1. By Kathryn Price

2. The banner at the top of the screen is conventional to a front cover, this is due to it being placed at the top, but also due to the face it is above the masthead in a small text that will only be noticed after fully viewing the front cover first. However it could also be seen as unconventional, due to the colouring of it. Some of the text may be hard to read whereas others stand out on the page, this could reflect that some artists secrets have been revealed and are going to be spoken about, and some that haven't yet been revealed, but may be in the magazine. The Masthead could be seen as conventional and as unconventional, depending on the way in which it is looked at by the reader. In one aspects it follows conventions as it is big and bold, but also sits at the top of the page, allowing the eye to fall on it immediately. On the other hand it could be seen as challenging conventions due to the colours used on it, which allow it to seem secretive , resembling the articles that may be inside the magazine. This contrasts to the example, as they use a contrasting colour to allow it to stand out and draw the eye of the reader. My front cover when comparing to the example in the bottom right hand corner, could be seen as conventional due to the layout pictures and fonts used, but also could be seen as unconventional, due to the use of different colours on different aspects of the magazine. Some aspects may develop different ideas, or even challenge forms and conventions of R&B front covers that are available in shops today. The layout of the front cover, is very like those that are available in shops today, as seen when comparing to the example given. The image is the major focus, which it slightly over lapping the mast head. The articles surround the image, except the splash., which i$ have develop allowing it to run on the image, which allows it to stand out further and draw the eye of the reader. I have also included barcode and a price by each other and with a web address underneath which is seen on the example. I have also included a date and issue number under the Masthead which is seen in many magazines. The image is very conventional to a front cover that would been seen today in shops, as she is in a eye catching pose that will draw the reads eye. However, The image could also be seen as unconventional as her face is half covered by her hair, however I have done this for a reason. I did this to show that people only know half the story in which she talk about, and it is though the article on the double page spread that people will know her side of the story and hopefully forgive her for what she didn’t wrong. The splash is conventional when comparing it to the example of a front cover that would be available to sell, as I have placed it in a bigger font which allows the readers eye to be drawn to the first over the other articles. However I have also developed this also, as I have allowed some of the text to be placed on the image, this reflects that this article telling people her side of the story is better than herself. The “Back” and Good” is also in a handwritten font to allow a personal feel to it. The articles seen on my front cover a very conventional to those that are available in shops, as they are smaller than the splash, but catch the eye of the reader sue to the colour of the font. However they also challenge conventions due to like the splash having words that are in different colours and are bigger and bolder than the rest, allowing themselves to be seen. I have used a conventional colour scheme, which is simple but effective, which has been used throughout the front cover, like the example does as seen.

3. The contents page has many aspects which could be seen as conventional, but there are certain aspects of the contents page which could be seen as unconventional, as I have developed and challenged certain forms which would be seen in a magazine available in shops today as seen by the example given in the bottom right hand corner. They layout of the contents page is conventional to products available, as the images and text are put on separate sides on the page. This allows the page to flow an to look aesthetically pleasing. It also allows all the information to be seen clearly due to the visual hierarchy. When missing the images and text, it caused the page to look unprofessional and unclear as the eye wasn’t able to focus on the text or the images, but wasn’t able to focus on what the contents page was trying to give out. The masthead of the page, could be seen as conventional and unconventional. It is conventional as like the example it is big, bold and placed at the top of the page allows it to catch the eye of the reader instantly. However I have also developed the idea, like on the front cover, challenging the conventions through the colouring of the mast head. The mast head’s colour are dark and could be seen as hard to reader because of this, however this has been done for a reason, to exhibit a secretive side to the magazine, which is reflected in the articles on the contents page. The heading on the page are conventional, as they allow a clear split in the sections of the types of articles and information that would be inside the magazine. They are also bold and big, which also allows them to follow conventions., as it draws the eye of the reader therefore draws them to the articles within the magazine. However the colour of the heading could be seen as unconventional, as it cause's it hard to read them =, unlike the contrasting colours used in the example. However this has been done to reflect that the articles within the magazine may reveal secrets that were unknown. The text that tells the reader is conventional to products that would be sold in shops today, as they are in a clear font, at a good size that is readable to the target market. The use in a different colour for the article and the page number, allows the reader to be able to acknowledge the page number and article are different, this is conventional as seen in the similarity of the example. However They could also be seen challenging conventions as the page number is slightly to the right of the articles, which is not seen a lot in products today, as it can be quite hard to see which article goes to which page number. However I have decided to challenge this, as it create an effect in which allows my contents page to be seen as different, but also to show that the artists within the articles have complicated lives, which are hard to read. The text below the masthead is conventional in its placing and font used to allow easy reading, but is unconventional in the colour. It causes the text to be hard to read and almost invisible, this could show that the images of the artists where secretive like the stories about them. The images are very conventional when compared to products that are available. This is due to the placing of them, but also as they range from a medium close up to a close up shot, which allows the reader to instantly recognise the people within them, enticing them into the magazine. The use of the large numbers could also be seen as conventional as they are big and bold therefore standout against the which back ground. However they could also be seen as unconventional as the placing of them is different on each one, which allows a this page to appeal to a younger reader. The text used in the ‘Win; section is unconventional to a contents page, as selected word are a lot bigger than other. This allows them to stand out but drawing people into the competition.

