How does your media product represent particular social groups?

evalu1 from Clare Hanington on Vimeo.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

evaluation from Clare Hanington on Vimeo.

Who is your target audience?

How did you attract/address your audience?

What have you learnt about technologies?

What kind of institution might distribute your media product and why?

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

At the beginning of the year we began by completing our preliminary task in which we had to create a magazine for our school consisting of a front page and contents page. There is a very prominent difference in the two magazines and it clearly shows how my skills have developed over the time period.

The first thing we had to do was take some photos. Unlike my actual magazine, I did not plan a photo shoot and simply did it in lesson time. Although I did borrow some props from the drama department, the models and I were dressed in our normal clothes so it did not attract a specific audience in any way on that basis. In total we took about 40 photos, 10 of which we were able to use. This was completely different to when I did the photo shoot for my magazine. It was planned and booked, I drew up sketches of the pages so I knew what photos to take, I got my model to come in from outside of school and took careful consideration of my audience whilst deciding outfits, props, hair and makeup. Also, in total I took about 300 photos for my real magazine so I had plenty to choose from and this allowed me to be more adventurous with my pages and images. As I pre-booked my photo shoot, it allowed me to concentrate and plan more so I can get the best possible product. One idea of which was the t-shirt that I created which I was unable to do in my preliminary task.

I created the school magazine on Photoshop and the music magazine on InDesign. InDesign was new software to me but was very easy to grasp the concept of; it allowed us to create more effective/realistic looking pages especially for our double page spreads as it is far easier to text wrap and add images. Although Photoshop works to create magazines, InDesign is a more technical programme used by professionals which obviously increased my overall skills using media software.

Whilst creating my school magazine I used past knowledge of Photoshop and didn’t really experiment with anything new therefore making it to look very plain and basic. All of the text was in the same font and size and I only used blue and yellow for the entire magazine which, because of the photo, was hard to read. Again, comparing this to my final magazine is a big difference. I carefully chose all of the colours and they were all chosen to fit with the style and the audience of the magazine so they look very effective. I then went on a font downloader website and searched for a specific font that again would fit the style of my magazine and appeal to the audience rather than using the premade fonts available.

Creating my music magazine has also furthered my knowledge and skills of editing photos including cutting out the background and adding tints etc to get a better overall image. On Photoshop I have been able to use slight airbrushing tools which I didn’t on my school magazine; this gave the images a better look and would appear more attractive and appeal more to my audience. I’ve also been able to change the brightness/contrast etc so I can add a ‘mood’ to the photo and the overall magazine.

There is no real structure or layout to my school magazine and everything seems to have been just placed there for no actual reason. The comparison between just the two contents pages (school-single page/ music-double page) portrays the overall magazine in itself; the music magazine contains a lot more content and looks very realistic in comparison to the school magazine which has 12 stories and doesn’t look in any way attractive. My music magazine contents have been split into boxes which give everything a place and look very neat, tidy and organised. My school magazine is the complete opposite.

Overall, my skills have been developed throughout the process of making the magazine as I experimented much more with different effects and styles to give a better appearance.

Audience Feedback

Final Article Draft

Zoe Cowling is officially the hottest girl on the block. Your average girl from Hillingdon is now one of the most unique artists of the 21st century. It’s not everyday that we get an artist turning up to our office in their pyjamas but Zoe simply said "I dont give a sh*t what people think". She has her own mind and Idiosync wanted to dive into it!

After just 6 months, Zoe Cowling has already hit the big time! From just uploading a few videos, she then got spotted and now has fans screaming her name.

"It’s actually crazy! Just 6 months ago I was singing in some very, er, small pubs, family events, nothing major. And now, I’m going to be performing at some of the biggest festivals and venues to date. I mean Reading and V festival in one summer? Really?! I used to go to Festivals as a young adult and have the best time, well from what I can remember. A lot of alcohol was most definitely consumed… I used to look up at the stage just wishing I was on it, now look at me! When I perform at Reading I’m actually going to be jealous that I’m not camping. I mean, chucking on wellies, old clothes and getting ridiculously muddy is what festivals are about! I’ll be packing my wellies and knee high socks for sure! Any fashion consciousness about me goes straight out the window!"

Although Zoe says her ‘fashion consciousness goes out the window’ at festivals, that doesn’t mean her (TOP GOSS) new clothing line won’t be a great success. Yes, her clothing line.

