My images, before and after and the changes I made

I have edited my photos in different ways for my magazine, for every photo I used Photoshop as it's the most professional tool for the job.



As an example, I took this photo (sadly I didn't end up using it) and initially used the magic wand tool to remove areas of a similar colour, however this tool removed some elements of the artists feet as her shoes were a similar colour to the gravel. Instead, I chose to undergo the painstaking process of rubbing out the background using the eraser tool as it got the closest and most neat finish, this meant that I could edit the image onto text and the text would wrap round the image.

The second effect I chose was to place a black and white filter over some of my images on the double page spread, this would create an unique effect and deter from the usual full color images in a magazine.

With this image, I decided to crop it into a square shape using the rectangular marquee tool on fireworks to remove certain sections , this would mean it could fit onto my contents page without me resulting to making it smaller so less of the image is seen.

Feedback about my school magazine

Hi,

So I have asked my friends to give me feedback on my school magazine, so here's what they said:

Millie  http://milliedelamottemediablog.blogspot.co.uk/

Your blog is detailed and for the most part clear, just try and get some tabs put at the top to help ease of use. Also make sure all your tags are relivant so you don't get fashion magazines come up i the section for your school magazine section. Your magazine looks great. it s fun and interesting. Maybe include a post showing the development of the final piece. :)

Gemma http://fluffykinsmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/

Your magazine is good. I like the use of colours on the front page and the images you have used. I would just say that an improvement would be to make the text larger under the pictures at the bottom of the page. I also like the contents page. I like the layout of the page and the fact you have carried on the bricks from the front page. I don't like the leaves though. They need to be bigger as you can't see the pictures inside them. Over all it is a great job, well done! ;)

School Magazine Evaluation

So, I have finished my school magazine (the preliminary task) and now I need to evaluate what I have done.

What Went Well:
I think that the overall appearance of the cover is good because it's different to anyone Else's and looks very quirky, I also am pleased with the research I did of existing magazines because I studied both good/bad school magazines and good/bad other magazines in detail. The fact that I constructed my magazine on fireworks was good because I resisted the temptation to make it on publisher (the easy option).

Even Better If:
However I am not pleased with the contents page as it looks rushed due to lack of good time management. Also for when I make my music magazine I will do a step by step construction of how I made it, this will show exactly what I did and why.

What did I find difficult?
I found using photo shop really hard as it's something I've never used before at home or in school, for my real magazine I will probably do some research into photo shop and the basic tools involved, simply to get a better looking magazine.

What tactics did I use to attract my audience?
I used bright bold colours, to make my magazine stand out from the typical school magazine, I also used box outs to make the text stand out and a distinct logo to give my magazine a purpose.

What did I learn about different software?
I learnt how to use Fireworks, as it's relatively easy to pick up and it's a useful tool. Photoshop I did have a few problems with as I was completely new to it at the time, it was quite tricky to understand the different tools.

School Magazine Contents page

Hey,

For my School magazine I also needed to make a contents page, however can I just say that mine looks a bit messy as I had only half an hour to do it. Basically I just left it till the last minute so for my music magazine I will work quicker and be more organised.

 

I have used the colour scheme of green and yellow for my contents page to keep in theme with the school. The contents page title it similar to the front covers masthead due to the font and coloured box out. I have used picture secondary leads with captions to preview the articles inside, these are organised on the page like they are hanging from the top and connected together, this gives a unified feel to the page. I have also Incorporated the menu on a white box out for colour contrast and the ability to stand out.

 

In the background I have made pictures into the shape of oak leaves to link to the school oak tree, they also add another layer of interest to the page. 

Final school magazine Cover

Here I have created a magazine cover with the title of ACCESS IDSALL,

So, here it is. Sorry about the resolution as it's a bit blurry and I think I have cropped a bit too much from the top. In the background I have used a medium close up image of some students at my school, the  medium close up allows a sufficient amount of background to be shown, so the audience can see the subjects in relation to their surroundings, I edited the photo on photoshop and I used the healing tool to blur minor imperfections. At the top of the page I have used a secondary lead placed on a box out (if some words don't make sense, check my previous September about codes and conventions of a magazine) this catches the audiences attention because the word "NEW" has been used and placed on a box out with a contrasting colour.

