Sign Off

FINISHED!!!!!

I have completed my music magazine and evaluated it too! Hope you all enjoyed watching me progress throughout my blog as much as I have enjoyed making it. This will be my final post on this blog page, thank you for all your help bloggers!
Bye :)

Evaluation

Evaluation question 1 from tara96

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

3. What Kind of Media Institution Might Distribute your Media Product and Why?
I am aiming for a mainstream audience of 12-17 year olds who are female and love pop music. Unfortunately however, there are many other magazines who also have this aim, most notably Top of the Pops Magazine produced by the BBC, another institution that publishes magazines similar to mine is  Egmont, publishers of We Love Pop. Therefore I would chose Egmont to publish my magazine as it has a lot of experience in publishing this genre additionally many of their magazines are aimed towards younger audience so I think my magazine would fit in nicely.
This I what Egmont have to say - 'Egmont is one of the UK’s largest magazine publishers for children, selling a million a month – provide fun through reading. They open up the imaginations of children through favourite characters and they engage their interests through topics and attitudes that really appeal to them – from 3 years old through to early teens.'
Reading this I feel my magazine would fit in well as their aim is to provide fun reading and I also think that there is a small gap in the market for mid teens with slightly more sophisticated reading yet still in a fun girly way. Therefore although Egmont do have We Love Pop, my magazine could tie in nicely with it as a twin publication and could possibly be aimed at a slightly older audience of teens. Alternatively IPC a famous American distributor that produces NME could also distribute my magazine as there is a very big gap not only for teen magazines but also for the pop genre, yet as the distribute NME they do have some experience.
Once my magazine is published it could extend to other parts of the media, for example an interactive website with games and competitions etc. or even have its own radio station airing all the new pop hits. This could advertise the magazine as well as developing the brand to create profit.

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



5. How did you attract/address your audience?
To make my magazine as appealing as possible to my target audience I had to take many things into consideration. First and foremost I had to outline my target audience which I did in my treatment sheet from here I could do research and assess what would be the bet way to attract and appeal to said target audience. I knew from the off that one of the most important aspects of my magazine would be the front cover as 70% of people buy their magazine on the spur of the moment therefore I needed to hook my audience. After researching and comparing magazines I came to the conclusion from my questionnaire especially that teenage girls love things like celebrities mostly boy bands, competitions, gossip and exclusive interviews with well known people. Another thing I noticed was that bright colours and familiar faces attracted my target audience towards a magazine therefore bearing all this in mind I began working on my front cover. Whilst bearing this all in mind and doing as much audience research as I could in planned in advance to create the perfect teen pop magazine.
Throughout the magazine the mode of address is considerably laidback and colloquial to appeal and relate to the young generation, slang words are used and vocabulary is fairly basic allowing the younger readers to feel comfortable and enjoy the magazine.The font is big, bright and bold plus I used different shapes to present a visually pleasing image to my target audience. I also tried to include as many photos as I could as this entices my target audience more than lots of text (as I found out through my questionnaire). Other research techniques such as pool and comments helped me form an idea of how my magazine should be constructed. Plus with my photos I took some in public places to relate to the readers and portray the image that celebrities are just people like you and me, however I also tried to make some photos look more professional to create an impressive vibe like the magazines currently on the shelves. My contents page also consisted of bright colours like the cover keeping the younger readers hooked in. However the young readers will probably not buy their own magazines therefore I had to remember throughout that I must also appeal to the parents and guardians who buy their children these magazines. Considering this I used a young fresh faced celebrity who sets a good example to her fans. Plus throughout Pop-In we very much encourage readers to look up to people like Daisy Meadows, to be confident and follow their dreams. Additionally, the price is relatively low in comparison to other music magazines out on the market at the moment further appealing to parents especially those in the C1/C2 socioeconomic grouping.

