Thursday, January 19, 2023

LO4: Evaluation

 Evaluate how you met or did not met the brief/ proposal ideas/ appeal to your audience/ genre. 



My magazine The Wild Insider has both met and not met the brief. This is because The Wild Insider is a Nature and Wildlife magazine that does specify that it is about Yorkshire habitats, wildlife, plants and fungi but it doesn't specify that it stems from Sheffield. This could be a negative selling point because a potential reader looking for Local Events may be dissuaded from reading the magazine if they don't think it relates to their local area because Yorkshire is a large county. However it has met the specification to target a Sheffield audience because the magazine targets a diverse mass demographic which is what Sheffield is. My magazine has followed the brief as it is a new idea for a magazine, I have also made it be four pages which is the specification. I have also followed the briefs specification of using original or copyright-free assets in production (of which their are only the former).

My magazine The Wild Insider has met/followed the original ideas I set down in my proposal because I have kept the name and genres of the magazine the same being a Nature and Wildlife magazine. It also follows the original ideas I lay down in the proposal because I have made TWI target a diverse demographic of different people particularly based on ages. This can be denoted from the group/audience feedback that I got from my Google Form. I have also followed my proposal as I have followed the codes and conventions of the Nature and Wildlife genres so as to appeal to the already existing audience bases of the genres.

My magazine The Wild Insider appeals to my target audience because I made the visuals reflective of other existing magazines in the Nature and Wildlife genres. However I also went against the codes and conventions of the genres in order to appeal to a younger demographic which the magazine genres don't tend to do. I targeted an age group similar to my own (around 16-20+) this is because teenagers to young adults seemed to be a missed demographic in these genres meaning there was a gap in the market. Targeting a gap in the market means that my magazine stands out from the rest and therefore generates more sales compared to other brands.

My magazine The Wild Insider has followed the Nature and Wildlife genres during its composition. An example of how can be seen through the formatting of the pages of my magazine as I made the formatting quite open and spacious in order to put more emphasis on the main cover images and photography of the magazine. My magazine issue has a particular theme on photography making it also part of the Photography magazine genre. To show off the progression of photography skills and what a reader could aspire to take photos like I used one of the latest and best photos I had taken at the time. the connotations of the image is looking to the future and looking beyond. The focus on the main cover images and cover images of the magazine also allowed me to hone the house style colour scheme around the images on the page making each page look vibrant and new compared to the next. This is something I picked up on from the RSPB magazine Nature's Home as each issue of theirs has a different house style colour scheme based off of the main cover image of that issue which I thought was a good way to catch the readers attention. I also followed the Nature and Wildlife genres with how I formatted t


LO4: Final product


Final Front Cover:

Final Contents Page:

DPS:









LO4: Exporting final magazine pages

Photographs:


This screenshot is to show how you need to be observant of details whilst taking photos because the device I used was taking photographs in a wrong, non-downloadable format. This then meant that I had to send these to a member of staff (Mr Helliwell) in order to have them converted from HEIC to Jpeg so that they could be downloaded. It is also to evidence that copies where uploaded and saved to OneDrive in case of files being lost or corrupted further down the line whilst creating my magazine and switching between devices. 



This screenshot is to show that the Jpeg format was used on another image that I uploaded to my OneDrive as a saved backup and downloadable copy if necessary. It is also to show that all of these screenshots are the photographs I have used for my magazine but unlike this photo don't have a preview available for an unknown reason. This is also to prove that I took these photos as they were uploaded directly from a personal device to the school network via my OneDrive.


This screenshot is to show that more than two photos I used for my magazine where uploaded to my OneDrive. It also shows that I had an organising process for my photographs that meant I was able to put them all in a single folder and then create a backup copy of all of them at once. This is also to show that the photo was uploaded to my OneDrive at a similar time to the other photos I have shows showing that I had a timescale of production in place.  

Version Controls:





Final Pages: 


Front Cover:


For the final front cover I rearranged the cover images and text boxes so that there was one on either side in order to make the page look less crowded and to put more focus on the main cover image. I also increased the size of the textboxes and cover images to match/mirror each other and so everything looked neat. 

Contents Page:

For my final contents page I changed the size of the page numbers, rectangles/underlines under the numbers and the article descriptions to better match the size of the page. I also made all the page numbers and underlines be the same size as each other and be an equal distance from each other so everything looked straight and tidy.

DPS:

For my final DPS I changed the font to Times New Roman because I thought it fit the page better and was more in line with the codes and conventions of the magazine than the font that I had previously been using. This is because the text looks more close cut and neat but is also easy enough to read from a distance that it appeals to the older end of the target demographic. I also reformatted the page significantly because it previously didn't look like a real magazine page. 

