3) Post production (editing footage etc)

This stage took the longest as prior experience of using the Final Cut Pro software was in short supply, as well as the fact that we had to rifle through all the videos shot to find the ones that were suitable for the final edit. In future it would be best to number the clips in order to speed up the editing process. Once all the clips were on the timeline we had to cut them to the appropriate size in order to match the actual video’s production. Once this had been done we imported the Trouble Town mp3 file and the went about syncing the music to that of the lips in our own video and making sure these also corresponded to the cuts within our own video. This stage took the most time, due to our inexperience using the software and the fiddly nature of syncing all the clips and music together, to create an accurate lip synched video. We matched the normal conventions of a music video as not doing this when trying to replicate a real video would have had disastrous consequences. I feel the video worked well and ran smoothly.

2) Production (filming etc)

From the pre-production we had chosen our locations and casted our video, so with our storyboards were able to film our video, which we filmed chronologically. This started with us filming the camera from the car, which was done through the windscreen, so wasn’t as authentic and showed dirt on the glass, although it gave the effect of the real video with the speed bump and the housing estate location. In future fitting with a camera on the cars exterior could look even more authentic. We then filmed the scenes on the field using a similar location and then the scene shots of buildings (such as the tower block). We used many varied camera angles on the outdoor shots, so our video would include many fast paced authentic cuts. Getting used to the camera and its functions was relatively simple as I had used them before in previous tasks, this was the same for the use of the tripod, which gave us steady shots which looked both professional and like the actual video. The filming was probably the easiest area of the videos overall production and took the least time, as we used typical filming conventions.

1) Pre production (story boarding, prop lists etc)

We chose to re-produce the music video of Jake Buggs 'Trouble Town, as we were interested in this particular genre and the video could be produced realistically, due to minimal props being used and the location being easy to replicate in the surrounding areas. Therefore we decided to re-produce the video, as opposed to making our own impression or a parody video. Next time a more complex video could be chosen to further challenge ourselves, or to even create our own interpretation of a video or a parody. We learnt simple often looks effective and attempting to replicate something to complex could look cheap and unprofessional. We storyboarded our video to replicate the length and camera angles of shots. The storyboard gave us ideas for small changes we would have to make when replicating the video, such as not being able to include an electricity pylon. The storyboarding showed that often ideas can be easily replicated or even adjusted using limited resources to create a professional video. We then casted our video from the people in our group and planned to wear clothing that suited the genre and matched the video. Our small group fitted the videos small cast.

Note to Examiner

To Examiner, I hope you enjoy reading through my AS Coursework Blog and at the work I have created. During the process I feel my knowledge of magazines has improved drastically, which I hope is represented in the development of my work. All of my posts are labelled and ordered appropriately easing the navigation of my Blog. Again I hope you enjoy reading my work,thank you!

Final Magazine.

Front Cover

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Preliminary Magazine- 'THE Subject'.

This is my preliminary front cover and contents page for my school magazine 'THE Subject'. I created it using Adobe Photoshop and used it as a great start for discovering elements and ideas to use in my final piece. Although my final magazine will be somewhat different, elements of the layout such as the Strap-lines and text around the image will be considered in my final piece. 

Also everything included was done so with the intention to create an authentic school magazine, so lexis associated with school is used as is the image and the font.

Front Cover

The front cover to my Magazine features 3 colours, blue, green and red. Firstly I chose the blue and green as they are the colours of my school logo, but also because the colours represent life. Blue being the sea and green being the land. I felt this gave my magazine a lively feel, but one that wasn't manufactured  one that was more authentic and natural. I also felt the two colours complimented each other well. Meanwhile I also used red to highlight the most important features upon my cover, such as the main article 'A MAN' and the top strapline "THE CURRICULUM REVEALED". I did this as it made them greatly stand out and take prominence above all else. 

The font I used on magazine cover continues throughout my contents page and is somewhat a 'Geeky' font, it isn't very cool. However I felt this fit the purpose of a school magazine as it looks like a old type writers font, so it gives my publication authenticity. On the cover I did use one other font on my top strapline in order to make it bold and stand out, therefore this font is strong and powerful. Initially I had used a cooler bubble font, which had a cartoon feel to it, but it just didn't suit the feel of my school magazine at all, so I replaced it. Though it is a font I would consider on my final piece.

Furthermore the image on my front cover is one I took at home, therefore there is an unpleasant shadow, something I will not have in my final piece. It is of myself dressed as a stereotypical geek to fit the genre of the magazine. Also because of the light background I was also able to put the text freely around the image without any text boxes/backgrounds. As well because I was wearing a white shirt I could place text on here, as I have done with "A MAN" which stands out strongly and clearly. 

I tried to spread the colours evenly to create a nice balance, without overloading on one colour, this is something I would like to achieve in my final piece.

Finally I added a tag line "START READING BETWEEN THE LINES" to my magazine and rotated it so it read vertically. Therefore it quite literally reads between the lines. I felt this piece of humour added a humourous element to a publication that otherwise could be perceived as boring. 

I used the same font for the contents page so I won't explain my reasoning behind that again. Although on my "EDITOR'S NOTE." section I used a bubbly font at the time to give the contents page a bit of life, whilst a bolder clearer one for the text below, to give the impression it had been written on a chalk board. Therefore I used white text and put it onto an image of a cartoon chalk board to create this authentic school effect. Whilst including an editor's note I felt gave my magazine authenticity as this features in real publications. 

In addition I used blue text for all of my title and the majority of the contents, as I felt it looked better than the green as it was clearer on the white page. I continued to use blue text throughout because of this (and to continue the continuity), apart from on a few occasions. When mentioning the main article I used a red font as I had on the front cover. This was again to make it stand out but also to provide continuity throughout my magazine. Also I put the word sports in the contents into green, because of the association with sports regularly being played on a green surface, such as grass. Whilst I also used green text upon my tablet feature to avoid overloading upon the colour blue. 

Furthermore I put my page numbers into boxes, to make it look like a school textbook, giving my contents page a  more authentic feel. Also I felt it kept the page tidy and showed the difference between the numbers and the words that followed. Though this could have been achieved through the use of a colour change, something I will seriously consider in my final piece.

The title of my contents page is "This weeks Subjects..', which I chose because it has the obvious link of the word 'Subject' to the front cover creating continuity throughout my magazine. I also felt this would create yet more identity for my publication. Also there is the double meaning of the subjects within the magazine and the fact that subjects are what are taught at school and are the foundations of education. Much like a contents is the foundation for a magazine, the starting block. 

Finally I used two green lines below each line of my contents title to make it very clear it was the title, but to more importantly fill the space, because without the lines, the page looked bare and boring. 