Evaluation question 6 from tara96

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Personally I feel like I have learnt a lot of new skills since beginning my preliminary task and this is shown through the quality difference in the two pieces of work that I have managed to produce. I have learnt how to use many new pieces of software as I have explained above or learnt new ways in which to use more familiar pieces of software I.e. Microsoft Publisher to better my work. I have definitely learnt more about print media and the magazine industry in general, I have additionally learnt how to target an audience as well as take professional photos, gain audience feedback and use different types of technology to arrive at the best outcome. This development of practical skills has aided my understanding of the industry and helped me to appreciate the difficulty of producing such a product. As you can see I have spent a lot of time attempting to get this product right from research to development to editing and through this process I have gained many new skills that I hope to further develop in the future not only in my media studies but also in later life. I believe that through this process I have really engaged my practical skills and enjoyed the challenged that faced me, learning new skills along the way and finally managing to produce my own music magazine.

 

 

Audience Feedback Overall

This audience feedback was going to be in the form of a video however due to certain technical difficulties I had to type out the transcript.

From a 17 year old girl:
I really like the layout of this magazine, along with the colour scheme it grabs your attention and I would definitely consider buying it if it were available in store. everything is clear and the front cover image really appeals to you as the girl is looking straight down the camera. I also believe that for what is inside it is a good price. Personally I would purchase this magazine as it is similar to other magazine which is comforting and familiar yet different enough to separate it from others. I especially love he colours and the different photos used for the double page spread. The competition featured on the front age also draws me into reading more as I like many others am a big Justin Bieber fan. Only negative is that the slogan is slightly small on the front cover and also it seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience especially the contents page but overall it seems quite good.

From a 12 year old girl:
I think the front cover is very colourful and uses girly colours which I like. The articles look interesting as they are on topics that I would enjoy such as one direction and it doesn't seem to heard to read with words that I can understand. I like the colours and layout of the contents page especially. I also like the use of lots of photos in particular the ones on the double page.

From a 40 year old mother:
This magazine is obviously not aimed and me but as a mother it seems acceptable for my younger daughter. The content is safe and interesting for the younger audience and the colour schemes, celebrity endorsements and layout will draw young readers in. The price is fairly acceptable compared to other teenage magazines however, in this economic climate I would still like it to be slightly lower. Yet overall it seems like a good magazine which I would probably buy for my daughter.

Final Draft of my Double Page Spread for my Music Magazine

After all my alterations here is the final draft of my double page spread for my music magazine Pop-In, enjoy!

Final Draft of my Contents Page for my Music Magazine

After all my alterations here is the final draft of my contents page for my music magazine Pop-In, enjoy!

 

 

Final Draft of my Front Cover for my Music Magazine

This is my final draft of my front cover for Pop-In. If there is anything that you think would improve this please let me know in the comments box below! Thank you. :)

2nd Draft of Double Page Spread for my Music Magazine

Here is the second draft of my double page spread for Pop-In feel free to leave any suggestions etc.

1st Draft of my Double Page Spread for my Music Magazine

I still have many more alterations but here is the first draft of my double page spread for Pop-In feel free to leave any suggestions below! :)

2nd Draft of Contents Page for my Music Magazine

Here is the second draft of my contents page for Pop-In. There are a few gaps which I aim to fill with different photos, additionally I may alter the colour scheme slightly.

1st Draft of Contents Page for my Music Magazine

I have a long way to go but this is the foundation of my contents page for Pop-In. I have lots more to add including photos and text, plus I may alter the colour scheme slightly.

Some Feedback on my Music Magazine Cover

Here is some feedback comments from 4 different girls:

1. "I like the colour scheme, it really suits the magazine but the purple cover line about MTV is hard to see"

2. "I don't think you need to make any changes , I especially love the layout and shapes used."

3. "The MTV cover line is difficult to see and possibly reposition the text at the bottom"

4. "I like the texture of the main image and the magazine as a whole is really fitting to your target audience."

As a result of this feedback I have decided to reposition some text however, I am hesitant to change the colour of the MTV cover line as there is no other colour that ties in with my colour scheme, even If it is slightly difficult to read.

