Evaluation of Product

Product evaluation media from Paigelikesdoughnuts

Drafting and Planning: Final Draft Magazine

Here is my final draft of my magazine 

Drafting and Planning: Double Page Spread Improvements

 Here is my improved double page spread:

I have removed some of the introductory text, as it went on about and didn't talk about anything important. I also added page numbers as they're a vital part of a magazine. I added a Twitter link to give Lily of the Valley an online presence, to make it more realistic and make the artist more accessible to the audience. I also included a selling line at the bottom of the article to help advertise his album, which I have done because it makes it seem like an album is really being sold, and makes it obvious to the reader when it's sold so it can draw in an audience for George. 

Drafting and Planning: Improvements

I have made these improvements on my coursework to improve my magazine:

On my front cover, I added two more cover lines to help fill the negative space. I used a different front for the cover lines on the bottom right corner, as I thought it would be nice to have a variation in the fonts I use and would make the cover look more interesting. I also changed the font and font size of the pug so that it stands out more and would capture the readers attention more.
On my contents page, I fixed the subscribe text as there were spelling errors. I made the subscribe box smaller so that I could fit in more pages so I added more pages to the magazine to make it look more realistic, as a weekly magazine would have approximately 60 pages. 

Drafting and Planning: Feedback to First Draft

Two of my classmates looked at my work and gave me feedback on what I could improve on my magazine. For my front cover, it would be good if I added something to fill the bottom of my magazine, as it looks a little bare. I could also add another cover line on the right as there is still a bit of space. I also need to feather the top of my image, as there is still a bit of grey within my models hair. I could also make the pug bigger, so it fills the bottom of the page. For my contents page, I need to underline the titles that I forgot to underline. I also need to make my subscribe box smaller as it is too big and also fix the text inside the box. I could also make 'this week' bigger, so that it stands out more. I need to add page numbers to my double page spread and maybe make the introduction smaller.  

Drafting and Planning: Draft Double Page Spread

For my double page spread, I stuck with the same house style again so that there was a clear link between the cover, the contents page and double page spread, so that they all lead up to this one interview. It also helps it look consistent and professional. I put my cover star in the middle of the page instead of to the side as I liked the idea of having the text surrounding him and being close to him, as I thought that it would represent how close his music is to him. I went with the pull quote I chose because I thought it was an interesting quote that would spark an interest for the reader as they would want to know what he is talking about and why. 

Drafting and Planning: Draft Contents Page

For my contents page, I have chosen to continue with the house style that featured on my front cover. I did this to keep the magazine consistent throughout and also consistent with the cover story. I included my masthead on this page too, so that there is a clear link between my cover and the contents page. 

Drafting and Planning: Pull Quotes

From the article I have written for my double page spread, I have decided to use the following quotes as pull quotes:

• 'I've never experienced anything like this before'
• 'I think it's my biggest achievement'
• 'I thought my dog wanted to kill me'

I have chosen these quotes in particular as I think that they are interesting quotes that would draw the reader into the article. I included the 3rd one in particular as I thought that it would make a reader curious as to what he could be talking about, so therefore, would persuade them to read the article. It also stands out from the rest as it isn't a normal thing to hear and might even make the reader laugh. These quotes would also portray a positive image of George so would help them to grow to like him and would therefore, sell his music as it would get people to listen to him. I could also use a pull quote on my cover, as used in Spin magazine, as it would intrigue the reader from there too. 

Drafting and Planning: Subscriptions

By looking at various magazines, I have found that a common feature that is included is the idea of a subscription to the magazine. I think that I will include a subscription to my magazine within it so that it looks more realistic, but also so that it looks like a successful magazine too, as it would show that people enjoy my magazine and wouldn't want to miss an issue. I will include a link to a website in which you can sign up for a subscription to my magazine, www.deep.co.uk/subscribe so therefore creates an online presence for my magazine. My subscription offer would be 12 for £25 so can save £5 overall. 

Organisation: Making Drafts

Although I have already made my draft front cover for my magazine, I will be waiting until Monday 5th January so that I can use the schools computers to use the software that is on them. I am doing this so that I can use pageplus to make sure I can complete the task on the best software available. 

Drafting and Planning / Organisation: Music and Books

By looking at my own copies of NME, I discovered a section in the magazine that looks specifically at the latest movies coming out and interesting books that are recommended to people. I like this idea as it helps widen the contents of the magazine so it's not strictly music, and also extends the target audience to as it can attract movie lovers and book lovers to the magazine. I am using this idea in my own magazine as I can include a page on music and books in my own contents page, therefore adding to the realism of my magazine. Here, it is labelled as 'things we like', so can allow readers to find out about new films and books to boost their own popularity as they can get their own opinions on film and books. 