In summary I was pleased with my preliminary piece but would hope for my final piece to look far more professional and credible. This I would hope to achieve through the use of effects on Photoshop and by taking more photos, which are also more professional and interesting. In turn helping to make my final piece more interesting, credible and most importantly authentic. 

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of music magazines)

Evaluation question 1 from smithy_tom

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my magazine Deck are 16-30 year olds. Although this is a pretty small market, I am attempting to cater for a gap in the market, where people want to hear about music, as opposed to just reading about A list celebrities. Which is why on the Front Cover and Contents Page I have included bands/artists who are very popular with this age range, such as The Vaccines, Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers. This is because they are not only popular with my target age group, but also fit their social group of Hipsters.

Furthermore with this age range fashion is a key factor in their lifestyles, so the design of the magazine is essential to fitting the audience. As many of these people are hipsters I have attempted to dress my artists in this way, as well as designing the magazine with this in mind. If the magazine doesn't look good then the audience won't buy it, as looking good is just as important as a high quality magazine.

In addition I felt price was a decisive factor in enabling the magazine to be a success and to meet the audiences requirements. Therefore I decided to price the magazine at £2.00 as I felt this price was more than affordable for this age range, whilst was also enough to allow the production of a high quality, recognised music magazine. Crucially the magazine had to be affordable because this age range are tight for money, especially the students, so cost was essential to the publications success, because if it was too expensive readers would go elsewhere for their magazines and music news. The price also enabled me to match/better the prices of NME and Kerrang (read by this age range), as well as filling a gap in the market for the Indie genre at a reasonable price.

The following are two audience profiles of people, a boy and a girl, within my target audience. I believe these people would be attracted to my magazine because of their lifestyles, likes and dislikes. 

Name- Sarah Marriott.

Age- 19

Neck of the woods- Sheffield. 

Occupation- Studying Textiles at Sheffield Hallam, in her second year. The partying has calmed down but the enthusiasm hasn't.

Time Killers- Never leaves the house without her camera (or her purse), she was born to shop, but tries to stick off the high street. She loves to see her friends, but "studying is taking over her whole life". Getting home to see her family is everything, but the shops in Sheffield lure her to stay from Brighton. 

Burns a hole in her pocket- CLOTHES CLOTHES CLOTHES, & accessories, loves her quirky bits and bobs. However her cash is going on a new phone, as her current one is 'damaged' (so her mum thinks, a messy night being the real reason).

Future Plans- Would love to work for a fashion company, whether that be in designing or working on the photoshoot. Plus living abroad would be a dream, she'd be on that flight to New York.

Marital Status- Single and chilled.

Favourite Colours- Something that doesn't shout to loud,such as this, this & this. 

Music to her ears- Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, Two Door cinema Club, Indie and Folk YES PLEASE. But an Oasis playlist can't be sniffed out.

Stop press:- Someone who likes to be herself and doesn't want to upset others, but if she wants something she's going to get it.. watch this space!

Name- Joe Cardkali

Age- 19

Neck of the woods- Newcastle Upon-Tyne.

Occupation- Studying Geography at Leeds Metropolitan. Not a big party animal, prefers a beer back at the flat with the boys.

Time Killers- Travels the length and breath of the UK following the Toon Army. Loves hitting gigs and went to T In The Park last summer. Can't get his hand out the biscuit tin! Not a big fan of the clubs, prefers to shop than get out of his trolley. Used to board, but that is so year 11..

Burns a hole in his pocket- Football tickets, Gig tickets, Cinema tickets. More a saver, than a big spender, but won't hold his cash if the price is right. Shops in River Island and Well Gosh. Whilst nothing beats some fresh Nikes.

Future Plans- Travel round Europe on the Interail, wants to get into town planning, but enjoys writing so journalism is an option. Just wants to have fun in the sun.

Marital Status- Single boy.

Favourite Colours- Something simple, like this, this and this.

Music to his ears- The Wombats, Friendly Fires, The Killers, The Lumineers and The XX. It's all Indie, but it's a tag he wants to brush off.

Stop press:- Likes to just get in and put his feet up, put the kettle on and let the evening roll. Get the mates round and have a laugh. Often seen popping into the high street for a window shop. Just wants to have some fun and will make the effort to find it. But for him homes where the heart is, a Geordie Lad. Howay the lads.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

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

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

7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in...

The Lesson Plan

• Finish Question 5.
• Proof read Blogger. 

7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

I feel that from my first task my main area of progression has been my improvement in the ability to use Photoshop and to use the available tools to produce a far more authentic final piece. Whilst I have also developed my skills regarding using different technologies, such as with cameras, as well as creating a far more in depth understanding of how magazines are created and the features/conventions that are used to make a publication that appeals accurately to my audience.

Firstly I have greatly developed my skills regarding the use of software such as Photoshop. During the production of my preliminary my knowledge of the program was minimal, if any at all as I had never used such software before. Just setting up a page, let alone additional layers proved a challenge. For my Preliminary I was able to create text boxes, insert images, create shapes, but only after extensive practice and effort to achieve this. But now as well as all these skills, which I have also improved my efficiency and accuracy of completing, I have learnt to cut images to fit my magazine more suitably, enhance/edit images to improve my magazines professional look, rotate text boxes to add another dimension to my magazine and editing text professionally such as capitilising or making parts bold to enhance/emphasise them. Therefore throughout this process my work and ability to use this software has vastly improved, as my understanding of the program is now far greater. Furthermore in comparison to my Preliminary Work, the editing and authenticity of my magazine is of a much more professional standard, than I would have been able to achieve at the start of the process. I also am far more competent at completing simple tasks such as editing items and managing to complete layers completed quickly.

Secondly my knowledge of using technologies (as mentioned in question 6) has been greatly developed in order to produce my final piece. I am far more efficient on Blogger, as well as being able to use Scribd better than I previously could and develop new skills in using programs such as Animoto. Whilst with practical equipment such as cameras I am far more adept at using their features such as altering the shutter for faster shots and using the Lighting Equipment in the studio to produce high quality images. However  I won't go into too much detail regarding my improved skills on technology, as this is covered in question 6.

