Task 11- Evaluation plan-

http://www.slideshare.net/lyle18/prezi-43360723

Task 11- Evaluation draft-

1. 1.   In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The genre of my magazine is rock. The typical things rock magazines use are: A three colour scheme, a very busy front page, bold and detailed fonts, black clothing for artists etc. In my magazine, I used almost all the things that a rock magazine would include. For example, my model wore black clothes; I used bold fonts and much more. However, I decided to include some things in my magazine that made my magazine unique to other rock magazines. For example, I decided to use a colour scheme with four colours. I didn’t want to use a lot of colours as it would have made my magazine look really childish; however I decided to use four colours to make mine different from other magazines. I decided to use red, purple and white because these colours are often used within rock magazines. Bright colours are not usually used within rock magazines. Another thing I decided to do to make my magazine unique was using text wrap on my double page spread. When I was researching rock magazines, I didn’t see any magazines use text wrap. I decided to use text wrap to include a picture with the text. Rather than including one big picture which rock magazines often do, I decided to use two smaller pictures. I decided to also make my masthead on my front page different from others. The majority of mastheads on rock magazines are usually just written originally. However, I decided to have my masthead with a backwards ‘R’. By doing this, it makes my magazine unique and the audience will easily be able to notice that it is a ‘SCREAM’ magazine. Another thing I done differently was the content included on my contents page. Content that is normally used in rock magazines are interviews, competitions, concerts/ tours and many more. I decided to include this kind of content in my magazine; however I also decided to include a column for reviews. Many rock magazines usually just have regulars and features. However, I decided to include a review column for the customers so that they can enjoy more than just regulars and features. This satisfies the customer as they are getting more content included within the magazine.

I also decided to make my magazine cheaper than other rock magazines. I didn’t want to make my magazine extremely cheap. This is because when I researched rock magazines, they were usually around the price of £2.20- £3.00. I decided to make my magazine cheaper than others because my target audience (16-24year olds) wouldn’t like to pay a lot of money for a magazine. Another thing is the use of models that I used. I used models that were in the appropriate age range for my audience. The clothing and make-up that they wore related to many rock magazines. People in rock magazines usually wear black clothes, leather jackets, have coloured hair and often wear dark make-up. The model on my front page was wearing all black and she had coloured hair. This relates to the audience because it is very typical of what many rock artists would look like. She looked very rebellious and risk-taking which many rock artists would be shown as.

I also decided to use a certain use of language on my double page spread. I didn’t use much informal language, because when I done research on my case studies the use of language was quite formal. I didn’t make my double page spread 100% formal, I decided to use some informal language to make my magazine different from others. Even though I used a little bit of informal language, I used language that the audience would be able to relate to. I also decided to use appropriate fonts and font sizes throughout the front page, contents page and double page spread. I used only two different fonts as I didn’t want it to look really childish. I used two fonts that I felt fit the rock genre. For example, I used Chaparral Pro as one of my fonts. This font didn’t look too plain/boring. Many fonts used in rock magazines look very detailed and busy, and I decided to choose two fonts that looked quite detailed for my magazine.

These relate to my audience because 16-24 year olds want to get what they paid for. By my magazine including more than other magazines for a cheap price will make them feel satisfied as they will be benefitting by buying my magazine. This price also makes it reasonable for the lower class people who would buy my magazine.  All of the things I have mentioned relate to my audience in a variety of ways. For example, the use of language relates to my audience, and the use of models is relevant to the target audience and many more things.

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

My media product represents particular social groups in many ways. For example, my media product is based on rock; so one social group would be people who both like rock. The use of the model on my front page represents this social group. Rock magazines usually have the artist wearing all black and the artist may have a dyed hair colour. The artist doesn’t tend to look happy, the majority of the time they look quite sad, depressed or angry. My model has all of these things included. My model shows that she is angry as she is tearing a piece of paper with her old band members on it, showing she is annoyed. Her facial expressions also give off a negative atmosphere which makes the audience feel how she is feeling. The clothing used on my model also attracts my social group. Many people who like rock wear the same style of clothes. For example, they would wear dark coloured clothes such as: black, purple, red. My model wears all black and my other models have worn black and red too. This represents my particular social group because this is how people who are fans of rock would usually dress. The clothing of my model would attract my social group because they would want to wear the clothes that the model is wearing.

Another thing that attracts my social group is the use of locations. For example, in my additional photography I took photos in an ally way, a skate park and a brick wall. These locations didn’t look like a nice place to be, which is what rock magazines are usually like. As my models were in places that had graffiti, it attracts my social group as it would be somewhere that the audience would usually be. Another thing that represents my particular social group was the use of the models mood. All of the models that I used didn’t look happy. This was because in rock magazines people are usually quite upset/depressed/angry. All of my models had a story showing the negative side of their life and that everything isn’t perfect. This would attract my particular social group because; they like to read about how bad the artist’s life has been. My social group wouldn’t want to read about something really happy because that is not what’s included in rock magazines.

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

The kind of media institution that might distribute my media product would be BAUER media group. I feel that BAUER may distribute my media product because they publish magazines which are the same genre as mine (rock). For example, BAUER support and help magazines such as Kerrang. This means they would be very supportive with distributing my media product (SCREAM). BAUER have been a company for a very long time (since 2008). BAUER media group have a lot of experience with distributing magazines, which is why they would be able to distribute my product; especially with the genre of my media product that I have produced. I feel BAUER would be helpful in many ways.