4. My spread has many aspects which could be seen as conventional and unconventional, as I have developed ideas and challenged conventions to allow a point to be seen. This can be seen in the contrast to the example of a spread that is available today. The example I have given is also the spread in which I gained inspiration from. The colour scheme used on the spread is conventional to products that would be available to buy today. This is due to a simple colour scheme to be chosen. This has been done as if a varies of colours are used, the page can look un professional and complicated, not allowing the readers eye to focus on one thing at a time, as the different colours being distracting. The text in the spread is conventional as it is set out in a number of columns, to allow the information to look smaller than it really is. This means that a reader will be more likely to read this as if it was set out all over the double page spread, it would look like a to of information, which would look boring to the reader, therefore they would not read it. The text is in a suitable due to the font size and the font chosen, which allows the information to be easily read. However the text could also be seen as unconventional as there is a quotation box in the middle of it,. This allows the eye of the read to be drawn to the main text however, enticing them to reading the main text. However it also illustrates how something got in the way, reflecting what the article is about. The use of the text on the image, allows an insight into what the artist is thinking and allows the reader to engage into the artists life and how they are feeling. However this is unconventional, due to the placement of text. Although the colour allows it to be readable placing it onto the image reflects a secretive feel to the text. Which could resemble the story, being secretive and that it is within this article that has allowed the artist to tell her story and hopefully allow her to not become secretive,. On the other hand the text seen in the white box is conventional, as it is readable and stand out on the page, allowing the reader to have some background knowledge on the artist, which is seen on most page spreads. The heading above the text is conventionally placed above the main text, which gives an insight to what will be in the main text. However there is also unconventional sue to the increased of size of selected words. However I did this to allow these words to stand out and draw the reader into article. The image used is conventional to a normal product that would be available to buy, as it is big and eye catching, drawing the readers into the double page spread. However the image is a high angle shot, which could be reflected in people looking down on the artist. I have used this as it however, as this is what people will do at the moment, However she is look up towards the masthead, meaning that she is looking toward the future and hopes that after people have seen the article, they will change there opinions on the artist. The shot also allows some sympathy to be casted on the artist, which although the article is about getting on her feet, she will need some sympathy to allow her fans to forgive her. This mast head is conventionally placed at the top of the page, to allow the reader to see it instantly engaging them into the article below. It is also big and bold which would also draw the eye of the reader. However the colouring of the mast head could be seen as unconventional due to the colour change in the masthead, however I have done this to allow a more appealing look to the mast head. If looking at the example a conventional masthead would have a contrasting coloured masthead to allow it to stand out

