradient background using different shades of grey, getting darker as the enclose to the center.
Different fonts 321Perfect, Impact, American Typewriter and Belle Gothic.

Double Page Spread
After placing my main image of my model, I erased all of the background behind her. 
I made a light grey background and with the text tool I wrote 'skull' (the name of the artist) in a lighter shade of grey to add diversity and make the page look full.
I have stuck with the colour theme, however there is not yellow, as there was no yellow worn by my model. 

Fonts include MS Referance Sans, Silom and Abadi MT Condensed Extra Bold.

Colour Scheme

Colours.
Colours help us to identify. To see. To feel. To understand.

I thought I'd take a moment to step back and appreciate how colours help when it comes to art and projecting your feelings and emotions through the media and everyday life.

I focused on three main colours for my magazine:
Black
Red
White

... and a little bit of Yellow.


Red and yellow are colours. Red connotes love or violence, which goes well with my model Angela's dress as it has roses. Yellow on the other hand could connote warmth, but I specifically have chosen an acid yellow, allowing something destructive despite it being a happy colour.
Black and white are shades, so I used these at different levels. I have used grey, bright white, and the darkest black.

Not only does this offer a diverse range of colours and shades but allow the audience to understand the theme of this magazine. As I have mentioned in a previous post, this can connote bad things among the good.



Contents Page Re-draft & Progress

This is a screen shot of my unfinished contents page. I have included everything that I wanted to ie. tweet of the week, fan photos, letter from the editor.

I wish to add more photos for this page to be more ascetically pleasing and for 'FREE ISSUE' to be brighter and bolder. My letter from the editor will be moved to a more symmetrical and organised place.

I like how the colour theme as remained the same, and playing with the yellow has allowed it to be more diverse and colourful.

A bar at the bottom of the page has mentioned social media sites, twitter, facebook and tumblr. 'follow/like us' makes it imperative that my audience will get involved online, further publicizing this magazine.

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Media Meets Metal

I wanted to show you how one segment of the media and influence another.
Eric Calderon is a professional heavy metal guitarist who has a YouTube channel '331Erock'. He is recommended a theme tune or song to which he makes a heavy metal version of.
By this you can also see what are the most popular songs, TV shows and movies.
This is also an example of rock's sub-genre, metal.

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

New Year, New Start

Hello and happy 2014!
I've launched a tumblr page where I re-blog everything to do with rock and roll. Not only for your personal viewing but also as a reminder to me what rock music is all about and how it influences today.
Tumblr is popular among teens and young adults and so is rock, so I thought they fitted well together!

Please click on the image below to view.
http://maddiewilliamsmedia.tumblr.com/