Furthermore, BAUER may distribute my media product because they use new technologies. BAUER use technologies such as: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube and many more technologies. BAUER use these technologies to promote magazines. All of these technologies relate to my genre. They relate to my genre, because my magazine is aimed at 16-24 year olds. People within this age range use many technologies; allowing them to view magazines in many different ways. BAUER also distribute their magazines in shops on newsstands. Due to my research, people who buy rock magazines still go to the shop and buy magazines. BAUER also use technologies online such as subscriptions. BAUER have created a way for people to subscribe to a magazine, which many people would do with my media product. People would most likely subscribe, because 16-24 year olds would rather get magazines delivered to them and get it at a cheaper price; BAUER have experience with doing this. BAUER is a relevant institution for my genre because; they use technologies that are relevant to the age range for my magazine. They are also very experienced with rock magazines as they distribute Kerrang magazines which are very successful. BAUER would know how to distribute my magazine and promote in a way that the target audience would prefer e.g. through social network sites.

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

The audience for my media product would be aimed at 16-24 year olds. Many people who read rock magazines are around this age due to research I have previously done. When I done research on what gender read Kerrang magazines, 54.7% were men. My magazine will be mainly aimed at women. I am aiming it at women to make my product unique and different from other rock magazines. Due to my press media kit research, the ethnicity that read rock magazines the most was white people. My media product is going to be aimed at every race. It will be aimed at white people mainly as white people are the majority who reads these types of magazines. However, my media product will be aimed at every race. I have done this by simply not just using white people within the magazine; I have used people of other race within my magazine which makes my magazine aimed at more than just one ethnicity.

Furthermore, the social class of the audience that my media product will be aimed at is lower class/middle class. When I did my research, it showed that rock magazines were definitely not aimed at upper class people. I found out that the majority of people that bought rock magazines were lower class, and there was some middle class. Rock magazines have a certain price which is affordable for this audience. Customers of lower class do not have the best salary, which is why rock magazines are not very expensive which makes it affordable for them to buy the magazine. My magazine will be aimed at lower class/middle class too. It’s aimed at this class in particular because the price of my magazine is appropriate for this class. Rock magazines are aimed at this class because the content involved is enjoyed by people of a certain class. As I aimed my media product at the lower class, I involved specific adverts. For example, advertising free rock star clothes is appropriate to this audience mainly because it’s free. People on a lower salary wouldn’t want to buy a magazine and then have to pay more money for something advertised within the magazine. By making these things free, it then satisfies the customers. Most of the adverts that are in my flat plan for my magazine do not include things you have to pay for. The majority of the adverts do not have to buy products as it is not appropriate for my audience.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

I have attracted/addressed my audience in many ways; from colour schemes to the models used. One way I have attracted my audience is the model that I used on the front page of my magazine. The model is within the age range of the target audience (16-24 year olds). The model is 20 years old. This attracts the audience because the artist is within the age range of many artists in rock magazines. It also attracts them because people wouldn’t be interested in the magazine if the artist was really old or really young. The clothes that the model was wearing is also relevant to rock. The model was wearing all black, and a black leather jacket. Almost all rock artists wear black. You don’t usually see rock artists wearing very colourful things as it’s not very typical for rock. If my model was to wear a variety of coloured clothes, the audience would not be interested as the audience wouldn’t expect that from someone within a rock magazine. By using stereotypical clothes and colours, it attracts the audience more. Even on the contents and double page spread, every person has worn black clothes and some people have worn dark make-up. This gives them more of a rock look.

Another thing I done to attract my audience was the colour scheme I used throughout each product made. I used a red, purple and white colour scheme. These are colours that are often used in rock magazines, on clothes and many other things. My using these colours, it attracts the audience because it is relevant to the age of the audience for my magazine. These colours will be eye-catching and it will attract their attention, however these colours would not attract someone of a much older age. The colours that are used are also good for both genders. Positive colours such as pink and green and many more colours are not used in rock magazines that often. The use of red, white and purple are appropriate to the rock genre. If I done more than 3 colours for my colour scheme, it would of begun to look childish and it would not suit the age of my audience. Another important thing I did to attract my audience was the masthead name and font of the masthead. The use of the font for the masthead looks relevant and appropriate to my genre. It doesn’t look to simple/plain, it looks quite detailed which rock magazines usually do. I decided to call my magazine ‘SCREAM’ because it relates to rock. Many rock artists perform scream. I felt like the audience would be able to understand why this name was chosen.

Furthermore, the language I used in my journalistic piece would attract the audience because I used words that rock fans would understand. I used formal language for the majority of the time, but I did use some informal language. This would address the audience as they would feel engaged. I also used direct address to make the audience feel engaged and involved. Another way I attracted my audience was the use of price for my magazine. I made my magazine £1.99. I made it £1.99 because it was the use of psychological pricing. By making it £1.99, it makes it seem cheaper than it really is. By making it this price, it reflects the audience as my target audience would not pay a lot for a magazine, so £1.99 is the appropriate price.

