CLOSED BLOG NOTIFICATION

Centre Name: Norbury Manor BEC

Centre Number: 14343

Candidate Name: Tamera-Noelle Kanon

Candidate Number: 9371

Unit: G321

Final Front Cover

Final Contents Page

Final DPS

Evaluation Question 7

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

Evaluation Question 6

What have you learn about the technologies from the process of constructing this product?
 

Here are some of the media technologies that I have made reference to in my Soundcloud presentation.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your target audience?

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation Question 3

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

Here is a link which whill display my answer fully, in case you cannot view this text

https://www.mindomo.com/mindmap/302958576a894761887c818115e78343

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
 Below are the slides of the text within this animoto presentation which you can click on, in case you cannot fully see the text in my video.

Double Page Spread Links

DPS link by Slidely Slideshow
Here are the links I have made on my double page spread, front cover and contents page, it inludes colours, fonts, text and the artist.

(Just in case any images are distorted, at the top left corner of the video there is an image icon that you can click on which will open up that slide.)

Double Page Spread Layout

There is a significant difference the layout of out my flat plan and my current double page spread (which is not yet finished). I moved the text to the bottom left of the page and had my main image filling up the majority of the right page, which I feel is effective as it grabs the readers attention and it makes it clear who the article is about.
The pose of my model has changed a lot also as it previously looked like a pose for a pop artist which isn't what I want to portray. Including a mid-shot photo with a microphone allows the expression on my models face to be exposed.

I believe my headline is effective as it is sophisticated as a serif font has been used (I have used this font previously on my contents page and front cover). I placed it on the top left corner of the page as I didn't want it to distract the readers from the main image and the interview. I got inspiration from this Rolling Stones Double Page Spread of Adele as I really admired the format of the page and the way everything was so cohesive.

My idea for the layout of the text is so place it below the stand first in three columns. I'm not going to use white boxes behind my text (common in many other magazine I've looked at) as I believe it would look to harsh and edgy, instead i'm leaving my text on my grey background.

Artist Interview

Young, talented and eccentric, Renee Baptiste has risen to fame with numerous features on ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Better’. With humility and pride, Renee opens up about her many challenges and triumphs. She’s not your average R&B artist. With vocals that are soothing, extraordinary and underestimated she is versatility at its finest.

How would you describe yourself?

Well, I’d describe myself as a really bubbly and extroverted person who’s always up for good time! This sometimes gets me into trouble because I’m seen with the ‘wrong crowd’ even though I would consider them as a fun group of people, especially as I’m becoming more and more popular in the industry, it’s gonna be difficult for me to continue the friendships I currently have with people, even though I shouldn’t care about the opinions of others but, you know... it sometimes gets to me.

You’ve heard the saying ‘more money more problems’ right? Did that have any effects in your life?

It’s funny you ask that actually [laughs]. As I started doing more shows and touring with celebs like Tinie Tempah and Chipmunk, the money was rolling in and me I’m just a generous person, it’s just in my nature. So when all my friends have planned to meet up and have a girl’s night but one friend isn’t able to because money, I’m so quick to offer to pay. I started to experience this in abundance and long story short she’s no longer my friend. I also found out that I had so much ‘family’ that I didn’t realise I had last year [laughs]. But I guess I’ve just gotta deal with it. But yeah, the money is good   [smiles].

So, what are your songs and lyrics and lyrics based on?

Well I love to tell a story when I’m writing a song which may be based on my previous personal experiences or other people who I see, I get permission off of those people by the way, I don’t just steal their stories [laughs]. Which I believe R&B is all about – telling a story.  My music is a way for me to release my passion from personal experience to everyone; I believe these experiences have allowed me to grow into a knowledgeable individual.

So here you have it, our exclusive with the one and only Renée Baptiste, be sure to watch out for her new music and collaborations.


(I wasn't able to fit in all the research I conducted into my actual artist interview as there wasn't enough space on my double page spread to put it all, I will however, add in 'continue on the next page' to let readers know that there is more to come which I believe would and could happen in a normal and established magazine. An example of this is the Rollings Stones double page spread featuring Adele, not a lot of space was left on the double page spread for the interview as Adele's face was the main focus which is what I wanted to incorporate in my double page spread as I feel this reflects R&B a lot in regards to it's passion for the artists and their image.)

Artist Interview Research

I looked at R&B magazine double page spreads to see the kind of language that is used or have in common in order for me to reflect this in my interview. I realised that some of them incorporate colloquial language which I believe really reflects the nature of the character being interviewed. I then noticed that many of the questions asked were to do with the artists personal life in terms of relationship, family and any issues within them. They are also asked a lot about any feuds they may have with other artists or what they dislike about certain people. As well as this, I have seen questions of the artists interests and hobbies and inspiration for their music.
I also noticed 5 things that artist interviews always include;
humour, difficult questions, story telling, light hearted questions and music history.