5. I chose the R&B genre as it is the most seen in the charts today, therefore I knew that it was a popular genre within society. I also chose this genre as it is one of my personal favourite genres, therefore I have seen many music magazines based on this genre, therefore I knew what was needed within my products. The photos I used appeal to the R&B genre due to the positions that they were placed. In most R&B magazines, the position made by males is “gangster” e.g. with their arms crossed, to show they don’t care. However for women, they seem to do some kind of a seductive pose, which are both shown in my products. The clothing in which my models are wearing also reflects that of the R&B genre as they were either dance clothes and wore hoodies, which is seen in R&B magazine today. The fonts I used reflected that of an R&B genre, this is especially seen in the mastheads of my font cover and contents page. The block effect illustrate a secretive person, which is seen a lot in the R&B genre. I used a colour scheme of back, white and blue, which reflects , like in the font , a secretive feel to my products, with the blue showing an active hint. This is seen in R&B artists as the majority of them are very active which is seen in their ability to dance. The articles in which I applied to my products, either named dropped artists within the R&B industry, or were stories which you would expect of an R&B artist e.g. a love story gone wrong and a artist in court. My products were aimer at a younger generation of readers, which is reflected in aspects of my products, however I also wanted my products to appeal at anyone that enjoyed the genre of R&B. I used photos of young models, as this would mean that my main target reader would look up to the photos due to the artists being similar age. The colour scheme is had has mature feel to it due to the black and the white used, which will appeal to every age. However there is a major influence also of light blue, which is a youthful colour, enticing the younger generation into my products. I used a variation of modern fonts which will appeal to my main target audience,. This is especially seen in the mastheads and in the font used for quotation, the masthead is a block effect which is very youthful and will appeal to my target reader. The font used for quotations is a youthful hand written effect which young people will be able to relate with it . The articles within my products are very youthful and would appeal to the younger generation, such as a love story gone wrong, which a lot of young people can relate to. As I wanted my magazine to appeal to anyone that enjoyed the genre of R&B I allowed my magazine to multi sex, however there are parts of my products which may appeal to one sex more than the other. The images used on my products could appeal to both sex’s due to there being a variation of genders, however due to the main story being about a female it may appeal more to woman than males. The fonts used throughout my products will appeal to both males and females. The mast head on the front cover and the contents page, will appeal more to men than women as is a block effect that is more masculine rather then feminine. However the font used for the quotations is a feminine handwritten one, therefore will appeal more to women than men. The articles I used within my products, did most appeal to men and women, but as the main story is about a love story gone wrong , therefore will appeal more to women as they will be able to relate to it. However there are stories within the contents page which will appeal to men such as ‘Nick’s in court but while’. The colours used within my products can be seen more masculine rather than feminine, due to the dark colours and the blue, these colours are masculine colours, therefore will appeal to men rather than women. My products were meant to appeal to anyone that liked the genre, therefore I didn’t set a class that my products would appeal to, however due to the genre of R&B my products will appeal to the lower class rather than the higher class. The models in the photos are dressed in hoodies and dance clothing (tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt and a cardigan), Therefore will appeal more to a lower class reader, as they may wear similar clothing, so would be able to relate to the models in the images, or look up to them to see what is in fashion for that genre of music. The colours used are dark and serious with a bright blue which allows the readers eye to be drawn to the magazine. These colours do not reflect any in particular class, therefore would appeal to either class, that enjoyed the genre of R&B. The font I used in my products, like the colours, can not be placed in any class in particular. This means that as the fonts are clear and readable, that they appeal to any class that my products catch the eye of. The article within the magazine, due to the genre, could appeal more to a lower class reader rather than a reader from a higher class background. This is due to articles such as ‘Nick’s in court but why?’, someone from a higher class background may think that this is not acceptable. However the main story is about a love story gone wrong, which everyone has been through in their life, so could appeal to both classes.

6. I believe that a potential institution that would distribute my products, would have to produce a variation of magazines, with different style to my own. If I pick an institution that only sells magazines, that are similar to my own, then my product will not seem original but will become repetitive and people will become disillusioned and bored with my product. However if I look for a institute that sells similar products but has a variation of other magazines with different styles. I also want a institution which tries to target a younger generation with there productions. After looking through a few institutions that are available to produce my product, I have decided to go with Factory Media. Factory Media is Europe’s leading extreme sports media owner publishing sixteen websites and thirteen magazines brands and serving over two million monthly consumers. Factory Media was formed in December in 2006 when three establishing publishing houses decided to work together, the sec consisted of Action Sports Media, Permanent Publishing and 4130 Publishing. Factory Media know produces fourteen consumer magazines, which are available at newsstands, in specialist outlets and to subscribers world wide. There is also a total of twenty five publication reaching local markets with half a million readers with an in-depth and inspirational publication to their readers.. With the merge of Factory media, came new ideas and a fresh focus on the digital business. Therefore produced sixteen digital platforms to allow in a growth of a younger audience. Factory media know says “Magazine sites now play an equal part in brand communication as printed products.” Factory media has a subscribed digital products available to reader through there web sites. However they also have a community and unity web sites which has had a substantial. Mpora.com focuses on video sharing, which has a mix of user generated content that has a high quality programming, that delivers videos each month. A high number of people also go to Mpora.com for live videos of live action sports worldwide each month. Factory media offer a service to for brands that wish to align themselves with Factory media’s youth market through creative solutions such as contract publishing, digital companies, short form video production, promotional stunts, digital magazine and consultancy. Therefore would be a great opportunity or my products to be published.

