FINAL PRODUCTS: INFLICTION:

Please note: When converting the video to a smaller size some of the quality may have been affected. This could apply to the sound quality and the image quality. Sorry for any inconvenience, but i hope you enjoy!

HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES N THE CONSTRUCTION, RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATING STAGES?

I've chosen to use different types of media to present my evaluation. As, last year my evaluation was text heavy and you were bound to get bored by the end of reading it.

So, to answer 'In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?', we decided to film a group discussion and also included individual piece to cameras, to discuss our own roles within creating our horror trailer.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

Audience feedback is a very imperative part of the reflection and creation process. The main goal in film making is to sell a product to the target audience. Therefore, when the audience give feedback on the piece that was shown, it is crucial it is recorded as this would allow us to further please the audience.



In our early stages of research we found that the most popular age group to base our horror trailer at was 15 – 25 year olds, and therefore decided that this would be our target audience. In addition, we produced a questionnaire before starting our project in order to appeal to our audience, as we could have things that they wanted to see.


On the completion of out horror trailer we created a hybrid questionnaire and distributed it to a large group of our model, target audience during the viewing of our trailer. We did this as we felt it would work to our advantage as it would gather essential feedback from our target audience.




What did you think of our horror trailer / Why do you feel this way?
>'Very Good; I think the shot where the legs are hanging is really dramatic and the range of shots fit the genre.'
>'Good; It looks like a real horror trailer.'

Did the trailer make sense without giving too much away?

>'Sometimes it got a bit confusing but i think that is because it didn't give too much away. '

>'It didn't give too much away because you didn't really see the killer.'

I think that the audience screening worked well as it helped us understand the good things and the limitations of the horror trailer we made. It also gave us an insight into what our audience actually thought about the horror trailer as a finished product.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PROJECT AND ANCILLARY TASKS?

Effectiveness of my main product and ancillary tasks.

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IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOU MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

challenge & develop conventions of real media products

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EVALUATION:

Throughout my evaluation, I will assess these questions:

- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
- How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
- What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
- How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluating stages?

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK:

On the afternoon of Monday 11th April, an audience feedback session will be taking place within our school. This is to ensure that we have every oppurtunity to complete the audience research for out horror trailer. Handing out questionnaires for their responses is one source of gaining the audiences feedback and our group will be creating open and closed questionnaires in order to gain as much information as possible.

FINAL MAGAZINE COVER

FINAL MAGAZINE COVER:


FLAT PLAN OF MAGAZINE COVER:

FINAL POSTER:

Final Horror Poster:FLAT PLAN OF TRAILER POSTER:

FINAL TRAILER:

INFLICTION:

'Uncletypewriter' is the chosen font for the title of the horror trailer.

ANCILARY TASKS:

Ancilary tasks are those of which promote the film as well as the trailer. I have to create a poster and a magazine cover which advertises the horror trailer i've created.

CHANGE OF PLAN!

Completely decided on different music that will run right the way through the trailer. Here it is:

FILMING SO FAR:

So far we've completely finished the equilibrium part of the horror trailer, and we are still in the process of filming the last few bits of the disequilibrium. We've completed the main scenes and are still filming a few little short scenes of the boys being tortured. These little short scenes will add huge impact if we get them perfect. As the little things count as well! We had a few problems with the location we started filming the torture scene in. The location was a small forest next to a housing estate. You couldn't see the houses through the dense trees, but unfortunately some of the trees are beginning to be chopped down by the council, this could affect our filming as the lighting before hand was perfect and now this may make the scenes lighter. Also, with the temperatures of Newcastle being so cold during the winter period, we could only film in short bursts so that the actors didn't freeze. Furthermore, Ryan one of our boys being tortured, was a great help and we got his scene filmed within 30 minutes with only a few outtakes! It's good when we begin to see good progress with our filming and the filming is coming along great!

HORROR FILM POSTERS:

Horror film DVD cases often have the same image, layout and style as the posters created in order to attract the audience.

Features are normally:
red writing.
wierd fonts.
creepy/eye-catching title.
eerie image.
image of monster/person.
age restriction sign
directors name on case
cast names.
tag line.

AUDIENCE AGE:

In the typical market today for horror films the niche market is between the age of 15 and 25 years old. So as a group we aimed our horror trailer at this market, and gave the film a age limit of 15 years old.

COSTUMES:

The weather this month is looking terrible, and the actors are beginning to feel the cold with there costumes.

OUT-TAKES:

The funny and not-so-funny bits your not meant to see! But here is an exclusive....

MUSIC FOR THE EQUILIBRIUM:

As a group we decided we needed some sort of music which was a little bit more softer and subtler for the equilibrium part of the trailer, rather than the harsh, heavy and bass music of the same track, which we are using for the disequilibrium part.

