Evaluation Questions and Answers

http://prezi.com/2qv-_hynrcwd/01-in-what-ways-does-your-media-product-use-develop-or-challenge-forms-and-conventions-of-real-media-products/


http://prezi.com/yrz85aqfi2hh/02-how-effective-is-the-combination-of-your-main-product-and-ancillary-texts/

http://prezi.com/u5d228wzcziz/03-what-have-you-learned-from-your-audience-feedback/

http://prezi.com/h5pjbznw-cws/04-how-did-you-use-media-technologies-in-the-construction-and-research-planning-and-evaluation-stages/

The following links are to my individual evaluation questions that I have answered on Prezi, mainly because it was easier to present for this purpose and is a lot more dynamic.

Radio Advertisement (Ancillary Task)

This is the finished radio advertisement for my Local Newspaper.

The creation of the task was more difficult because it was hard to find examples of a newspaper radio advertisement, national or local. I felt that the best way to approach the task would be persuasive language techniques, which are used constantly in the media to promote selling points to audience.

I created the advert in Audacity:

 

 

I recorded the script in 4 parts, so if need be I could just re-record a certain section if I wasn't happy rather than begin from scratch. The actual piecing together of the tracks was simple enough, it was choosing the right music that was the most time consuming part of the task. The music for the advert has to compliment the product, and in conjunction with my billboard advert which is based on my newspaper being a way to start the day, I needed something that in terms of tone was bright, aiming more towards easy listening.

 

http://www.audionautix.com/index.php - This was the website I used to obtain my soundtrack (royalty free).

 

I needed the music to be clear, but quiet enough so that it didn't drown out the speech. I feel that I achieved the right balance between the volume of both the music and the narration.

The key aspect is to keep it simple (http://culturca.narod.ru/radio.htm) because radio stations run a tight schedule to avoid "dead air", so there is only a short amount of time to keep it succinct and still get the message across.

I used a few different techniques because they all have different functions:

• Direct Address: "Brighten up your day?",  "you should really try...". This lets the audience know that they are being spoken to and makes it feel a little bit more friendly/personal.
• Alliteration : "budget busting 48p". This adds emphasis to the words and makes it sound catchier, so it sticks in the audience's mind.
• Assertion: "We cover what matters to you". The wording makes it sound like a fact when in reality it is actually an opinion. This is a subtle way of getting the audience to share the same opinion as the narrator.
• Repetition: "Day after day". Like alliteration, it adds emphasis and makes the audience think about what they have been reading, so the advert is in a position to change their mind.

Billboard Advert (Ancillary Task)

This is the final version of the billboard advertisement that I created alongside my newspaper pages:

To get to this stage I went through several different ideas, but the main idea that stayed the same throughout was the idea of the background being black and white and the newspaper being left in colour to highlight that it was brand new and will be a "breath of fresh air" compared to other local newspapers.

These where the two images that I liked the most after taking several different shots after experimenting with different angles and lighting. The set up was made to look like an everyday kitchen worktop in the morning because I felt it fit more with my target audience.

Again the idea of the newspaper breathing life into its surroundings played out because this is such a common scene for many people/families that it becomes commonplace, the paper is meant to stand out.


I eventually chose the second photo of the two because the angle of the first felt odd, mainly because I felt the newspaper should be turned towards the audience. Doing this placed the masthead in the centre, which is advantageous as we as people are more drawn to look there.

 This was the photo straight after I used Photoshop to select the background and place the black and white filter over it. I also took the opportunity to make the title slightly more vibrant to make it more likely to hook people to look at it. This also highlights how useful the implementation of the red colour is for newspapers.

 

I then edited the size so it would look more obviously like a billboard.

 

 

This was the first idea I had for the text on the advert. The idea of "Need some colour" was to reference the newspaper being the object that metaphorically brings the colour back into the readers life. In hindsight the title itself was too vague and the placement of it felt right at the time but ultimately it was changed because it may have been a little bit awkward to read.

 

 

The next thought was to add more to the title, which I have now stuck with. "Start your day with some colour" made it more obvious to the audience that the Lakes Gazette is what you will need to start your day. Anymore words would have made it less appealing to read, as billboards are usually glanced in passing as we are driving or walking, so there needs to be enough that people get the message yet don't feel it is a chore to read. I also experimented with the idea of bleeding the colour into the text, so as it goes further across it gets brighter. This was primarily because it echoed how the sunrises in the morning, which ties in with the setting and "starting the day".