Third and finally my understanding and knowledge of the production and publication of magazines has vastly grown and improved. I gained the majority of this knowledge during the Research and Planning section of this process. In particular during my analysis of Magazines and Institutions that publish such products. I was able to learn how magazines appeal to specific audiences, as well as the techniques and conventions that they adopt, such as the use of the 3 Colour Rule. I was able to learn how things such as how the positioning of everything on the pages was designed and manipulated in order to create a aesthetically product, to meet my target audiences wishes. Due to this research when it came to my final product I was able to put this knowledge to very effective use, in order to create a credible product following real conventions and techniques, but also developing and challenging them. Unlike in my Preliminary Work, where the use of such conventions was very basic and in many cases non existent. Personally I believe my greatest improvemnt from my Preliminary Work has come in my Contents Page. The one of my Preliminary was brief and lacking in information, it didn't include any other information apart from magazine content. Whereas my final magazine includes an issue number, web address, Twitter name, images of content, accompanying captions and photography credits. With all these things my final piece was more credible and authentic, looking like a far more professional publication. Quite simply it didn't look like a magazine Contents Page in many ways, due to the lack of conventional techniques used. Things such as the text not being well aligned, the graphics being out of place and the page numbers appearing squashed in the boxes. In addition the use of a photograph in the final Contents Page makes my magazine far more conventional and makes my magazine far more authentic, especially with them being edited which makes the magazine look more credible, due to their high quality finish.

In addition I changed my usage of fonts from my Preliminary Magazine to my Final Magazine, to suit the audience more accurately. On my Preliminary Magazine the Font was quite jagged and techno, as if it was from an old type writer, in order to fit into the theme of a school magazine/ However using such a font on an Indie Music Magazine aimed at 18-30 year olds would have been inappropriate as the last thing they want to be thinking about is school in their free time. Therefore on my Final Magazine I used a classy font, which was both bold and clear, so could be read easily and quickly as my target age group don't want to waste their spare time. Whilst it was also a stylish font that suited the magazines minamilistic and relaxed feel.

Furthermore my use of images has developed significantly from my Preliminary Magazine to my Final Magazine. to suit my Indie genre accurately and to improve the quality of my publication. The image on my preliminary work was designed to suit the genre with the costume being of a school uniform and the props being a book and some glasses. Both further suiting the school theme, although they did somewhat look a bit cliche. Therefore for my final magazine I used no props in my images (e.g. a microphone) to avoid this cliche feel, whilst also maintaining my minamalistic magazine. Additionally the quality of image on my Preliminary Magazine was very low, it was done on an iPad 3 so the actual camera was to a decent standard. However the quality wasn't of that produced by using the cameras as with my final piece, which gave a superb image with a high resolution. Whilst also the photo for my preliminary was taken at home, with no white screen behind and with no proper lighting, therefore a shadow was created. But with my Final Magazine photos a white screen and professional lighting was used to enable high quality photos, enhancing and improving my magazine. Finally the poses in my Preliminary Magazine photo was very staged and appeared that way, it was far from looking natural. Whilst in my Final Magazine the poses in the images were far more relaxed and simple fitting the genre, as well as the minamalitsic style. This also made my magazine look far more authentic and credible that my preliminary piece.

Overall by just quickly looking at my Contents Page, it is clear the development I have managed to achieve in producing my magazine and how my understanding of magazines has improved and most importantly contributed to the former. Therefore not only do I feel I have learnt a lot in this process but I believe I have been able to put all of this to good use.

 

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

Photoshop- I used this program to design and create my Magazine Publication. Each of my pages was created on Photoshop as you are able to layer all the individual elements of the pages over each other, to create your own desired effect.. I used it to edit all my photos (using the lasso tool to crop images and to adjust brightness/exposure of my images), create a layout for my magazine, create shapes (such as picture frames) and select/use fonts to enhance my magazines authenticity. The most useful tool I used was the colour picker, which allowed me to take the colour from my cover stars nail varnish and allowed me to use this on my text headings in order to create accurate continuity in my magazine. Before this work I hadn't used Photoshop before so to start with I was very slow in producing work on the program, whilst I was also very limited in my ability to use the different tools and techniques available on the software. Although I now feel far more competent in using the software and feel I used it to the best of my ability for my magazine.

I also downloaded the free 30 day Photoshop Trial to my home laptop, which enabled me to use the same software at home.

Cameras- The cameras that I used were both extremely helpful in enabling me to take high quality photos for my magazine, using different shot types, even though I had little photography experience. The CAMERA with more megapixels was used on my Front Cover and Double Page Spread, meanwhile the CAMERA with fewer megapixels was used on my Contents Page. Although I feel the change in equipment had no detrimental effect to the resolution of my photos, or the magazines finish. Firstly the cameras were not difficult to use, but took a short amount of time discovering their features and how to use them, such as the flash and the zoom, however once these were established the use of the cameras was easy.

Computers/ Laptop- I used both the school and my own personal laptop to produce my coursework. My personal laptop is a DELL Inspiron These were used  for researching my target audience, music genre, and to gain inspiration for my own magazine. Essentially I learnt nothing new from using this technology, however I did learn a great deal about the programmes I utilised on them.

Blogger- This is the second time I had used Blogger, therefore my knowledge on how to use it was already developed. However during this process I feel my ability to use it successfully has increased. Such as using Labels to group my posts making locating them easier and by setting up my blog in a user friendly way to aid my success. I posted each and every stage of my Coursework on to my blog, from my preliminary task to the evaluation now.

Scribd- I used Scribd for the purpose of uploading any long documents to my blog that had been done on Microsoft Word, as I could manipulate text and images more easily this way. Such as my magazine analysis, of existing publications. I had used it before, but can now use it more efficiently.

Animoto- I used Animoto to create mood boards  in a modern way, as opposed to cutting and sticking. I thought it worked really well and gave what could essentially look boring a item on my blog a current and up to date feel. This is a website I hadn’t previously used, but found it really easy to pick up and use, whilst still creating a piece of work that looked professional.

Microsoft Word 2007- I used this software in order to write up my Double Page Spread article. I chose to do this as I thought it would work best on a word document as it would encourage me to focus solely on my articles quality, as opposed to getting disttacted on Photoshop, by just making it look good.   I was also able to use the spell check and thesaurus facilties on the program to improve my texts article and I was able to keep a word count of how much I had done. I had used this softaware before so didn’t learn anything new, although my typing speed has increased.

Memory Stick- As well as this being a back up device to save documnents/files which were also on both my laptop and the school computers, it also enabled me to transport files easily and quickly without having to use Outlook for example. This allowed me as much time as possible to complete my work successfully. I had used this device before to improve efficiency.

Twitter- I posted some jpeg’s of saved Photoshop files of the 3 components of my magazine on to twitter too see what my friends and other follwoers thought and which features they liked and those which they didn’t.  All of my friends and most of my followers of they are my target audience, i felt there opinion would be most valid. I had used Twitter before this process, therefore I used my existing twitter account for this.

