Production Update 2

By the end of the 23rd January, I have completed my front cover of my magazine and nearly finished my contents page. After feedback, I was advised to change my image on the contents page so I had a variety of images. Therefore I will be taking a new picture on the 23rd in the evening to replace the photo currently there. I have also started my double page spread. Unfortunately the picture I was hoping to use is not very good as it is very pixel-ated and when I tried to convert the background to white, it looked very messy, therefore I will be needing to find a new image or take a new one. However Matt who is the model has exams and has been revising, so I will need to work round this. Furthermore I have started to write the article for my double page spread which I am writing in word to then be transferred to my in-design document. I aim to complete both contents page and double page by  Monday the 30st.

Audience Research- Photos

For my Front Cover boost image and Contents page image, I took a total of 38 photos to which I chose 13 possible ones which I thought looked the best to use as a boost image for this particular genre and then showed these 13 images to my focus group for their opinions.

 These were the 13 images I chose :


I Then referred to my focus group and asked whether they liked the cover star and which image they think would work best for the front cover of my magazine...

Alistair: 'out of the 13, I think that number 11 ( Left picture on bottom row) looks like it could be used as your front page image.However it is quite dark so you may need to lighten it up a lot more if you decide to use this.'

Mark: 'I think the first image really grasps the best image of Jazz and really looks like something you would put on the front cover. I really like the close up of me and I think it will work well.'


Alex:- Looking at all the images, i think that the 1st image is the best. This image will attract more of your target audience because of the seriousness and that it focus' on the playing of the instrument and not the position of the model.

Mildred: 'The first one looks good, yes very good'

Alan:
- 'Ahh well, It depends, Whats the image for?'
me-'Its for the front cover'
- 'And is that your dad?'
Me:'Yes which picture do you like?'
-'I quite like the first image'
Me:'OK thank you'
-'Very good'

After Receiving this feedback, i decided to use the first image as I thought it represented Jazz in a better way than the rest and my focus group also thought this and preferred this image to the others selected.

Production update

So far in my production process, I have designed my front cover and nearly finished this. I had a bit of trouble with choosing the colour of the masthead as all the greys which I chose you were not able to see. Instead I changed it to the colour of the saxophone so it contrasted well which helps connote a more sophisticated audience. I did not add very many cover lines as it shows it is more targeted at a older audience. There is one main cover line and shout out to attract the audience which refers to the boost picture and The language I used keeps to the target audience.

I will soon start my contents page. I have taken all the pictures I will be needing, so the computer work and design is what I will need to do. 

Audience Feedback- Masthead

I came up with various names for my magazine and asked for my focus groups advice on which one they thought was the best and which one suited the genre and type of magazine I am producing.The names I have chosen are in French as I wanted the magazine to connote a sophisticated audience and the French translation makes it seems more formal to my target audience.


I came up with three possible names to call my magazine and then pitched them to my focus group...


1- Optimiste - French for upbeat and optimistic, which shows the genre types of Jazz and that it is upbeat and people look at it as inspiration.


2. Moelleux- This is French for mellow. I chose to include this name because Jazz music is described as a mellow sound which is quite soothing and nice to listen too.. which shows and represents the inside of my magazine. 


3.Autochtones- This means 'Aboriginal' in French. I thought this would be an ideal name because Aboriginal means ' Existing in a place from the earliest known period' which shows Jazz as a genre because it has been around for hundreds of years and has developed greatly. The magazine would be bringing together music and artists of this genre from then and now and this masthead would explain it all. 






I then showed these to my focus group and here are the results:

The graph shows that the majority of my focus group preferred The masthead of 'Optimiste' to the other two. moelleux was not very popular as it has no votes. Alex said 'It sounds more like food than a magazine and isn't very sophisticated. ' The title 'Autochtones' was close behind optimiste with 2 votes. Mildred commented that this one seemed the fit the genre of Jazz a lot more than optimiste as it dates back to early years.

Planning- Second Draft

I have designed a mock up magazine front cover on 'Illustrator' of what my magazine may look like in colour. I have not chosen the size font or style I was or chosen cover stories. I have just transferred it from a drawing and add a bit of colour.

-I Sent this photo to Alistair via whats-app (an instant messaging application for android phones) and asked for his opinion..

As the picture of the right of the application shows, he liked the design However he thought that the text was a little bit small and I should increase the size by 3 or 4 sizes to make it bigger. and more easy to read


-I used Facebook to ask Alex whether i could show him another mock up front cover, he agreed. however as college does not have msn i had to wait till the evening before I could show him.. and this is what he said : 'I like the design but i think that the writing is a bit small. Maybe add a few more cover stories or increase the size. I like the way that the clothes of the model matches the title colour as it contrasts well.'

