Prelim Evaluation

I have compared my magazine with "mens health" because of the layout and the font colour and text. The text for my masthead is very similar to the mast head on mens health, i chose this because it stands out and looks very sophisticated. Also the way i have layed out my sell lines down the left hand side of the page is very similar. i have done this so they stand out to the reader as they automatically look at the left hand side. Also the photography i have used is similar once again, i have used a medium close up and i have placed my model on the right hand side of the page with his hands in his pockets. Also i have a clear background so the readers attention is brought to the sell lines, mast head and my photo. I have used headphones as a prop for my model to go with my main sell line "how to be cool in college" because it is portrayed to be cool if you wear headphones. I have used these colours on my front cover because they are bright and vibrant which makes them stand out to the reader. The colour red connotes passion which suggests the students at the college are passionate about work, whereas in "mens health" they have used red to connote passion for the readers health. I used the colour blue for my sell lines becaus eit goes with the topic the sell line is talking about, it is an icy blue colour which connotes being cool, this makes the sell line more effective towards the reader because they want to know how to be cool.

My media  product represents young and trendy people. I have shown this by my front cover photo which my model is dressed in trendy clothes looking cool with headphones around his neck and hands in his pockets. I have stereotyped trendy and sporty people. i have shown this in my sell lines, which say "how to be cool in college" and i have a photo of my model looking cool which suggests that is how to look cool. Also my other sell line says "all of QE sports results inside" which suggests that this magazine  a stereotype of sporty and trendy people. I have dressed my model the way i have so that he looks trendy which also is a steryotype of trendy people because is have dressed him this way for a purpose.

Originally I didnt have a specific target audience, but as i have learned more throughout media i have noticed more things that i took for granted whilst making my front cover and i have decided it would have to be towards "nerds" and "trendies". This might seem like two totally different groups but in actual fact they are more or less the same but only the trendies wear up to date clothing and seem very cool, then the nerds aspire to be the trendies because of their reputation. My magazine appeals to teenagers aged 16-18 in both of these social groups as the main sell line says "how to look cool in college". The "nerds" look at this cover and will be intrigued by it because they aspire to be cool and will want to read how to be cool. However on the other hand, "Trendies" will look at the picture and will look specifically at what the model is wearing so they can update their look.

This is the type of person who would be considered a Trendy. A trendy is someone who follows modern fashion and listens to mainstream music, having no music genre in particular they follow. They will also generally shop in topman, river island, new look and such places. Typical trendy males dress in denim, commonly wearing tight jeans and tight shirts with a low cut neck. Usually their only interests are Girls, Rugby and looking good.

Tis is the type of person we would consider to be a Nerd. A nerd is someone who is portrayed to be very intellegent, more or less a straight A student and can be mistaken sometimes for being geeks, but in actuall fact they are far more intellegent and sophisticated. Nerds dress sence are commonly thought to be checkered shirts buttoned all the way to the top and straight jeans curled up a bit at the bottom with white socks on underneath. Nerds are usually interested in most things to do with college work, they dont have much interest in relationships simply because they lack the confidence to try for one, also they are portrayed to like all kinds of computing and gaming.

I have used a range of new technologies and programs since i started my media course to help me with designing and evaluating my Prelim.

The first of which is Photoshop. Photoshop has helped me design and develope my front cover for my magazine. I have learned a wide range of skills including how to modify and change a photo to improve its quality, i have also learned how to import fonts and then change them to make them look better and stand out more. 

The second program i used was In Design. In design heped me design and develope my contents page for my magazine. I learned how to use coloumns and rows to make it look more proffesional.

Blogger.com is another technology i have learned from. It has taught me how i can upload my work into a secure space and how to look at other pages to find work. Also it has helped me as if i dont get the work done in class, i can go home and the work has been saved onto my accout on the website.

I also used a camera to take my photographs for my front cover, i learned how to zoom in and out and how to set up the lighting on set. This was essential to my work as i could not have had a front cover to evaluate without my pictures.

The Apple Mac has helped me achieve all of this, as it has been a reliable a fast working computer system. Before i started my media course i had no knowledge of Apple Mac, and now i have learned how to work and function the machine properly i find it easier than using windows. It also allowed me to upload and import my photos for my front cover easily and effectively which allowed me to complete work quicker.

