Target Audience Interview - Update

I made plans to film my target audience interview today, however I am off college ill so I will not be able to meet this target. I have instead postponed the interview until Tuesday 6 October, as I should be better by then and it is a better time for my interviewee. For Thursdays lesson I will concentrate on producing and distributing my target audience survey.

Questions for Target Audience Interview

Questions for target audience interview from sienamatkin

Interview Storyboard Template

This is a storyboard of an interview given by Jeremy Paxman to Russell Brand. I am using this as a template for my own video, which I will film on Tuesday 29 September. It is useful as it gives me an idea of the type of shots I want to use in the video, for example a shot reverse shot of the interviewer and interviewee, as well as shots from different angles such as a two shot. I am also planning on using a title shot at the beginning and end of the video that will show my magazines logo. This will show the purpose of the interview and make it look more professional.

*UPDATE*
Due to being off sick from college, I missed the original deadline for the interview and so had to film it at a later date. I therefore had less time to film and edit it, so I decided to use a simple one-shot technique instead of the original shots I had planned.

Target Audience Overview

This is a basic overview of my target audience profile. It helps to give an idea of who my target audience is - what they like, where they live, their occupations, their general circumstances etc.

Plan for lesson

My plan for this lesson is to get more research towards my target audience. I am going to create and upload my basic audience profile, as well as planning for my interview with my target audience. I will storyboard a template for my interview and plan the questions I am going to ask in the interview. 

*UPDATE - REFLECTION* 
I have done what I set out to do for this lesson. Over the next few days I will prepare so that I am ready for the interview on Tuesday.

Pitch Feedback

Plan for lesson

For this lesson I am going to show my pitch and get feedback both from my peers and my lecturer. I will upload this to my blog and give my own thoughts on the comments I receive. I would also like to continue working on my flat plans and rationale, as I would like to finish those before I start my target audience research later this week. 

*UPDATE - REFLECTION*
I have shown my pitch and received feedback on it, as well as giving my own thoughts on it. I am working on my contents page and DPS flat plans as well as their rationales, which will be uploaded to my blog ASAP.

Website Flatplan - Contact Page

My contact page uses provides another outlet for readers to connect with the magazine. Instead of listing contact details for the audience to use, I instead decided to create a 'form' that they could type their own details into and could then be contacted by the magazine from then. I think this makes the service provided more personal as the magazine takes the time to contact them and can deal with their specific issue or query. The form will also give me another opportunity to include interactive features on the site - drop down menus they can use to select an option and text boxes to type their information. I think these features will help to make my website more conventional as it allows the user to be more active when using it as opposed to simply looking at different pages. It also could act as a way for the magazine to receive primary feedback about its products and suggestions on how to make improvements.

Again, the house style of the website has been kept the same as the other pages, with the logo, navigation bars, search bar and social media links acting as a template for each page. I will continue to use the house style of black, white, navy and red and plan to keep my fonts/text sizes etc the same to give the overall website a uniform, professional look.

planned colour scheme

Website Flatplan - Article Page

My websites article page will keep the same house style as that displayed on the home page - the structure will be kept the same, with only the page content changing. The positioning of the magazine logo/masthead, menu bar, search box, social media links and bottom navigation bar are all in the same place - I think it is important to keep an element of continuity to the website so that it looks professional and well designed.

As the main purpose of the website is to raise the magazines profile and further connect with the magazines audience, I have decided to create a page that provides a snippet of the current issues interview with the celebrity cover star. I will also include some exclusive photos not featured in the magazine article and this together should hopefully provide an incentive for readers to go out and purchase the magazine. I am planning on using a plug such as "To read the full interview, pick up a copy of the _____ issue in stores now!" - providing an extract from the interview on the website should pique visitors interests and make them more likely to buy the magazine to finish reading. My colour scheme will be mainly white and black, however I will also take the opportunity to use colours such as red, as I think as a bright colour it grabs your attention and should help create interest in the article when used on the article title. The extract from the interview will clearly distinguish the dialogue of the interviewee from the interviewer. I plan to do this by using a range of colours, or using bold or italic effects on the text - I will experiment when actually constructing the page to see what looks best.

*UPDATE* 
I have spoken with my lecturer who has advised me not to create an 'interview' style article as this is not conventional for similar magazines. Instead I will be writing a piece about the cover star for the DPS content.