Here is an interview with an R&B artist, there's a lot of casual chit chat in this interview which is common in a lot of interviews in this genre. There's a lot of music chat and personal chat which allows fans and readers to feel close and more involved with the artist and what they're doing.

There is a very relaxed feel to this interview and we're able to get a feel to Alicia's personality which is important. I aim to incorporate this feel into my interview .

Double Page Spread Image Choices

These are my images choices for my double page spread. I aimed for a sensual look yet with passion and something that would portray her personality which I believe these photos have done successfully with the help of mise-en-scene. That includes the models prop (micro-phone), I used this to help emphasis the theme of this magazine which is music, I caught this photos mid action (so whilst she was actually singing) which helps convey the true passion and nature that my artist had for music. Also, the clothing was calming and neutral which helps portray the relaxation that R&B can bring.

Double Page Spread: Market Research Analysis

This is a Prezi showing my analysis and market research of  4 different established music magazines.

Contents Page Feedback

Here are a number of screenshots that I took on my phone, providing evidence of the contents feedback that I conducted. 

Photoshop Manipulation

This video shows the process of me adding more volume and length to one of my models hair.

Contents Page Colour Choices

The front cover (which is not yet finished) and my contents page use the same colours of gold, black and greyish/white. I have linked the colours on my front cover and contents page and will do with my double page spread to add a sense of unison. I have also noticed that the colours I have used do not clash with the complexion of my models skin, wheres as a colour like red probably would have which is why I steered clear from it. I made sure my models did not wear the same colours as my colour scheme as I did want my models to come as they are for a really natural affect and not to forced, which is what R&B is all about (music coming naturally do the artist). The light grey is relaxing and smooth and the gold adds a sense of richness which reflects my genre really well.

Contents Page Text/Features

Contents Page Image Choices

Here are a selection of images that I took for my contents page. I believe these images portray the genre of R&B as I took these pictures with inspiration of r&b album covers by Usher, Miguel and so on.

Contents Page Layout

My current contents page is similar to my flat plan, except the positioning of the masthead, I moved it to the bottom right corner of the page, as it looked a lot more appropriate and not too 'in your face'. I then added logos such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as a venue to find out the latest gossip and music as i realised that is common with music magazines.Once I have finished this contents page, I would've added more text next to and underneath the 50, I would also add 3 more pictures underneath the main picture like I have shown in my flat plan. I was told after some feedback that my font was too large and that I need to reduce it to be able to find more text in, which after some time I do agree with.

These are some magazine contents pages that inspired me for this look. 

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Although time is of essence right now, I feel like changing the layout of my contents page as I have conducted further research and found other layouts which I do prefer, such as; 

 

I prefer these as they are very simple yet effective and I that my contents page would look better in my opinion. However, with a lot more work I could keep hold of my current contents page and make it look just as good.   

Contents Page Deconstruction

Here, I have used Slideshare to show my contents page deconstruction. I have not only deconstructed the magazine that has been my inspiration (Rolling Stones) but i have also included Vibe, and Billboard. I did this to give me a variety of layout that I could incorporate into my own contents page.

Front Cover target audience feedback

Here are three videos of feedback that I got from my target audience. We have Sharna who is 18, Sonali who is 17 and Selina who is 17 also. I asked them 'What are their first impressions of this front cover?', 'what do you like about it?' and 'how much would you pay?' I asked these questions as they would give me an insight to whether I am going in the right path for my front cover and whether it appeals to them. I asked them how much they would pay as I was interested to see whether it was worth a lot and had a sophisticated touch.

Front cover features/ Linked to research

Taking into consideration that my front cover is not yet finished, here are the features I have incorporated. I have also included the magazines that i took my inspiration from.

Masthead and Font decisions (effects)

My masthead and font were inspired by the established magazine 'Rolling Stone'. I really admired the way they were all so different but yet managed to compliment each other so well. I decided to go with gold within the masthead instead of red which I believe is commonly used. This allowed me to add my own stamp to it. It was also a very popular choice of colour scheme from my audience research. The masthead was difficult as finding a font that was similar to the original Rolling Stones masthead which was really tough and time was running out. Once I found this font I had to manipulate it by adding my colour gold to it. I used the pipet tool and took a sample colour of gold from Google which I've stuck with ever since. I then had to use many blending options such as drop shadow and contour to give that shadow effect. Below are some photos of the process of finding the correct font and the colour for my mast head. I have also included pictures of the magazines that I got inspiration from.