We thought that using Muse as an acoustic would be better than trying to link in a softer piece of music, which we would then have to decided on. But with Muse as an acoustic we know it works good with the disequilibrium and it will be easier to fit together on the soundtrack.

HORROR FILM POSTERS:

STORYBOARD ATTEMPT ONE:

TYPICAL CONVENTIONS OF A TRAILER:

The film trailers which I have analysed and looked at on Youtube all pursue the same purpose, consuming similar conventions in order to portray the horror genre, of which they all embrace. Some of the common conventions which I accredited were:

Inclusion of film institution logos, most likely one or two companies.Fast pace editing towards the end of the sequence, using specifically straight cuts, to create tension and suspense.

Representation of victims portrayed within the narrative stage known as ‘struggle’ suggested by theorist Vladimir Propp.

It is essential for the narrative stages known as ‘Return and Recognition’ also suggested by Propp, to not be included within the trailer as the storyline will be given away. The use of this create enigma and adds tension, supporting the horror genre.

The inclusion of credits such as tag lines, endorsements and the use of famous/successful actors/actresses or directors/producers involved with the film, used to create hype for the current film and heighten expectations, as well as used to persuade the target audience.

THEORY:

Propp theory

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ANALYSIS OF HORROR TRAILERS:

30 DAYS OF NIGHT TRAILER





Equilibrium. (Todorov)
Establishing shots.
Range of angles.
fast paced in areas.
woman voice over.
Crescendos in music to change atmosphere.
catchy storyline.
silence to encourage eerieness.
screams - frightening
Dark mise-en-scene to suggest something bad is going to happen.
Driving rock score kicks in when the pace becomes faster - creates excitement.
'missing' people - good storyline.
heartbeat.
diegetic & non-diegetic sound.
Police - authority.
vulnerabilty.

AS A GROUP WE ANALYSE AROUND 20 HORROR TRAILERS. HERE IS A SAMPLE OF SOME BRIEF ANALYSIS WE DID.

FOR A PERFECT SHOT:

For a perfect shot lots of variables have to be taken into consideration.

The subject of the film: Always consider the purpose of a shot before you start to set it up. Have you found your subject? What do you want to show about it/them? Is your subject human? - are they wearing the right clothes? Are they in the right mood? Are they doing the right thing in the right place? These are the things you have to think of.

What are the backgrounds/locations:Always consider the background and location in your frames. Does it match your subject? - think colours and textures? Does your subject show up against the background? Does the location give additional information to the audience about the subject? What mise-en-scène will be included in your image?

Composition: Composition is the arrangement within the picture. This is how the audience interacts, as the composition often shows meaning through objects' relationships with each other.

Images are usually composed around the 'rule of thirds'. The rule of thirds is a basic principle where if you imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. The 9 sections help determine if the composition is good, unique, awkward, centered, left, etc.

Apart from arranging objects within the picture, another decision that is made in composition is focus, or depth of field. This dictates the depth into the picture in which objects are in clear focus. You may becide to blur out the background, in order to place more emphasis on central or foreground objects. or you may decide to have everything in your picture in equal focus, for instance in a landscape shot, or a group photo.

Framing: deciding where an image begins and ends - is as vital to the meaning of an image as composition. There are a whole variety of camera angles which can be selected to frame a shot and often what is left out is as important as what is included.

By framing two objects together in the same image, we imply a connection between them, especially if there is a physical link. By isolating an object within the frame - for instance showing a swimmer against an expanse of nothing but sea - we can make it seem insignificant and lonely.

FILMING SO FAR:

So, so far we've managed to film a lot of scenes and put together 45 seconds of final film. This part of the filming is the equilibrium - the 'happy' bit. Starting the editing wasn't that bad as we all worked as a group and made decisions together.

We've had a problem with the weather lately, due to the heavy snow that has been falling. So we had to put off filming for about 2 weeks, which wasn't so good!

But we managed to film quite a rangle of angles, and shot didtances for our trailer. Although a lot of them won't be used or are too amateur, it's better to have more than not enough.
We've used quite a few locations so far in our filming: Jen's house, Heworth grange School, Leam park, and Heworth Grange CLC.
We're all happy so far with the outcome, and there are some hilairious outtakes i need to put up... I'll keep you posted!

POSSIBLE MAKE-UP TUTORIALS:

COSTUME IDEAS:

Hanging scene: grey pants, because that is all that will be seen.

During school scenes: smartly dressed boys & girls. shirts, trousers, smart shoes, jumpers and possibly ties. This is to represent mature students / sixth form pupils.

At the park: Laura- jeans, top, coat, scarf. Chloe- jeans top coat, hat. This is because the girls are out of school and just have normal everyday clothing on.