Internet (Google Chrome/internet explorer, Google.com)- I used all of these services as an essential part of my research and planning. The search engine Google was superb in helping me fine magazine examples, information on institution and appropriate images for my blog. Whilst the two Web Providers were brilliant in providing these favilities. I had used these all before so was able to use them efficiently and competently.

 

Lighting equipment- I used lighting when taking images for my magazine in order to make the images look far more professional and authentic. Meanwhile it made the images of higher quality, due to the fact that the lighting enhaced my images, giving my artists the look of someone that was natural infront of the camera, all helping to enhance my works authenticity. I had not used lighting before but it was really easy to set up and had a positive effect on my images.

Scanner- I used the scanner once when uploading a copy of my Brainstorm for magazines, this showed they were all my own ideas and my creativity. Whilst it also produced a better quality image for my blog, as opposed to one taken on a camera. I hadn't used the Scanner before this, but after being shown once how it worked I found it very easy and efficient to use, enhancing my Blog.

Ipad 3- I used this when taking the photos for my Prelimary Magazine, as the camera was of a reasonable standard for the prelim. It also meant I was able to do this work from home, making this part of the process more efficient. I had used the camera on the iPad before, so this was easy to use and I was able to simply crop the images how I wanted, making the use of this technology quick and simple.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

My audience ranges between old teenagers to young adults aged from 16-30, so I have designed my magazine with this audience in mind at all times in order to get them to buy my magazine. Such as using artists in my magazine that both fall into the target age range, so the audience relate to them easily. My audience is not gender specific so when attracting my audience I had to bear this in mind, as to not favour  one gender over the other. Therefore although I have used a female cover star and a female on the contents, I have kept the colours on both the costume and the magazines graphology gender neutral. The colours also coordinate with the magazines graphology making the magazine quite stylized.As well the cover stars pose isn't feminine (such as flirtatious),  in fact with crossed arms it could be seen as quite masculine. So with a female doing this the magazine remains gender neutral. Whilst the facial expressions on both my artists are gender neutral, neither of them are over the top or silly. Meanwhile the cover lines on my magazine feature 6 male artists and just one female artist  with one artist (The Lumineers) comprising of both male and female. Seemingly this would attract my magazine far more to males, however the cover star is female and so is the contents artist so these balance out that there are more males on the cover lines. Whilst also the audience is interested in these artists, so they have to be included and there aren't as many female artists in this genre, therefore the balance between male and female would be difficult to achieve. Obviously there isn't a great deal else on the cover due to my minamlistic style however, this age group won't loads of useless information they will just want the nesscessities, again suiting the minimal style and audience. Though the price will attract the audience, as at only £2 it is a very good price for an age group struggling for cash and in a competitive magazine market.

I designed my contents as I did, because I suspected my readership would be semi literate in the genre of music and lexis regarding music, such as there meanings. For example "studio" and "tour". Therefore the brief descriptions which accompany the headings in the contents will be understood clearly. The reader would also be able to follow the mainly formal language used throughout my pages, because of their age and education. Also I believe the images I have used within my piece would appear attractive to the audience  as they are all of young,  successful/soon to be or upcoming artists who they would aspire to be like, as well as being able to relate to them because of their age similarities. The fact that my Double Page Spread gives readers a deeper more personal insight into Drone Pixies, is something that I feel would greatly attract my audience. Especially when it comes to the less formal questions, such as "How do you tend to relax?" and "Do you have any hidden talents?". These build up a rapport with the artist and knowing the personal details, allows the reader to feel more involved and more in the know, something my audience (in particular Hipsters) crave for, as they like to know things first before it slips into the mainstream radar.  Furthermore questions are asked regarding gigs and festivals, which is important for two reasons. Firstly my 16-30 target age group are the most likely to be attending such events, so they will want this information. Secondly giving them this information makes them (Hipsters) feel in the know, this way they feel ahead of the game as this information may not be available elsewhere. Therefore here I have addressed the audiences needs. The language I have adopted in the interview would address my audience because of my interview style. The background to Emily's life is important as it makes the Hipsters feel in the know and ahead of the game. Whilst the question and answer section further reaffirms this point. Furthermore  the speech of the youthful artist featured would effectively address to my audience, as the sociolect used would match that of the audience and further build a close relationship with the reader, all further attracting them to the magazine. I also feel the interview represents my artist very positively, by focusing on qualities such as "The down to earth conversation", which allows my audience to respect the artist. Something I feel they will be grateful, as often young people don't feel they are respected or seen in a positive light, so here I have addressed that issue.

In addition I feel the photograph I have chosen for my Double Page Spread will address my audience well. The natural pose is very welcoming and doesn't attempt to be something that it isn't such as faking a smile. It suits my audience as they will be relaxed in this way and won't like poses that are simply done for effect or popularity/publicity. Furthermore the cover lines I have used on my Double Page Spread were all created with my audience in mind. The first one “I didn't meet my Dad until I was 17, I wish I never had." is a huge insight into Emily's upbringing and is something you wouldn't discover unless you read the magazine. Therefore this makes the audience feel ahead of the game and in the know, finding something out before everybody else does. This addresses my audience well as most of them are Hipsters and have to find things out first, before they become too popular. The second and third cover lines have a slightly different effect in terms of addressing the reader, “it was something  I couldn't have dreamed of” and “I genuinely couldn't believe it!”. They are both used to create excitement and intrigue with the reader, without giving too much away. I didn't need to give a great deal away, as with most of my audience being hipsters, they are willing to put in the leg work and find out for themselves by reading the article. For my article I chose to do questions and answers as I felt this most suited my age range, as they are not willing to get bogged down in heavy, uninspiring text. Although I did start with a few paragraphs of introduction to my artist, as I believed this was appropriate with a new artist, whilst it also suited the Hipster audience who like to be in the know. Familiarly the questions and answers also address my audience as it provides them with information about the artist straight away and keeps them in my know. Therefore the very informative style of my article in providing information right away to the audience attracts Hipsters as this suits their needs to be in the know, before anybody else.

In conclusion, I believe I have tried a lot of methods in an attempt to attract and address my target audience, in a way they would appreciate and understand. I feel I have managed this by studying the age group and their mannerisms closely through my Audience Research and Audience Profiles, in order to create a publication that is both suited to their needs (e.g price) and wishes (e.g design). Whilst I also spent time conducting audience feedback upon my first draft magazine within my target age group, in order to create a product that accurately addressed my audience. As well I looked at how I was going to represent my artist, in order to attract my audience, such as the costume, poses and tone of article. Therefore by combining all these components together has allowed me to create a Magazine that will both attract and address my audience.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my magazine Deck are 16-30 year olds. Although this is a pretty small market, I am attempting to cater for a gap in the market, where people want to hear about music, as opposed to just reading about A list celebrities. Which is why on the Front Cover and Contents Page I have included bands/artists who are very popular with this age range, such as The Vaccines, Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers. This is because they are not only popular with my target age group, but also fit their social group of Hipsters.

