My Performance Throughout The Coursework

Throughout this task I have struggled to use the technology of blogger, however now that I have finished I believe that I have done better than I originally thought I would. I got off to quite a slow start as you can see from the dates of my blog posts, only posting 28 in 2013, but then after Christmas I believed I found my footing with the technology and magazine to get my overall amount of blog posts up to 111 for 2014. This I am very proud of.

If I was to do anything differently I would have changed the way I went about my tasks, I put a lot more effort into the billboard ancillary task than I should have, forgetting it was only worth 10 marks. I did not put the same amount of effort into my other ancillary my radio advertisement due to lack of time for completing the tasks. Therefore if I was to do anything differently I would have spent more time on my magazine research and planning than I did on my ancillary task.

Overall I am extremely pleased with my finished tasks, research, and evaluations, especially with the house style which matches the ethos of my magazine, and is evident in all of my tasks.

My Evaluations

After completing each task I have evaluated them, I have written about the final products appearance, and also difficulties making them. I have done this so that my products have been analysed to the extent that the every aspects of my final products have been taken into account. I have also written short pieces on my research so that I will be able to look back at them whilst designing my final piece.

My four evaluations 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 texts?

• What have you learned from your audience feedback?

• How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Each question was to be answered using four different media technologies, however due to lack of equipment I could only use three, video, Prezi and PowerPoint. I have chosen these three technologies because I believe these are the best ways to present my information. My video was again of poor quality as I did not have access to professional equipment, therefore I again had to use the web cam on my laptop.
 

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? Speech

For my evaluation question how effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? I will present it on a video, this is the speech that I will use.

“Hello my name is Grace Hards Candidate number 2253. In this video I will be answering the evaluation question, how effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

The combination of my main product my regional magazine, and my ancillary tasks my billboard and my radio advertisement, are very effective as a combination. All three final products link together really well through my ongoing theme of raising teenage girl’s self-confidence through my regional magazine.

My billboard is designed in the style of the front cover of my magazine, I have designed this product this way so that there is continuity throughout my products and therefore it is instantly recognisable to my target audience of teenage girls. The image and masthead used on my billboard are the same that are used on the front cover of my regional magazine. This masthead is then carried through to appear on my contents page and a small version appears in my double page spread above the page number.

The message portrayed on my billboard is that “happiness and confidence is a girl’s best accessory” as the purpose of my magazine is to raise confidence in my target audience, the message given on my billboard is a brief insight to my magazine also explaining this idea of raising confidence.

My radio advertisement tells the story of a young girl called jenny, she suffers with anxiety and doesn’t like to leave her house because of the way that she looks, therefore she has no confidence, however when her mum bought her teen unique magazine, she found her confidence and is now going to a party with her friends. Therefore the message given through this radio advertisement is that after reading teen unique magazine she gained more confidence, which is the overall purpose of my magazine.

Therefore the message of gaining confidence through my regional magazine is given through both my billboard and my radio advertisement overall making the combination between my ancillary tasks and my final product very effective.”

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

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

What Have You Learned From Your Audience Feedback?

My Double Page Spread Evaluation

My finished double page spread is based on the no make-up selfie for Cancer Research. I have chosen to do this article because it encourages girls to take off their makeup and feel self-empowered by showing off their natural beauty. I have used the left page for the writing and the right page for the images, this is because the reader’s natural eye direction when reading an article is left to right.

 I have based the layout of my double page spread on the codes and conventions of magazines double page spreads of the same genre I am following, also looking at other double page spreads gave my lots of ideas of how to set out my own, for example the insight into my article I saw in Vogue magazine and I really liked the look of it, therefore I used it in my own as I believe it will attract my target audiences attention.

With the images I have chosen to arrange them in this way because it means that I can get lots on the page as the more on the page the more it represents the amount of women who have taken a no makeup selfie. Originally I wanted to arrange them in the shape of a bow, one of the symbols for cancer research, however I believe this way of showing the images is much more powerful as you can see each one clearly and individually.

The title for my article I have used Century Gothic a text type that I have used a lot previously, I have highlight the text and changed it to capital letters. By using this font it would make my text continuous. I think that I am going to go with the Century Gothic text because I think it looks really modern which will appeal to my target audience and also the letters are thin which reflects what the title says.

The insight into my article is a vital part of my double page spread, my target audience will read this before they read the actual article, therefore this must be insightful, attention grabbing, and pleasant to read, if they do not like the sound of the insight then they will not continue to read the rest of the article. Therefore I have positioned it directly underneath the title. I have used Times New Roman italic font to continue that theme from my front cover and my contents page. I think it being in italic really complements the sharp straight edges of the Century Gothic in the title above it.