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

The first technology I have learnt and developed my skills in is Photoshop. I used Photoshop rather than software such as Paint, because Photoshop is much more professional. At the start of my coursework, I didn’t know how to use Photoshop. I found it very difficult and I didn’t know the things that I could do with it. I only knew how to crop something. However, my skills have developed dramatically throughout the process of constructing my media product. I learnt how to adjust the brightness/contrast on pictures in Photoshop. If a picture was too light/dark, I knew how to adjust it to make it brighter/darker. I also learnt about resizing images. If I wanted to make an image smaller/bigger, I knew how to adjust the size. I also learnt how to flip letters in Photoshop. For example, the title of my magazine is ‘SCREAM’ however the R is flipped backwards. At the beginning of this coursework, I didn’t know how to do this. I also learnt about alignment for the text. I learnt that you must put rulers to a specific length to remind myself where the text couldn’t go past. This made things much easier to align the text, making it look professional. An important skill I learnt on Photoshop was how to fade, blend and crop photos. For example, the picture being ripped on the front page of my magazine used all of these skills. I had to blend the photo and fade it in to the piece of paper to make it look realistic. I also had to crop the photo to make it look like it was being ripped. I have learnt that using Photoshop is much better than using something like Paint. This is because Paint doesn’t have the tools that Photoshop has. For example, Paint doesn’t have tools such as adjusting brightness, being able to blend photos and many more. I have learnt that using Photoshop makes my product look professional. Overall, I found Photoshop easy to use, because I understood all of the main tools that I had to use e.g. cropping, alignment, blend/fade etc.

Another technology that I used to construct my media product was InDesign. InDesign was difficult to use at first. I found it very confusing and it was very different to Photoshop. InDesign allowed me to make my contents page and my double page spread. It was very useful for both of these. One thing that InDesign was very useful for was the alignment of text and the positioning of text. For example, on my double page spread, all of the text is aligned. InDesign has a tool which you can use to make all of your text aligned, making my double page spread look professional rather than out of place and messy. InDesign also allowed me to use text wrap for my double page spread. On my double page spread, I placed pictures with the text. If InDesign didn’t have text wrap, then the pictures would have looked out of place and it wouldn’t have fit in. However, InDesign had a text wrap tool, allowing me to place the picture in with the text and the text went around the picture. This made my double page spread look professional and it made the pictures appropriate for the double page spread. Another thing I learnt about InDesign is the use of columns. If I didn’t use columns in my contents page or double page spread then everything would have looked out of place. The use of columns allowed my text to be placed correctly. On all double page spread’s, columns are used. It makes the magazine look professional and it lets the reader know where to start reading from. I learnt how to use columns, and it allowed me to make my double page spread article. It also allowed me to make columns for my contents page for my regulars, features and reviews. Overall, I found using InDesign was a bit difficult. This was because there was so many tools to understand, however I found quite a lot of it easy to use. The more I used InDesign, the more I understood it.

Furthermore, I learnt about how to use the photography studio. I learnt how to use a professional flash kit; I learnt how to use a DSLR properly, how to use three point lighting, how to use coloured backdrops appropriately and much more. I used a DSLR because it is a high resolution camera (17mmp). By using a camera of such high resolution, it allowed my pictures to look professional and they would not be blurred. If my pictures would have been blurry, they would look unappealing and unprofessional. By learning the use of coloured backdrops, it allowed me to understand what colour backdrops were appropriate for my genre of magazine. Also, learning the use of a professional flash kit and three point lighting was extremely helpful. If I didn’t use either of these, the lighting for my photo would have looked really bad. By using three point lighting, the photo looked professional as the lighting was balanced. If the lighting was not balanced, it would have looked too bright/dull in some areas. Overall, I found using the photography quite easy. I sometimes found using the lighting difficult, however after using it more and more, it became easier.

Another technology I learnt how to use was blogger. Blogger was very useful for many purposes, for example, organisation. Blogger allowed me to organise my work in the correct. If I didn’t use blogger, my work may not have been in task order and it would look messy and confusing. Blogger was also useful for interactive purposes. For example, I was able to get audience feedback on my work from peers. This allowed me to understand what other people thought about my work, and it allowed me to comment on their work too. This was useful as it let me know what others thought, allowing me to improve my work in certain areas. Blogger also allowed me to review teacher feedback quickly and peer evaluate work. Overall, I found using Blogger easy. I found it easy because there wasn’t much to understand.

Another technology I have used in my coursework was PowerPoint. PowerPoint was helpful because it allowed me to show my information in a quick and easy way. It helped me present my work for my magazine proposal. It helped because I didn’t put too much information on one page. If I had done this, the audience would have been bored when I presented my work. It allowed me to present my work in a quick and efficient way. I then uploaded my work to YouTube. By using YouTube, it was another use of technology. I found using YouTube very easy as uploading my YouTube video was very simple. Also, choosing the thumbnail was simple too. Overall, I felt using YouTube and PowerPoint easy as it was easy to present/upload my work.

Another technology I used was Timetoast. Timetoast was useful because it helped with organisation. It reminded me of when tasks had to complete by. It also reminded me of what order to complete my tasks. Overall, I found Timetoast very easy to use, because it was easy to show my development of what tasks I had completed. It was also easy to set the time and dates for my tasks.

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

I have learnt a majority of things from the progression of my preliminary task to my final product.

