Evaluation Question 4

Question 4: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Recently, MagaR had the opportunity to interview Aaron Moore, the creator of magazine ‘Mass London’, asking him about the media technologies he used to construct his research, planning and evaluation.

There was a range of media technologies I used. Many of these media technologies I had never used before and many I had already used before. These technologies were effective in helping me produce my main magazine as well as my ancillary tasks.

As I was creating a magazine, a billboard and radio advert, I used a range of software such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe inDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier, Windows Movie Maker, Audacity and a few others. However, hardware is equally important, where i had to use an Apple iMac’s, a microphone, a camera and tripod.

The research process was a very interesting stage. This was the time where I had to research into the products I wanted to create, use media technologies to help with the research as well as learning how to u us media technologies which I wasn’t familiar with.

Google was a media technology which aided me within my research. Google allowed me to search for different magazines and look at their specific conventions. This included the first perception I received from the magazine, such as the effect it had on my as well as the deeper aspects such as such as layout of the magazine. With that I had to specifically look at the different parts of a magazine such as a masthead, headline and main photograph; how they feature in the magazine as well as how significant they are. However not all features of a front cover of a magazine feature on the contents page, editors letter and the main articles. Therefore I had to research this using Google to gain an understanding. Along with Google, my quantitative and qualitative research was significant for adding me in my understanding in what the audience like and would want to feature in a magazine. Using ‘Survey Monkey’ I was able to conduct my research to find out about the psychographics and demographics of local people in London regarding their general interests and their interest in magazines (if they have one). This allowed me to send a questionnaire to many people, in result I got many replies. This was very effective, as I was able to obtain knowledge of what the audience want and identify my target audience. I then conducted further research after that in which I found a new target audience, which i then targeted my magazine towards.

As well as magazines I had to research about publishers, billboards and radio adverts. For billboards and radio adverts I had to first perception and the expected conventions. Although there are modern ways of obtaining information such as the Internet, I had to use other methods such as looking at the printed versions of the magazines. This allowed me, in more depth to identify and look the significance of certain conventions within a magazine. In the end it was effective; as I was able learn more about magazines and their conventions. Overall, with this knowledge I was able to use the knowledge to ensure that my magazine will have the right conventions to meet the target audiences’ needs.

During the research and planning stage, I regularly used Microsoft Word. The first thing I used Microsoft Word, was for my textual analysis in which I had to analyse magazines in which I studied. Similarly, using Microsoft Word was used to establish my preliminary idea, final idea and magazine treatment about my magazine and what I wanted it to be about. Like the research I had to carry out about magazines, I also had to carry out research on a billboards, radio adverts and magazine publishers. I wrote about my research initially on a Microsoft Word. As many know Microsoft Word alerts users when they have made a spelling or grammar mistake. Furthermore, it provides suggestions and synonyms which are effective in aiding me write more sophisticated and complex. Adobe inDesign was software I had to use but unfortunately had to use in which I wasn’t very familiar with; I hadn’t used it before, I had to use in relation to these tasks. However, in order to present my analysis, research, ideas, in a reasonable and sophisticated way, I had to use Adobe inDesign. This allowed me to out my text into columns along with images; in a magazine article style. The reason why I had to initially write those documents in Microsoft Word is that Adobe inDesign, doesn’t detect any spelling or grammar mistakes. Therefore when I transferred them onto Adobe inDesign, there were all grammatically correct and spell checked. Using the combination of Microsoft Word and Adobe inDesign was effective as I was able to have me analysis, ideas, treatment and research in a presentable and correct manor, in which I could refer to when making decisions about my magazine. Furthermore, I learnt how to use inDesign in the process of doing so.

When constructing my qualitative research, I also used Microsoft Word, where I had to create an answer sheet for the participants to say what they had to say about my product idea and furthermore, along with that I had a group discussion over the same matter as well. This allowed me to know what people think about my idea such as any things they may not like; before I go on to create my magazine. Other important documents such as the risk assessment and location recce were also written up on Microsoft Word. For the risk assessment and location recce, the images were taken by me and a peer using a Canon dslr. This just involved me creating a table outlining the different risks in which i may incur when taking the photographs for my magazine. Some of my pictures in which I and my peer took looked a bit grainy or off colour therefore I used Adobe Photoshop to sharpen them up. All of these were then put onto Microsoft PowerPoint. This helped me clearly set out what I needed to set out in stages. For example the different risks I may foresee. Furthermore, having this information on Microsoft PowerPoint allowed me to export the PowerPoint into JPEG images making it even clearer for me to review and easier for me to make decisions in the production stage.