Furthermore with this age range fashion is a key factor in their lifestyles, so the design of the magazine is essential to fitting the audience. As many of these people are hipsters I have attempted to dress my artists in this way, as well as designing the magazine with this in mind. If the magazine doesn't look good then the audience won't buy it, as looking good is just as important as a high quality magazine.

In addition I felt price was a decisive factor in enabling the magazine to be a success and to meet the audiences requirements. Therefore I decided to price the magazine at £2.00 as I felt this price was more than affordable for this age range, whilst was also enough to allow the production of a high quality, recognised music magazine. Crucially the magazine had to be affordable because this age range are tight for money, especially the students, so cost was essential to the publications success, because if it was too expensive readers would go elsewhere for their magazines and music news. The price also enabled me to match/better the prices of NME and Kerrang (read by this age range), as well as filling a gap in the market for the Indie genre at a reasonable price.

The following are two audience profiles of people, a boy and a girl, within my target audience. I believe these people would be attracted to my magazine because of their lifestyles, likes and dislikes. 

Name- Sarah Marriott.

Age- 19

Neck of the woods- Sheffield. 

Occupation- Studying Textiles at Sheffield Hallam, in her second year. The partying has calmed down but the enthusiasm hasn't.

Time Killers- Never leaves the house without her camera (or her purse), she was born to shop, but tries to stick off the high street. She loves to see her friends, but "studying is taking over her whole life". Getting home to see her family is everything, but the shops in Sheffield lure her to stay from Brighton. 

Burns a hole in her pocket- CLOTHES CLOTHES CLOTHES, & accessories, loves her quirky bits and bobs. However her cash is going on a new phone, as her current one is 'damaged' (so her mum thinks, a messy night being the real reason).

Future Plans- Would love to work for a fashion company, whether that be in designing or working on the photoshoot. Plus living abroad would be a dream, she'd be on that flight to New York.

Marital Status- Single and chilled.

Favourite Colours- Something that doesn't shout to loud,such as this, this & this. 

Music to her ears- Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, Two Door cinema Club, Indie and Folk YES PLEASE. But an Oasis playlist can't be sniffed out.

Stop press:- Someone who likes to be herself and doesn't want to upset others, but if she wants something she's going to get it.. watch this space!

Name- Joe Cardkali

Age- 19

Neck of the woods- Newcastle Upon-Tyne.

Occupation- Studying Geography at Leeds Metropolitan. Not a big party animal, prefers a beer back at the flat with the boys.

Time Killers- Travels the length and breath of the UK following the Toon Army. Loves hitting gigs and went to T In The Park last summer. Can't get his hand out the biscuit tin! Not a big fan of the clubs, prefers to shop than get out of his trolley. Used to board, but that is so year 11..

Burns a hole in his pocket- Football tickets, Gig tickets, Cinema tickets. More a saver, than a big spender, but won't hold his cash if the price is right. Shops in River Island and Well Gosh. Whilst nothing beats some fresh Nikes.

Future Plans- Travel round Europe on the Interail, wants to get into town planning, but enjoys writing so journalism is an option. Just wants to have fun in the sun.

Marital Status- Single boy.

Favourite Colours- Something simple, like this, this and this.

Music to his ears- The Wombats, Friendly Fires, The Killers, The Lumineers and The XX. It's all Indie, but it's a tag he wants to brush off.

Stop press:- Likes to just get in and put his feet up, put the kettle on and let the evening roll. Get the mates round and have a laugh. Often seen popping into the high street for a window shop. Just wants to have some fun and will make the effort to find it. But for him homes where the heart is, a Geordie Lad. Howay the lads.

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

After looking at the 3 main institutions involved within the publication of magazines for the Music industry, I have come to the conclusion that IPC Media would be most suited to publishing my final piece music magazine. They are currently experiencing  major success with NME and reach out to 26 million adults a month. Whilst also having success with online magazines which could add another dimension to my magazine, in a generation where going online is massive. 

Meanwhile there is a gap in the market for a Hipster Music Magazine aimed at 16-30 year olds, therefore I feel that IPC Media could take my magazine and make it a great success by tapping into a gap in the market.  Also with their online success, this could be ideal for my magazine as Hipsters often prefer to find things online or download magazines onto their Tablets. As a result being the first to find it and setting a trend, as opposed to just buying the magazine in a newsagents as anybody can do. 

So with their outstanding publishing reputation I believe they could take my magazine far within the open market place due to their great credibility and reputation within the market, as well as their know how regarding new publications. 

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?

In terms of social groups my Magazine represents Hipsters, as my magazine both suits and fits the characteristics of this particular social group. Although this social group is generally associated with boys, female hipsters certainly exist. Therefore having a female on the cover, will appeal to girls predominantly (and boys), whilst the style of the magazine will appeal to hipsters in general.

They also tend to be urban people, which links to my Double Page Spread, as Drone Pixies herself is from Urban Leicester. As well she is understated and doesn't attempt to follow to many mainstream fashion ideas, by keeping her costume simple, but still stylish without drawing too much attention to herself. A style that is difficult to copy and pull off well, therefore suiting the Hipsters as it can't slip into the mainstream radar. Also the upbeat tone of Emily's question and answer interview gives off the energetic vibe Hipsters wish to portray and how they don't stand still, looking for the next big thing.

They consider themselves to be ahead of the game and trendsetters, as a result a magazine that features a new artist is ideal, as it gives the target group the feeling of discovering them and that they set the trend to like  this artist. This fits as this particular group are only interested in things that slip under the mainstream radar, as once something becomes widely known and popular it's ditched.

Furthermore apart from Fantastic Man the style of my Front Cover is unconventional  therefore suiting hipsters as they are adventurous in their choices and enthusiastic regarding new ideas in order to stay away from mainstream ideas. For example if my magazine had a more conventional Front Cover, the social group would be uninterested. Hipsters want to be fitting between ideas, rather than sticking to conventions, much like my magazine, as well as remaining current with trends and crazes. As I have taken ideas from a few different publications to create something new that is new and unique.

Finally, currently Hipsters are ditching their Digitals for their Polaroids, which fits my magazine as two of the three images used are framed, giving the retro effect that hipsters are currently trying to achieve.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of music magazines)

Although I didn't use a Music Magazine in order to advise myself on magazine design, I used one which follows all the typical conventions. I chose to adopt the ideas used on the cover of Fantastic Man for my own front cover.