My Contents Page Evaluation

My finished contents page continues from my front cover with the white background. The black Century Gothic font is also continued and the title of the magazine is in the same format as it is on the front cover, with The Confidence Issue underneath in Times New Roman Italic which is the same as Unique in Teen Unique.

To decide what image I should use on my contents page I asked 10 teenage girls between the ages of 13-17, the photo that I ended up using got the highest amount of votes so I used that one. I decided to ask my target audience because I couldn’t decide between the three, and as they are the ones viewing it, there opinion is essential.

I have decided to set my contents page out following the same conventions as a magazine contents page of the genre I am following. I have separated on the cover articles and featured articles using headings. When writing my pages references I have followed on from my front cover using black Century Gothic font; the page numbers however are Bell Gothic Std Light, this is so they stand out against the writing. The titles for the articles are in font size 26 and the insights are size 20.5 italic, this is so it is clear what is where.

In the bottom left of the page I have included a note from the editor (myself) that reads, “This month we are working on building up your confidence, we hope this issue gives you that extra boost you need to feel comfortable in your own skin. Remember it’s what is on the inside that counts.” By doing this I intend for my target audience to feel more connected to the magazine by feeling the note addresses them individually.

Magazine Research Evaluation

My research into magazines has given me a clear idea of what my own magazine should include and how to design it. Firstly I looked into the history of magazines, this way I was able to look at the progression of magazines over time and establish how mine should follow in pursuit of other magazines of the genre I am following by going on to then look at the typical fashion and beauty magazine.

I spent a lot of time researching models and eating disorders being portrayed in magazines and the use of Photoshop because the use of skinny models in magazines caused teens to believe that society expects them to look this way, and that is why I have decided for the theme of my magazine to go against this idea and help girls feel comfortable in their own skin.

I went on to look at the typography, colour schemes and layouts of magazines to help me prepare for my own magazine.

I decided to research front covers, contents pages, and double page spreads, separately because then more attention could be paid to them. Through my research of these I analysed 3 difference examples of each to give myself a clear idea of what was expected when it came to the layout and design of my own magazine.

My Radio Advertisement Evaluation

My finished radio advertisement turned out to be 35 seconds long, a little longer than I hoped for, and the quality is very poor because I had no access to equipment so it had to be recorded by placing my thumb over the webcam and recording it on my laptop.

However the message given I was very happy with. I decided to tell the story of a young girl named Jenny, who is 17 years old suffering from anxiety who read Teen Unique magazine and it gave her that confidence boost that she needed. This way I think my target audience will be able to relate to the situation also through the use of a female voice, and therefore be more inclined to purchase my final product. The tone of voice from the speaker also changes from a sad tone when talking about her anxiety, to a happier tone when talking about the magazine, therefore encouraging the audience to buy this as the change in tone reflects her change on confidence.

In my advertisement I have managed to explain what the purpose of the magazine is, why people should buy it, and when it is available for purchase, the only thing that I forgot to include was the price.

Through my radio advertising research I discovered all of the things that I should and shouldn’t include, which really helped me when planning my advertisement, from listening the More! Magazine radio advertisement it gave me the idea of having one speaker throughout my advertisement.

I hope through my radio advertisement I have captured the true purpose behind my magazine, reinstalling confidence in those who need it.

Radio Advertisement Research Evaluation

The research that I have conducted into radio advertisement has shown me the best way to create and plan my radio advertisement. I have looked into the history of radio advertisement to see how long radio adverts have been around for and to see if they are still an effective way of advertising my product. I have decided that as many teenage girls usually listen to the radio in the morning and when they get home from school the best time slot for my advertisement should be between 6 and 8.30am and then between 4 and 8pm, therefore the advertisement will not be played during the week when my target audience are at school or college where they would have less chance of hearing it.

Through my research of radio advertisement I have found out that my advert should be around 30 seconds long and as the jig saw study has shown it is more likely to be remembered with it being this length. My advert should speak directly to my audience and even their parents in case they object to their daughters reading my final product. I want to grab my target audience attention through the use of voice, I most probably will not use a jingle as sometimes it can sound tacky which would put my target audience off the idea of my magazine.

Looking at the 5 do’s and don’ts of radio advertising has made it clear what not to include in my advert, for example, I don’t want to over complicate my advert and give information that is not needed about my product however I do want to present a professional image by giving the right information about my magazine.