Website Flatplan - Home Page

I have taken a lot of inspiration from living north.com, Living North's website, when planning my website. When I did my deconstructions, I thought that Living Norths design was much more superior and professional looking than ETC North East or Luxe - it made me, as a reader, want to explore it, which is how I would want my target audience to feel about its website. The website will have a lot of interactive features, such as a slideshow of scrolling imagery that will link to different articles, links to the magazines social media accounts. This allows the audience to connect with the magazine on other platforms and shows it keeping up to date with their interests. I am also going to place a search bar at the top of the home page, allowing the reader to explore the site and find a particular item they are looking for. The magazines house style will be used throughout the website - the colours black and white most prevalent, with red and navy being used to highlight important features/links. This, combined with the familiarity of the magazine logo (which will also act as a Home button), should be recognisable to the audience and act as a connection to the magazine.
The menu bar separates the websites pages into categories based on their content. This is another feature I took inspiration from Living North on, however I feel it is quite conventional for most websites to have a menu/navigation bar at the top of the page. I will use sub-images to create interest in articles etc. on the magazines website. Each sub-image will be linked to a different topic, however as a whole should create a sense of uniformity as I am planning on using the same colour (black) and font (Bodoni XT) for each. I have chosen this font for my website because it will also be used in my magazine, as I feel it has a professional and sleek look that will appeal to both genders.
I am also using my home page as an opportunity to advertise magazine subscriptions and the e-newsletter sent to all members. I think these are quite conventional for a magazine website as they present the magazine trying to further connect with its audience. I have also included a navigation bar at the bottom of the page providing links to the copyright information and terms and conditions etc. This will be featured at the bottom of every webpage to keep the overall appearance conventional.
I think this flat plan provides a good representation of the magazine and should attract the target audience, as I have kept it very gender neutral to accommodate for both males and females. On reflection, I could include the magazine slogan somewhere on the home page to further connect to the magazine and highlight its regional genre, however as all of my articles will be based in this area it hopefully should be obvious which location it is targeted at.

Billboard Flatplan

                Draft                                                                                         Final Version

My aim for my billboard was to make it look as conventional as possible, whilst still conveying its regionally  I took inspiration from fashion and music billboards when designing it. Though I did like my draft of the flat plan, I decided to change it after seeing this billboard advertising a new album by the band Sade. I liked the positioning of the text so that it fitted around the image, as well as the simplicity of it - the text contains basic information, but gives you what you need to know. I plan to use a close up photo of my model from my cover shoot for my billboard image, and when I looked back at my draft I realised some of the text may overlap her face. I then changed the positioning of the text slightly so that there is two sides; the left for any text on the billboard, and the right for the model.

I am going to to use the same colour scheme and font styles on my billboard as those used in my magazine. I think this is important as they make up part of the magazines identity and make it recognisable to the target audience. The magazines logo (in the font Dubiel) takes a centre position on the billboard and is larger than the rest of the text as it is more important and therefore should be more visible to the reader. The background will be white, and the text will be in black. This will make it stand out and easy for the target audience to read.

To portray the magazines regionality, I have included the magazines slogan 'lifestyle of the North East'. In addition, my puff/plug will be advertising an exclusive concert being held by my model (a famous musician from the region) in Newcastle. The use of the website will show readers where to go to get tickets.

I may make further changes when I am constructing the billboard, for example if I choose to use a different photo from the one I am planning on using the structure may change. Other possible additions I may make is adding the magazines social media information, however I do not want the billboard to look to crowded so this will depend on what looks better/more professional.

Double Page Spread Flatplan

For my double page spread layout I have taken inspiration from existing publications, using one half of the two pages for an image and the other for the actual article. The image will be a medium close up or a close up and will show my model either looking directly into the camera or slightly away, off into the distance. I think this imagery will give her an air of mysteriousness which may intrigue the target audience. She will be dressed casually, like the other pictures in my magazine to keep with the theme of the issue. 

The colour scheme that has been used on previous pages will be continued, although less prominent colours such as navy may be used more on the article title or similar. I am going to use the font Bodoni XT in keeping with my house style and because I think it is quite gender neutral, while still giving off a professional edge. The text will be an interview with a famous local celebrity, to highlight the regional theme, and will be quite informal as I feel the target audience will find that style of dialogue more appealing. I want the question and answer text to be clearly separated, so I will probably put each in a different colour, such as red for questions and black for answers. 

I think my magazine is going to be quite conventional. I have taken inspiration from existing magazines to try to make it as typical with the magazines style as possible. My pull quote is going to highlight an interesting quote from the article that should hopefully draw in readers who are flicking through the pages.I am using a plug at the end of the article to advertise the celebrity musicians new album, single or similar. This is often used in existing magazines to show the purpose of the interview. 

Contents Page Flatplan

My aim for my contents page is to look professional, clear and concise, but still interesting enough to draw in the reader. I will be sticking to the same colour scheme as my front cover, as I want the magazines house style to be obvious throughout its pages. The layout is quite simple, but when looking at examples from existing regional magazines I find that most kept the contents design to a minimum. 