I showed the image to Alan and Mark and again they both said that the text should be bigger so it is more easy to read and it fills the page a little bit more. Mark also said that the main focus point should be considerably bigger than the cover stories and I should take this into consideration.

Time Management update

From the 27th of December to the 3rd of January is was able to complete from the Locations posts. I managed to keep to my target dates of each post- which is shown on the time line.

However all the posts were posted on my blog on the 3rd January which suggests I completed them all in one day. I actually started and completed them all within the dates I set for each post but kept them as drafts as I needed to upload the draft designs from the camera which took a long time. Once I had uploaded these photos on the 2nd of January, I was able to upload any other photos I needed to posts and then publish them to my blog in the correct order. I met my target and deadline date to complete all of the planning tasks and also was able to collect feedback from my target audience.

Risk Assessment- The risks

I have taken some pictures of the risks which may occur when I take my photos.

This is one of the locations I will be using.

The hazards are :
-The washing line.. with the prop- which someone will easily be able to trip over.
- Tripping over the flowerpots- this is a risk but I dont intend on taking a photo that far over.




Wires need to be put away or out of the way to avoid people trippiong over them.






The appliance for which the plug is not in a socket needs to be either put away somewhere safe or plugged into the socket to avoid people from standing on the plug and hurting their foot.

This is the other option of the plug, which is being placed in the socket. the sockets should be then placed against a wall or out of the way to stop people from tripping over them and badly injuring themselves.

Risk Assessment

I have created a table with all the risks in which i might be affected by when taking my photos and what i should do to prevent of minimise the effects of them.

This guide will help determine how high the threat of the risk is....
how likely is it going to happen - 1- not very likely
                                                      2- Niether Likely or unlikely
                                                      3- Very Likely

How much impact does the results of action have? - 1- Not a lot of impact
                                                                                    2- a slight impact
                                                                                    3- A lot of impact

click on the image to enlarge it ...

Shot Lists- Objects and Props

The image shows the shtos which i will be using when taking pictures of any objects.

Shot Lists- Models

This Post shows all the shot types which i have identified i am going to need...

1               

Medium close up of Mark with the Saxophone against the white background

2

Medium shot of mark with the saxophone against the white screen background.

3

Medium shot of Matt with Ukele in the garden.

Location 3

Location 3 will be any clear white surface which will be ideal to take pictures of objects to be used in my magazine such as the saxophone reeds which will just need to be placed on a surface for a photo.

Location 2

Location 2- The Garden

I will be using my garden as a location for the second image which involves my second model, Matt. I have decided to use my garden because as Jazz is not a mainstream music genre, the artists like to make things personal, and by allowing Matt the have his picture taken in his own garden gives him the personal feel and not the manufactured photo like in magazines such as Kerrang and NME,

I will not need to ask permission to use this location as they are easily available and do not need to cost anything either.

Locations

I have decided on a set of locations in which I would be most likely to take my photos for my magazine...

LOCATION 1

Time Management update

Today (27th Dec 2011) i managed to complete, my Performers and casting, which did not take long, all i had to do was ask people whether they would star in my magazine and then complete a grid with who will be in the photos and where about in the magazine they will be placed.

I also started on my costumes and props and listed all the costumes and props i am likely to need in production and where i will get it all from. I just need to add a few photos and then this post is complete.

Locations was another post i started today. I was able to list two locations in which I will use, To complete this post i will add a few more locations and then add a couple of photos of these locations.

I am above my schedule as today i should have completed my performers and casting, which I have already done.

Costumes and Props

I have Created a table of the props and costumes which I will be needed to proceed with the photos for my magazine..
Props which I will need for my photos:

A box of Saxophone reeds which Is what i will use

A Saxophone like the one I will use

A Sample ukele

Costumes I will be needed for my magazine photos:



A sample White t-shirt and pair of black trousers which
 the models will wear



Performers and Casting

I have created a table of all the people i wish to star in the pictures for my magazine and their contact details.

It shows that i can get in contact with my models in various ways which will be useful when it comes to taking the photos.

Research Update

Jazz is a very broad genre and i have written down the main sub-genres of Jazz to decide which sub-genre i will base my magazine on, if any.

Ragtime – This is often referred to as the founding base of jazz styles. Originating in the southern U.S. in the late 1800s, this style was developed basically for piano. Ragtime is easy to recognize. The rhythm is vibrant and lively, often being associated with African dance. An early publisher and musician of ragtime compositions was Scott Joplin.