"It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I mean, I constantly keep up with fashion and it’s one of my passions, right next to music. But I don’t always follow them because, dare I say it, some items of clothing are hideous. So, yeah, my clothing line ‘ZC garms’- original I know. It’s basically based all upon my appearance; multiple different patterns, unusual cuts and styles. Yes, it involves some double denim and clashy patterns but they’re not always bad! If you wear it, work it. Clashes are good! These should be hitting the shops soon and they won’t even be ridiculously expensive purely because I know how much I complain about over priced clothes. So every one of you reading this magazine best buy ‘garms’."

I don’t know about you, but we cannot wait to see Zoe at the festivals! Each and every one of her performances is different because of her general quirky-ness.

"Trust me, I can’t wait to perform! There will-hopefully- be people like I was in the audience, looking up to me for inspiration so I want to make my set as good as possible purely for them! I still have no idea what I’ll be doing though; I’ll just leave that all last minute most probably, as per usual. It sounds very big headed and diva-ish but if I didn’t have people working with me, I’d be completely lost. I’m the most unorganised person ever, my brain is all mush. I can fend for myself of course but I just need that extra hand to hold to help me along the way, or to be honest, I’d get on stage and have no idea what I was doing! The only thing I do control myself is my look: hair, makeup, costume etc. I’m my own person so I hate the idea of people controlling the way I look. I love being unique and patterns rule my life. If a stylist gives me plain clothes, well, there’s a whole lotta drama heading their way! I’m kidding… But as with every girl, my hair is my life! I once cut it off as a child- worst decision ever. Any girl thinking of cutting their hair? DON’T. I give this advice around so much because it was honestly the worst decision I ever made, well I say ‘I’ ever made, it was my mum. So yes mum, it was your fault  My makeup is always usually done by my makeup artist but still, I have an input. I don’t like the boring usual mascara, foundation, and blusher. I like to go wild! Bright colours and lipsticks are what I live for! I think every girl should own at least 10 different shades of lippy. Chop and change every day, don’t follow the crowd with a boring red or pink!"

Watching many of Zoe’s sets have made us realise that she is one hell of a mover and there’s no 5 seconds where she is stood still.

(Laughs) "I’ve always been a mover! Even at the primary school discos I’d always win the award for best dancer, purely because I just let go! I have no shame! I’ve danced since I was really young and there’s nothing more I hate then when singers just stand in one spot on stage and sing, I get so bored so I’d never want to bore my audience’s. I run around stage no matter how much of a dick I look. I’d rather look like a dick and keep my audience entertained rather than look ‘normal’ and bore them. It’s not even as if I do a ‘dance’ when I’m onstage, I kind of run and do a little bop/jig. Saying that, God I really must look stupid (laughs). Why hasn’t anyone warned me before?!"

Last month in our survey, you said you wanted more life secrets and gossip. Well, here goes...

"I spill this secret all the time so it’s not really a secret anymore. I do have a couple of tattoos but they’re all hidden and before you think it, no, I do not have a tattoo on my bum cheek. I’m not going to say what they are though; I need to keep some of my modesty! I don’t really have many secrets though, i’m a very open person about pretty much everything. Anything I say to anyone, it’ll eventually get out soon anyway!"

As this month’s issue is all based upon festivals, wouldn’t you like to know some of Zoe’s festival stories seeing as she’s an avid festival goer? Maybe some tips?

"Festival stories? Where do I begin, gosh! The best thing about festivals is definitely the people you meet there and the general environment. Just doing nothing but chilling, drinking and listening to your favourite bands; what more could you want? I’ll never forget last year at V when I got pulled on stage with Olly Murs. Yes, I’m a sucker for a cheesy pop singer. It was one of the best moments. Maybe I’ll do that this year and see if they write an article about it in a magazine next year. Oh, I also witnessed someone get trapped in a toilet there. Festival toilets- definitely not the place you want to get trapped. Let’s just say you have to pee as quickly as possible whilst holding your nose. Although the festival is great, the shower you have when you get home is even better. So lush. Tips? Bring a chair; sitting on the floor isn’t great. Bring old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, wellies and just lose your inhibitions for the weekend basically."

Zoe’s debut album ‘Red’ is soon to hit the shops and is guaranteed to fit your every mood.