My contents page will be organised into sections, with the top section highlighting the most 'important' articles that are shown on the front cover. This will make it easier for the reader to find a feature if they were attracted to its sell line on the front cover. The rest of the contents will be organised into sections further down the page, such as news, fashion and culture. Throughout the page my articles will be listed in chronological order so that it looks more organised. I am aiming to have about 150 pages, as I think this will be a good amount for my target audience - enough to keep them interested, but not so much that they get bored.

I have kept the top of the page for the contents title. It will be in large font as I want it to jump out at the reader and will likely use the same font as my masthead. For other text I am going to use Bodoni XT, a font I found at dafont.com. I find it fits in with my house style and the general look I ant for the magazine. 

The image I am going to use will be a different image of the same model from the front cover. It will probably be a medium close up or a close up, however I may decide to go for a different look and use a long shot instead. My model will be dressed casually, in a similar style to the front cover so that she is recognisable to the reader. I am going to overlay a page number on the image so that it is easy for the reader to find the page, presumably being the highlight of the magazine. The image will portray the natural, relaxed style that is the theme of all of the pictures.

In keeping with the regional theme, I will probably include my slogan 'The lifestyle of the North East' somewhere on the page. Not only does it highlight the genre but it also shows what the magazine is about and gives an idea of the article content. I am also going to use my contents page to advertise the magazines other platforms, such as Facebook ,Twitter, Instagram and their website. This will show the magazine is keeping up to date with the target audience, who are very involved with social media.

Front Cover Flat Plan

This is the flat plan I have produced for my front cover, the left showing the masthead in bold and the right showing without. The font is Dubiel, sourced at fontspace.com. I like it because I think it gives the magazine quite a professional, sleek look, reminiscent of Vogue Magazine or Living North. I have decided to use the bold masthead, because I think it stands out better and will still be easy to read when the cover image is displayed over or under it.

I feel that my front cover flat plan is quite conventional in terms of existing publications - I have arranged the sell lines so that they go around the image (which will take up a large portion of space). The only sell line that will be on top of my model will be advertising her article, which will make the cover clear and concise. As my target audience is quite young I want the cover to be interesting and relatable, so that it draws them in. I think using a popular local celebrity on the front cover should help with this, as they are up to date with popular culture. 

In terms of sell lines I have chosen quality over quantity. If there is too many pieces of information on the page it will look overcrowded and confusing, which may detract the reader. I think using four is the right amount, because I can make the most of the best articles in the magazine to grab the readers attention. I am likely to use a plug or similar within the sell lines, for example to advertise a competition or special event.

My colour scheme will be the house style of the magazine; black, white, red and navy. Black will be the dominant colour, with white used to make certain things stand out and navy/red used to highlight important points on the cover. These colours will suit both genders within my target audience but also stand out due to their bright nature, preventing anything from being hard to read.

My cover image will be either a medium shot or a close up of my model. She will either be looking directly at the audience or slightly away depending on which image I choose. In one sense, by using a photo looking directly, this could draw the target reader in as they may feel more connected to her and the magazine itself. On the other hand, however, using a photo of the model looking in a different direction may create an air of mysteriousness and pique the readers curiosity. The chosen image will have good, high-key lighting, so that the image is bright and attractive, bringing out the models best features. I am going to photoshop the image I choose so that the model looks as appealing to to the audience as possible, whilst also looking like a professional image. The costume is quite relaxed and casual, to create a sense of relation with the reader, but with attractive make-up so that the reader almost aspires to the image they see. 

Plan for lesson

By the end of the lesson I would like to be working through my flat plans for my front cover, contents page and double page spread. Along with this I would like to be working on my rationale for each of the plans.

*UPDATE- REFLECTION*

So far I have designed my flat plan for my front cover and written the rationale to go with it, which have been uploaded to my blog. I am starting to work on the plan for my contents page, and will go onto my DPS after that. I am quite happy with my progress because i think that my work so far is quite detailed and i have thought through the various conventions of the magazine and why they are being used.

Photos

This is a slideshow of all of the possible pictures I have so far for my magazine, also to be used in my ancillary tasks. I will not use all of these as some of them are not very good, and the ones I do choose will be edited, however it shows I have taken a variety of shots. I am going to take additional pictures in future so I have more content when making my billboard and website etc.
The first set of photos were taken last year for AS and are the ones I chose to use in my magazine. They are more focused on the models music, using a guitar as a prop. the second set are photos I took this summer and show the model smiling, portraying a friendly attitude which may be useful to attract audience members. There are also some longer shots that are more posed, for example the model standing with her hand on her hip. I prefer the more relaxed atmosphere in which she is smiling. I have also taken a variety of shots e.g. medium shot, medium close-up, close-up in which the model is wearing a coat, signifying the winter months through costume. Though I do like the smiling images, her hair looks out of place which may look unprofessional within the products. My favorite photos within the set are the medium close-up in which the model is wearing a green trench coat, looking off into the distance as I feel she looks quite mysterious and the photos look more professional than others.