Secondly for the Contents I used two different magazines in order to create my own Contents Page. I used both The FADER and Esquire. 

     

The Title of the Magazine

For the Masthead of my magazine I decided to use a clear and elegant font called 'Perpetua Tiling', making sure not only did my title stand out, but that it was easy to read instantly. It is a very similar font to the Cover of Fantastic Man, with pointed edges. Whilst it is also all in Capital Letters making it clear and again following another convention of an already existing magazine. Furthermore I felt the clean font gave a relaxed element to the somewhat punchy word "DECK". I chose to put the Masthead in Black, so it didn't clash with the Colour Cover Image and to maintain the clean feel of the magazine. Unlike on the Fantastic Man Cover where colour is used, with a black and white image, I simply alternated the convention. Although it might not stand out as much among other bolder/chunkier mastheads, I feel it's relaxed style will  make it clearer to read, as opposed to just standing out. 

Graphology/Page Layouts

I aimed to keep the Layout of my magazine simple, but effective, with the style of graphology being maintained consistently throughout my magazine, to create high levels of continuity following typical magazine conventions. I tried to ensure this by using the same font and colours throughout, ensuring consistency and making the magazine look professional. As with the Fonts and Colours I decided to use the same effects upon the images I used throughout, such as slightly increasing the brightness in order to provide a laid back feel to the images. I also added exposure to the images, enabling the hair to become more prominent, as well as Red lips and nails.Overall I wanted each page to follow the same conventions, unlike in some commercial magazines where each page is altered to suit the subject, which often leads to a loss of continuity. 

Therefore overall the layout used the typical conventions of magazines by keeping the same base font and editing images to suit the genre (e.g, Darkened Images for Rock). Whilst I attempted to keep my magazine simple but stylish, developing ideas from more simplistic music magazines, drfting away from the conventions of busy music magazines such as Kerrang. 

Firstly the Front Cover of my magazine is based on Fantastic Man, which I used as a model to design my Front Cover. 

The first thing I did was to position my masthead centrally at the top of my front cover and to use a classy, stylish and clean font. Making the magazine cover easy to read and clear to view. I chose to put it in black as I wanted to use a coloured image. This is the opposite to the David Beckham example, but the principle remains the same, as to not overload with the colour. Because this would make the cover over complicated and messy, losing the stylish feel. I believe this follows magazine conventions as it makes the masthead clear and promintent, but it's style doesn't detract from the more important cover image. 

The second thing I did was to place the image in the centre of the magazines cover and enclose it with a border. Although the border doesn't feature on my style model, I felt it looked good and also it fitted the 'do it yourself style' as it looked like a man made photo album/frame. I chose to have the image in colour, as I wanted it to stand out, which was important as it didn't fill the whole of the cover. Finally I enhanced the images brightness to make the red hair stand out, as well as the green watch and contrast between the white shirt and black camera. This technique of bordering the image moves away from typical magazines where the image would fill the whole of the Front Cover, with text overlapping. Or when an image would at least reach the pages margins. Therefore normal magazine conventions have been ignored to create a unique style, whereby giving my magazine an identity, providing it credibility. 

In addition I chose to put "DRONE PIXIES" underneath the picture and not over the top of it, as I wanted the picture not be encroached. I also wanted to use coloured text therefore it wouldn't be clear over the coloured image. This is why I haven't followed my inspiration, as on there it worked due to the black and white image. The reason I put the text in colour was because it wasn't as big as the masthead but I still wanted it to stand out. I chose the strong Red as it was the same colour as the varnish on the cover stars nails, so it created continuity. But also on the white background it isn't glaring and therefore can be read easily. I feel this works well. This is both conventional and not so. Often the main Cover Line, is placed upon the image to avoid confusion with other sections of text. However because of my tidier layout I didn't do this, creating a neater and less crowded cover. Although Having the main Cover Line at the bottom is not entirely new, having it more central would have been far more conventional, but I didn't want to detract from the image, or cause confusion with the Masthead, due to the difference in colour. 

I chose to put the other text body below the main text, as I felt this space could be used to success. I reverted to black text, as to not overkill with colour and being smaller it stood out so can be read easily in black. As well because the image is separate from the rest of the cover I was able to include more text in the other space than on normal magazines, without the cover looking crowded. I kept the text simple, just to the names of artists featured in the magazine, which are separated by full stops. Whilst I also put this text in two justified lines with the first slightly longer to make the magazine tidier and more professional, as well as centralising the texts, leaving even amounts of space at the end of each line. I put the text into Italics as well to differentiate it from the rest of the text. This kept it simple and minimalistic but I also felt was stylish. This positioning of text is not entirely conventional and doesn't feature on music magazines such as Kerrang, Q and NME, however similar ideas are used on Bullet and Huck, as well as Fantastic Man. Whereby text can be grouped together neatly, without proving to be heavy reading. Though by reverting back from the red to the black colour on the text I followed magazine conventions whereby the main Cover Line, maintains its own individual colour. 

I placed the barcode on the left hand side, rotated vertically length-ways as on my style model, feeling this made the most of the covers space outside the image. I then also rotated the price, issue number (these two were larger as they are more important and prominent to the magazines sale), web address, twitter name and  photography credits. I did this to effectively use the space and also as I felt it looked stylish, as well as being a technique which had worked well on my inspiration. Again this is both conventional on some magazines and not on others, as often the Barcode's position will be altered issue by issue to suit the rest of the Front Cover's Layout. Due to it not being a priority for the reader, but only a legal necessity. 

Secondly the Contents Page of my magazine is designed by using ideas and inspiartion from both esquire and The FADER.

Esquire

I used a couple of features from the contents page of Esquire in my own piece as I felt they fitted well and added to the aesthetics of my page, but didn't copy many conventional magazines. The first of these was to adopt the rotated contents feature on the right hand side of the contents page. I used this as I felt it added a different dimension to the contents page, and the different style set it apart from a more conventional Contents Page. Although many contents pages do have the word "Contents" reading vertically in order to get the reader to read downwards, aiding their own navigation of the page.

I also used the idea of adopting two colours in this section, using the black and the red, like the black and red used in esquire. I however used mine on the word "CONTENTS" unlike on the date as Esquire had. I also included more information, such as the issue number, website, Twitter name and photography details, all in order to add as much credibility to my magazine as possible. Like with Esquire I kept the font simple and clear to read, which is important as being rotated you wouldn't want to add another effect as this would over complicate the feature. Again these features are quite conventional  such as highlighting the word "CONTENTS", simply to make it stand out and make clear the subject of the page. Whilst the use of the colours Red, White and Black, is highly conventional, being the most commonly used colour pallet on magazines  due to their clear and contrasting effect when used together. 