7. As seen by my research which was mainly based on the R&B magazine ’Vibe’ , which I thought targeted the readers in which I wished my products to appeal to. The target reader of a magazine can be seen through the genre in which they portray through colour, images, fonts and articles. This can be seen in Vibe, using dark and serious colours, or uses bright, bold and eye catching colours depending on the stories within the magazine. This is due to the variation in the R&B industry. My research enabled me to decide to aim my product towards the R&B industry. I have chosen R&B as I the research that I gained were mainly on the R&B industry, due to my knowledge on the music magazine ‘Vibe’ . I also chose this genre due to the knowledge I have on R&B as it is my personal favourite genre of music. I used Vibe magazine as inspiration, due to their success in selling and producing a R&B music magazine that is targeted toward the same audience in which I am trying to obtain. I have decided that my audience will be a niche audience, this means that my product is to appeal to only a selected audience. My product has been made to appeal to a young generation who like the genre of R&B. Although I have aspects within my products, which would appeal to a mass audience, that would appeal to anyone that enjoys the genre of R&B, there are only a certain amount of people that will like to read about the genre of R&B. The images I have used will appeal to the younger generation, due to models within the images being of young people, wearing clothing in which a younger generation would wear. This would enable the target reader to be drawn to the magazine, as they look will look up to the people within the magazine, as they will aspire to be like them. If an older person was used in my products then this may not draw the eye of the reader as much as the image that I have used. The main article which is seen on my double page spread, is also a very youthful story, due to it being about a love story that has gone wrong. This will appeal to the younger generation as at some point they will have experienced their first love and how it can be hard to get over. Therefore younger people will be able to associate with the story, or will take advice from the article in my product, as they do not how to deal with there situation. Other articles within my products may also appeal more to the younger readers, such as ‘Who’s top and who’s not’. The majority of my target audience will want to know about which R&B artist is high and low in the charts, however this may not appeal to an older generation.

8. I looked by through my research in which I did on the R&B music magazine called Vibe and looked at aspects in which it used to attract or address its target reader. I took inspiration from Vibe and the use of its masthead as a logo for the magazine. This was to ensure that when people see the masthead, although it may change in every issue, it will attract my audience due to the originlal font. This could be used as a marketing ploy, due to it being used as a logo aspects of the magazine. I Also took inspiration from the masthead as an effect was used to address a younger audience and to attract the reader to the magazine, into different way than others would. By placing the main image, almost central on the front cover, allows itself and the splash to become an attraction to the magazine. The Splash is eye catching and in a font which will address my target reader, attracting them to the magazine due to the story. The size of the image and splash, which will take up most of the screen, will also allow them to become an attraction as they will draw the eye of the reader. Most magazines show some sort of advertisement of subscription however , I have not used this is market my magazine and persuade people to buy or subscribe for the next issue. Instead of doing this I decided to add a section into my contents page, which would subtly convince readers into buying the next issue. This section tells the reader the main articles which would be seen in the next issue. This allows them to get enticed into the next issue of the magazine, as the reader wants to read the articles advertised. The way in which I worded my main article within the double page spread will address and attract my target reader. This is due to the switch between formal writing and informal writing when the artists was telling part of the story. This enabled the reader to relate with the story, as it was on a subject that most people have experienced., attracting the reader to read on further into the article. The articles that I have chosen to be shown on the contents page, which will address my target audience . The Articles that are chosen, must attract the audience in some way, as this is the job of the contents page, if this doesn’t address and attract the audience this will mean that the magazine will not be a success. The way in which I worded my articles within my contents page and on my front cover , had to be short phrases which caught the eye of the reader, attracting them to the contents page and into the magazine. The box of text on the double page spread, allows the reader an insight to what the artist has been through. This therefore gives them that little bit more of information that they need to know before reading the full article. Therefore I am addressing the audience, as within out this information they may not be able to understand the article, if not knowing the background of the artist.