Torture scenes: Chloe- ripped, dirty, dyed clothing, heavy make-up, tatty hair and pale looking. Thomas- dirty, ripped clothing; dirty face. Boys have dirty, ripped clothing too.

Car scene: Thomas: everyday clothing, maybe a hoody, joggers or jeans and trainers/plims. Chloe- ripped, dirty, dyed clothing, heavy make-up, tatty hair and pale looking.

Idea for Chloe's make-up from google images:















Heavy looking eyes - black and reddy colour eyeshadows, eyeliner, smutty marks on the face and darkened lips. I think the right hand image is perfect looking for a 'zombie' girl who hung herself. I'd just need to add rope marks around the neck, which would look like this...

FILMING TECHNIQUES:

Filming was one part of my roles and responsibilities. In filming there are many different techniques:
Cinematic Techniques:
In filming the use of various shot sizes can affect the meaning of what the audience think the shot means.

Common shot sizes:
-gives the audience a sense of location.
-generally used as a scene-setting.
- it normally shows an exterior, eg a building, or a landscape.
-there will be very little detail in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression.
-isolation, vulnerability and space.
-often cities, countryside or scenic views.

Long shot:
- all or nearly all of the standing person fits into the camera frame.
- shows the audience a large scale action.
- gives the audience the full view of a person for understanding.
-plenty of background detail still emerges.
Medium shot:
- character shown from waist up on the camera.
-normally used for dialogue scenes.
-any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot.
-background detail is minimal.
Close-up shot:
- shows the head and neck of a character.
- facial expressions are very important close-up shots for reactions.
- this shows very little background, and concentrates on an object.
- the close-up takes us into the mind of a character.
Extreme close-up shot:
-Very small objects or facial features are in the camera frame.

-Good for tension.

-Shows the audience a specific image.

-Generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality.
-The tight focus required on the camera, to let the audience see detail.

I already know a range of camera shots due to AS level media studies, when i used a camera to produce my front image for the magazine.

The Field of View (FOV) is the angle described by a cone with the vertex at the camera's position. It is determined by the camera's focal length, with the shorter the focal length the wider the FOV. For example, for a 35mm lens the FOV is 63 degrees (wide-angle), for a 50 mm lens it is 46 degrees (normal), and for a 135 mm lens it is 18 degrees (telephoto). A wide angle lens exaggerates depth while a telephoto lens minimizes depth differences.
Camera Angle:

The camera angle helps to determine the point of view of the camera.

Viewers expect the camera to show a level horizon. If the camera is not then it appears different to the audience.

A birds eye shot:

This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things. It's like looking to the ground out of an aeroplane.

Uses of Birds Eye View Shots: Camera Angles: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

High angle shot:

Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane or a tripod to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.This angle is good for looking down on someone showing vulnerability.

Uses of High Angle View Shots: Camera Angles: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Low angle shot:
These increase height and help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.It can also show authority of the person who is in the frame, as the audience is looking up to them.

Uses of Low Angle Shots: Camera Angles: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Eye level shot:

A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground, as if the audience were on level with what is happening in the frame.

Uses of Eye Level Shots: Camera Angles: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Point of view shot/ over the should shot:

Uses of Over The Shoulder Shots: Camera Moves: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Camera moves:

Different camera moves help make the film or feature look more realistic. Doing things which a person would do, like, look around, makes the audience believe they’re watching something from a point of view.

Panning shots:

Panning is often used to follow a moving object or character. It can also be used to establish a shot, like panning a room to get the full mise-en-scene. It is likewise used as a transition between one camera position and another.

Uses of Pan Shots: Camera Moves: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Tilted angle shots:

Good for dramatic scenes, another different angle which the audience aren't familiar with as its not a normal viewing angle.

Uses of Tilted Angle Shots: Camera Angles: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Tilting shots:

A movement which scans a scene vertically.

Uses of Tilt Shots: Camera Moves: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

Dolly and Tracking shots:

A dolly is a small wheeled vehicle, piloted by a dolly grip, which is used to move a camera around in a scene. A dolly shot is a move in and out of a scene, i.e., the movement is parallel to the camera lens axis. A tracking shot is a movement perpendicular to the camera lens axis. The key to these shots is to have realistic motion. The motion can be judged by looking at how fast humans move and then how many frames it would take to realize this motion. Examples of motion at different speeds are given in the table below.

Hand held shots:

The hand-held movie camera first saw widespread use during World War II, when news reporters took their windup Arriflexes and Eyemos into the heat of battle, producing some of the most arresting footage of the twentieth century. Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism, and they can make the audience feel as though they are part of a scene, rather than viewing it from a detached, frozen position.