Examples of Photoshop manipulation

My chosen photo for my front cover didn't require much photo manipulation. I simply cover any blemishes and spots she had (which were very few) and added more definition to my photo by changing the contrast and brightness. This did however affect the colour of her eyes which are originally green/hazelish so I then managed to regain the colour whilst adding definition. After doing this, I realised it was too light and so I selected a a darker colour to make it look more realistic.

Cover Layout Decisions

My flat plan and my magazine cover (is not finished) is quite different in terms of the positioning of the text and main image. In my flat plan, my original idea was to have a close up shot and a centre parting in my models hair, after some feedback, I began to realize that it started to look like a hair/beauty magazine. I then decided to use a medium close up, over the shoulder image for my front cover. As my image is over the shoulder, I was forced to lay my image move to the right hand side of the page which is unconventional. I found some difficulties with it in terms of positioning the text, but I stuck with it as it started to look appealing and professional.
I have also changed what my text would say, I originally had 'guess which star says, people often compare me to MJ' which made it look like I was referring to the model (which I wasn't) after hearing this from my target audience I decided to change it.

I had planned to use minimal text on my front cover as shown in my flat plan which I thought would make the image the main focus, but I realised after a lot of feedback  it was too little. Byronnie Smith stated 'try to add more text that will entice people to read this magazine, the image isn't enough.' So I took this comment on board.

Final Shots Taken

Here are the final shots I have taken for my front cover. I feel that this reflects the genre of R&B as it is sultry, soothing and calming. I made sure to focus on the mise-en-scene in these photos through the make up, clothing and lighting in order to successfully embody the genre of R&B which doesn't use bright colour and have loud clothing and jewelry which is why the dull grey colour created by the lighting and the neutral beige in the jumper was used.

Test Shots

Here are my tests shots that I have taken for my magazine front cover and contents page. It helped me figure out what I need for lighting, mise-en-scene and props. In order to really reflect the genre of R&B I have given my models a sultry yet sophisticated look, this is shown in the clothing (or lack of) and the facial expression.
My model will wear gold jewelry such as earrings and a simple chain to tie in with my colour scheme of gold, black and white. Her make-up will be minimal, nothing to bold as that may reflect another genre. These photos taken were inspired by Kelly Rowland who is popular in the R&B scene. I noticed that Kelly's make up is usually minimal with a nude lip and light eye shadow. So i will make sure my model reflects this look.

Shot List

This is my shot list that will guide me in my photo taking, by creating this shot list it makes the process of photo taking a lot more easy. It gives me a rough idea on the mise en scene, props and shot angles.

Visual Moodboard

Hear is my visual moodboard which describes my chosen genre R&B. I used word such as soul, passion, sensual, exciting, urban, unique, smooth and melodic which I believe reflects my genre.

Flat Plan Feedback

Selina
I love the way its laid out, its really effective. I wouldn't change much about this, however when creating this on Photoshop be careful with the text on top of the hair so it  doesn't clash. This is simple yet effective.

Dawn/Sabrina
You need to include your barcode, price and pull quote, but its really good. You should number the pictures on your contents page. On your double page spread, only use one pull quote do you dont give to much away, so that people will need to read it all.

Sonali/Komal/Tiasha
I really like detail in this and I love the masthead, its so unique.
I love the whole thing
However, make the font bigger to fill the spaces.

Flat Plan Draft

My focus group and survey help me immensely in terms  of the construction of my magazine front c over, contents page and double page spread. Firstly, I have been able to come up with  a unique colour scheme of gold, black and white. I was heavily inspired by 'Rolling Stones' for my front cover as i really admire their layout and format. This helped my front cover look professional and conventional. I feel that using the one image on my front cover helps to give it more meaning and clarity. I feel it represents my chosen genre 'R&B' as its sensual yet sophisticated.

In regards to my contents page, I was again influenced by 'Rolling Stones' magazine with a mixture of 'Q' magazine. I intend to get a few photos of both male and females to represent the range and versatility of R&B. I will include latest gossip from R&B stars, their personal styling tips and how to subscribe to this music magazine. I will also include an editors letter. In terms of the cohesiveness of my magazine; I will use the same fonts for magazine (although not shown on flat plan) and colours.

 

Lastly, I created my double page spread without the influence of other established magazines. Having the upcoming artists name at the top of the page and really bold stands out to the audience & lures them in. Having a happy cheerful pose sets the mood. Again, it will be cohesive as colours scheme will prominent.