Evaluation of practical work part 2
- 1. EVALUATION OF PRACTICAL WORK P A R T C H A R L I E B A R K E R
- 2. IN WHAT WAYS DOES MY PRODUCT USE, CHALLENGE OR DEVELOP FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF EXISTING MEDIA PRODUCTS? FRONT COVER My title, 'Envy', is situated at the top of the front cover in a similar fashion to the majority of magazines out today. Most magazines that I had researched have their primary image set in front of the title often overlapping it. This isn't an issue as the buyers are familiar with the brand and don't require its full prominence. My magazine however, has the image a layer behind the main text. I have done this deliberately as I believe the bold font draws attention upwards towards the face of the featured artist.
- 3. The unimportant minor features such as the barcode and pricing are situated in the corner of the page as this formatting prevents them from covering up more appealing features such as the primary image. This technique of page structuring is used by nearly all of the magazines I had researched. Therefore I chose to employ it for my own design. Another feature I chose to use on my front cover was direct mode of address. This technique involves the model looking directly at the camera so that the audience can form a personal relationship with the artist through eye contact, and in turn be inclined to purchase the magazine. Almost every music magazine uses this to create the prior mentioned affect. It’s clear functionality helped me decide to employ the method and use it for the majority of my images, notably the front cover. ENVY KERRANG!
- 4. CONTENTS PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 1. The use of an editorial can be found in magazines such as Kerrang. It allows the editor to directly address the audience and give them an idea of what’s to come in the future. 2. My research suggested to me that not every feature of the magazine had to be listed on the contents page. Main features and things that might seem more appealing at a glance are written in this section to act as pull factors. This technique is demonstrated in NME magazine. 3. The use of images on the contents page not only attracts fans of the featured artists, but it also breaks the page down into a more visually manageable area. Unlike any of the magazines I have researched, I have chose to be consistent with the style of my photos. All of the pictures I had taken were in black in white. Personally I believe that this promotes a stylish and retro theme that might attract a more sophisticated and appreciative audience. 4. Brand reinforcement seemed to be present in most music magazines I looked at. As simple as it may seem, it helps remind the reader who produced the item that they are experiencing. 5. Finally, I added an issue number and date to my contents page. This is to add potential for collectors. The dating enables every issue to be kept in order.
- 5. EXAMPLES 1 KERRANG! 2 RockSound 3 RockSound 4 MOJO 5 Q MAGAZINE
- 6. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD My image defies the idea put forward by Frederickson and Roberts that women are simply portrayed as objects within the media world. The model is sat upon a motorcycle in turn displaying a defiance to the masculinity of motorbikes. It does however portray an unnatural pose and a stereotypically attractive female wearing to a degree provocative clothing. Although present in all of my other photos, this particular image doesn’t contain direct mode of address as the model is in fact looking down at the floor as opposed to into the camera lens. Once again I have persisted with a minimal colour theme. I believe that this defiance of typical presentation adds emphasis to the areas that do contain colour in turn making them far more significant in character. In addition to this, the size 50/50 split between image and text helps make the page more manageable. This technique is used in many magazines to help reduce the possibility of boredom when reading.