Uses of Handheld Shots: Camera Moves: All About Camera Angles and Moving Shots eHow.com

TITLE OF HORROR TRAILER:

As a group we chose five different titles of which the film could be called. And as we couldn't really decide we made a questionnaire for the targetted audience. The results lead to the title 'Infliction'. Infliction means the act or process of imposing out something unpleasant. Something, such as punishment, that is inflicted.

The title is perfect for the synopsis of the film too!

Here are different types of font for the title... decisions, decisions!

SOUND:

Diegetic Sound: is generated by things we can see in the picture. It is sound that is heard by the character in the film. Things like trees rustling, wind, standing on leaves and a song on a radio.

Non-Diegetic Sound: Raw footage is usually enhanced through the addition of non-diegetic sound, usually in the form of music or voice over.

Soundtracks: Previously-recorded music chosen because of its fit to the rhythm, content and mood of a sequence. If a song, the lyrics may add meaning to the film.

Voice over: The most efficient way to record a voice over is to find the quietest room possible and speak directly into the camera microphone. You can either record your own voice or find someone who suits the position better to do it. Remembering the gender, age and status of the person doing it will have different effects on the trailer/film its recorded for, as all of them will have implications for the meaning of the text used.

Sound Effects: Sometimes you just have to fake the sounds within the frame. Sound effects are often used to heighten realism by adding in sound at a crucial moment. Often you can download free sound effects to fit within the trailer.

DIALOGUE:

Film trailers often use dialogue of the characters over separate clips to explain the plot or create atmosphere. It is a much more naturalistic way of doing things. This is prominant in '30 Days of Night'. Where the casts dialogue is played over the top of the music to create suspense. Making the audience want to know the rest of the film.

MUSIC:

Film trailers often use music from existing films, as they are put together long before the music is composed. They use music or songs appropriate to the genre, and often use several different tracks depending on the particular moment in the trailer. Like in a horror or thriller movie, a fast-paced/rock genre music would be used to connotate the eeiriness and pace of the film.

I have decided to use Muse-Hysteria' within the horror trailer as it is very fast paced as relates well to the trailer. It is the type of music you expect to be played in the background of a horror trailer.





I have currently e-mail Rich Costey who is the record producer of Muse, asking for permission to feature their music on my trailer. Just in case of copyright terms and conditions.

Hysteria by Muse has currently featured inthe film "Millions"by the famous Danny Boyle. It had two Muse songs in it. I think the song will relate better to my trailer because of the horror genre, whereas Millions is a comedy/family/drama genre.

Hysteria is also featured on the Guerlain perfume advertisement with Hilary Swank. But, I still think it sounds better and attracts the audience alot more when combined with a suspenseful/tense trailer.

TEXT CARDS:

Text cards are often used within a trailer to create suspense, or help the audience understand a little about the film without giving too much away. Most film trailers use this as it's not just based on the genre of the trailer/film. Text cards are normally on a plain background, not over a scene, this is because it adds more effect when they're fading in and out, as it makes the audience want to know the next one.

In our trailer we are going to use text cards to add suspense to the fast-paced horror genre.

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS:

QUESTIONNAIRE:

MY TRAILER PLOT:

Chloe and Jade are two girls which have been best friends ever since they were little. But everything changed when Chloe found out her soul mate had committed suicide due to being bullied. Chloe has more of an interest in her best friend than anyone knew about, but this becomes apparant to everyone when she becomes silent and stalks the bullies in grief. The bigheaded jocks who caused this loss, soon start to panic, when one-by-one they start to disappear. But who is causing this? There's an eerie feeling when the pupils talk about the bullied dead girl, and torture scene commences in the woods. But who has caused who the most pain?

HORROR FILMS OUT NOW:

>The synopsis of The Exorcist:
A movie actress taking up temporary residence in Washington D.C. has her troubles. The script for the movie she's filming seems inadequate. Her ex, who is also the father of her adolescent daughter, Regan, neglects to call the girl on her birthday. And the attic has rats. Meanwhile, Father Karras, a priest and a psychiatrist, is losing his faith; and he's dealing with a sick mother who needs medical care he hasn't the money to provide. Another priest, the old and ailing Father Merrin, has just returned from Iraq with forebodings of evil. These three persons meet when the sweet and cheerful Regan turns foul-mouthed and violent. But her sickness is beyond the reach of a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. What Regan needs is an exorcist.

