Thursday, 9 October 2008
Monday, 6 October 2008
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Front Cover evaluation
All in all i believe that my front cover is designed to a high standard and i have followed the codes and conventions of magazines in general and interperated that into my own views on how the final production should look like. My masthead looks smart and sophisticated in the way i wanted it to. The text is bold and its oozes sophistication due to the font being fancy joined up writing. It stands out to make the whole cover look attractive and appealing. My editing of the Victoria College embelem makes it stand out and has a golden effect. I used the magnetic lassoo tool on Adobe Photoshop to cut out the embelem so it allowed me to use just that specific image. This adds to its effect and makes it stand out more due to it being viewed as one image, with me taking the image at an angle it produces the image at a slant which looks attractive. I also used the magnetic lassoo tool on my cricket image, this also allowed me to use that one specific part of the image i took. I blurred the outside also as i thought it looked attractive and it looked as if it were a moving image and added to the 'action shot' that was already obtained by the image. I placed the image so that it is a medium close up is cut off by the page. As I specifically took the image as a medium close up as was required for this project i wanted it to look as though i took it as a full body image, therefore i used my page boarders to an advantage and placed him at the bottom of the page to cut the batsmen off at his torso. I set a black background as this allowed for the images to be used more effectively and stand out more. It worked well with the white and red used in both of my images. I produced a yellow border to create a sense of sophisitcation and smartness. I produced it in yellow to tie in with the school colours of yellow (the border) and black (the background) to add a sense of house style.
Contents Page Evaluation
With my contents page i wanted it to differ from the original layout of my front cover. I wanted to experiment with the masthead and so i placed it in the left side of the page, reading it downwards. I wanted to keep the school colours visible throughout so i used the font colour as yellow and used a colour gradient tool to place a black background on the side of the left page, fading as it got further along. This made it look effective and attractive, with the contents title standing out as a result. I used a picture i took of me playing snooker in our own common room. I used this to tie in the magazine by using one of my main featues as a 'insight to the sixth form common room'. I used iphoto to edit the image and changed the contrast of the colour and the effect of the colour to an 'antique colour'. This made it stand out and really tied in with the page. I zoomed in on the image using photoshop by 200%. This allowed me to select the part of the image i wanted to use as an overall background to the page. I took the image by using a close up of the snooker balls to be seen and then expanding to a shot of me taking a shot. This looked attractive and proffesional in terms of its layout. I then placed the image as an overall background and used it as the 1st layer in Photoshop, this allowed for it to be viewed over my other layers, for example the text and the colour gradient block. This gave it a proffesional layout and was used to great advantage. The image depicts the fun side of the college which would appeal to both parents and students alike. I used little text on the contents page as the background image was so effective. I placed the text specifically out of the way of any major part of the image. The text was place on the mat of the snooker table and i used the same yellow i used to conduct my 'contents' title. This allowed for authenticity and was used strikingly upon the backround. I used a 'fancy' font which added to the sophistication theme and summed up the college overall, that being smart in both appearence and behavioural terms.
All in all i believe that my front cover is designed to a high standard and i have followed the codes and conventions of magazines in general and interperated that into my own views on how the final production should look like. My masthead looks smart and sophisticated in the way i wanted it to. The text is bold and its oozes sophistication due to the font being fancy joined up writing. It stands out to make the whole cover look attractive and appealing. My editing of the Victoria College embelem makes it stand out and has a golden effect. I used the magnetic lassoo tool on Adobe Photoshop to cut out the embelem so it allowed me to use just that specific image. This adds to its effect and makes it stand out more due to it being viewed as one image, with me taking the image at an angle it produces the image at a slant which looks attractive. I also used the magnetic lassoo tool on my cricket image, this also allowed me to use that one specific part of the image i took. I blurred the outside also as i thought it looked attractive and it looked as if it were a moving image and added to the 'action shot' that was already obtained by the image. I placed the image so that it is a medium close up is cut off by the page. As I specifically took the image as a medium close up as was required for this project i wanted it to look as though i took it as a full body image, therefore i used my page boarders to an advantage and placed him at the bottom of the page to cut the batsmen off at his torso. I set a black background as this allowed for the images to be used more effectively and stand out more. It worked well with the white and red used in both of my images. I produced a yellow border to create a sense of sophisitcation and smartness. I produced it in yellow to tie in with the school colours of yellow (the border) and black (the background) to add a sense of house style.