Here is a comparison from my preliminary task and my real product:

_{Preliminary task-}

Real product:

In my preliminary task, the locations didn’t fit my genre at all. In my preliminary task, my magazine was aimed at teenagers. The two photos I took for my locations were in a college, but they were very random. For example, my front page was a photo taken near a lift. It didn’t relate to my audience in any way at all. Also, on my contents page, I just took a photo of four people at a wall in the college. The location was irrelevant to the content and to the audience/genre. Both locations were irrelevant and random. The shot that I used on my front page didn’t look very good. I used a mid-shot, however the shot looks random. On the front page, there is too much space above the model. I should have used the zoom on the camera to make the shot look correct.  I also decided to use a mid-shot on my contents page too. I should have used a variety of shots, not mid-shots for both. However, my real product is completely different to my college magazine. The locations I used were relevant to my genre. For example, I used a variety of locations on my contents page. One of my shots was in a skate park with graffiti. This is relevant to my genre because in rock magazines, photos are not taken in nice looking places. The use of the graffiti shows the audience the negative aspect of her life. It shows the audience that she is not in the right place and that things are not going too well for her. If I took this photo in a happier environment, it would not give the same effect. I decided to use an Ariel shot for this picture. By using this type of shot, it makes the model look inferior to people. It makes her look smaller than others and that people are dominating her. The use of this shot shows the audience that there is a negative atmosphere as she is depressed. This is relevant to my genre as artists in rock magazines usually have depressing stories.

I also used another location which had graffiti which was in an ally way. I used a close-up shot for this to show the audience her facial expressions. By using a close-up, it shows the audience that she is fierce and angry. However, it shows that she is not giving up. As it looks like she is looking down on us, it shows her power and that she is improving her life. This is relevant to my genre because, people in rock magazines often have stories that have ruined them; however they are changing their life around. I also used a long shot for the location with the brick wall. I used a long shot to show everything that is going on. It shows that he is upset as he is looking down. By using a long shot, we also get to see his foot against the wall. This shows that he is beginning to give up on his career. The use of a mid-shot on the front page is relevant to rock. Due to my research, many rock magazines have mid-shots of the artist on the front page. This shows the model’s facial expressions, body language and the clothing of the model. I have learnt that the use of shots and locations for my magazine are really important. I definitely feel like I have progressed in terms of photography. This is because in the prelim task, I didn’t choose relevant locations or shots for my magazine. However, in my real media product, I understand how to take appropriate shots and what locations to use so that it is relevant to my genre and so that the audience can relate to it. In my real media product, I used a variety of locations that were relevant to my genre.

When you compare my front page from my prelim task to my real product, you can see there is a big difference. For example, on my front page of my prelim task, a lower left third is not used. A lower left third on magazines are the most eye-catching part. The lower left third makes you want to pick up the magazine. Sometimes there will be a free item such as a CD in the lower left third, encouraging you to buy the magazine. I didn’t include this on my front page for my prelim task. However, on my front page for my real product, I did include the lower left third. I decided to use the word ‘WIN’ to attract the audience, making them want to know what they could win. This would then encourage them to buy the magazine to know how they could win tickets to see ‘ELEKTRIX’. I have learnt how to catch the customer’s attention and make them want to buy my magazine. Another thing that I didn’t include on my college magazine was denotations and connotations. There was nothing that symbolised anything. However, on the front page of my real product, I included both connotations and denotations. For example, the denotation is the picture of the band that she is holding, and the connotation is anger and annoyance as she is ripping the picture of the band in half. The connotation is hate. I have learnt how to include hidden messages on my front page. I used a skyline on my college magazine and my real product. However, I now know how to make my skyline look more appealing. In my college magazine, my skyline is really long. However, I learnt that by making it short, it makes it more eye-catching and appealing. I then included this onto my front page for my real product.

Another thing I used on my front page for my real media product was anchorage. I didn’t include anchorage on my college magazine. Anchorage is a piece of text that backs up the image even more. For example, the model on the front page looks angry, and then the use of the words “VICKY FIGHTS BACK” backs the image up. It makes the audience want to buy the magazine as they want to know how Vicky fights back. On my double page spread, I decided to use mode of address. By using mode of address, it makes the audience feel more engaged and it makes the audience feel like they’re involved. I decided to use this throughout the whole of my double page spread. By doing this, it makes the audience want to carry on reading as they feel involved. Another thing that I have improved is my alignment. I have improved this on my front page, contents page and my double page spread. As you can see on my college magazine, the text on the front page and contents page are all out of place. None of them are aligned correctly. It looks messy. I learned how to align text. Now, on my front page, contents page and double page spread for my real product, all the text is aligned. The magazine now looks more professional because of this.

Furthermore, I feel like I have improved on the use of colours and fonts. On my college magazine, a variety of different fonts were used. This made my magazine look childish and a bit random. However, on my real product, my magazine looks more relevant to the target audience because only two fonts are used. These fonts are relevant to my genre as they don’t look too childish. Also, only two fonts are used, which makes the magazine look more grown up and professional. Another thing that I have improved on is the use of colours for the fonts. On my college magazine, I used four colours. There was nothing wrong with using four colours; however the choice of colours didn’t fit the magazine. The colours were all completely different from each other and it looked random. The colours didn’t fit the target audience either. The colours looked very childish. However, on my real product, I used a three colour scheme. These three colours were relevant to the magazine and the genre. Bright colours are not usually used in rock magazines. It’s usually dark colours. I used red, purple and white as it fit each background properly and it didn’t look childish. These three colours all fit the rock genre. Another thing that I feel like I have improved on is my positioning of text. On my college magazine, my text was randomly placed on the page. However, I have learnt where to place my text. For example, using the lower left third, putting cover lines and teasers in the correct place etc.