National and Regional Websites

National and Regional Magazines

Comparing national and regional magazines has helped me to see which conventions are used in both, and what is used exclusively in regional magazines. For example language in national magazines is generally quite formal as they are catering for a larger market from different backgrounds, whereas regional magazines use more specific, colloquial dialogue. This is because they are aiming for a particular reader who will be more likely to recognise this language and feel a connection/familiarity to the magazine. I will update this presentation so that it compares layouts as well and I will create another presentation comparing websites.

Magazine Pitch

Plan for lesson

My plan for the end of the lesson is to add tabs to my blog, so that I can organise my posts easily to make everything clearly set out. I also plan to finish working on my pitch for my magazine, so that it is ready to present on Tuesday 22nd September.

*UPDATE - REFLECTION*
All in all I have achieved what I set out to do. I have organized my blog and I am almost finished my pitch. Soon I will upload the general pitch presentation and a slideshow of the photos I have taken.

Competition

Regional Institutions

Magazine Institutions

Magazine Name and Font Ideas

The name for my magazine is going to be 'magaziNE', with the slogan 'lifestyle of the North East' running underneath. I have chosen to put the NE in capitals to signify the North East, showing the magazine is regional to this area and linking to the tagline. I have also included the word lifestyle in the tagline to show it is a lifestyle magazine. My original name for the magazine was going to be 'NE Lifestyle', however after searching on Google I found there was already an existing magazine under that name. 

My font ideas are based on the style of Living North, which has a similar font to the fashion magazine, Vogue. 

Based on this I searched for a similar font, and found Dubiel on fontspace.com. I have chosen to use this because I think it looks contemporary and fits in well with the theme of the magazine. In addition, it its clear and easy to read. I then tested the font with the magazine name in various styles:

*UPDATE* After consulting my target audience, they said that they liked the style of all those circled, but felt that the NE was more prominent against lowercase letters. Based on this feedback I am going to test both the normal and bold versions of the masthead on my flat plans and make a decision from there.

Audience feedback was useful as it allowed me to see what stood out most to them. I had a clear idea when starting how I wanted the masthead's font to look, and the websites Dafont and Fontspace were very useful in searching for fonts similar to the look of Living North. Once I had sorted my masthead I had more of an idea of my magazine's house style, which helped me to develop my ideas when it came to construction.

Plan for lesson

My plan for this lesson is to start working on my pitch and rationale for my chosen media products. By the end of the lesson I want to be about halfway through it so that it is ready to be shown on Tuesday 22nd September. 


*UPDATE - REFLECTION*
On reflection I think I have done what I set out to do. I am around halfway through my pitch, I just need to upload photos, plan color schemes, find a target audience etc.

Billboard Recreation

ORIGINAL CHANEL BILLBOARD

RECREATION

To recreate the billboard I used a picture I found on Pinterest after searching 'girl wearing sunglasses'. Using Photoshop, I flipped the original image horizontally so that the model was facing the same way as is shown in the original billboard. I'm not altogether happy with this photo as you can see it is a photo pasted on as opposed to part of the image, however it was the best I could find in the short space of time. I used fonts from dafont.com, 'Couture' for the title and 'SF New Republic' for the address. I think they are quite a good imitation of the original as they are very similar style. To improve however I would attempt to imitate the spaced out look of the masthead as displayed on the original billboard. Having never made a billboard before, this task was a learning curve for me. I have found that a simplistic style generally works best, with minimal text so as not to distract or confuse the reader. A strong image should also be used to attract the audiences eye and look attractive as it will be the main focus of the billboard.

Magazine Recreation

ORIGINAL ETC COVER

RECREATION

To recreate the cover I used a photo I found on Google by searching 'girl looking to side'. I flipped the original image so that she was facing to same way as the model on ETC's cover. Although the image is not the same I think it is a reasonable substitute as the model is still posed in a similar way. 

I used dafont.com to source the font 'Dream Orphans' which I used for the masthead and various sell lines. Whilst not exactly the same as the original font used, it was the most similar substitute I could find. Both other fonts (Century Gothic and Calibri) were already available on Photoshop's software.

I edited the image on Photoshop. I used techniques learned from AS coursework such as overlapping layers and using the Magnetic Lasso Tool to create the appearance that the model was in front of the masthead. If i did this again I would move the photo along slightly to make 'etc'. Also on reflection I could have attempted more to find the exact font to make it more of a match, however in this case my time frame for the task was limited.

Calendar for September