Contents Page Evaluation
With my contents page i wanted it to differ from the original layout of my front cover. I wanted to experiment with the masthead and so i placed it in the left side of the page, reading it downwards. I wanted to keep the school colours visible throughout so i used the font colour as yellow and used a colour gradient tool to place a black background on the side of the left page, fading as it got further along. This made it look effective and attractive, with the contents title standing out as a result. I used a picture i took of me playing snooker in our own common room. I used this to tie in the magazine by using one of my main featues as a 'insight to the sixth form common room'. I used iphoto to edit the image and changed the contrast of the colour and the effect of the colour to an 'antique colour'. This made it stand out and really tied in with the page. I zoomed in on the image using photoshop by 200%. This allowed me to select the part of the image i wanted to use as an overall background to the page. I took the image by using a close up of the snooker balls to be seen and then expanding to a shot of me taking a shot. This looked attractive and proffesional in terms of its layout. I then placed the image as an overall background and used it as the 1st layer in Photoshop, this allowed for it to be viewed over my other layers, for example the text and the colour gradient block. This gave it a proffesional layout and was used to great advantage. The image depicts the fun side of the college which would appeal to both parents and students alike. I used little text on the contents page as the background image was so effective. I placed the text specifically out of the way of any major part of the image. The text was place on the mat of the snooker table and i used the same yellow i used to conduct my 'contents' title. This allowed for authenticity and was used strikingly upon the backround. I used a 'fancy' font which added to the sophistication theme and summed up the college overall, that being smart in both appearence and behavioural terms.
Front Cover Draft
The front cover planning followed a simplistic design. I knew what i wanted to have and therefore was allowed to design a plan nearly as accurate as my final piece. I knew i needed to have the masthead at the top center of the page, this added boldness and was easily viewable and recognisable. I wanted to have two split images instead of one to show what the school was about, having just one say for example the school only showed the architecture of the building. I wanted to express what the school was about through a front cover image. I wanted to focus on the sport side of the college so i knew it was going to be a cricketer. I wanted this to be the secondary image as i felt it was important to have the college embelem as the main image.
Contents Page Draft
With the contents page i wanted to mix things up abit and add abit of authenticity to my project (some house style). I planned to have 'Contents' spread down the left hand side of the page. This allowed me to use the rest of the space for a background picture that was visible through the text. If i were to have the 'Contents' written on the top this wouldn't allow me with as much freedom across the page as it takes up more space. I wanted to have a backroung image with text over as it would be di
fferent as apose to a bold colour backround that is usually used on contents pages. Most contents pages are full of text stating where each feature and articles are. This i thought made them too cramped and i wanted to take an opposite approach to this. I only wanted to state a few main features that were the highlight of the magazine. This will make the contents page more attractive and less cramped and i feel will bring out the smart and sophisticated appearence of the magazine, appealing it to my specific type of audience.
The front cover planning followed a simplistic design. I knew what i wanted to have and therefore was allowed to design a plan nearly as accurate as my final piece. I knew i needed to have the masthead at the top center of the page, this added boldness and was easily viewable and recognisable. I wanted to have two split images instead of one to show what the school was about, having just one say for example the school only showed the architecture of the building. I wanted to express what the school was about through a front cover image. I wanted to focus on the sport side of the college so i knew it was going to be a cricketer. I wanted this to be the secondary image as i felt it was important to have the college embelem as the main image.
Contents Page Draft
With the contents page i wanted to mix things up abit and add abit of authenticity to my project (some house style). I planned to have 'Contents' spread down the left hand side of the page. This allowed me to use the rest of the space for a background picture that was visible through the text. If i were to have the 'Contents' written on the top this wouldn't allow me with as much freedom across the page as it takes up more space. I wanted to have a backroung image with text over as it would be di
fferent as apose to a bold colour backround that is usually used on contents pages. Most contents pages are full of text stating where each feature and articles are. This i thought made them too cramped and i wanted to take an opposite approach to this. I only wanted to state a few main features that were the highlight of the magazine. This will make the contents page more attractive and less cramped and i feel will bring out the smart and sophisticated appearence of the magazine, appealing it to my specific type of audience.
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media project can relate to real media products as it uses the forms and conventions to produce it. Every magazine has a basic layout thats always followed, the mast head at the top and a centre-piece image. With my media project i use a mast head and a centre piece, this being the victoria college embelem and also the image of the batsmen. The focus point was for an audience to recognise that it was a school magazine, so to do this i used a large image of the school logo and included a large masthead. Now with this being a one off magazine the masthead would have not been recognisable to my audience. Therefore i had to make sure it stood out. I made the mast head the main focus by using a bold colour for the text, yellow. This also resembles the school colours due to the background being black. I found this effective as the colours were an identification that it is a Victoria College magazine. I also used yellow for the subtitles that showed what featured in a magazine. Usually magazines follow this trait also as it makes it easier to digest if the titles and subtitles match each other. I didnt want to have too much text on the front cover so kept the main festures on the page down to a minimum of three. I believe this works well as it gives the audience an insight into what the magazine's about, but also doesn't make the front cover look too cramped for space.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product isn't really focussed upon any social groups particulary. It's aimed at three types of audience, school pupils and teachers, parents and guardians of pupils and the general public who are interested about college life. It's a school magazine so doesnt really reach out to any social groups, just pupils of the school e.t.c. The closest my magazine gets to social groups would be sportsmen. This is indicated on the front cover with a picture of a batsmen. This symbolises the college as a sport school as one of the main features is 'Cricketer Of The Year' interview.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
With it being a school magazine i was thinking a local paper, for example the Jersey Evening Post would be a suitable one as it reaches most households in Jersey. This will benefit the college as it will gather more coverage and will hopefully get more students wanting to come to the college from this magazine. It could also be produced on the web as an online magazine. This would prove effective as most people have access to the internet on a daily basis and would therefore increase the number of viewers/audience. This would also save the production of this media as there would be no printing costs and also a profit could be made by using their website for advertising local companies/events that are being held in the island.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for a school magazine would be the students themselves and also staff at the college. Parents and Guardians of the pupils (and also any other relatives) and also the general public.
