Evaluation 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In this task I had to answer the above question about my media product using, developing or challenging the forms and conventions which I have found of real media products. I have effectively performed this task and mentioned the codes and conventions which I have found and then implemented into my product, stating the reason behind them. 

I have uploaded my answer to this question to Flickr which can be accessed by clicking on the link below:
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Double Page Spread - Final

Above I present the final version of my double page spread. Looking back at my DPS research I can say that I have met all of the codes and convention which I have specified, meaning that I am very satisfied with the final version. A feature which I would like to point out is the use of red in this DPS. As I have said in my research, I will use the colour red in order to emphasise a specific part of text. Above we can see that I have used red in order to show the quotes the articles subject had said which makes them easily visible on the page. Additionally on the bottom left corner I have mentioned a pull quote which is additionally in red. This grabs the readers attention as the red text is easily visible against the background as well as by the use of a drop shadow. Overall, I think that this is a very good example of a double page spread.

Comparing the text layout

From my DPS research I have found that most examples of the magazine have the article sorted into columns. At first I have agreed to follow the code and convention however I wanted to see for myself how the text looks in two forms; one being written in a big paragraph on the whole page and one sorted into the columns. Above we can see the two versions compared side by side. In both examples of text I have used a drop cap to start of the article which does follow the set codes and conventions for my making. The image on the left presents the text sorted as Justified, meaning that the text is equally spread out on the width of the page. Whereas the image on the left presents the text in Justified with left, meaning that the ending of the column will be aligned left. After a visual analysis and asking for 3rd party feedback from other people, I have concluded that the text sorted into columns looks much better. This means that I can successfully follow my chosen code and convention.

Creating the content for the double page spread

In this task, my job was to create sufficient content for my DPS in Photoshop which then would be implemented into InDesign in order to structure the double page spread correctly. Below I present the various techniques which I have used to create the needed content:

 First of all I have began with the background creation. I have come up with an idea to create a background which will match the image which will be placed on the left page of the DPS. Therefore to make sure the colours match I have used the 'Eyedropper tool' in order to pick the colours from the images background. As a result I have chosen two colours which differ in brighteness. I then have chosen the 'Gradient' tool and selected a 'radial gradient' as my gradients type. As we can see above I have come up with a very simple composition, yet very effective as it matches the colours of my images background.

 In my initial design for the DPS I have placed a pull quote on the page. This means that first of all I had to research the internet for a good music or rather hip hop related quote.When I have found one it was time for me to turn it into a suitable pull quote for my magazine. The first step for me was to use the 'Text' tool and insert the quote into the Photoshop file. Once this has been done I have selected a font which in this case is Bebas Neue which has been widely used in my magazine. I then have highlighted the text and turned it to red. I have used red as from my research on hip hop double page spreads I have found that red has been mainly used as a attention grabber against a background, meaning that using red as the colour of my pull quote would in fact cause the audiences attention to be drawn to the text.

Last of all it was time for me to create a heading for the page. In this case I have chosen to keep the title the same and use the same heading as I have used for my front cover, "IMMACULATE flow & style on the loose!". To begin the creation of this heading I have written it in Photoshop file and then seperated it into two seperate layers. By doing so I have provided myself with more area to work on and be more flexible with the design as I can move more objects around. I have chosen to keep the heading in a simple black colour as from my DPS research I have found that the magazines mainly use a black for their headings which in fact make them very clear to read and understand from a far distance. Adding onto that, it was time for me to structure the heading into a creative composition. On the right screenshot we can see that I have moved the "style on the loose!" part of the heading downwards below the "Immaculate flow &" part. I have alligned them together so that the letter "L" in both layers are right below each other which makes the heading very clean and organised.

The content created can be seen below:

Editing the image for DPS

Above I present the stages which I have taken in order to edit the image for my DPS. The target of this editing was to make the image brighter with stronger tones as by this the image would look clearer. Additionally by this the image would emphasise the model more meaning that she will be the focus of the page which follows the codes & conventions of my research.