Something I improved a lot was the contents page. The contents page for my college magazine was done on A4. This made my contents look really plain and boring. There was not enough included on the contents page. However, my contents page for my real product is completely different. I done my contents page on A3 and I included much more contents and many more photos with a variety of locations.

I feel like my images definitely address the audience much more now than they did in the college magazine. In the college magazine, the locations and use of models were a bit random. It didn’t look professional or correct. My magazine for my real product now looks more professional and relevant. This is because I done my research of rock magazines. I researched my genre and I looked at press media kits and I looked at many rock magazines. This gave me a much clearer understanding for what the audience like to see. Due to my research of rock magazines, I saw the age, gender and ethnicity of artists used. Rock magazines usually had white people aged between 16-24 year olds. By using models relevant to my genre, it made my magazine look better and more appropriate to the genre. I feel like the locations I used for my contents page were also a big improvement. On my college magazine, it was not relevant to the content. However, on my real media product, the locations were relevant to the content included in the magazine.

Overall, I feel like my skills have developed dramatically. I feel like I now have a better understanding of what the audience want to see in rock magazines. For example, the type of people, the content (competitions, cover stories) and much more. I have now learnt a variety of skills in Photoshop and InDesign, allowing my magazine to look more professional. By learning skills such as alignment, text wrap, how to crop, blend, fade and much more, it makes my magazine look more professional. When you compare my college magazine to my real product, you can see that my skills have developed in many areas. Even little things such as use of fonts and colours make a big impact. I feel like I have learnt a huge amount from my prelim task to my real product.

Task 10- Audience feedback

Task9- My final piece for my poster-

Here is my final piece for my poster.

Task 9- My final piece for my double page spread-

Here is my final piece for my double page spread.

Task 9- My final piece for my contents page-

Here is the final piece for my contents page.

Task 9- My final piece for my front page-

Here is the front page of my magazine.

Task 9- More development for DPS-

This is an additional part towards my double page spread. I decided to make this so that I could give the audience more information. I also wanted to use some more photo's that the audience could see. I decided to do this to create some extra information for my double page spread. I decided to use the words "THE COMEBACK!" because it sounds very dramatic, making the audience feel like they want to know about her interview. It makes it eye-catching for the audience.

Task 9- Development of DPS-

I decided to move the picture I had before and use the text wrap tool. I then added the same picture again and another picture of the artist. I then used the text wrap tool so that the text would go around the picture. I done this because I wanted to add pictures in an appropriate place. I felt like moving them with the text would make much more sense and it fit the page better. I decided to make the pictures small, because I didn't want the pictures to be too big as it would draw too much attention to the picture, rather than the text. I also added two more questions to the piece of journalistic writing. I then added these onto the right hand side of the dps towards the end.

Task 9- Journalistic piece for dps-

REAL MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Good to be back. I remember that horrendous day that everything fell apart. Red eyes spaced out. Never again. I started doing drugs about a year ago and my band members found out. They didn't want me to exist in the band any longer if I was doing drugs. So they decided to kick me out. I couldn't believe it. I felt empty inside, I thought I had given up for good. Things just got worse and worse and I was ruining myself and my career. I went to rehab and my life is now getting back to normal. I’ve changed and I’m back to how I use to be, however my band refuses to let me back into the group, so I've decided to go solo. I never thought this day would come. I'm back and I'm better than I ever was.

What made you start drugs?

I had never thought of taking drugs, ever. Everything just seemed to be going downhill, our band was not doing the best and I just needed to relax. Also the stress of tours and concerts was tearing me apart. I tried finding other ways but nothing was working, so that’s when I turned to drugs... I thought just the once would be fine, but I got addicted extremely fast. I didn’t know that it would get so serious, but the relief of having no stress felt amazing. I couldn’t stop myself and I didn’t want to tell anyone about it which made me even more stressed. It was just a dark little secret of mine. Everyone has secrets right? Drugs just seemed to be the easiest way out and at the time I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong. Drugs had taken over my life; however it was oblivious to me. I didn’t want to face my problems; however the consequences of drugs were worse than the problem I was trying to solve. I just felt depressed all the time which wasn’t like me. At the time I thought drugs would solve everything, however I didn’t realise the horrific outcomes. Eventually my band members noticed I was taking drugs, and they never tried to help because I was in a dreadful state. They just gave up on me. They no longer wanted me in the band which made me even more dependent on drugs. I just felt like giving up and I still believed drugs would help me, hence why I carried on taking drugs.

How do you feel about not being in the band anymore?

Honestly, I feel fine. It affected me in many ways at the start. The day I got kicked out the band it felt horrible and I just had that sick feeling inside me. I didn’t get over it for a few months. It was my fault. I can’t lie. I had spent such a long time away from the band that I started to get used to it. Now I don’t mind being by myself. It’s not as bad as it seems.

What made you stop doing drugs?