How did you attract/address your audience?
I feel i have allocated these audiences suitably as the magazine front cover looks classy yet sophisticated, this addressing the parents and general public, but having a sports based image reflects the college's not so serious side and would appeal to students and also the general public. I believe the mast head is sophisticated and stands out to attract the attention of the audience. My magazine has no specific social group to attratc so would appeal to my general public audience as it doesnt have a closed view on society by focussing on one specific social class.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt different aspects about technologies, especially by using Adobe Photoshop. I never realised how much there is to do with an image and i took full advantage of this. I explored how to use the program and eventually got the just of things. I found the magnetic lasso tool on Photoshop to be a favourite of mine and have used it on both my front cover images, this allows me to select a certain feature on an image and work with that instead of the whole image itself. I also learnt how to use iphoto and also the apple mac computers. Although i have used it before to do my Trident Work in which i worked for Gallery Magazine, i still found it difficult to explore the programs and get the hang of things. I feel i will benefit from this preliminary task as i havent got to grips with apple computers and its main features such as Photoshop and hopefully this will allow me to produce high quality work in the further tasks to come.
My media project can relate to real media products as it uses the forms and conventions to produce it. Every magazine has a basic layout thats always followed, the mast head at the top and a centre-piece image. With my media project i use a mast head and a centre piece, this being the victoria college embelem and also the image of the batsmen. The focus point was for an audience to recognise that it was a school magazine, so to do this i used a large image of the school logo and included a large masthead. Now with this being a one off magazine the masthead would have not been recognisable to my audience. Therefore i had to make sure it stood out. I made the mast head the main focus by using a bold colour for the text, yellow. This also resembles the school colours due to the background being black. I found this effective as the colours were an identification that it is a Victoria College magazine. I also used yellow for the subtitles that showed what featured in a magazine. Usually magazines follow this trait also as it makes it easier to digest if the titles and subtitles match each other. I didnt want to have too much text on the front cover so kept the main festures on the page down to a minimum of three. I believe this works well as it gives the audience an insight into what the magazine's about, but also doesn't make the front cover look too cramped for space.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product isn't really focussed upon any social groups particulary. It's aimed at three types of audience, school pupils and teachers, parents and guardians of pupils and the general public who are interested about college life. It's a school magazine so doesnt really reach out to any social groups, just pupils of the school e.t.c. The closest my magazine gets to social groups would be sportsmen. This is indicated on the front cover with a picture of a batsmen. This symbolises the college as a sport school as one of the main features is 'Cricketer Of The Year' interview.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
With it being a school magazine i was thinking a local paper, for example the Jersey Evening Post would be a suitable one as it reaches most households in Jersey. This will benefit the college as it will gather more coverage and will hopefully get more students wanting to come to the college from this magazine. It could also be produced on the web as an online magazine. This would prove effective as most people have access to the internet on a daily basis and would therefore increase the number of viewers/audience. This would also save the production of this media as there would be no printing costs and also a profit could be made by using their website for advertising local companies/events that are being held in the island.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for a school magazine would be the students themselves and also staff at the college. Parents and Guardians of the pupils (and also any other relatives) and also the general public.
How did you attract/address your audience?
I feel i have allocated these audiences suitably as the magazine front cover looks classy yet sophisticated, this addressing the parents and general public, but having a sports based image reflects the college's not so serious side and would appeal to students and also the general public. I believe the mast head is sophisticated and stands out to attract the attention of the audience. My magazine has no specific social group to attratc so would appeal to my general public audience as it doesnt have a closed view on society by focussing on one specific social class.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt different aspects about technologies, especially by using Adobe Photoshop. I never realised how much there is to do with an image and i took full advantage of this. I explored how to use the program and eventually got the just of things. I found the magnetic lasso tool on Photoshop to be a favourite of mine and have used it on both my front cover images, this allows me to select a certain feature on an image and work with that instead of the whole image itself. I also learnt how to use iphoto and also the apple mac computers. Although i have used it before to do my Trident Work in which i worked for Gallery Magazine, i still found it difficult to explore the programs and get the hang of things. I feel i will benefit from this preliminary task as i havent got to grips with apple computers and its main features such as Photoshop and hopefully this will allow me to produce high quality work in the further tasks to come.
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