9. During the process of constructing my products, I have learnt a lot of technological processes which helped in various ways. The first think I had to learn about was Blogger.com, this is the program in which has held my entire coursework of media studies. I had never used this program before, so was very egger to find out how it worked. It was simple to set up, with clear instructions into how to do so, with helpful options into how we would like out blag to be presented. However it did take me some time to get used to the post function and the aspects in which it would let me include. Unfortunately, this did not include posting power point documents, which all my research was placed on. Therefore I had to learn how to use a new program called Slide Share. Unlike blogger, this didn’t always have clear instruction into how to set up an account. This took me some time to do, due to the lack of knowledge in which I had with the program. I had to spend a lot of time in working out how Slide Share worked and familiarising my self with the program and how it worked. But after using the program a lot it was soon easy to use. When thinking of taking my images that would be used on my products, I had to learn that the position of my models, the lighting, the mise-en-scene and the camera shot in which I would use., were all very important. The mise-en-scene had to be correct, as if it wasn’t then my products may appeal to the wrong target reader. The right lighting was important as if it was wrong, as seen by the lighting on the arm, it could allow my products to look unprofessional and could distort the image. The angle of the shot had to right, as if it was not it may cause the wrong impression of the artists within my products. My products were produced on a program called Macromedia Fireworks, I had little experience with this program but knew that I would have to become familiar to allow the effect onto my products, to allow them to look professional and compete with similar products that are available. The main thing I had to get used to were the effects which I could use for my products. With in these effects, as seen in the print screen to the left, there are many choices in which could be used. The main effect in which I learnt to use was the shadow and glow. As I had to place shadows on most of my images to allow them to look personal . I also added glows to my text,, especially seen in my mastheads, to allow them to make a impression when seen. These both could be adjusted to different darkness's, the angle and the feathered effect that wished to placed on to it. Due to my unfamiliarity with the program this took me some time to get used to. For the majority of my fonts, I used a site which would allow me to view and use a wide variation of fonts. I did this as it allowed me to have aspects of my products in which were very different to any that would be seen in my class or in stores today. Using Da-font was simple to use, due to the way in which it was set up. Choosing a certain style from the categories given at the top allowed me to be directed to the kind of fonts in which I required to use. If I knew the name of the font a search function was also available for me to use. Once the chosen font had been selected I was then able to see what the font would look like on text I may use in my products, which helped me to chose the fonts in which I wished to use. Downloading them was simple due to the clear button of download placed clearly for the user t see.

10. Another tool in which I used within Fireworks, was the magic wand tool. This allowed me to cut my models from their backgrounds. However this took some time to get used to, as if the tolerance was to high of a number, it selected some of the model to get rid of. Therefore to get around this I had to change the tolerance to ensure that the image had the full image of the model, and had the background removed, However this effect could cause a unprofessional finish to the image, so to ensure that the finish on the image was neat and tidy, I ensured that the edge was in a feathered effect, which gave a neat finish to the image. As I didn’t want my backgrounds of my products to look unprofessional, with one black colour, I decided to use an effect onto the background that would add depth and allow my products to look professional and aesthetically pleasing. I did this by changing the background colour from a solid colour, to a gradient colour. This took my a while to find where this tool was and what effect would be the best to use on a background of a Front cover, Contents and Double page spread. I therefore decided to use a gradient colour and had to choose form the given effects, which would work best on my products. It took me some time in testing the backgrounds and to see what effects they could do before coming to a final decision. With this knowledge, I also used this effect on some text, such as the mast head of each product. This allowed them to stand out and catch the eye of the reader. As well as taking the backgrounds from the images, I also wanted to change the look of the images, as due to camera I used some of the image looked, plain and dull. Therefore to change this I wanted to change the brightness and contrast within the image, to allow them to make an impact on the reader. After looking through the tools of Fireworks, I finally found this tool within the Filters menu. I then had to select adjust colour and then select the Brightness/Contrast tool. This however still took me some time to work, if the contrast or brightness was changed to a great extent, it would not only ruin the image, due to the colour, but it could also cause it to become blurred and distorted. Therefore after some practice, I was able to understand what was too little and to much editing on the image.