 

Prelim

Prelim Flat Plans

Front Cover

my flat plan i have chosen the colour red for my Mast Head, i have used this colour because it stands out and its a very bold and powerful colour. It also connotes passion, which tells the reader that the students are passionate about what they do in college. I have also left the background of my front cover white because this will make all of the text stand out more and it will grab the readers attention. I have used blue for the Sub Heading because it will stand out as it also a primary colour and will go well with a red Headline. These colours will appeal to most audiences who wish to read the magazine as they are commonly used, also they may appeal more to young people as these colours are more vibrant and bright and dont give off a sophisticated effect.
I have used a rather large size font on my Mast head as it needs to stand out and grab the readers attention, I have also positioned it at the top of the page so it is the first bit of text you look at when you pick the magazine up. I have also used a simple font for my Mast Head because It will be clear to see for the reader and it shows the magazine is going to be straight foreward and staright to the point.
My main image has been positioned on the right hand side of the front cover, this keeps it out of the way of any pieces of text and makes the reader notice it more. The size of the photo is Medium close up, this is so it is large and fills a lot of the page so it catches the readers eye and stands out.
I have used a large font for my sell lines because they need to grab the readers attention so that they know what is inside the magazine which makes them want to read more. I Have also used a plain and simple font so that it is clear and straight to the point. I have positioned the sell lines in a list effect layout on the right hand side or the front cover because as the reader looks down the front cover they will see a range of topics which will be revealed inside. This is why the phrase “revealed inside” is effective because it leaves the reader wanting to find out more. I have also used percentages and numbers which connotes intellegence and sophistication. I have mentioned the words “discounts” and “sales” because that will get the reader interested because they have the opportunity to find out what items they can buy at a cheaper price. At the top of the page I have used a Sky Line to grab the readers attention, I have used the word “your” in it because it makes the reader feel more important to the college. The font for the sky line is quite simple yet effective as it is straight to the point and bold.
In my Sell Lines I have used content which makes people want to read the magazine more, for example I have “how to be cool in college” this will appeal to the students as they might want to be cool in hope of having a better social life and gaining more confidence. Another example is the use of the words “revealed inside” this makes the reader want to explore the magazine in more depth and makes it sound more secretive which also makes the reader want to see more of the story. I have also used the words “discounts” and “sales” this is so when the reader notices this, they will want to look at what items they can buy and they want to see how cheap the prices will be.

I have used this image for my front cover because it is quite large and fills quite a lot of the page which catches the reders attention straight away. Also, I used this because he is a college student who looks rather cool, so this will link with the main sell line as that asks “how to be cool in college” and also will give off a good effect on the students who will read this magazine.

Contents Page

On my contents page I have used the same colour red as I did with the Mast Head because I want it to stand out so that is the first thing the reader sees when they open the magazine, I have also used a black border around the contents and around the pictures to make it look neat and more sophisticated. It also allows us to see the pictures and all of the text more. I also have a question mark in the bottom left of the content page which is a bold red colour to catch the readers eye.  The numbers I have used are bold black letters because it looks neat and shows simpleness.

I have placed the magazine title in the contents page at the very top with “contents” in a slightly smaller font next to it. I have done this so the first thing you see is “QE News – Contents” this shows it is straight to the point. I havbe also organised the page numbers down the right hand side of the page in a list type layout. This connotes tidyness and makes it look organised. I have used two images in my contents page which are relevant to the contents of the magazine. The photo of the writing equiptment ect. Is quite large to give a sneak peek of what is on sale at the college shop. The second picture is of some sports equipment which shows some of the sports involved in the college which makes the reader want to read through it more.

I have added two more sell lines in the contents page that weren’t originally on the front of the magazine. I have done this so when the reader sees this they will think that it is like a ,surprise’ in a way, this makes them want to read more in hope of finding more. I have also used the word “exclusive” which is normally used whn describing celebrity gossip, this makes the reader think that something really interesting is happening inside the magazine. I have used the sell line “teachers top tips” because it is catchy and simple, it also makes the reader want to read it because it has been said by a teacher so they will think that it will be really useful information.