It had been quite a while since I made any music. It was devastating knowing I was no longer in a band. However, I remember all the fans I had. I finally realised that drugs was no longer an option. I took a look at myself in the mirror and realised what a mess I had made of myself. I knew it was time to stop. I knew that I could still be part of the music industry as I had the right support. I was determined to be better than I already was, and drugs were no longer on my mind. If it wasn’t for you guys then I don’t know how I would have got through everything.

What is your new album about?

My new album is about the struggle I had. It’s my life story from when I was a little child to myself now. I wrote about all the bad things that had gone on in my life and changed them into songs. I want people to be able to relate to my album, whether they’re going through the same problems as me or they know someone who is. I want to be able to help them through my music.

When will your new album be released?

The album has taken quite a while to make. We’ve been making it for a long time, however it’s nearly finished. I and the makers of the album are just making sure everything is perfect. I want this to be the best album ever for you all. The album should be released within a few months now.

If you had the chance, would you rejoin the band?

Never. I am offended by the way they treated me. They didn’t even think of helping me. They just wanted to get rid of me; it seemed as if they were trying to find the easiest way out. It clearly worked. I think if I joined the band then things would just go back to how they used to be. I’m not like that anymore. I’ve changed.

Do you feel like you let your fans down?

I’m sure some of them are disappointed about the things I have done. I feel like I let them down, of course. If I could turn back time I would, but I can’t. I certainly did let my fans down and I feel terrible for that. What matters is that I am willing to make it up to them and I hope they understand that I regret what I did. I am just so glad that my fans are still supporting me.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope that once I release my album that everything goes well. Hopefully my fans enjoy the music that I have decided to make by myself. I want them to be able to relate to my music as I want to be connected to my fans. I also hope that I will be able to do many tours where fans can enjoy themselves. My main aim is to make good music that my fans will enjoy.

Is it frightening performing by yourself?

At first, it felt very strange. Although it did feel different, the more I did concerts by myself, the more I started to feel normal and I enjoyed it more. I was used to performing with people and sharing the excitement with them on stage, but I know that I don’t really need them. I now know that I don’t have to be in a band to enjoy performing, it’s really fun performing alone, if not better.

What keeps you motivated to do well?

One of the main things that keeps me going is you guys. Without all of your support things would be an awful lot harder. Knowing that you all still enjoy the music that I make and you enjoy my performances makes me happy. I’m glad to know that you have all stuck by me. My fans are the most important thing to me, without them I wouldn’t be making music. My fans are my motivation.

Do you think you will be better solo rather than being in a band?

To be honest, I’ve not been solo for long but I feel like I’m doing better already. For some weird reason I feel less stressed. Being in a band was quite stressful; making decisions as a band and everyone having to agree on one thing. Now I can just make my own choices. If I want something I don’t have to discuss things first because it’s just me. Anyway, I think that I will do better all by myself, it already feels better and it hasn’t even been long yet. I can’t wait for things to get even better. I know it will. I’m sure of it!

If you had the chance, which artist would you like to work with?

There is no one in particular. It’s an honour to work with anyone! However, if I had the choice then I would love to work with Bring Me The Horizon. I have loved them since I started my career. They are just a massive inspiration to my life.

Task 9- Development of DPS-

I decided to move my columns up. I removed the pictures from here because they looked a bit random. It didn't fit the page in the places I put them. So I decided to move the columns up and begin to add pictures in a more appropriate place. I decided to add a picture around the text rather than just placing it somewhere random on the page. I feel like this will make it look better in many ways. Due to audience feedback, I decided to add another question to my double page spread.

Task 9- Development of DPS-

I have now added some pictures onto the right hand side of the magazine. I added a picture into the right hand corner on the right hand side of the page. I felt like this picture fit the piece of journalism. I feel like it fits it because Vicky is being strong and quite rebellious. As Vicky is doing a rock pose in the picture, it portrays her in a rebellious way. She doesn't look innocent and boring, she looks like she is a rockstar. I also added another picture at the top of the right hand side of the page. I also feel like this picture fits the genre as it shows her depressing life as the piece of text is how her life used to be. I feel like it should be included as it shows the difference between how she used to be and what she is like now.

Task 9- Development of DPS

I have now added more text to my double page spread. I have now added a quote to the top of the left hand side of my magazine. I wrote the artist's name who the interview is based on in a very large font. I did this because it's supposed to stand out from the other text. I also used one of her quotes from the interview which was also used on the contents page to engage and intrigue the reader. I decided to put this at the top of the page because if it was at the bottom, it would not be the first thing noticed. I used a red font for the artist's name and purple for the quote. I followed a colour scheme throughout all of my work.

Task 9 - Development of DPS-

This is the start of my double page spread. I have added all of my journalistic writing on to the two pages. I put them all into columns. I decided to put a black background, because I thought I should follow a theme of black backgrounds for the front page, contents and now the double page spread. A white background didn't look right. So I created a  text box over the whole two pages and I made it a black colour. I then created text boxes. I decided to make the first letter(the drop cap) in a purple text. I made this bigger than any other piece of text as it is a drop cap. I put it into a purple colour to follow through with the colour scheme; which is red, purple and white. Once I put all of my journalistic writing on to this, I made all the questions into a red colour, making them stand out showing where the questions and where the answers are.