Stage 1: Cutting out the model
- The first step of this editing for me was to cut out the model out of the image. By doing so I was allowed to paste the model onto another layer, allowing me to only work on her not the background. This prepared the image for later editing

Stage 2: Brightness/Contrasts manipulation

- In this stage I have increased the brightness of the image by just a small amount however increased the contrasts by a far bigger number. This correction of the image has made the face of the model brighter as well as causing the shadows and darker tones to be more exposed and saturated.

Stage 3: Curves manipulation

- The purpose of this curves manipulation was to emphasise the face of the model. By tweaking the 'curves' of the photograph I was allowed to gain a relatively smooth light on the models face which would emphasise the models eyes and facial lines. By doing so the model is more eye-catching. I believe that this stage has affected the image the most in terms of giving the photograph a 'hip hop' genre look as the shadows are quite strong which contradict with very bright areas, showing the strength of the image which is additionally supported by the pose the character has taken.

Stage 4: Clone stamp tool

- While cutting out the image I had to tweak the hair of the model meaning that when cutting the hair outside of the models silhouette it no longer matched with the hair which is visible on her jumper. To correct this imperfection I have used a clone stamp tool to paste the jumper texture over the hair.

Stage 5: Cutting the image

- This was the last stage of the image creation. After having the image complete I have set up a DPS size document in Photoshop and implemented my image into it. I then have checked the sizes and placement of the image in relation to my DPS. When confirmed that the positioning is correct I then have cut the excess of the image in order for the image to only take up one face of the DPS. I have found that the code & convention of having a image taking up a whole page is very common therefore I have used it in my own DPS making.

Article for the DPS

This is the DPS article which I have come up with. At first I have began with a relatively small article which then I have analysed and checked for improvements. After creating the improvements I have proof read the article twice in order to check for any grammar and spelling mistakes until I have come up with the final piece of text. This text would then be implemented into my DPS design when I have finished with all of the graphical content.

Double page spread research

In my prior research I was looking at rock and pop based magazines which in fact did not inform me much about the hip hop genre based magazines. In order to gain the needed knowledge I have decided to look at the current hip hop magazines and their double page spreads. As we can see above I have looked at the XXL Magazine DPS's and I have found some very useful codes and conventions which I will put forward into my double page spread. First of all while visually analysing the double page spreads I have found that all of them are structured into one page text-one page image structure. By this both the text and the image of the model are clearly visible and well spread out, making the article attractive at the same time. I fill follow this code and convention making the magazine follow the Hip Hop genre standards. Furthermore I have found that most of the DPS's that XXL has produced have come with a black heading which spreads across the width of one of the pages. This is a very useful code & convention as by this I clearly present to the audience what the article will be about as it is relatively large and can be clearly seen from a long distance. As of the heading colour, the headings are mainly black therefore I will follow this code and convention and choose my own heading to be black as well. Additionally while looking at the magazines I have found that many of them have used a contrasting colour such as red to play the role of an attention grabber. In some they are used in the heading, in some the text is red. I really feel that this would make my DPS suit the hip hop genre therefore I will use this technique. Looking at the image composition of the magazines, the images of the models have been mainly taken from waist upwards, meaning that they have been captured in a medium shot. This image composition shows a relatively large portion of the model and in most of the images the males are captured in very 'manly' positions, such as showing their muscles or showing hand gestures which are mainly associated with the Hip Hop genre. This has hinted me upon what image I should insert into the DPS from the images which I have already taken. To follow this code and convention I will choose to implement a image which shows some kind of Hip Hop related sign conveying the model in a very masculine view. A last key area which I have found of the magazines visible above is that in all of them the article is sorted into columns. By this the text is placed neatly on the page and gives the page a less crowded look. I will consider sorting my text into such columns, making my article more organised on the page. Additionally in some of the magazines the article is started with a drop cap. I believe that this is a technique which makes the article more eye catching and from looking at the magazines is used in Hip Hop magazines. This means that I will put this idea forward into making.