Main Task Project Evaluation
For my main task of the project I decided to create a magazine; this would include a front page, contents page and a double page spread. I didn’t want to create a typical music magazine, and so chose to do it on the topic of karaoke- the type of magazine that both karaoke DJ’s and lovers would want to read. therefore, i made the double page spread an ‘interview’ with ‘karaoke singer of the year’ and had features such as an interview with a famous DJ, free track downloads and directory of suppliers included on the front page and in the contents. most of the images i used in this task are my own: images of the ‘sponsors’ of my magazine were not my own, as was the barcode.
i chose to layout the interview in a question-answer format, to continue with the laid back approach that i wanted to take, as well as being an easy read for those who would buy it. i also felt that having half the double page spread as images helped with the informal approach, as well as supporting what is being said in the interview. worried that the white background was a little bland i added some photoshop brushes in the shape of music notes and abstract graphics, just to add subtle detail. when it comes to my contents page i used the same masthead from the front cover to link the two pages. i also added a subtle image of a microphone behind the content list for aesthetic purposes. this way, there is no escape from the feeling of the theme. the front page was the most difficult for me to create as i kept moving the layout of the images around until i was satisfied. finally, i stuck with the layout of having the main story image taking up most of the space, with a line of the other images to its left. i felt that this emphasized all the content to the extent that it should be. i chose the colour scheme of blue and dark purple to try to remain gender neutral, as well as having bold, eye-catching colours. i think that this has worked quite well, especially as i have maintained this through the all the pages.
the research i did only really helped me to a limited extent, as i could not find any existing karaoke themed magazines: I researched on the internet looking at images of existing music magazines from different genres and target audiences. therefore, i took the general layout ideas, such as masthead designs, feature positions and advertisements and applied them to my theme. this way, i felt that my magazine still looked reasonably professional, despite being an informal theme.
In the creation of this magazine i used the program photoshop, as well as practicing on other programs such as Pages for the first drafts of the interview, and Keynote to create presentations to show my ideas to the rest of my class peers to gain advice and develop my ideas, and so, was important in my developing stages. . this was the first time i had ever used Keynote, and so, from that respect i have learnt new skills in a new program that i can now use again in the future. when it comes to photoshop and pages, programs that i use on a regular basis aside form this project, i was able to simply practise the skills i already knew extensively, applying them to different situations and developing them further. Photoshop was extremely important to this project as this is where all of my construction took place. Pages was only used once, but helped me to get into the flow of writing an interview, something i know i would have struggled with if done straight onto the page.
I feel that my preliminary task has helped me with this task a lot; the construction of my college photography magazine helped me to learn different ways to use photoshop and developed my skills greatly. whereas in my previous project i would have to ask for help or research different techniques, i was simply able to use my newly found skills without any input from teachers or other students. i found that the actual construction my magazine was a lot easier and less time consuming, despite the fact that there was more to create. i also feel that i didn’t have to rely so much on my research for ideas for layouts or fonts, as my preliminary task taught me the conventions and helped to give me many ideas beforehand.
when it comes to my finished pages i am really pleased with them. i think that the layouts suit the magazine conventions as well as being something a little bit different. I think that this would mean that the audience would be more likely to buy it; not many would buy a magazine which looks unprofessional or that follows a completely different layout convention. I chose to use the main image on the front cover, rather than others that i have in my collection and the one i used in my drafts, as i feel it says two things to the audience. firstly, the woman is holding a microphone, again linking back to the main theme and emphasizing this point even further. secondly, the woman is clearly not a celebrity but just an average person singing in front of an audience. i feel that the second point is especially important as one of the main factors about karaoke is that anyone can join in despite their wealth, age, gender or physical appearances. i think that having a photograph of a ‘famous’ singer on the front, or an image that took place in a complicated photo shoot, would alienate the audience rather than encourage them. the content of the interview also supports this point, as i ensured that the character that i created was not vain, self-centred or arrogant, but encouraging and friendly instead.
it seemed that i picked a theme that there is either very few or no existing magazines. this could mean two things to my magazine: either i have created a magazine in a section of the market in which there is no success or desire in, that other people have thought about this idea but have reconsidered because of the likelihood that it will not draw enough attention. on the other hand it could be that i have simply found a loophole in the market, a section in which there is potential, but no one has explored. either way, this would make this magazine quite a risky one to start and produce in the media, especially as there isn’t any other ones, meaning people are less likely to hear about it or the genre itself. however, with the right advertising in the right market (maybe within karaoke equipment companies etc) it could be very popular in the field, most likely the cult kind that cannot be bought in the average supermarket but at specialist retailers. this is because my target audience is for karaoke DJ’s, venue owners, as well as the average karaoke fan and singer, and so, i feel that the average shop wouldn’t be the place to sell them as it is the kind that needs properly advertising. i believe that this magazine attracts this target audience through the diversity that is in the magazine; in the sense that there is space for companies to advertise their equipment and businesses next to list of top venues, competitions and interviews for the casual singer. Also, the images on the front cover are quite eye-catching, and makes the theme really obvious so that anyone interested in singing would be drawn to it. the use of the line ‘The must-have mag for karaoke lovers and DJ’s’ again makes the theme clear, and is the kind of emotive language which would encourage someone to open it up and read.
looking at the appearance of the magazine, it would seem that the magazine aims to represent the social group of young, white, working class people, meaning that readers that fit into this social group would be more likely to buy it. this is because all of the people that are included in the images throughout the magazine fit into this group, which may give the impression to others that this is the kind of stereotype that goes along with the theme of karaoke. in actual fact, it could be giving a false impression as, especially nowadays, karaoke seems to be directed at an older generation and possibly a different class. this could cause problems in the sense that a middle aged black woman may read the magazine and suddenly feel that she is out of place going to karaoke nights, or even reading the magazine. this is something i could have done a lot better in my own magazine. political correctness is emphasized in todays society, especially in the media such as advertisements and TV shows, and most will purposely include a range of ethnic backgrounds, ages and a mixture of gender to ensure that no one is offended or left out. looking back, i feel that this is something that would need improving in this magazine as this may alienate some potential readers and advertisers, affecting the success of the magazine as a whole if it were to be produced in the media.
i think when it comes to existing media conventions, i don’t think the magazine challenges it that much; only the genre and theme of the magazine is something out the ordinary. i wanted to use existing layout ideas in order to make my magazine believable and professional-looking. i worried about the recieval of the magazine, that people may not take it seriously because of the laid back nature of the content and the leisure-type theme. i felt that if the construction and the appearance of the magazine suited with other professional music magazines of different genres, the acceptance may be easier to gain. As said earlier, i feel that this type of magazine would be a great risk to produce in the main media, and so, it is important not to alienate potential audiences by creating something completely out of the ordinary.