To the left of this is the logo which I created on fireworks and includes the Idsall oak tree to link to the topic of the magazine. The headline is similar to my first layout in the sense that the text is placed on a contrasting colour box out in the shape of a scribble to give the cover a more fun feel. It's also pretty similar to my second design as the title is located in the top centre unlike before where it was to the left, this is so the audience interact with the text more as it is in their direct eye line. The font of the masthead is in a basic black colour to contrast with the box out, the font style is a very typical 'old school' shape, but it is very fun and interesting at the same time, because of this it echos 'school magazine'.

Secondary leads in the form of text are placed to the left and right side of the page to preview the articles inside, again box outs are used to make the text stand out from the image. The headline is placed on a box out on the diagonal, this adds interest and rivals the typical horizontal text format. The font in all the text is suitable as it's easy to read due to its curved lines and decent thickness, as it is legible, the audience can gain information from it quicker than if I had used a fancy more unusual font. 

At the bottom their are another two secondary leads in the form of pictures to preview the articles inside, they have captions underneath to explain the story. Behind these their is a backdrop of scattered leaves which I edited on fireworks, this links to the school tree and brings the magazine together as a whole because it adds another layer of interest.

The LIFE MATRIX tool

Wait, not that kind of matrix....................i'm sorry

The LIFE MATRIX idea is a form of audience targeting that was developed by MRI and Roper ASW, it defines ten different categories for audience placement and focuses on values/attitudes and beliefs and more important and relatable audience categories:

Tribe Wired	These people are digital, free-spirited and creative young single people
Fun/Atics	These people are Aspirational, fun seeking and very active young people
Dynamic Duos	These are driven and very high involvement couples
Priority Parents	These people have very strong family values and participate in activities, the media is an important part of their lives
Home Soldiers	These people are very home centred, family orientated and ambitious with media
Renaissance Women	These people are very sporty, caring and affluent mothers who are influential to their children and peers
Rugged Traditionalists	These are mostly men who show and adopt traditional make values, they also have a great love for the outdoors and nature
Struggling Singles	These people are single but with high aspirations, however they often have a low economic status
Settled Elders	These people are older and often live sedentary lifestyles
Free Birds	These people are important, active and altruistic senior people

 

Media representations of Class and Status

How is it represented in the media ?

Social class and status is often exaggerated and stereotyped in the media to keep audience interest, after all nobody would watch if their was no drama or someting out of the ordinary.
 
The social class system is described as MERITOCRATIC (where social position is achieved by merit or good work rather than the family you are born into. But the social class you are born into can impact your life goals and achievements meaning the transition for lower classes into higher classes can be very difficult. Most upper class citizens hold their position due to inherited wealth.

Upper class stereotypes

• Snobs
• look down on people
• smart clothes
• older people
•  speak in proper English
•  lawyers
•  high earners
•  public school
• inherited wealth
• own land

The lives of the rich and the jet setting lifestyle of the rich are portrayed as a glamorous world we can only dream about, they are often portrayed as having lavish lifestyles which reinforces the idea that normal people wont enter that class system. The upper class are often shown in period dramas.

 

Examples of the upper class in the media include

The TV drama DOWNTON ABBEY

The drama series Pride and Prejudice

 

 

Middle class stereotypes

• Well paid jobs
•  management
• majority of the taxpayers
•  hard workers for little reward
•  have children
• working families



The middle class are over-represented on TV dramas and situation comedies.

Part of the British newspaper market is specifically aimed at the middle classes and their consumption, tastes and interests, the content of newspapers such as the Daily Mail suggests that journalists believe that the middle classes of middle England are generally anxious about the decline of moral standards in society and that they are proud of their British identity and heritage. 



 

Sitcoms and family dramas represent the middle class strongly. Examples of the middle class in the media include:

 The sitcom My Family

 

 

 The sitcom Mrs Browns Boys

 

 

And the sitcom Outnumbered 

 

Lower class stereotypes

 

• unemployed
• live off benefits
• chavs
• lazy

• live on a housing estate 

The media tend to portray the working class as people who live off the government; they are often over exaggerated to keep audience’s attention , the lower classes are often portrayed in TV dramas or sitcoms. Examples of the lower class in the

Media include:

 

 

 

 The sitcom The Royale Family

 

The sitcom Shameless