The synopsis of Orphan:
Kate and John Coleman are rebuilding their troubled marriage. Kate had a drinking problem, but is in therapy and is doing well. She has been sober for one year. The couple decides to adopt a child. When they meet the nine-year-old Estonian girl, Esther, at the St. Marina Orphanage, they immediately fall in love with the well-educated orphan. Their young son, Daniel, is hostile to his new sister; but their deaf-mute daughter, little Max, is enchanted with her - at first. Eventually, Kate begins to feel that Esther is manipulative and possibly even psychologically disturbed. John refuses to listen to his wife's misgivings, and the wounds in their marriage reopen. Kate calls Sister Abigail at the orphanage, and the nun informs her that Esther has a troubled and mysterious history. Kate delves further into Esther's past and discovers she is not at all who she pretends to be.

TRAILERS:

Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the film. The purpose of the trailer is to attract an audience to the film, so, these shots are usually drawn from the most exciting, funny, or otherwise noteworthy parts of the film but in a shortened form so there are no spoilers. So there are no spoilers the scenes from the film are not necessarily in the order in which they appear in the film. A trailer has to achieve that in less than two and a half minutes, the maximum length allowed by the MPAA.

TWO TYPES OF TRAILER:

TEASER TRAILER: Put together while the film is still being filmed. No more than 1:30 in length, just enough to give audiences an idea of what to expect.

THEATRICAL TRAILER: Put together towards the end of shooting/after the film has finished shooting, but while they are in post-production. Between 1:30-2:30 in length.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

We decided to share the roles and responsibilities out fairly so that everyone in the group had a certain job/role to carry out.

Myself: the costumes within the trailer, and acting with the trailer and filming.

Thomas: Props, locations and acting.

Jennifer: will be directing the trailer and keeping up with the continuity.

Chloe: will be filming the trailer and will be in charge of the lighting.

Instead of having one of us doing the editing by ourselves, we decided to work as a team on finalising the editing stages. This was decided because the editing within the trailer is such a massive part, and it would be unrealistic for one person to carry out this role.

A2 PROPOSAL:

In year 13, my aim is to create a practical production consisting of a horror film trailer, a poster and a magazine cover. I'm going to be working as part of a team, including: myself, Jennifer Buck, Chloe Edwards and Thomas Hannett which should be a good decision as we all have good knowledge and interesting opinions on the horror genre. We decided to make a horror trailer as we think it will be more challenging and interesting to work on than a music video. We want our trailer to look as good as those on the market today, such as 'Orphan' and 'The Exorist'.

A2 MEDIA STUDIES

FINISHED REAL MEDIA PRODUCT:

FINAL COVER:
- A4 Portrait.


























FINAL CONTENTS:
- A4 Portrait.










FINAL ARTICLE:
- A3 Lanscape.
I added the 'splats' to the contents and article to match in with the magazine cover, not only does it give the magazine it's own uniqueness but it gives the magazine a set theme. Yet it takes away the boldness of the plain background and gives it a better look.

I also changed quite abit on the contens page too, just so it looked more professional.

EVALUATION:

n what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In the preparation of my media product - which was to create a music magazine front cover, contents page and an article, all based on the Indie music genre, I had to guarantee my final product realistic so it would be able to sit on the shelves alongside other major monthly magazines. Consequently I carried out some research of other products and into my potential target audience, 15-25 year olds. My main target audience is female, but I would like to appeal to males too.

My product consists of six pages: a front cover; contents and a four page spread. I worked solo on this project, doing the research, editing, the Photoshop work and the designs solely by myself. I researched magazines of today to gain the knowledge of the typical ideology, connotations and conventions of a magazine aimed at fifteen to twenty-five year olds out in the shops today. This helped me produce a magazine of the same standard, inspired by the indie music genre.

I aimed the cover at both sexes. I did this by having a conventionally ‘sexy’ posed female model as the cover girl, yet I kept the colour scheme to cool blue tones, which are stereotypically masculine - the colour scheme was retained throughout the magazine which gives the unique magazine its own house style, just like ‘Blender’ (2008) often keeps its layouts practically the same, with a very large image of the model in the centre of the page and little hooks around it. Having the same colour scheme throughout the magazine gives it its own house style and makes it more recognisable, so that when the reader goes to buy a magazine, they just need to look for the blue colour scheme of the magazine I’ve produced and their brain automatically tells them it’s the norm.

Furthermore, having all the text justified and in a specific layout helps the audience just look at exact areas on the page, such as ‘big quotes’, bold writing, the font type, the font size and the story hooks used, often used in ‘Q’ magazines. I broke this convention by placing them all down the left hand side of the cover. I used an asymmetrical cover layout. These all help the naked eye focus on that area where the magazine has emphasised to draw in attention. On the cover the story hooks aren’t straight, but are justified to the left hand side of the cover. Using bold writing for the story hooks emphasises them so that the reader spots the catchy hooks without delay. I justified the layout of the cover so that the image of the model was in front of the title. I did this because people are meant to know the name of the magazine whether or not it is partially covered or not. Magazines such as Blender (2007), NME (2009) and Vibe (2007) use this convention.