Drafting and Planning: Track Listing

For my article, I will make reference to songs off of Lily of the Valley's album, Killer Intuitions. I have already previously made a list of a few possible track names that I could use for the album but I have now chosen my favourite and added some more that I thought would sound like it would come from a band that is similar to Lily of the Valley. I have decided that the tracks on the album will be called:

1. Starting Out
2. Breaking Bones
3. The Hill
4. Shake It Out
5. Enough
6. Is He Really the One? 
7. My Remedy, My Dream
8. The Island
9. Angel
10. End of the Road

I can use this tracklisting as a guideline for questions or discussions within my article, so makes it long enough to take up the amount of space neccessary and look realistic. 

Drafting and Planning: Draft Front Cover

Here is the draft of my magazine front cover:   

I chose to use the black and white colour scheme so that it matched with my main image, therefore making it consistent. I didn't go with my original idea for a colour scheme because I didn't think that it would accompany the image as well as the black and white scheme does, as there are no hints of green or blue on the image. I then used a different cover line than what I had originally planned as I thought that it didn't stand out as well as it could have done, and I thought that this one does the job better. I decided not to use any effects as planned in the end as I thought that adding the black and white filter would be a bit too much for the cover and I didn't want it to seem overwhelming. 

Organisation: Photoshoot

I have now taken all my images that I will be using for my music magazine. I have taken as many photos as possible so that I have a range of photo's to choose from and can pick what is the most suitable. I have taken images of my main cover star but also have taken some secondary images for my contents page.
These are the images that I have taken:

 Contents

 Double Page Spread (maybe)

 Cover

 Contents

The photo's that I am going to use for my final piece have been highlighted above, and I have chose these photos as I think that they are the best photo's out of the bunch and effectively reflects how both artists are musically and personally.

Drafting and Planning: Main Cover Line

My magazine will need a main cover line to help inform the reader on what the main story will be in the magazine. My main cover line will be:
Tours, Moms , Death
                      Lily of the Valley
                                         Getting inside those Killer Intuitions
I used the triple to help make it sound more intense and interesting, and by using the word 'death' would interest the reader and would therefore draw them in. I want it to be staggered too so that it looks odd, so that it would intrigue a reader as it would be eye catching. On this cover, the main cover line is in different colours and decreases in size, so would catch someones eye on a news stand, which is what I want to achieve with my own cover.  

Drafting and Planning: Cover Lines

The cover of my magazine should include a few cover lines to help draw in more of an audience, other than that brought in by the cover star. Some ideas for cover lines are:

• The Charmers charm their way to number 1 
• Anarchy in Parliament stir trouble in the UK
• Toxic Party poison the dance scene

I am using these cover lines as they are talking about different musical ventures so reflecting the fact that it is in fact a music magazine. They don't give too much away either, as they are short and snappy, so would intrigue a reader to read the articles.

Organisation: Publication Plan

Organisation: When

I plan to begin taking my photographs for my magazine on the 11/12/14 in my school so I can use the white and black walls. I will also go to Birmingham city center on the 13/12/14 to take pictures in popular landmarks in the town center. I have chosen these dates as they are good opportunities for me to use each location to the full as I can spend as much time in each place as I need so I can get good quality photos. 

Drafting and Planning: Lily of the Valley - Band Profile

The band that I will be using for my magazine will be called Lily of the Valley. They will be a solo artist who records all of the instruments by themselves. They will be influenced by bands such as: 

• Arctic Monkeys
• The Vaccines
• The Last Shadow Puppets
• Royal Blood
• Oasis

Although his music will be influenced by these bands, he was inspired be artists such as Prince and Nine Inch Nails, who do most of the instruments themselves and then hire a touring band to come with them. 
He will just be releasing his debut album called Killer Intuitions. This has made the cover story as a hype has been created through the singles that have been released and a huge following has made him a popular artist. 
The lone member of the band is George Hegenbarth, a 20 year old who has had a lot of practice within the music industry. 

Target Audience: NME readers

The target audience for NME for 17-30 year olds. This magazine is targeted at both men and women, but have a mostly male audience as only 27% of females actually buy this magazine, where as 73% of men buy this magazine. The price for this magazine is usually £2.50 so is cheap enough for students, who are interested in the magazine, to actually go out and buy it, so it is not too expensive. This can attract a younger audience as it is affordable.