Overall, using Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe inDesign was extremely effective in my early stages to mid stages as it helped me clearly structure and display my research, ideas and early plans, which made it easier for me to progress onto the next steps which was my storyboard and production schedule. Despite originally have no experience using Adobe inDesign, through the process of the research and planning I was able to learn more and more about it; gaining more skills. These skills were pivotal, as I had to go and use them in the production stage

Now I was aware of what I wanted within my magazine at this point, I had to plan on what days I was going to do what, such as what day I need to write an article (or part of it) or take photographs. This was known as my production schedule. This was also written on Microsoft Word then then imported into Microsoft PowerPoint. This made it easier for me to refer to the production schedule do that I am aware of what I am doing. Another document in which was written and created via PowerPoint was the storyboard. In the process of planning my magazine I had to create a storyboard using Microsoft PowerPoint. This is where I had to plan out the layout of the front cover of my magazine, the contents page, editor’s letter page and the article (double page spreads). Microsoft PowerPoint, enabled me to structure out my story board and clearly set it out, so that when I am referring back to it, I can understand stand it.

Within the planning stage Adobe Photoshop was pivotal for other purposes such as putting together the idea of what my Masthead (logo) for my magazine was going to look like. I wanted my magazine to be perceived like an upmarket magazine like ‘TIME’ magazine. Therefore one way to create that representation is through the Masthead. I wanted to use a combination of fonts. Some of the default fonts within Photoshop I was content with such as Baskerville which is a serif font, which i went on to use. However I wanted to use another font along with it. In result I used ‘Dafont’, which allows you to download fonts free of charge, to download fonts. One font which caught my eye and had a very classy feel to it, was a font called Edition (edition).. This wasn’t easy; it took me a long time to find the font I wanted. This involved me downloading many fonts inputting them into Photoshop and testing what they will look like. Finally I was able to create the logo which I liked and other peers also liked. This was all down to appeal to the target audience.

Within the production stage, one of the first things I done is write my articles. I knew that they would have to contain perfect grammar and correct spelling, if I wanted my article to sound sophisticated and up to the standard of other magazines. Therefore I used Microsoft Word which has a grammar and spelling check. It alerts you by displaying a coloured line or lines under the word or words I either spelt wrong or made a grammar mistake. If I can’t spell something it gives me a list of the words in which I am trying to spell. If I have made a grammar mistake it also gives me other suggestions in how I can word my sentence. Once I finished writing my articles I then imported the text into Adobe inDesign where I was able to set out the layout of the article, putting the text into columns and adding features such as drop caps to make it look professional.I can also add border and import images and place them where I need them to be. As I had to conform to a consistent house-style, using the consistent font and colours throughout the magazine was key. Adobe inDesign allowed me it change the colour of text to what I wanted it to be and allowed me ti change the font to what I wanted it to be. This was to especially ensure that I met the needs of the target audience. 

Overall, using inDesign proved to be effective as i was able to produce a magazine which met my target audience. This was evident through my qualitative research.  

Every magazine requires photographs to provide a visual representation of what I am talking about on the front cover, contents and in the other articles. I also had to take pictures for my billboard as well, even though in the end I only used a picture of the front cover of my magazine and another image. Therefore using a Canon dslr and a tripod, I was able to take photo’s in which I was going to use in my magazine. Using Adobe Photoshop I was then able to edit and manipulate these pictures for them to look like how I wanted to and get rid of any unnecessary parts in the pictures. Then I went and imported these pictures into the inDesign document I was already using to create my magazine. For the billboard, I would save these manipulated pictures and import them into another Photoshop document. Using Adobe Photoshop proved to be very effective to ensure that the images in which I displayed on my magazine will be of good quality and add an essence to it which will appeal to the house style and the target audience. If an image didn’t look to sharp, or was missing something, I was able to fix that problem using Photoshop. As, red, black and white were the colours I abided by, using Photoshop, i was able to implement that into my images. Previously I hadn’t really used Adobe Photoshop before therefore, the skills in which I used to edit pictures were skills I picked up along the way. In the end, my editing and manipulating were effective overall, however from qualitative research in which I very recently conducted, I identified that some images lacked duality compared to others.

For my radio advert I had to use many different media technologies including some in which I had never used. I used a mic as well as a camcorder to record the sound. This involved me using many different people to represent a mass of people. Once I recorded the sound, I imported the audio files into Adobe Premier, where I then put all my audio files in order for it edited then on Audacity. This was the first time in which I used Adobe Premier; therefore this allowed me to quickly use editing software such as this one. After I put everything in order, I exported the files onto Audacity, where I edited and imported other sounds, in result finishing the radio advert.Using Audacity was a challenge as I and never used it before, however I was able to learn and effectively create a radio advert which demonstrated that my magazine was for the Masses. This was especially through the implementation of other voices and sound effects.

When I finished my magazine on Adobe inDesign, in order for readers such as my focus group to view my soft copy in the highest definition and resolution, I had to export it into a PDF file. This made the magazine really clear for others to view. I also my other text based documents which were written on Adobe inDesign into a PDF file and also into a JPEG file as well, as the magazine would be viewed in different ways. I also had to export my billboard into a PDF file and JPEG in order viewers to view the billboard at maximum quality.

For my radio advert to be at optimum quality and accessible for others to listen to, I had to export it into a MP3 file. This will allow viewers to play the radio advert and listen to it a full quality. I also exported to YouTube as well for the same reason. However beforehand I had to edit it, adding a picture on top of the audio file in order for it to be a video.