The other feature I adopted was to position and style my image similarly as to esquire. I put the image to the left of the page, filling the majority of one half of the page. I felt this made the image prominent but not so much so that it dominated the page detracting from the text within the page. I also feel the image being placed here attracts attention first and then the text takes over, this way everything is focused on equally, so the audience misses nothing and their is no feature of the Contents Page that is unnoticed/useless. In some senses this in conventional as an image often takes prominence, however quite often in a Contents Page the text comes first due to it's importance in this section. Although I reversed this convention as it better suited my magazines layout. 

In addition I put the caption for the image half way up the image, as to not clash with the image, as opposed to the bottom left corner in Esquire. I did this as it suited my image as their was space in the image here and because it was clear her, not going unnoticed. As well I kept the same font to create continuity in my magazine, whilst used a black font continuing this, but also it stood out clearly but didn't detract attention from other more important features. Both of these are typical of all magazines, the use of a caption is simply a reader friendly device, whilst keeping the same font just continues the magazines continuity. 

The FADER

I again used two features from the Contents Page of The FADER in my own, as I felt they both suited the genre, as well as the minimalistic but stylish style that I wanted my magazine to convey. Firstly I admired the way the image on the Contents Page was in a black frame and would have used this feature, however it was too similar to my (Fantastic Man impression) Front Cover. It could be argued doing this would create continuity, but at the same time variety is needed and it would have looked desperately similar and devoid of ideas. Therefore I kept the idea of using a black frame, but only displayed half of the frame. Therefore resulting in continuity being restored, but a varied style was also offered. I also feel the frame offered minimalism but also kept the Contents Page structured, a bit like a border, making it clear and easy to navigate for the audience. Also the picture frame kept in with my Indie Genre. It also kept up with the 'do it yourself' Indie style, so suited my genre and didn't just look stylish otherwise it wouldn't have been included. Obviously this idea follows the conventions of The FADER, but the same can't be said for many other magazines. The image is normally separated by an alteration in colour, or even a change in background colour to back text on the Contents Page. 

Secondly I took the idea of having the main text body in columns as is done in The FADER Contents. I felt this made the page look organised and tidy. The columns also meant that no lines had to be included to divide sections of text, as were used on the Esquire contents. which could have made the contents page appear far more cluttered and busy. This would of removed the minimalistic feel of the magazine and the continuity would have been ruined. Furthermore I certain items of text in the contents, such as the page numbers and the headings in bold to make them stand out more. With the further explanation below without the bold effect. This is the same as in The FADER Contents and without changing colour yiu can still differentiate the different sections through the bold text. Unlike in Esquire when a colour change is used to do this. The only time I did use colour on the magazine contents text was to highlight "DRONE PIXIES" and "YASMIN". I did this as it continued on from the style on the front cover and was something I also did on the Double Page Spread in order to create continuity and identity. I also felt it was essential it stood out as it was the main article, which is why I also underlined the word "EXCLUSIVE" afterwards to further emphasise its importance. Again this follows the convetions of The FADER, but many music magazines just have one collum of text and the other text supports image(s) on the other half of the page. So from this respect I have challenged magazine conventions upon Contents Page's, by altering my page quite drastically in terms of it's layout. 

Finally the Double Page Spread of my magazine was not speifically based on any paerticular magazine, as the other elements have been. 

I used the same font for my headings on the Spread to continue this continuity and similarly used the red colour on "DRONE PIXES" to create continuity. I felt this created authenticity and made the magazine look professional rather than being mismatched, with sections looking out of place and not fitting the publication. The use of the same font throughout is conventional in many magazines, however on a lot of Double Page Spreads the font may be altered to suit the genre more specifically or even the artists own font/style. Whilst the continuation of the Red, White and Black fonts, is again following the conventional magazine Colour Pallet. However often colours are changed on Double Page Spreads, to represent the Genre/Artist, or to just emphasise the sections importance. Therefore for this I have challenged typical magazine conventions. 

In addition I just tried to keep the continuity going with the article, although I did change the font to create some differentiation and to make the text clear as it was quite small which was intentional considering it was an article. I also put a bold effect on the questions in the article to make them clear and to put more emphasis upon them, as I had done on the main text in the contents. Consequently I further established continuity. Meanwhile I enlarged quotes within my article to attract the reader and entice them to go into deeper reading. All of these graphological choices are very typical of magazines. Often fonts used for headings have to be altered as they aren't as clear when reduced in size for articles, whilst putting questions in bold makes the article much easier to read. Although in some magazines a change of colour is used for this, so here the convention has been slightly altered/developed. In addition the enlargement of quotes is very convetional in Double Page Spreads, as a way of drawing in the reader. I also changed the colours on these, as done in some magazines, but not others. Whilst often a quote may be used as the heading, however I chose not to do this and created my own Heading/Subheading. Therefore here I followed some conventions whilst others I didn't adopt, as using them all would over complicate a simplistic magazine. 

The final feature on the Double Page Spread is of course the Image. For this I decided it would cover half of the page, with the text on the other. Therefore neither element could detract or ruin the other. Meanwhile as it covers half the page, it means that when the pages are folded it is only the non-important arm in the image which is affected. Having the image placed in conjunction with the text like this is conventional and often forms the layouts of Double Page Spreads.

As well I increased both the brightness and the exposure of the Image, the result of this was a brighter m,ore relaxed feel to the magazine. Whilst it also enhanced the hair, which I felt was important due to the role that fashion and music have together in influencing society. This again is conventional in terms of editing the image, making it brighter especially so for this genre, to give off a relaxed vibe.

Costumes, props, iconography used to reflect genre

My chosen Genre was of Indie therefore with the target market being aged between 16-30, they would often  consider style over substance when buying a magazine, as well as any other product. Therefore I had to keep this in mind at all times when considering the above. Meanwhile with Indie being a unique Genre not many conventions were followed. 