The Blues – Of all the jazz styles, this one truly impacted the development of jazz. In the early 20th century, the blues vocalist emerged on the jazz scene, profoundly expressing the emotions of the African American community. This style of singing was usually performed with piano, guitar, and harmonica. W.C. Handy, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey…these are legendary musicians of the early 20th century.

Dixieland – This is often called 'traditional jazz' or 'New Orleans jazz' and developed in the early 1920s as one of our most important jazz styles by integrating the blues tradition, ragtime, and the brass band into one musical arrangement. The trumpet, the clarinet, the trombone, and sometimes the saxophone were all complimented by a rhythm section that included piano, drums, string bass, banjo, or tuba. Most of the time Dixieland was played without a vocalist. Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton are among the most famous musicians of the Dixieland medium.

Big Band – Following the rise and popularity of Dixieland jazz came the beginning of the Big Band. The decade was the 1920s. Jazz styles were constantly being tinkered with and that state of mind we alluded to earlier kept cranking out new sounds…new combinations.

Bebop – By the 1940s, with the popularity of the big band sound in full swing, one of the most fascinating of the jazz styles emerged—Bebop. This jazz style was very different from its predecessor, seeing that the group sized dwindled to 4-6 musicians. The style featured complex melodies and chord progressions and was basically not adaptable to dancing. A vocal style known as "scat" also appeared. Nonsense syllables sung to an improvised melody became the rage.

Free Jazz – In the 1960s jazz music and jazz styles again added a new twist. Free jazz was very much experimental and unique in that pitch and tone were arranged by musicians to develop squeaking and wailing sounds. However, this is one of the jazz styles that has never been widely accepted by public audiences.

Audience research 2

I have shown my focus group all of my draft designs and asked for feedback. This is what they said:

Alistair -I used Skype for alistairs feedback. "Out of the two designs for the front cover, i prefer this one because the boost image is facing toward the camera and to the audience which shows direct contact. Also you can see more of what the person is doing than in the second design."

Mark- "I This is the best design which will most attract your target audience as it has connection to the genre by using a saxophone. Withthe call-outs and cover stories you will need to focus on the sub-genre within Jazz whicch you decide to focus on as Jazz is a wide genre."

Alex- i used MSN to get his opinion on my designs. (shown by the image in the right)- "Right then, the first one is good, I think it needs a big title though if it's a cover, which it looks like it is. I like the way the person is looking at you though."

Alan- "This looks like a magazine which i would pick off the shelf as it is very clear of what genre is is. It appeals to me becuase of the way the mosel is positions as it allows the audience to identify who it is and get a feel for what is going to be inside. I think this one is the better cover out of the two designed."

Mildred- "I think that this cover would get lost in the shelves as most other magazines have a layout like this. The use of very few coverlines would help it stand out a little more but the way the model is positions seems too mainstream. i would prefer the other design as it is something different."




Alistair- "The Model seems to be in totally the wrong place. I think that this would not attract your target audience and that the first cover deisgn would do this better. The use of few coverlines indicicates independency and that you are thinking about that the audience wants"

Alex-"Out of the first two I prefer the second one, I like the fact there's a big title on it and I think the side on image is effective. I think some of the text may need rearranging so it doesn't obscure the image though."

Mark- "Although the model looking to the side is a good idea i dont think that this will appeal to your target audience. However it will help it stand out on the shelf which may conclude with a mainstream audience buying which is not your aim. The use of a big masthead is good use of few cover stories. however what will the text be like and colours?"

Alan- "I dont think that this would word as a magazine cover. With my eyesight i would not be able to tell who the model is and i like to know who is on the front before i start reading. However the masthead nis a good size and the use of few words is good."

Mildred-"I prefer this one out of the two because it is different and will certainly stand out on the shelf as the image is effective. to improve i would lover the cover stories as they look a bit too high on the page."


Alistair- I used an adroid app called 'Whatsapp' to get hi opinons about the next two drafts. "it is very basic and when allthe information if in, will be very clear and simple to use."

Alex- "The contents page is good, it's neatly laid out and would be easy to follow. It may need more images to draw your attention to certain articles, or put the main articles in bold"

Mark- "It is very simple which is suitable for the upper-market class you are targeting. The use of colour only in the images makes this more effective. however i think you should but the titles in bold and any additional information in normal or italic. "

Mildred- "easy to read and simple to follow. I would personally add a few more photos to illustrate some of the stories and what is inside."

Alan- " It is well laid out and simple to read. Also the colour scheme looks very basic which is all you need for an audience who is only interested with the contents of the magazine."