"I am so scared but then so excited for this album, I cannot wait for everyone to hear it. Music fascinates me and I really think there is a type of music for your every mood. I know whenever I need cheering up I just put on loads of stuff I love like 90s cheesy songs- Steps and S Club 7, and although there’s none of that on my album, there are songs that fit the stereotype. The songs follow loads of different genres like pop, rock, r‘n’ b etc, so there is something for everyone! Everyone asks me why I chose the name ‘Red’, to be honest I think it makes me look extremely lazy but it’s not. There are so many different connotations of red such as love, danger, a warning etc and they can all link back to me. Well, in my head they link back anyway. So there is significance, I didn’t just chose a colour of the top I was wearing that day! Each and every song has a meaning but it’s also open to listeners’ own interpretation which I think is what’s different about my music. That’s what I used to do as a child so I want my listeners to do the same. Whilst on the subject, is it just me that finds music really strange if you think about it in depth? I mean, just words with a random rhythm behind and it can make something so amazing. Okay, here’s my weird side coming out for definite."

We expect big things for Zoe in the future so what exactly does she have planned after her gigs at Reading and V Festival this year? What should we be seeing in this next year?

"Like I say, I am the most unorganised person ever so to be honest I’m not even sure myself. I know that I do have some gigs and concerts lined up but I won’t be saying the exact dates, that’s a secret for now but it is very soon. I can tell you a tiny, little secret though. I will be supporting a very big artist but it hasn’t been released yet. Who is it? Well you’ll have to wait and see! But, it is very, very exciting. Well, for me it is anyway. Obviously, whatever happens, happens and any supporting gigs that pop up I will take as I just love performing but I am arranging my own. I’m actually going to be on posters and I’m actually going to be headlining a concert. Seriously, what the f**k. It definitely does not feel right."

Every artist has their fair share of bad publicity. We really haven’t seen much for Zoe. Is she just the perfect pop-star that we should all idolize?

"I really do hate the media. That’s one thing I miss about being unknown, I don’t get followed everywhere. I mean, can’t a girl go a day without having to look made up. I don’t really care about not wearing makeup, as long as they don’t pick out every single blemish and imperfection about my face. The media need to realise that nobody’s perfect. Get over it. The only magazines I really read now though are music magazines; they’re not bitchy and just tell you what you want to know. Not that a celebrity fell out a cab whilst drunk and flashed her knickers."

What we were interested to know is Zoe’s music background. You hear some of these artists with years and years of experience in the music industry because their mums, brothers, sons, best friend knows the producer’s cousin of a top music company. Is that real talent?

"I started at the bottom, and now here I am. I didn’t have a ‘quick get-in route’ I basically just worked for it all myself, which I feel so much better about. It’s such as sense of achievement. All you need to do is get a number of people’s attention and word spreads and you’re known. Okay, maybe it’s not as easy as that. And it did take me quite a while but all the hard work pays off eventually. I had a few singing lessons when I was younger but I never really enjoyed them, like with my style, I don’t like people telling me what style to sing in. In one lesson, I was assessed on singing a song from the 1930’s. Seriously? We’re in the 21st century. Who listens to that ancient shit anymore? It was after that that I decided never to go back again. Also, my teacher clearly thought I was about 50 with what she expected me to do. I was 15. So, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry."

Well, we certainly had an interesting afternoon with Zoe. It’s going to be very exciting to see all this planning finally come together for the festivals. We’ll be there, wearing our ZC Garms.

"Thanks for having me. I love interviews like this,

it’s so chilled out. Interviews stress me out when they’re all serious and I begin to

say things I regret. I read them back and question my normality. I mean, I’m in my pyjamas with a cuppa tea next to me, I feel like I’m still in bed. I once went to an interview where they requested I wore smart clothes. I honeslty felt like I was applying for a job there. And the questions were so serious; the woman asking me was actually quite scary. Reminded me of Miss Trunchable for Matilda? Yeah, that scary.

Final Magazine

Production Log

I have been working on making the finishing touches to my magazine double page spreads. These included adding more text for the article as I originally did not write enough, adding in pull quotes, the correct page numbers and moving around bits of the overall layout so everything is clear, easy to read and look presentable which would attract readers.

Overall I am very happy with my double page spreads as they are all very different but follow the same style so they don't look odd. In my target audience research, they said they didn't want a lot of text to read as it would put them off reading it. Bearing this in mind, there is around about an equal split between the amount of text and images.