LO4: Client and focus group feedback

Focus Group/ Audience Feedback:



1) This feedback suggests there is a diverse mass demographic of people who were incentivised to carry out the survey for my magazine. It also shows that my magazine is reaching the intended audience of both a younger 'new' demographic That I wanted to introduce to the magazine genre and the older 35+ demographic of the genre that already exists which shows that my magazine can reach the intended audience and also target/create a new audience at the same time. This shows that my magazine TWI follows the codes and conventions of the Nature and Wildlife magazine genres because the format, housetsyle scheme and photography must all be in a familiar style for the target demographic to be interested. 



2) I have appealed to the feedback by using a diverse house style colour scheme which consists of  dark and light green, grey, black, light and dark blue and white. I used the house style colour theme because it worked in direct comparison and contrast with the cover images and main cover images and having a recurring theme of colour is a convention of my genres. Which at the same time follows the codes and conventions of the wildlife and nature photography genres. 



3) I followed the feedback from question three as well as the feedback as well as the feedback given later by Mrs Payne on my LO4: Subediting. The feedback is main positive however the third piece of feedback indicated about a more professional standard of writing and I decided to add a more varied use of vocabulary in my article. Following the feedback given by Mrs Payne I added a fifth paragraph/sub-article to my DPS relating to how the Photographer Mark Sanchez had found the magazine and how he had chosen the genre of photography he is a part of. I thought this was useful to include because it adds depth of character and allows the reader to relate better to him connoting Mark as an ideal self/partner for them. Moreover he also talks about how he has engaged in electronic agora and how it has been beneficial which in turn is an endorsement for the magazines website; and encourages the reader to do so as well. 

4) I followed the feedback from question four by changing the layout of my Double Page Spread significantly so that it fits the proportions better. I also added a background/main cover image in order to add more colour and depth to the page it also helps it follow the house style colour scheme better due to the dark and light greens of the leaves in the image. The introduction of the main cover/background image also helped reduce the amount of unnecessary white space that was over the page which in turn makes the page more bright and eye-catching to the reader so they feel more entertained. 


LO3: Creating production materials + LO4: Evidence of editing

 Front Cover









I have used Adobe Photoshop as my application for all editing. I have mainly used the shape, text, and font tools in order to create my assets and assemble the housestyle and colour scheme of my magazine. I used the eye drop tool to match the housestyle font with the colours of my main cover image, as well as match the colours of my text boxes with that of the main cover image. I used the magic eraser tool in order to delete the background for my masthead. 

DPS:




Contents Page:





EVIDENCE OF EDITING:


DPS Graphic without editing - Graphic looks 2D and unnoticeable. It blends into the background/main cover image behind. This was because it was only made up of two rectangles through the shape tool. 


DPS Graphic after editing - Graphic looks 3D and is much more noticeable looking now like a separate entity to the rest of the magazine making it more eye-catching. I used the Layer Style tool to add brightness and an outline to the graphic.



Contents Page Main Cover Image without editing - The main cover image has high key lighting which retracts the main focus of the reader from the contents part of the page to the main cover image. It also makes the contrast between the text box and the main cover image less noticeable. 


Contents Page Main Cover Image after editing - The main cover image has had its brightness reduced slightly in order to enhance the contrast between the text box and the main cover image. I used the brightness/contrast tool in order to lower the brightness and contrast the image. 


Contents Page Text Box without editing - The full opacity of the text box works in good contrast with the text and page numbers however it retracts from the main cover image and overpowers the page. 


Contents Page Text Box after editing - The text box with half/50% opacity doesn't overpower the page and adds more focus on the main cover image creating a split focus between the background and foreground. I used the opacity 



Cover Image before editing - Like my text box the image on its own looks 2D and flat. The main focus of the image isn't highlighted as the main cover image retracts from the focus.   


Cover Image after editing - With the black outline around the cover image the image looks more prominent and looks separated from the main cover image in the background. I used the Layer Style Tool to add a bold outline.



Text box before editing - Isn't emphasised looks bland and 2D, doesn't stand out. Have only used the Rectangle Shape tool and the vertical text tool to make the text box. 


Text box after editing - Looks more 3D and stands out more. Fits my house style colour scheme and my convention of having black outlines around my cover images and text boxes.  I used the Layer Style Tool to add the black outline to my text-box.


Main Cover Line for Front Cover before editing - Font is dark and drab colour, doesn't match the house style colour scheme for the rest of the page/magazine and therefore doesn't follow the codes and conventions of my genre.


Main Cover Line for Front Cover after editing - I changed the font colour of the main cover line from black to a light and  a dark green colour. I did this by using the eye drop tool to copy the colours from the main cover image in order to create an identical house style colour scheme. Makes the reader be drawn from the masthead, to main cover image to main cover line etc. 


LO4: Subediting

 Unedited Body Copy: 

Mark Sanchez, 26, West Cambridge.

Veteran subscriber of the TWI magazine and professional Nature and Wildlife Photographer. 

Answers your questions! 

 

What is your history with this magazine?

