Final Evaluation

I chose to do print based coursework with the genre soap opera:
• pre-production - two magazine covers (different target audiences: teenage girls, 11-16 & young women, 23-29)

• production - magazine cover & double page feature article (target audience 16-25, young women)

I chose to do Soap Opera as I was most familiar with it and felt I had most experience with it in the media and print as I was most experienced with the software needed: Photoshop

I researched four magazines: two women's (Look & Company) and two TV guides (tv choice & RadioTimes)

Each of the TV guides within the categories are from opposite ends of the market, so I could see where I wanted my product to lie within the market.

I created questionnaires which were sent to appropriate age range, within my target audience, which included questions about my production, and media interests in general, and within the market of magazines. Refer to post: Monday, 29 November 2010

I used the results I collected to improve my ideas for my production (background, magazine name, price, colour scheme). So the most popular choices were the ones I used, so that my magazine would appeal to my target audience of young women (17-26 years old)

I researched intertexts with similar audiences to my production – soap opera and women’s magazines (to combine and create a women’s TV guide), so that my magazine would have the oncventions needed for it to appeal. I also helped me to write my article in the right style and format.

My productions general weaknesses are: it looks more professional in some areas of the magazine cover than others, composition of the cover does not look natural in some areas, cover composition is more conventional of genre and target audience than article

My productions strengths are: successful colour scheme and background for target audience, conventional elements and successful layout for a women’s magazine and TV guide combined

I used Photoshop and Microsoft publisher to produce production as I am familiar with both programmes and they produce professional looking pieces of work,
My skills are more apparent in my production compared to my pre-production pieces, as I was more practised wioth the Photshop software when it came to creating my production.

I seeked more experienced help from a frequent Photoshop user, improved my own skills (wanted production to look professional – saved time knowing what and how I could achieve it)

Layering of images and layering styles (shadowing), isolation of images from their original background, repetition of a single image to create a background, adjusting images (contrast – lightening shadows/midtone contrast/darken highlights, colour – saturation/hue/temperature/tint)

In terms of detailed analysis of my production:
 - the lower banner is weaker in appearing professional than the rest of the cover

 - the barcode is misplaced – doesn’t fit with the rest of the composition

 - title of magazine is stretched too much upwards, but not enough width to expand it – looks disproportional
 - shape of the side stories compliment the main photograph

Intertexts I used were: Company, Look, RadioTimes and tv choice. I researched reviews of both of the TV guides, as those were the magazines that would most closely match my magazine in terms of content. (the reviews I chose to look at most closely are featured on my powerpoint under the section: intertext research)

As well as reviews, I also looked closely at the bakcground information for all of the intertexts (informtation also featured on powerpoint under same section as above)

Below is an image of my final draft for my magazine cover:

Here are my final pages for my double page feature article: 

I didn't have this banner in my first few drafts and I am glad I added it, with the guidance of my feedback, as it makes my cover look more professional as it is conventional of a TV guide.