Development of contents page-

I have finished the right hand side of my magazine. I decided to bring the text "COVER STORY" downwards because it clashed with the word "CONTENTS". I moved it down because it looked like a line of words, which didn't look right. I also added another pull-quote for another part of my additional photography. I decided to put the picture on the right hand side and the text on the left, because otherwise it would have too much text all on the same side, which was why I changed it a bit. I followed the theme of putting the pull-quote in red text and the page numbers in a purple font. in  I decided to go left, right then left so that the pictures/text don't clash with each other. I followed a theme throughout the contents page; I put every individual's artist name in yellow. Even though I put the interesting words in yellow I decided to put artist name's in yellow too. Furthermore, I made the text in the bottom right hand corner because because it seemed too small. I decided to make the word "SUBSCRIBE" the biggest word for that part of text because it catches the reader's attention. I also made the word "ridiculously" in yellow instead of white. I feel like it stand out more and if the reader sees this word they would want to know what it means.

I also added a website on top of the picture in the bottom right hand corner. I added the website because it lets the reader know where to go and what to do if they were thinking about subscribing to the SCREAM magazine. I made this smaller than the other fonts because it was not the most important thing about that piece of writing.

Task 9- Development of contents page-

I have now finished the left hand side of my contents page. I had to move all the text up because I needed more space so I could add more content information. I therefore moved all of the text up and all of the red lines. I then added a yellow colour to the text. I put this to make the text more appealing to the reader and make things stand out. I put the yellow colour on words such as "NEW" and "NOW!". I also added one of my additional photography pictures to the bottom of the left hand side of the page. I used this picture here because there was no space for this picture on the other page. Once I moved it on to the other page, I made space for it at the bottom. I created a line to separate the heading text from a different piece of contents. I then added text next to the picture and a pull-quote for the reader to see.  I split the box into two because half of it was for the picture and the other half was for the text. I put the pull-quote in red to keep the theme going. I am going to be putting every pull-quote into red as it is important and intriguing.

Task 9- Development of contents magazine-

I have started creating my contents magazine. I haven't started the right hand side of this, however I have started with the left hand side. I created the title(CONTENTS) and placed it at the top of the page. I made it an appropriate size to fit the whole of the left handed side. I did use the main titles in read, however it didn't look right so I changed it to purple. I then decided to create three columns; Regulars, Features and Reviews. I used the line tool to create three different lines for this. I created two to separate the three columns. I added some of my content for my magazine. I decided to start with the regulars and features for my magazine. I left a gap between each piece of information, because otherwise it would of looked like one big bunch of information, which I didn't want. I then decided to add some page numbers on the left hand side of the contents. I left some space on the left hand side because I knew I wanted to add my page numbers there. I couldn't make the page numbers red. So for the moment, I made them a lighter shade of red so it doesn't clash with the colour of the columns.

I then started slightly on the right hand side. The pictures have not been placed properly yet, which is why they are all over the place. However I did put the image at the top into place. I decided to start working on the cover story. I used the picture of the main model because it's based on the main model. I decided to use white text for the main writing, purple for the titles and red for interesting writing. For example, I used a quote for the cover story from her interview in the double page spread and I put it in red. I done this because it was an interesting piece of text so I decided to put it in red.

Task 9- Development of contents magazine

I started my contents page for my magazine. The left side of the magazine has not been altered yet. However, I have started the right side of my contents page. I decided to start with the cover story. I used the main model image as the picture for this story as it's based on her. I decided to use a statement about her and then I used one of her quotes from her interview in red writing.

Task 9- Development of contents page

I started my contents page for my magazine. I have started on the right hand side. I am still using the red, white and purple colour scheme. I have started with the cover story. I imported a picture of the main model as she is the main part of the magazine.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I decided to add another cover line. I added another cover line because it looked to plain. Rock magazines are always busy, so I decided to add another coverline. I put the text 'WIN' in yellow because it makes it stand out. It is not part of my colour scheme, however I feel like it fit well and rock magazines usually have one odd colour for one piece of text. I also done the alignment for all my text. Now all the text is in the correct place and it is all in line.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I changed a few colours, placement of fonts and I added a qr code. I changed the colour of the word album. I did this because it looked right with the word 'album'. I put it in purple because putting two words in the same colour that were strong words made sense. It also looked better, rather than having it all in white. Another thing I did today was adding a qr code. I added a qr code because in the modern world, many teenagers use their phones, so I decided to add it next to the barcode. I also moved the price of the magazine from the barcode to the top of the magazine. It didn't look right when it was above the barcode, however when I moved it it looked neater. I also moved the word 'PSYCHOX' downwards because it was quite crowded. The text was too close to her face/head and it looked too busy in that area, especially as it was around the same place on the other side of the magazine.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I added a barcode and a price to my magazine. I put this in the bottom corner of the magazine because it is not a cover line or piece of information and it's not important. I made the magazine £1.99 as it relates to my target audience. A younger audience would want to pay as little as possible which is why it's not too expensive. I also made it £1.99 because due to my research of rock magazines, they are usually around the price of £2.00.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I added another cover line to my magazine. I keep adding many coverlines to my magazine because rock magazines usually have very busy front pages. I put this in the lower left third of the magazines, so when the customer picks up the magazine they will notice it straight away. Hence why I used the word 'EXCLUSIVE' in capital letters. I kept all the words in capital letters because it is an important piece of information which will attract the customers to read this coverline. I am adding more information each time as rock magazines are usually busy.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I added an additional cover line. I didn't put this too close to the over cover line because it didn't look right and  it clashed with the picture she was holding. I moved this cover line down and it fit the magazine and it looked much better. It didn't clash with anything and it was placed in the right position. I made the word 'Vanity's' more to the left side rather than putting it in the same place as the word 'secrets'. I done this because it looked less boring in this position. It also looked easier to read. I used the word 'REVEALED!' in dark purple and in capital letters as it would be the word that catches the audience's attention.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I decided to add a skyline to the front page of my magazine. I added a skyline because many rock magazines have skylines due to my research of rock magazines. I put the word 'MASSIVE' in purple as it is an interesting word. I also put the word in capitals to make sure it catches the audience's attention. I used the colour purple and red because if I had made it white, it would have clashed with the masthead. The skyline would then not be as eye-catching to the audience and it wouldn't be as noticeable. I made it a ticket giveaway as it will catch the audience's attention and make them went to buy the magazine if they know they know there is a giveaway.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I added another coverline. I didn't put this near the top of the page, because when I done this it looked to crowded. It was taking attention away from the main model. When I moved this cover line down, it looked more appropriate as it didn't take attention away from the main artist. I put the word 'BEST' in purple because I was following the colour scheme. All the words in purple were used for the most interesting words. This means the audience will see that all the interesting and exciting words will be in purple.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I have now added some text with a different use of font. This is the main cover line on the magazine. I made the word 'VICKY' bigger than the words ' FIGHT' and 'BACK' because 'VICKY' is her name. I made it bigger as it is the most important part of the cover line because it's based on her. I started using the colour scheme of white, red and purple. I put the most interesting words in purple. For example the word 'FIGHTS' is in purple as it is an intriguing word that will interest the reader of the magazine.