 

This was the second incarnation of the previous image. I tried to copy the text and place over the top of the original so that moving it left or right would give it a 3D effect. However it looked more clunky than I anticipated so I removed it. Originally I had been aiming at making the text red like the masthead, but I thought this might detract attention away from the paper. Instead I used the same font as the masthead to show the relation between the message and the paper.



This was the penultimate incarnation of the final product. I capitalised the start of each word to make it looked a little more balanced and brightened the colour of the text to make it more clear against the whites in the background. The only difference between this and the final product is I used the Poster Edges effect on the background of the final product because I felt it looked more interesting and added some texture to the image.

Alternatively, I played with the idea of this retro comic book/pop culture style effect. However since the comic book idea may have been more geared towards younger readers, it may risk alienating older readers, but I felt it was an interesting experiment.

Finished Pages

These are the finished versions of my newspaper pages, the first, main page and the second page.
http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/JackBMediaa2/media/Page1FINALDONEANDDUSTED_zps4bb5f271.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0#/user/JackBMediaa2/media/Page1FINALDONEANDDUSTED_zps4bb5f271.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0&_suid=13662815536350507434925563248

http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/JackBMediaa2/media/Page2Cropped_zpsb041e308.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1#/user/JackBMediaa2/media/Page2Cropped_zpsb041e308.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1&_suid=136628681695702238588117997795

I have also included annotated versions of the pages for more insight into how I created the pages:

Annotated Newspaper Pages from JackBMediaa2

I have uploaded the stories from my newspaper onto SlideShare in an effort to make it easier to read:

Newspaper Stories (A2 Media Local Newspaper Task) from JackBMediaa2

The first page has undergone more changes than the 2^nd, mainly because it relies much more on aesthetics and it needed to be balanced correctly.

Originally the masthead had not been stretched across the width of the page, as I had planned to insert a masthead there, but I decided against it because I felt that making the masthead larger and more pronounced was of greater importance.

 

On top of this I also made the text thicker and added another line of text “Follow us on @LakesGazette on Twitter” to contribute to the idea of keeping the paper up to date with today’s more technological climate.

The bottom advert has been reduced slightly compared to this earlier version to make room for the story section and give me more room to increase the size of the title. The banner on the side of the page which talks about contact information for the paper has also been altered to give it a red background. This was because there wasn’t enough colour on the page and it makes it look emptier. Usually this information would be on the inside, but I felt that putting it on the front page lets the audience know straight away that they can get involved with their local paper. Finally I also increased the size of the title on top of the main image to get rid of the amount of white space.

I didn’t make that many adjustments to the second page, apart from the last minute addition of the side banner. This was mainly because I was having the same problem that I had with the first page, it looked empty. I went back to find news stories and information that was relevant to the time so it would correspond with the date of the newspaper. I found that this made the page more aesthetically pleasing than it was previously.

 The main image on the second page was probably the most difficult task next to writing the stories because of the effect I was trying to achieve to make it fit the story. I used Photoshop to add a smashed glass effect to the window to try and make it more realistic.



 I have uploaded the stories from my newspaper onto SlideShare in an effort to make it easier to read.



Adverts & Tabs

For the features on my front page, I created two tabs to place underneath the masthead to inform the reader of what would be inside the paper.

Because my paper has been based around a Christmas theme, I created a tab referring to a Christmas-ssy activity inside. The image of the Christmas boxes was taken by me, and I used Photoshop to edit out the background and keep the boxes themselves.

 

I found creating these tabs probably the most difficult task concerning the front page because I needed to make them fit with the scheme and be aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

The second tab isn’t Christmas related, but is more aimed at showing the audience that there is more than just news based on current affairs, etc. The picture I took was of my other classmates who are also creating their media project. I thought it would create an interesting link between our work and also how different outlets can work in conjunction with each other (in this case TV and Newspaper).



The first stage in creating the tab

The feature that I placed at the bottom of the page was again Christmas related, but this time it was an advert for a local establishment. These are an important factor of local papers as it brings money to the paper as they are paid of advertising space and it brings income to the establishment.

 

The images used on the ad were taken again by me and edited in Photoshop to remove the background. The only minor alteration I made outside of this was the image of the bells, which was originally red, but it was too much on an already red template.



Masthead

 

 

To create my newspaper pages, I will be using Adobe Illustrator. This is particularly useful because I can use the tabloid template to try and scale the features on my page appropriately. 