The barcode, the price and the date of the issue are all based on front cover conventions too. Using a ‘regular’ price of £1.95 was chosen by the niche market audience. They chose this cost through the questionnaire I handed out, and they thought that £1.95 was the perfect, yet, regular price to pay for a magazine of this type.

I was inspired by NME’s layout for their contents page, shown in the link below:
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6c6VQm0FSAkw0XLS6DOB0k29__hfpFfXwUZq_OBq7ruksSH3MaKVTom8sohebP2HpwY-xWE9GYzuc0PYdH3i_JHn69iG4I8GTpOiMpod4UxEtI41wGOH_kNY2HJmKsnc9SRNBhlE4cs/s320/NME-contents+page.jpg).

I kept to the colour scheme and typical conventions of a magazine’s contents page, yet made it my own. I did this was by using a layout that was simple yet unique; I also used new images of Josie (the cover girl model) in the same clothes, just so she wasn’t in the same pose on the contents too. I used columns on the contents which almost every magazine uses, whether it is one, two or three. I have the magazine website on the contents page too, which is common in the age of web 2.0 for magazines to have a website so readers can interact with the publication, which gives the magazines more reputation, if people ever wanted to go on the website. I added an editor’s message to the contents page, to let the reader know a little more about the magazine – this is something I’ve seen in other magazines like ‘Uncut’.
The justification of the text is aligned to the right hand side. In the main article section of the contents page, a funkier writing font is used - ‘Baby Kruffy’ - this is to grab the readers attention as it is cooler than the normal ‘Century Gothic’ used on the left hand side of the page, which is used to list the smaller stories inside the magazine.

I also found in magazines such as Blender (Aug 2007) the cover girl featured in the main article of the magazine., so, I used my cover girl as the main feature article too, to stick with the common convention in a magazine. The article I created could be seen as quite inspirational as it is based on an up and coming celebrity who has had to chose her security and her welfare over her new found career as a lead singer in a newly famous indie band, which is becoming the new genre in the charts today. This acknowledges a heroine-like character and shows ‘Jane Lynxx’ in a positive light. Although my article is sympathetic and world encourage my readers to aspire to be like her, it shows some of the pitfalls of fame.

Normally, articles tend to give off vibes to the reader, such as, ‘I could do that, ‘I want to be like her’ or ‘that would help me’, but this sort of emotion doesn’t occur in my main feature article. The vibes given off in this article are more of a pity or self belief feeling, rather than ‘I want to be like her’. The article, I would say, is more for the females which would read the magazine, yet I did try and make it appeal to both sexes.

The layout of the article is that the text is set out into columns which are a convention typical in the majority of magazines. I used a tease at the beginning of the article, which gives an insight into the juicy bits, without giving the story away. I also used quotes from the story and highlighted them. I did this because the most interesting quotes would attract the reader and make them read the full article rather than just glancing at it.

The images used on the article pages were those from the same shoot of the cover. I did this to connect both the cover, contents and article together, seen in Vibe and NME.

I created a negative photo strip to link in with the story. It links in with the story because the name of the band is ‘The Photographers’ so I thought photos compliment the story effectively.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My product represents white female upper working class / teenagers in a positive light, showing how they can achieve success today, whether it turn out good or bad to start off with. I did this by giving an aspirational model for my target audience to seek to be. The main celebrity/main character on the cover also appeals to my niche market; indie, as she originally was in an indie band, and dresses with the genre’s typical dress sense which represents and relates to my particular social group. In turn I also present the indie-loving sub-culture in a positive light.

What institution might distribute your media product, and why?

Bauer media publishes worldwide, with an approximate empire 282 magazines in about 15 countries. They work closely with their customers to develop new solutions which make a difference within their business, just like I have by using a questionnaire to find out the customers needs and then acted upon it. (http://www.bauer.co.uk/aboutbauer) I would be widening the market for them, which will offer them an opportunity to expand their audience into a new market of 15 – 25 year olds. With Bauer I would be widening their portfolio. Also publishers from other retail magazines such as Blender’s:
Dennis Publishing (http://www.dennis.co.uk/dennis_site/about/dennisgroup.php) I’m sure would publish my magazine. As I am sure my media product would get far in the current market if it was published by one of these famous publishers, I know this because ‘Q’ and ‘Blender’ are very popular magazines now and feature their own style and ideology. However, I know my magazine is different and unique which would open up a different type of market bringing originality and interest in which my income could come from being a unique type of magazine; where hopefully a lot of the public would purchase it rather than other top magazines on the shelves in the shops now. This is because it features the stories that real media products have such as events that are happening at the moment, exclusive interviews, chart lists, articles and other extras in the magazine. But the income would come from the unique images and style on the cover, which would draw in the audience population and gain a good reputation for the magazine, which would then give a better status for the publisher as I have widened the niche market and would have created another unique magazine to add to their empire. Seeing as my magazine is aimed largely at females, I claim that I would be opening a new niche market because most music magazines today, for this age-group are aimed at men. The fact that I have produced a magazine suitable for a nationwide niche audience who like indie music, as opposed to a magazine with a very specific localised audience would help widen Bauers audience. http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Press-Office/Magazine-Covers/ in this link are some of the magazine covers they’ve published.