2nd Draft of my Front Cover

Here is my 2nd draft of the front cover for my music magazine. I have developed and added more since my first draft and will probably continue to tweak and make a few more amendments before deciding on the final draft.

1st Draft of my Front Cover

Here is my first draft of the front cover for my music magazine called Pop-In. It is not yet complete, I have more to add but here is the main template that I will use in terms of the main photograph and masthead etc.

Interview for the Double Page Spread of my Music Magazine

Questions

Daisy is fresh out of X-Factor and ready to bring the girl power!

1.      Daisy, who inspired you to enter the X-Factor?

My mum and dad! They have always supported m in my singing and wanted me to follow my dreams. One day my mum brought home a form to fill out to enter the show and it all just happened!

2.      Did you expect this amount of success?

No! I never even expected to get past the first round, let alone win! I really am very blessed and thank God each day for my fans and their support it really means a lot to me.

3.      Did you always want to be a singer/songwriter?

Like most children as a child I went through phases at first wanted to be a doctor but I hated blood! (Laughs) Then I went to theatre school at the age of 8 and realised my true passion and direction, performing.

4.      Who are your musical inspirations?

As a child I listened to Mariah Carey a lot, also my mum loved Elvis Presley who has really influenced my song writing career. However in terms of present artists, I LOVE Beyoncé, she just has so much attitude and talent, I’d kill to work with her one day.

5.      What was it like having Simon Cowell as your mentor back when you were on X-Factor?

Everyone thinks he’s really mean but in reality he is the best mentor I could have asked for! Yes, he is a task master but when you are in a completion like the X-Factor it is a very lengthy process and you need that push.

6.      Are you still in touch?

Yes, I saw him last week; he came to give me my birthday present.

7.      Oh Happy birthday! What did he get you?

A stunning Louis Vuitton handbag! I’m a very lucky girl!

8.      How was the X-Factor tour?

Gruelling but amazing! I had so much fun and get on sooo well with the rest of the guys; we are literally one big family (as cheesy as it sounds). Plus the response from the fans was incredible I couldn’t believe it; it was so overwhelming!

9.      Is it true you were a victim of bullying?

Yes, along with many other young teenagers today. From about the ages of 12-16 I was bullied mainly because I was different.  Was a little chubby in comparisons to the rest of the girls, the enjoyed shopping and I enjoyed singing. But I beat the bullies and I would advise anyone out there who is being bullied to be themselves it doesn’t matter what other people think, you can prove them wrong!

10.  When will your debut album My Journey be released and will there be a Tour?

The album should be released next year as I’m still in the process of writing most of the songs and a tour, wow I haven’t yet thought that far ahead however, I would love to tour in my opinion that is the best part of my job! Don’t worry if anything happens my fans will be the first to know! (giggles)

11.  Are the rumours that you went on a date with Harry Styles from One Direction true?

(Laughs) No, definitely not! Harry and I are very good friends, I love him like a brother! We have never been on a date and never will, he knows what the X-Factor Is like and is someone I can talk to, nothing more! (Smiles)

12.   Aww we were hoping for a new Posh and Becks! So what are your plans for the future?

I hope to release my first album next year and then possibly go on tour. In the long-term of course I want music domination (laughs) but I will be happy as long as I get to keep singing and writing songs whilst making my family, fans and all who voted for me proud.

13.   Do you have anything to say to your fans?

First and foremost I’d like to say THANK YOU! I couldn’t have come this far without you, your votes and support mean more to me then you will ever know and I feel very humbled! Also I’d like to tell you all to believe in yourself and your dreams no matter how big or small and never ever let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve those dreams because YOU CAN!

Daisy’s debut album ‘My Journey’ is available to download off I-Tunes from 20^th March 2013

 

Some Photos from my Phtoshoot

I did a photo shoot on Oxford Street in London with my model Morgan McGinn and here are a few of the many photos that I took, each in different locations along the street experimenting with different mis-en-scenes, angles and eye lines.