M3- What Conventions Did I Use?

P4- Magazine

 

Equipment

• PC
• Photoshop
• Microsoft Word

To create my magazine I needed a PC, without one it would be impossible to create it in the digital way that I wanted to. It allowed me to run the software that I required in order to complete my planning, creating the magazine and also the evaluation.


I used Photoshop to create my magazines front cover. I used its smart and simple layer system to produce it in the layout I wanted. By making my image a layer behind the text, it meant I could cover as much of the page as possible with the image, rather than being worried about covering areas in which text would be more suited. Photoshop also allowed me to erase the background of my picture, leaving just my model. This was a useful feature to use as common magazine convention suggests that the main image on the front cover is usually without a background. This helps the reader to focus solely on the person in the image as they can be a vital selling point for the magazine.


Microsoft Word was helpful when planning and writing my article. During planning, it allowed me to put all my research and sources into one document. This is good when referring to the research you have done within your article as it is all in the same place. It also allowed me to annotate other magazine covers and my own to analyse and evaluate. From the other magazine covers it helped me to pick up codes and conventions that I could use myself and when analysing my own I was able to see what I had done well and possibly what I was missing.


I created my double page spread using Photoshop. This allowed me to create an A3 template and make it horizontal to replicate a double page spread. The image was easily moved and resized in the software and I was able to insert my article with no problems at all.

M2- Legal and Ethical Constraints

There are very few legal constraints that come along with the creation of this project due to it only being a front page and a double page spread. If more content was required there could’ve potentially been more legal constraints.

           

The main legal issues that come with the project are those to relating to the image/photography aspect of it. To avoid issues with copyright, I will not be sourcing images from any external places, instead taking the matter of taking photographs and creating content for my magazine into my own hands. Before I take any photographs, I will have to ask for the land owners permission. For example, if I was to take a picture of the school field, in order for me to be able to use that in my magazine, I would have to ask permission from someone in a position of authority in the school. e.g. the Head of Sixth Form. If I am not given permission from this person, then I would not be able to use the image.

           

Another issue I have to be careful about is release forms. If I was to take a picture of someone and intended on using it within my magazine, I would have to draw up a release form that states the person (I would include their name) that signs the form has given me permission for any pictures of them to be used in the magazine. If I do not get the release form signed or the person in the pictures does not want to sign the form as they do not want to be in the magazine anymore, then I can no longer use those images and would have to either Photoshop the person out of the images or get new ones, potentially with a more willing participant.


Other issues I will face during the execution of my article are ethical constraints. To be ethical, I will need to show an understanding of right and wrong. I will do this by making sure everything in my article is truthful and accurate. This will be done by finding reliable sources and quoting exactly what my interviewee has said. I will name sources and include them in my magazine so that readers can find the information themselves if they feel the need to in order to prove its accuracy.

P3 #7- Magazine Analysis

P3 #6- Questionnaire Evaluation

My questionnaire had a total of ten questions and I received a total twenty responses, with 95% totally completed. I believe this is because all my questions were closed, meaning it did not take too much thinking, nor effort to finish the questions. Even though I used closed questions, I did insert comment boxes on a few questions to allow users to input some more specific answers. These types of answers can help much more than simply a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. For example, question #9 asked whether the person answering uses social media. I inserted a comment box under this one as just knowing if they use social media hardly helps me. However, if they tell me what social media they use, I then know which ones are most popular, which can help when marketing.

One question that ensured me that the topic of my article was suitable was question #4. This question asked the user whether they know who their local football club is. An overwhelming majority of 14 (out of 19) answered ‘No’, telling me that they did not know who their local team is. Inside the comment box, people had written things such as “I haven’t been told”, “Not advertised”. Someone even stated that they’d “Never heard anyone talk about it”. This tells me that my magazine and article will be informative to the local community, as it seems like they are not being encouraged to find out or get involved with Grassroots or any local football club in their area. 

Within my article, I will write about how social media could help local football clubs increase the crowds they receive at each game. I believe this is a suitable point to make as question #9 revealed that 95% of the people who answered use social media, with Twitter and Instagram being the most popular, being mentioned five times and eight times respectively. As this is such a majority, it would make sense to mention social media in my article.  

 

One significant question was #8. This asked users whether they would be interested in a local football magazine (the product I have proposed). This was important because the answers would tell me whether there’s a place for my idea or not. Out of 20 people, 50% said they were open to the idea (with 20% of people saying ‘Yes’ and 30% of people saying ‘Maybe’), outweighing the 35% that said they were not interested. The rest of the people (15%) said they were ‘Unsure’, meaning there is still an audience that can be won over. These results show that there is a place for my magazine, meaning I should go ahead with my original idea and produce this media product.

P3 #5- Recces of Locations

The Park

This is a great location for taking pictures for my magazine as it has a large field area. This large area allows me to get a range of shots from different angles and distances, giving me a wide range of choice. The location is quite safe, with very little objects to hurt yourself on and with the areas weather not being especially bad. The park is rarely busy either, lessening the chance of people being there during the shoot. This prevents people getting in the shots by accident which means I don’t have to waste as much time taking the same photos all over again. The field within the park is a good location because it resembles a place in which local football teams may play their matches. This relates to the theme of the magazine and the article.

The School Field

This is a great location for taking pictures for my magazine as it has a large field area. This large area allows me to get a range of shots from different angles and distances, giving me a wide range of choice. The location is quite safe, with very little objects to hurt yourself on and with the areas weather not being especially bad. The only drawback to the school field is that it is not uncommon for students to be on there. This means they could be in risk of being in any shots I take. This may mean I have to retake photographs. A good thing about the school field is that it has goals set up, meaning I can incorporate them in my shots. This relates to the theme of the magazine and the article.

 

P3 #4- Risk Assessment

P3 #3- Gantt Chart