Alistar- 'Looks simple to read and looks like it might have a lot of information in the articlke which will appeal to a higher class. I like the big image in the corner. however it looks very basic."

Alex- "The draft article looks good, I like that there's a clear title and the image to text ratio is good. As layout I can't really think of anything wrong with it."

Mark- "looks simple and not too busy with the appropriate amount of columns spreading over he two pages. The one large image gives it the sense of independency and that it is making up the article.

Mildred- I looks very good and basic which will make it easy to read. Also it does not have alot of pictures which will also make it easier to read and look at. To make sure that this page works you will need to make sure that the article is of a high standard.

Alan- I like this page as it has a clear large title and there are not too many columns accross the page. If possible the left image could be a little larger but apart from that it is very good."

Planning: First Drafts

I have drawn up some sketches of my  magazine pages and then asked my focus group for feedback of what looks good and what could be improved.

FRONT COVER DESIGNS

This is my First draft of my front cover of the magazine. The picture shows no coverlines or title at the moment as this still needs work on and I will be asking my focus group to choose the best name from a list i will supply. The Boost image shows the model holding a saxophone and is looking towards the right hand side of the page. The Cover lines are down the left side of the cover covering part of the models face and neck. The photo of the model will be a close up of th face and prop.





This is my second draft for my front cover. I have designed two covers to allow the focus group to decide between the two about which one will fit the crtieria for my target group and which one will attract them. The boost image is facing the audience which gives direct contact to the audience with the masthead above her head and the cover lines are down the left hand side. The photo will be a close up of model and prop.







CONTENTS PAGE

 The double page contents page will consit of the contents section on the right have page and an advertisement for an album on the left. The contents page will be plain coloured with only the images in colour, this will connote simplicity and simpleness asis type of audience is mainly interested in the information the magazine has.








DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
The images shows a proposal for a double page spread. it shows two images in opposite ends on the pages, of different sizes and 3 columns spreading accross the two pages which will be filled with an article related to the magazine genre. It will use formal English and be appropriate for an upper-class market.

Audience Focus Group

I have asked a group of people within my target audience to give me feedback on things which I do within my project. I will be showing them all my drafts of my magazine front cover/contents page and double page spread and the production throughout the process of making my magazine and asking for their honest opinions and for feedback about what I have done, including what I have done well and where I can improve. I asked these people to take part in my focus group through different media. I asked Alistair and Alex through Facebook and also text Alex and Mark, Mildred and Alan I asked in person.

The people I have chosen to be in my focus group are from all aspects of my target audience of aged 40 and above and the secondary audience of young adults who love the genre.

Alistair Valentine

Name - Alistair Valentine
Age- 26
From- The West Midlands.

I have chosen him to be in my focus group because he will be able to give me honest feedback on what I have done well and what i need to improve. He may not be the biggest music fan but he likes the Jazz genre so i think his opinons could be useful when I create my magazine and whether the colour i use in production are right and whether he can advise me on what colours to use next.

Alex Foden

Name- Alex Foden
Age-19
From- Burntwood/ West Midlands
He Will be able to give me critcal and good feedback as he reads alot of magazines and knows what will attract the right audience. Although he is not in the target audience age group, I think his opinion could become very valid and helpful as he studies maths and is able to put the target age group and their needs together to form an image which they will like.





Name: Mark Parkinson
Age- 46
From- Perdiswell/Worcester/West Midlands
I have Chosen him to be in my focus group because he knows a lot about audience and what they like because of his job and therefore will able to point me into the right direction as to what my audience may like or dislike. Also he in the middle range of target audience and will able to tell me whether he likes my designs and whether he would buy it or not, and if not he can give me ideas on how to improve.

Name: Alan Heywood
Age- 70+
From: Originally from Bolton, but lives in Malvern
He enjoys listening to Jazz instrumental music in his spare time so I think he will have good knowledge on the subject and he will know what looks good for a Jazz magazines whether they would buy it to read or not. Looking through my research it shows that all the information is written very small, so I will ask whether that will be readable or whether I should make the writing bigger and less of it to allow the audience to read it. As an elder he will be able to advise me into what works best for the genre and where I should improve.

Name: Mildred Heywood
Age: 70+
From: Originally from Bolton, but lives in Malvern.
I have chosen her to be in my focus group because she, much like Alan, listens to Jazz in free time and will often pick up magazines in supermarkets to read them briefly.  I will aim to ask her about the designs of those magazines which encourage her to pick them up and what techniques they use. Also what worked well on the cover and whether the information inside was interesting for her to read.