I then used a different font for the words " the making of a solo superstar". I made this font more simple and I didn't use any capital letters. The reason I done this was because I didn't want it to be the main attention. It was not the most important thing about the cover line, so I made it more simple and basic.

Task 9- Development of magazine

I originally picked a font on photoshop and I used the masthead 'SCREAM'. I felt like I should of changed something about the masthead to make it look different.

I then decided to flip the letter 'R' in the word scream. I feel like this has made a difference because it doesn't make the masthead look to boring and plain. I transformed the letter 'R' and flipped it horizontally. The 'R' is now backwards to make my magazine masthead unique.

This is the original photo for my front page. She is originally holding a plain piece of paper and ripping it. I was trying to impose a photo of the band on to the white piece of paper, looking like she is ripping a piece of paper with the band on it. 

This is what the photo now looks like. I struggled doing this and I found it very difficult to make the photo like this on Photoshop. I had to crop the photo and I had to turn it around to make it face the right way. I also had to blend the photo and fade it in to make it look realistic. The key to this task was fading and blending. Now it looks like a photograph rather than a picture on a white piece of paper. I have done this as the story is her being kicked out of the band, however she has not given up.

Reasons why I chose this image(double page spread)

I decided to use this picture as one of my pictures for the double page spread, because I felt like it went well with the piece of journalistic writing. Even though Vicky was depressed, she did eventually turn her life around. I felt like this picture shows that she is back to her normal self and she is being very rebellious, just like a rockstar would.

I also decided to include this picture on my double page spread as it fit the piece of journalistic writing. The first piece of my article is what Vicky's life used to be like. I feel like this shows how Vicky used to be. It shows the audience she is upset and that she is looking down to the floor as she feels terrible as she is responsible for everything she has done.

These two pictures show how Vicky has changed her life around.

Reasons why I chose this image(contents page)

I decided to choose this image for my contents page because it fit the storyline. This image shows how her life used to be and how depressed she really was. It shows the audience how her life really did go down-hill as she doesn't look happy at all. As she is looking down, it shows she is not proud of herself. It encourages the audience to want to read the double page spread once seeing this picture to see how her life did go down-hill.

I have decided to use this as one of my additional photography photo's for my contents page. I chose this one in particular because the background represents a bad life. She is not portrayed as happy and the background creates the atmosphere of negativity. The use of graffiti shows that she is in a bad way and that she is in the wrong place. She never used to be like this, but things haven't been going well for her. The audience can see this due to the location she is in.

This is another picture that will be used on the contents page. I am using this picture as the artist is looking upset and devastated as his career is not going as he planned. This location shows that he is fed up. He has got nothing better to do than feel sorry for himself.

I also decided to include this picture on my contents page. However, I decided that I wanted to crop this image as it didn't go well. I decided to make the picture of her face only as it looked better. The use of the graffiti background fit the genre of rock. Another reason I chose this picture was because she looks very feisty and angry. The audience will be able to feel her emotions through the facial expressions she is using.

Reasons why I chose this image

I chose this image for my front page. I chose this image in particular because I felt like it suited the genre. The use of the black backdrop creates a depressing atmosphere and feeling to the picture, making the audience feel how Vicky is feeling. Another reason I chose this for my main image on the front page is because the facial expressions of the model suit the rock genre really well. In the majority of rock magazines, the artists usually look depressed or angry, they never seem to look happy or smiling. I feel like this image showed what a rock artist would really be like. She doesn't look happy and she fits the storyline, making the audience feel her emotions.

Contact sheet(Main shoot)- Task 8