11. As seen by the two front covers, there has been a visible improvement in the technology that I have used, the authenticity, how I gained the target readers attention and how I communicated to my reader through my front cover. The transformation in the understanding in technology can be clearly seen from my preliminary to my final product. This can be especially seen in the fonts that I have used for my preliminary and in my final product. Although there was a clear difference in the target audience between the to two products, there is a definite gain in technical knowledge. The fonts used in my preliminary front cover, are basic and are the fonts given within the Fireworks program, however ,I have used a combination of fonts from dafont.com and from the program Fireworks, I did this as it gave a more professional finish and shows the gain in technical knowledge that I have gained. If comparing the two products on authenticity, it is clear to see that when compared to the products available to consumers in shops, my final product is extremely authentic, due to my gain in knowledge in the magazine market. The layout of the preliminary is slightly childish and looks unprofessional. In contrast my final product has a professional and aesthetically pleasing, which draws the eye of the reader. However there are other aspects of my final product that allow it to be authentic, that are not seen on my preliminary product such as a barcode, date and issue number, this also shows my progress since producing my preliminary product. Both my products attract the specific audience in which they try and target their specific reader, however due to the increase in the target reader that I wished to appeal to in my final product I was able to add more aspects which I new would appeal to my target reader, such as the images, articles , fonts and colours used. These also, unlike in my preliminary product communicate to the reader, as they draw them into my front cover. The articles especially do this as they are about topic in which the reader will be interested in. However on my preliminary product the articles are about school life and although it is a school magazine, not a lot of young people would want to read about it.

12. As seen by the two contents pages, there has been a visible improvement in the technology that I have used, the authenticity, conventions, how I gained the target readers attention and how I communicated to my reader through my front cover. The transformation in the understanding in technology can be clearly seen from my preliminary to my final product. This can be especially seen in the fonts that I have used for my preliminary and in my final product. Although there was a clear difference in the target audience between the to two products, there is a definite gain in technical knowledge. The fonts used in my preliminary front cover, are basic and are the fonts given within the Fireworks program, however ,I have used a combination of fonts from dafont.com and from the program Fireworks, I did this as it gave a more professional finish and shows the gain in technical knowledge that I have gained. The effect in which both pages use is also a good indication of how my technical knowledge has improved, as although effects have been used on my preliminary, the effect used on my final product are more complicated and effective effects. The images used and the effects that have been put on them are also a good indication in the improvement of my technical knowledge, as the images used in my preliminary have had no effects put on them except having the skew tool being used, whereas my final product has used varies of effect including the use of the Magic wand tool. There is a big difference when looking at the authenticity, when comparing my preliminary product and my final product. My preliminary, doesn’t look like any contents page that may be available today, therefore this could easily be seen as unconventional , as it doesn't follow any conventions and by doing this my preliminary contents page looks Unprofessional. However my final product is conventional and authentic. The layout of my final product is very conventional as the text and the images are set a side to allow the page to flow and the text to be easy to read. However by playing lines between the different headings, could allow the page to also be unconventional , but allows it the be authentic and attract the eye of the reader. Therefore the progression in authenticity and conventions can be shown through my preliminary and my final products. In my preliminary product there are a few aspects that would appeal to my target reader, the main aspect of this would be the images used. My preliminary product does struggle to communicate to the reader, due to the effect s, the text is extremely hard to read. However, progress can be seen in my final products, as the images, fonts, articles and colours used all appeal to me target reader. The article especially show this, by name dropping R&B artists that my target reader would instantly know who they are. The layout of my final product also allows my final product to communicate to the target reader, as the text is set aside from the images, which allow the text to be seen clearly. The use of the clear text also allows easy reading unlike in my preliminary product, showing the progression I have made.