From early in my life, I’ve always had a passion for 

photography, particularly wildlife photography, for me

but I never thought I was good enough to pursue it,

above the level of a hobby. However, being able to 

interact with other likeminded individuals in the TWI 

magazine and on its accompanying website has built up my confidence and I

decided to enter the monthly fan photography competition, back in 2022. I came first. 

 

A year onwards I’ve become a professional wildlife photographer and have already been acclaimed three times for my work. My first submission to this magazine is shown above this article and compared to my current work, it is rather unimpressive. However, if I hadn’t submitted it, I wouldn’t have won the competition and chances are I wouldn’t have pursued a career in photography and gotten to where I am now.

 

What is your current plan?

Below is an example of my current work, in order to show the level, I am at now; Although I have strayed away from my previous genre of Animal Photography however, I intend to pick this back up again in the Summer as through Winter and Autumn, I have found it increasingly difficult to photograph the species I want. Which is to say don’t feel that you must follow the same genre throughout your photography, experiment by combining different genres, and looking at other photographer’s work. I also want to do some more travelling, as I have yet to photograph the diverse landscape of the Alpines. (I would always recommend this. Even if you are going away for business make sure to take in the view every once in a while.)

 

What is your advice for budding Nature photographers?

In order to excel in life, you don’t just need determination and perseverance, but you also need confidence in your own abilities. As well as this you also need to take a leap of faith occasionally; now they might not always work out. For instance, I remember ordering for an experimental thermal imaging camera, only for it to be taken off the market forever and getting half my money back. However, I also took a leap of faith when sending in my first pieces of photography to this magazine and I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t. So, my parting advice is this, even if it is a bit cliched, follow your heart as much as possible because it will always tell you what you want. But it always needs to be balanced by listening to your brain, because dreaming is all well and good, but planning and researching is what makes the difference. 


Notes from Mrs Payne: 





Edited Body Copy based on the feedback given by Mrs Payne: 

Mark Sanchez, 26, West Cambridge.

Veteran subscriber of the TWI magazine and professional Nature and Wildlife Photographer. 

Answers your questions! 

 

What is your history with this magazine?

From early in my life, I’ve always had a passion for 

photography, particularly wildlife photography, for me

but I never thought I was good enough to pursue it,

above the level of a hobby. However, being able to 

interact with other likeminded individuals in the TWI 

magazine and on its accompanying website has built up my confidence and I

decided to enter the monthly fan photography competition, back in 2022. I came first. 

 

A year onwards I’ve become a professional wildlife photographer and have already been acclaimed three times for my work. My first submission to this magazine is shown above this article and compared to my current work, it is rather unimpressive. However, if I hadn’t submitted it, I wouldn’t have won the competition and chances are I wouldn’t have pursued a career in photography and gotten to where I am now.

 

What is your current plan?

Below is an example of my current work, in order to show the level, I am at now; Although I have strayed away from my previous genre of Animal Photography however, I intend to pick this back up again in the Summer as through Winter and Autumn, I have found it increasingly difficult to photograph the species I want. Which is to say don’t feel that you must follow the same genre throughout your photography, experiment by combining different genres, and looking at other photographer’s work. I also want to do some more travelling, as I have yet to photograph the diverse landscape of the Alpines. (I would always recommend this. Even if you are going away for business make sure to take in the view every once in a while.)

 

What is your advice for budding Nature photographers?

In order to excel in life, you don’t just need determination and perseverance, but you also need confidence in your own abilities. As well as this you also need to take a leap of faith occasionally; now they might not always work out. For instance, I remember ordering for an experimental thermal imaging camera, only for it to be taken off the market forever and getting half my money back. However, I also took a leap of faith when sending in my first pieces of photography to this magazine and I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t. So, my parting advice is this, even if it is a bit cliched, follow your heart as much as possible because it will always tell you what you want. But it always needs to be balanced by listening to your brain, because dreaming is all well and good, but planning and researching is what makes the difference.


How did you know that Nature photography was right for you?

At first I wasn't sure what genre of photography I wanted to enter; in fact like I mentioned earlier, I wasn't sure if photography was for me or not. But I began to experiment with a variety of photography genres such as night photography, landscape photography,  and abstract photography. As much as I was pleased with the results from these experiments I didn't feel satisfied with sticking with any of these genres forever. However I then, on a friends suggestion, experimented with the nature and wildlife photography genres and felt much happier with the outcomes. Through this magazine I used online forums and in-person meet ups to socialise with other photographers in the genres and was introduced to a warm and inviting community of likeminded people. I also learned that it wasn't just about the art form of photography but also about the message behind it. Raising awareness about endangered species, pollution, and habitat reduction. It was one of the first times in my life that I felt that I was doing something important and useful and if I am able to introduce at least one person who reads this to this wonderful cause than I will have accomplished something with this interview. 

LO4: Version controls

 









LO4: Evaluation

  Evaluate how you met or did not met the brief/ proposal ideas/ appeal to your audience/ genre.   My magazine The Wild Insider has both me...