 

 



 

This is the design I am planning to use for my newspaper masthead. I made it red, not because it signifies any political leanings, but purely because it is bold enough to capture the attention of the audience. The font is more traditional because I am aiming my paper to have a more sophisticated look compared to the more rounded text often found on tabloids.

I have left some space available next to the main headline in case I want to insert a puff, but this will depend on any changes I may make to my masthead.



Creation of Masthead

 I will be using Adobe Illustrator to create the pages for my newspaper. I am able to use the tabloid setup on the program which allows me to scale the features on the page more easily.

Before creating the draft for my masthead, I looked at other examples of mastheads, including the local papers. I found that the sizes ranged on average between 18cm – 25cm, the average being around 21cm. This made it a lot easier towards creating it on the page and being aware of where I will be placing the puff, the images, etc.

Choosing the font meant I had to find one that was formal enough that it fit the idea and style of a newspaper, but not so much so that it came across as a higher brow paper like The Times. Local newspapers use serif fonts usually to keep the traditional feel of them intact and make the audience feel that the paper is reliable, as it doesn’t change. The red colour is usually a sign of the paper’s political stance (labour in the case of red). The area that I live in is predominately Labour so it is more fitting with the target audience. Also it is a bold colour that will catch the eye and it is more acceptable too as it is a primary colour and most widely used amongst newspapers.

The text around the main title I used sans serif text in bold. The main title is supposed to give the feeling of never changing/traditionalist, whilst the information around it is built upon constant change, as the date of the paper is never the same and the inclusion of a web address tells the audience that the newspaper is still trying to keep up with the times whilst not sacrificing anything.

 

Second Page Layout

This is the layout of my second page of the newspaper. Inside you will usually find the continuation of the main headline from the front and a couple of smaller stories that will be told in full. If the main headline didn’t include an image on the first page, it is usually because it is a major piece of news that doesn’t require one. It will most likely be on the inside page. Unlike national newspapers, there may be a strip on the page that gives information for locals to get in contact with news and stories. Because local papers operate on a much smaller scale they are able to do this.

The name I have decided on for my newspaper is ‘The Lakes Gazette’. I obviously had to include the name of the area so the audience knows where the paper is focused. I made a list of other names that I considered to use:

·         The Cumbria Messenger

·         The Lakes Daily

·         The Lakes Tribune

·         The Furness Gazette

·         The Lakes Chronicle

·         The Cumbria Prophet

After asking more people, the feedback seemed most positive for “The Lakes Gazette” rather than the others, and I personally liked it the most, so this is the name I have decided to use.

First Page Layout - Draft

This is the draft for how I want my first page to look. Like most local papers there is room for advertising local businesses and sections that show that there is information about events that is crucial to a local paper as it means that people can get involved with their community (which again fuels the paper).

Getting the balance and symmetry correct on the front page is important as it is what people form a first impression of your paper from. The image is the main focus of the page as it is usually the most vibrant thing on the page. This is why I have placed it in the centre, as this is usually where we look first. The other sections have to be mirrored, so that the balance is kept. For example the masthead and strip beneath it are equalled with the advertisement at the bottom. The strip along the side is mirrored with the space opposite it. Keeping it organised is also a sign of professionalism and sets up a rough narrative - an order in which the paper should be looked and read.

Timeline for Newspaper Brief

·         The first two pages of a new local newspaper, together with two of the following three options:

 

Timeline

July 2012:

·         Began to look into the conventions of a newspaper.

·         Collecting local newspapers, to compare the layout of each and see if they fit the conventions.

·         Analysing 3 local papers

September 2012:

·        Questionnaire from the analysis of local front covers to aid in the creation of your own (10 minimum).

·        Research into layout styles, fonts, editing, writing styles used in creating newspaper pages.

·        Research into ideology of newspapers – ideas, representations.

·        Info tree – synergy between newspaper, local companies, parent companies, job roles. Also separate one for national papers.

October 2012:

·         Sketches of the front cover and inside page layout, using information gathered from research.

·         Ideas for stories on the inside and front cover, name of paper.

·         Ancillary tasks – Radio advertisement & Poster for paper.

·         Gather/create images that will be used.

·         Drafts for pages.

November 2011:

·         Evaluation begun (see the tips and questions over the page)

·         Editing completed – end of month

·         Blog updated with all research and planning elements and the paper itself.