Firstly it is worth noting that I kept the costume the same on my Cover Artist throughout in order to create continuity as much as anything, but to also maintain her own unique style. The shirt she is wearing is buttoned up to the top something commonly associated with the Indie Genre and a style of my target age group. Whilst the clear black buttons on the shirt clearly emphasise this, reflecting my genre. As well I kept the collar down on the shirt as I was going for a clean cut feel, often related to Indie so wanted to represent this accurately, as a collar up would lean more towards rock. Additionally the sleeves of the shirt feature a netted style, which adorns Aztec style patterns, something strongly associated with the Indie and a style many people of my target age group adopt. The design also makes the shirt more interesting and stylish, but it still looks neat, rather than over extravagant and flashy. The subdued feel fits the genre ideally I believe, as something too over the top would lean towards pop. Also the necklace gives the shirt a bit more emphasis, but again as it is silver and elegant, it doesn't appear to flashy or glary. Therefore representing the genre well, as it doesn't try to much to make an effort, but still has impact. Moving onto the facial makeup, I chose to keep this minamilistic fitting my magazines style, but also representing the genre. Too much makeup would make the artist appear cheap and more 'Poppy'. Whilst just the light makeup used suits the relaxed, chilled out genre. As for example dark eye makeup would lean towards Rock. My artist also wore red nail varnish, as not only did this follow the magazines colour pallet, but it was also punchy, without being garish or even too punk-like. The punchy element suits the stand out Indie genre, as willing to do something different, whilst still remaining cool and not seeming to show off. My cover artist is that she has a nose ring, which until recently would have been associated with Punk or Rock. However recently many people trying to attract the Indie tag have adopted this style and it has become quite popular. Here it does not appear Punky or Rocky and fits the genre ideally, again having that element of trying something different but remaining cool, stylish and understated. The last thing of note for my cover artist is that she has Dark Red hair which is dyed, although has the effect of being natural. Until recently dying your hair this colour would have been seen as uncool, although recently this has changed, especially in Indie groups. Also the effect of it being natural suits the trying something different element of Indie, but also maintains the effect of not seemingly trying hard, looking stylish, without showing off. As this would more that definetly push the genre over to Pop. 

Secondly the artist on my Contents Page has a much more subdued and relaxed style. Her dress is a rich dark purple, a colour very popular with Indie among both genders. So here the choice of colour represents the genre accurately, whilst yet again it is far from garish or flashy, maintaining the laid back feel. It to adorns mazy Aztec style patterns, which I have already explained is very popular among Indie followers. The dress also remains elegant, whilst functional with the sleeves, fitting the go out and get it feel created by the indie genre. It is neither low cut so remains classy and neat, further representing the genre ideally. Again with the makeup

Moving onto the facial makeup, I chose to keep this minamilistic fitting my magazines style, but also representing the genre. Too much makeup would make the artist appear cheap and more 'Poppy'. Whilst just the light makeup used suits the relaxed, laid back genre, further supported by the artists cool smile. As for example dark eye makeup would lean towards Rock. As well the artist is wearing light red lipstick, again not appearing majorly glary and exposing the lips to much, but maintaining a stylish vibe and neat style. The red also fits the magazines own color pallet, so yet more continuity. Finally the hair is both curly and free, representing the genre well. It looks effortless and again is dyed. However although it is dyed blonde it does not appear cheap and looks both stylish, whilst remaining laid back. The curly style also shows how the Indie  genre embraces many different styles of hair. 

Both of my artists are not conventional of many music magazines. they do not have make up caked on their faces, nor are they dressed extravgantly. However they are stylish and understated, suiting my genre and challenging typical magazine conventions.

No props are used on any of the images within my pubication for a number of reasons. First of all the use of an item such as a microphone can make the image look a big cliche and also gives the effect the photo was greatly staged. As well it makes the artist appear manafactured as if they are forced to hold a prop, whilst having my artists individual nature shine through better represents indie. Whilst if they appear manafactured this totally contradicts the unique 'Do it yourself' Indie genre. Furthermore with my photo's taken in a studio any props would make them appear even more staged. Also the use of a prop could have made the artist feel uncomfortable and therefore not at all suit the relaxed Indie Genre. 

It is not often props are used in music magazines, as it is made to be all about the artist, so here I have followed magazine conventions. If however I had done a rock magazine props would have been conventional such as a guitar, but with Indie this was not necessary.

Iconography is a diffiuclt one with the Indie genre, as Indie is all about being independent and doing it yourself. However if there is any icongraphy it is with my cover artist. Who with the dark red hair and subdued make up has similarities to Florence and the Machine. Especially in the two images below where florence is wearing simple, but stylish and elegant white tops. Also in the second image like my artist she is wearing a neat silver necklace. Although Florence is wearing more jewellery and eye makeup, some levels of Iconography are represented which is to be expected even in Indie, as some conventions have to be copied otherwise Indie would be impossible to define at all. However the diffentiations show how Indie is a genre that lets you be yourself, therefore explaining how Iconography enables Indie to be accurately represented in my magazine. 

In conventional music magazines Iconography is far more common, it is all about following the latest styles and who can be the same, if not better than so and so. However I went against this convention and went for limited Iconography, as Indie is about being yourself and Independence, therefore lots of Iconography would have contradicted this and lost my magazines audience. 

Camerawork and framing of images

All of the camera shots used in my magazine are straight on shots, with the cover artist being featured in two midshots and the contents image being a close up. I used a mid-shot on the Front Cover, as it fitted my layout well and I felt it was important to show as much of my artist as possible. This way it showed my magazine was both open and informative, subconsciously represented through the image. This in conventional as lots of magazines feature mid-shots on their covers, showing their openness. But some do use Close-ups, though I didn't feel it fitted my genre.  With the contents page I used a close up, to emphasise how this was the page to get stuck into and find out where to go. Also a smaller image was needed so the close up fitted ideally. This again is conventional as smaller images are used on Contents Pages. Finally for the Double Page Spread I used a slightly closer mid-shot, once again establsihing both the artists and the magazines openess with this being an interview. This is partly conventional, but normally a close up is used, to show the personal and close relationship between artist and reader a Double Page Spread offers. 

I framed the images on the Front Cover and the Contents Page to keep them ordered, something that is conventional for the contents page for certain, as these can often become cluttered and busy, therefore segregation is needed. Though for the cover this only matches the conventions of Fantastic Man, Bullet and Huck, therefore challenging typical magazine conventions. Meanwhile I chose not to frame my Double Page Spread Image as this would make the article seem closed and stand offish to the reader, whilst I wanted to create a relaxed open vibe. This matches the conventions of the majority of magazines whereby the image on the Double Page Spread is not framed. 

 

Colour scheme

I feel I can categorically say that the Colour Scheme is by far the most conventional element of my whole magazine. The use of Red, White and Black is the most commonly used colour scheme. The white and black offer the colours of traditional print, so give my magazine the clean cut feel (of Indie) whilst the red makes things stand out and is used for emphasis. Meanwhile if say yellow had been used with the other colours a Rock genre would be felt, whilst blue/pink could of created a Pop genre. Therefore by using the conventional colours it suited my Indie genre. The magazines below such as NME, Bullett and Q represent this how this neutral colour scheme is very conventional.