What would be the audience for your media product?

Name: Sophie Handy
Age: 17
Occupation: Full-time student.
Why would she read this product: I sense my music magazine would hit an audience of the upper teenage working class population, interested in the latest music. I am aiming largely at a female target audience – but I hope by my colour scheme and the fact that the males are more likely to be interested in this sort of music and backgrounds – that it will appeal to males too. Someone with an office job would buy this magazine against others on the shelves, maybe with an interest in chart music and attends the latest gigs around the country. Someone with a peaceful night time, time to chill or relax and read a magazine – like the one I have produced, and a lot of spare time on his hands, other than the time spent at the latest music band gigs and at his job. Maybe even a fit and active man, around the age of 20-25.

However, the overall age group I have aimed at is 15-25 year olds with a female main gender. Upper class working class readers with enough disposable income to buy downloads, CD’s, go to gigs, and buy this magazine every month is the ideal niche market. I created this reader profile from my research on information of the people who actually tend to buy magazines.

How did you address/attract your target audience?

When planning how to create a typical, modern music magazine, I had to find out what the target audience wanted.

To begin with I created a questionnaire, of which I received my audience’s opinions on what they would like to see and expect in a music magazine today. I asked questions such as: ‘What would you expect typically in a modern day music magazine?’, ‘’What do you look for in a magazine?’ and ‘What type of music do you like most?’. Initially, these questions benefited me and the audience I’m trying to satisfy. The rest of the questionnaire can be found on:

http://lauraarobinsonn.blogspot.com/2009/11/questionnaire-analysis.html.

By doing the questionnaire, gave me an overall view on the type of magazine the audience expected, which put me ahead of other magazines as I actually asked the target audience what they would like, and then the results they gave me went straight into my real media product. I have based my hooks on ideas from research and my audience survey.

I have also carefully analysed existing products so I could apply their conventions to my real media product.

Having an interesting article and appealing hooks on the cover of the magazine – like I do – has given the magazine a better attraction and does appeal to my target audience. I know this because Sophie Little, took a look at my product and ‘really liked it’ when I told people to take a look at it (in the age range of 15-25 year olds) their results were poisitve. For example: ‘I like how your expanding the population of Indie music’, ‘great layouts’, ‘good poses and images’, ‘modern and up to date/in with the latest fashion/styles’, and ‘nice colours’.

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I’m exploiting the notion put forward in Naomi Wolf’s ‘The Beauty Myth’ (1991). She suggests pictures of attractive women are used to sell products to women because they’ve been conditioned by the patriarchal society to want to be like the models on the covers, so they buy the product. I found that this was a typical convention of all the magazines I looked at on the shelves in nowadays such as; ‘Blender’ (Nov 2007) and ‘Vibe’ (Dec 2007). They do this by having almost nude, sexy-looking posed, gorgeous, slim and airbrushed models are being posed on the front of magazines as a source of grabbing attention. http://naomiwolf.org/

Another theory I exploit is Uses and Gratifications. This suggests that the audiences actively use media products and magazines to meet some of the needs identified. Magazines may be used by the audience to compensate for the lack of self-esteem or social success, as an example of the girls’ teenage lifestyle magazines, which address the audience as a ‘best friend’ rather than an authority figure.

Magazines always exploit the theory of uses and gratifications because the target audiences they’re aiming to gain, will identify (though most of the time its wishful thinking) with the lifestyle it promotes. Marjorie Fergusons theory (1980) identified four types of facial expression in the covers of magazines found on the shops shelves today. I think his theorem best covers my magazines stylistic features due to the fact my model isn’t sexually posed, but looks quite invitational. http://lauraarobinsonn.blogspot.com/2009/11/majorie-fergusons-theory.html
McQuail, Blumler and Brown (1972) defined four major areas of need which the media in general seek to gratify, including:
- Personal Identity – people can relate to my cover story, and will buy it because they feel some sense of belonging because the magazine involves them by featuring a genre of music they feel important to them.
- Surveillance – people can use my magazine to retrieve information about topics they’re interested in. Like from a contents page.

