Evaluation Question Five

http://jbatson115.wix.com/ashiveevaluation5

Evaluation Question Six

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

During the course, I used the technology in school whenever possible as I knew I also would have accessibility to the help of those with better understanding of certain hardware/software. However, when not in school, I used my home computer as I found that more work independently needed to be done as there was a lot more detail that needed to be included, this then meant I needed more time than the few hours available in school.

In terms of photography, I felt lighting and a sufficient backing that would not be a white back. Most importantly, prioritising photo's was important as over 50 photos were taken for the front cover specifically. I learnt the importance of 'good quality' photo taking as I looked at the contrast of my photo's to professional photos from the likes of Joel McNally, Jeremy Cowart and Joey Lawrence.

Adobe Photoshop

I had several initial problems with Photoshop because it was a new application that I had never used and I knew none of the basics to begin with but during the development of my magazine and time using it I became a lot higher skilled, I also read 'Photoshop for dummies' and learnt how to completely edit photos from scratch and develop images through filters and fixing tools and also the use of rasterizing. Through my product's development I learnt a lot about Photoshop that I did not already know, including cropping, toning, shading and working with a grid in order to make the lay out more effective. By also using smart guides, I learnt how to cleanly align my work to look more professional

Camera Equipment

I had very little previous experience with high quality cameras or even cameras at all so learning how to take high quality photos had to be quick for me, the camera I used was a Nikon D3000 which is a high range camera, I had no real familiarity with the settings so after learning how to take photos with the correct zoom and lensing it made my photos very clear and high quality for my magazine.

Blogger

I have used this throughout the course by both stock piling and presenting my work during the course.  I feel that feedback from peers is a good way to improve and the use of the blogger’s comment system allowed for me to easily post and receive feedback from other members of the course. I used the application version of blogger on my phone which enabled my work to be very fast and effective and whenever I had ideas I could display them instantly on blogger. This would allow for work to be done both on the move but also to read comments from peers and the teachers.

Animoto

I used Animoto for presentations and ways of providing information about my magazine, it’s a very quick professional slideshow like application that's very easy to use and has surely improved the level of work on research I have produced. It not only was used for my research, but also for an evaluation question. Unfortunately, the fact that the photos of my answer progressed too quickly; this meant the slide had to be paused which caused a slight inconvenience.

Wix

I used wix to create a one page website that would display my evaluation in a different way than those I had previously seen. With this, I could make my answer look professional and also attractive.

Evaluation Question Seven

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

Looking back at my preliminary task, i can see many things that emphasize what i have learnt in the progression of it, to the full product:

Cover

• Primarily, the size of text is a contributing factor as to showing what i have learnt. The big, overwhelming writing in my preliminary emphasizes the cluttered feel of some magazines that i tried to avoid when creating my final media product. The text on the page is difficult to read which i feel would repel an audience to pick up the magazine.
• There isn't a barcode on my final product which is heavily on the fact my magazine is free, but also i noticed that the barcode on my preliminary cover is very large, almost excessively, emphasizing my found knowledge of sizing and proportions.
• The positioning of my model is something clear, a raised head that is colliding with the masthead i feel to be unattractive, especially with an annoying glare from the models glasses.
• The backing itself on the cover is incredibly boring in the preliminary which i then attempted to eliminate by having a coloured backing that contrasts with the model.
• One thing however i did keep the same is the positioning of some text (left side of models neck, between shoulder and ear). The other piece of text i rearranged to make the cover more aesthetically pleasing which i developed with the help on page layout.
• The white border around the page i decided to keep due to the fact that it keeps the content contained, refined and neat. However, with the introduction of an oaky red border, this further refines each edge on the cover making it look more aesthetically pleasing. 
• The masthead not only is aligned differently, but also has a completely different tone. The prelim's mast head is very bold in an unattractive way that dominates the cover.
• How the artist looks and what he is doing is a lot different from the preliminary to the final, specifically the facial expression and introduction of paint to the artist. In my preliminary, i feel he looks almost quite pretentious and gives the effect he is more powerful and better than the reader, this is emphasized by the masthead "knowledge is power" which makes him seem more knowledgeable than the reader. This is something in my final product i wished to eradicate. I feel i accomplished this by making the model in the centre of the page looking directly at the camera, this gives of the effect of the artist being equal to the reader. The inclusion of paint i felt would make the artist seem more attractive and make the magazine seem different to other magazine covers i have seen.

Contents

• I feel that the contents' difference is the most apparent.
• The only things that have stayed the same from my preliminary to my final product was the centred title, white backing and an artist.
• The introduction of other artists make the magazine seem more professional and not solely based on one model.
• The consistency in font from cover to contents is also something i wished to not continue with my final magazine, i felt that this made the magazine look unprofessional.
• The introduction of a welcome message created an attachment with the audience that primarily was not seen. 
• The photography throughout the preliminary is all the same which i do not like, i feel that the change in backing i have done from preliminary to final is abundantly clear.
• The introduction of lines and footers makes the page look cleaner and more professional.

Cover Progression

Contents Progression

DPS Progression

Evaluation Question Four DRAFT

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Gender: Male and Female

Age: 20 - 29

Monthly Spare £: Less Than £125 (Helped me to decide on a price for the magazine, as someone with little spare money would want to buy an incredibly overpriced magazine.)

Personality: "I wish I didn't have to go to work every day", "I like to surround myself with a diverse range of cultures and ideas", "Across history, religion has done more bad than good". (All these things affected my magazine, due to the fact that the first statement shows laziness, meaning that although I previously said that it would be wise to have an intellectual magazine, there would still have to be little enough that the reader can be bothered to read the magazine)

Clothing Brands: Dr. Martens,American Apparel,Adidas (Allowed me to decide the sort of clothing my chosen model would wear.)

Magazines Read: NME and Vice (Gave me an idea as to what magazines would be good to take inspiration from.)

Indie Scenesters are dedicated to finding the newest music, exploring all avenues to get there – online, print, record shops, club nights and word of mouth. Staying ahead of the curve is a must, but it’s borne out of a genuine love for music – and this is what separates them from those more fickle dabblers and dilettantes, the Hipsters. For Indie Scenesters, there’s nothing better than discovering new artists and spreading the love.

Guitar music has seen its cool usurped by the rise in electronic-synth based music in recent years, and Indie Scenesters have broadened their musical tastes as a result. It’s no longer just about indie rock bands like Vampire Weekend – Indie Scenesters have embraced experimental, genre-blending artists like Four Tet. Yet, the Indie Scenester approach remains the same – it’s about championing independent artists rather than a specific genre, especially before the masses get in on the act. Potentially having their own music blogs and club nights (or at least dreaming of it), Indie Scenesters are more concerned with building up their vinyl collections than conspicuous consumerism.

 - The reason as to why my magazine suits this audience is due to the fact that the artists involved such as Cam Kharon, like indie scenesters, have an appreciation of music.