Now that I have finished my research I am ready to start planning and creating a radio advertisement of my own for my teen magazine.

My Front Cover Evaluation

My front cover for my regional magazine has taken the same form as my billboard advertisement, this is so my target audience who will have seen the billboard will be able to recognise it instantly on the selves. The title of my magazine is at the top of the page following the conventions of other magazine front covers and also so that if it is on the self behind another they will still be able to see the title to find the magazine. I have used Tahoma bold font for the word Teen and Times New Roman italic for the word unique, this is so that both words stand out both together and separately, this is an idea I have continued with the bottom of the page with the word Ella in Times New Roman italic and Natural is Best in Century Gothic.

Although I originally wanted all black font, I decided in the end to have my double page spread article on the no makeup selifes in white, this is because as the model takes up the majority of the page I wanted to be able to see the writing clearly and where this writing is located on top of her hair the black did not show up very well, hence I decided on white.

I have chosen to place the issue number of the magazine and the month of the issue above the title to the left. This is because although they are normally situated under the title, I wanted to create more space for my article information and by placing it above the title I have created space to do so. Also where the letter Q in Unique comes down to there is not really enough space between the top of the models head and the edge of the page to place it. Also I have put the bar code in the bottom right hand corner so that it doesn’t obstruct the rest of the page.

Finally I decided on my font Century Gothic because of the clean cut edges I thought looked really modern, therefore appealing more to my target audience, the parts about the article I have written in italic to show a clear difference, and have made the number 30 larger than the text on the article so that it grabs instant attention and stands out on its own as well as part of a feature.

My Billboard Evaluation

My finished billboard goes against the normal conventions of the typical teenage girl’s magazine advertisement. The billboard is in the format of the front cover of my magazine so that my target audience, which is teenage girls, will recognise it instantly when they see it on a shop shelf. The purpose of my billboard is to reach out to girls and feel as though it is targeting them individually. The genre fits with the feminist ideology of girls being confident and content with who they are. My target audience is demographically targeted to a Westernised society. Not having to fit society’s expectations is a major focus point of my continual theme of girls being unique and not following the heard of sheep which is portrayed through the media.

My finalised billboard shows an image of a girl wearing a light blue pastel coloured jumper which is a popular colour at the moment amongst young girls. The model has a beaming smile across her face which represents her self confidence in her skin, the model is not a skinny size 2 girl with her bones sticking out which the media constantly portrays as “beautiful” instead she is a healthy size with a glow about her skin and hair. The model is also wearing minimal makeup, a small amount of foundation so that you can still see her freckles, and her eyes have only got mascara on to highlight them. Her hair has got a natural wave to it and has been left lose around her shoulders but pulled to one side to fit the angle that her head is tilted again to fit the running theme of natural beauty. The shot was taken as the model started to laugh to get the hint of sparkle in her eyes.

Through my research of advertising billboards from the Egyptians influence to the 1900’s up to modern day with 2D and 3D billboards, I have designed my billboard to reach the best of its potential. I have decided to design it as a 2D billboard and I have included a QR code in the bottom left hand corner to connect my billboard to online content through multimedia. Smartphone’s are popular amongst teenage girls and therefore a QR code is appropriate. Finally the date of the first issue is at the bottom of the billboard in italic to gather people’s attention and give them the appropriate information.

The layout idea of my billboard is to not be overcrowded therefore the title of the magazine is situated at the top like the heading on a magazine front cover in bold Tahoma font for “teen” and Times New Roman italic for “unique” so that there is a clear difference between the two words, these two font themes have been continued throughout my billboard. With the image of the model covering the majority of the page as the main focus point. Below the models chin is a quotation “Happiness and confidence is a girl’s best accessory” by doing this I have highlighted the theme behind my magazine.

Billboard Research Evaluation

My research mainly focused on the history and how billboards are used in different ways, this enables me to see the progression and the effects that different billboards have on selected target audiences opinions.

By researching the history I was able to see how billboards have progressed from the very first Obelisk to the 1900’s all the way up to modern day Piccadilly Circus. By seeing the history it reinforced the idea of the effectiveness of billboard advertising have lasted so long, they would still be a good and effective way of advertising my product.

The analysis of billboards showed me what is best to include in my billboard and the layout and where it is situated gave me ideas of my design. The research into QR codes showed me that as my target audience are teenage girls, they are more likely to have smartphones, therefore with the option of a QR code they are able to access more out of my final product.

Therefore my research has enabled me to find out the best way to target my target audience, how to set out my billboard, and the best way for it to attract attention.