Also Davis et al. and Julianne Dickey convey how they take the traditional stance that images of women are dominated by the male gaze – the masculine view of female beauty – and the female form is objectified for the male pleasure, giving a very narrow definition of femininity. Such theorists are also critical of the media industry being run by the masculine view. For example: most photographers are male – and I went along with this convention of using an attractive model, but tried to empower her by posing her photographing those ‘gazing’ at her.

However, all of these theorists lead to conventions in the magazines today, which sell them. I used a model of the same age range as myself and the age of the audience which adds to the appeal. As the audience will look at the magazine for a sense of personal identity and often possibly aspire to be like that model, although theorists state different or state the negatives.

I tried to appeal to a male audience too by using blue colours within my work to attract a male audience. I also used articles based on the male population to attract them to reading the magazine too. Pages on the contents page such as ‘Calvin De-Klein’, ‘Blind’, ‘Ilivex’ and ‘Blink 182 shoutouts’ are all based at a male audience. I could have also chosen a male band to be featured on the contents page at the bottom instead of the three girls, to make it appeal to the males a little bit more.

My analysis of existing products and research into my potential audience allowed me to target my production accurately – basing ideas for stories, features, hooks, etc on what my audience want.

What have you learnt about the new technologies from the process of creating this product?

I enjoyed using the digital camera and the tripod as I experimented with diverse camera shots, such as – medium shot, medium close up, and long shot – and angles, such as low angle and high angle, to show social class and superiority.

I constructed my products on Adobe Photoshop, which I did struggle with at times, but I gradually became more confident and found out different techniques and processes that helped me, such as: making new layers and putting things on top of each other was fairly easy and it looked very effective; cutting out the photograph from the background it was on, using the lasso tools and magic wand, then using the blur tool to blur the edge of the image so it didn’t look too sharp; I also used the hue/saturation/brightness/contrast edits on the image to change the models skin appearance or to change the image to black and white.

To cut out the image of the model on my front cover from the background she was on, I used the normal lasso tool which helps by clicking specific points around an image. Photoshop will draw straight lines from point to point as you continue to click on the canvas. I then used ‘Delete’ to undo a point and try again. This tool is not ideal for cutting out really difficult images, but is good for accuracy as you click where you want cut out.

I made a negative strip from scratch. I drew out every single square around the edge of the negative strip by using the square shape tool. I then drew the background as a bigger box than the images then placed all the little white squares around the edge, to make it look like a negative strip from a photo shoot. Furthermore, I added in the images and made them all the same size so it didn't look odd. However, I changed the brightness of the photographs and the saturation so the images where dark and black and white. I did this to make it look like they were negatives from a camera. Then, I fixed all the layers together so the piece was a whole, and then could move everything around as one layer, rather than 70 little ones.

On the cover, I used a splatter brush to create the ‘ink print’ marks on the background, I downloaded this brush off of the internet; I used the technique/process of whitening the hair of the model and her skin by using the dodge tool.

The blog I created allowed me to take advantage of web 2.0 to become a producer of a media artefact with an internet audience of millions who can comment and post about my work. I combined text and images to explain the ideas and processes behind my magazine which can be found on my blog. Using the blog meant that I can layout our plans and show my annotations and it can be viewed by the public, who can provide feedback.

Looking back on your preliminary project, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to your full media product?

Looking back at my amateur preliminary task I feel that I’ve progressed a lot. My imagination, publishing and photography skills have improved and I have a much deeper understanding of how to produce a professional product on Adobe Photoshop for a selected genre, age range and target audience. I also feel confident in representing my views about design. I also can see the difference in professionalism between the two products and I can now see how I could have made the preliminary product better by gaining some more knowledge or practise on Photoshop. My research skills have advanced, as I analysed magazines and understood the conventions they used to attract their target audience, like specific colours, fonts and models to communicate a particular message to them. I have understood the importance of audience research by creating a questionnaire and this helped me find their needs, so, I could accurately target my magazine to meet the audience’s needs and produce one that could compete on the shelves ‘NME’. From my study of other music magazines and their conventions, I learned that a magazine should not be too busy, as when there is too much to look at it takes the attention away from the main purpose of the magazine, which is for a reader to actually look inside, yet it should be attractive and eye-catching enough to stand out from the crowd of the mass of other music magazines that are on the shelves today. Furthermore, my knowledge of writing in a journalistic style has improved and I’ve very much enjoyed the challenge of completing my production of a ‘real media artefact’ for a deadline. I’ve moved on from producing pages for a magazine with an extremely localised niche audience to planning, researching and producing a magazine aimed at a wider – national – niche audience that can compete in the market with existing products such as ‘NME’, ‘Blender’ and ‘Vibe’.