Evaluation

School Magazine: Evaluation

Now I’ve finish publishing my school magazine. I now need to analyse my magazine in my own opinion to the likes of my front cover and my contents page. I’m going to discuss how my magazine can compete in the real industry. Also to explain who my target audience are and why I have chosen this particular group for my magazine. What kind of media institution might my magazine can distribute in and in what way has my magazine been addressed to my audience? Explain how my experiences with the technology I have used to develop my magazine.

To be honest, I feel that my school magazine can compete well against real school magazines. This is because I think my magazine is very imaginative, well thought out and very educational for my audience to read. For example, the colourfulness of my texts on my front cover can really stand out to the reader especially for my target audience than any other school magazine that I have researched. This is because the colours of the text are matching really well with the background image. The way I’ve layered out my school magazine front cover is very organized between the images and the texts and that can make the reader see each of the headings or images in their own particular way. The way that I’ve developed my magazine is in a way that professional magazines are presented because I felt that the school magazine I have researched weren’t as professional compared to the likes of music magazines. I felt that the school magazine I have researched didn’t cover all the requirements a magazine needed. That is why I wanted to my magazine to stand from the rest of the school magazines.

For my contents page the simple creativity has had a good affect towards my magazine. Most content pages are just for the reader to what in each page generally. But my content page tries to engage the reader more not just knowing what is on that page but to go straight on that page and read further on. This is because the text on the contents page is very creative. The text is very persuasive because I put in the articles from the page further on the magazine into the contents page. These heading are subliminally makes the reader to read further. In my opinion my looks better than other contents page because the background image has the names of school subjects but the way it is wrote is a very youthful make. That makes my audience connect to the magazine more than any other school magazine.

The social group I am seeking out are the youths from Fortismere School. This is because I’m producing a school magazine at Fortismere School. On my front cover of my school magazine all the images are based on the pupils in Fortismere School. The reason I did this is because I wanted the Fortismere pupils’ (social group) to be a part of my magazine. I felt that, if they were a part of it then more of the pupils would go and buy the magazine. Also on the contents page as the background image you can see there are school subjects being written out of graffiti. The way it was written represents Fortismere pupils or teenagers in fact because most teenagers create this sort of writing to makes teenagers stand out.

My magazine is trying to go into to the institute of schools. The reason why its because my magazine is based on what happens in schools. The magazine is aiming at pupils in school to read. The reason why it’s being distributed at schools is because my school magazine is made by students, for the students. My magazine is based to be read at Fortismere School. You can this by the title of my magazine. The title “FORTIZINE” relates to the school of Fortismere because it has a combination of Fortismere (FORT) and magazine (ZINE) and that represents the school of Fortismere very clearly.

My target audience for my magazine are teenagers. This is because my magazine is aim towards school students between the years of year 7 to sixth formers. For example the colours that are presented on both the front cover and contents pages are very bold and attractive to the younger audience. The colours give you a sense that you know you are reading a magazine for teenagers. My school is going towards teenagers because teenagers have a large percentage at schools than teachers or other workers and if I can engage teenagers to read my magazine, that will boost my magazine against other school magazines.

The way I attracted my audience is that I’ve researched to try and find what my audience wanted in a magazine. For my questionnaire I was pursuing the reaction of teenagers. For instance, on my questionnaire I wrote down a question saying “what ideas would put down to try and influence the audience?”. I wanted to know what ideas teenagers have for improving my magazine towards them. I believed that if I made a survey to my target audience, I will have a full understanding on what my target wants to see.

I learnt a lot from using photo shop to develop my front cover and contents page. I’ve learnt how to improve my image in fine detail from photo shop instead of using paint or word document. One of the important assets I have learnt was layering in photo shop. I learnt how to not put everything on one image so you can just layer it and see if it fits. For example, on my front cover you see that I layered my close up images in front of the background image. This is an advantage for me because I can now move the first image anywhere I want and it to go and it wouldn’t affect my whole image. Also a useful thing I have learnt about technology is the transformation button on photo shop. This can help reshape an image to make it smaller or larger, wider or thinner. I think it is a great asset to have in technology.

I think that my magazine has great features like the themes of articles and the choice of images for the magazine. I like the way everything in my magazine relates well with the genre of the magazine and for my target audience. One of the things that I want to improve is to develop more of my ideas. For instance, the way the text is being present is too basic and vague. Next time I want to be do more research towards other magazine and what makes them stand than the rest and how they develop a tiny idea in well detail.

My final Cover and Contents Page

Front Cover
This my final piece of my school magazine front cover. The reason I have chose this as my final piece is because I felt that I have done all the requirements that is set to make a great front cover. I am really pleased with my close up image because there not just a great blend with the background image but the size of the two images fit in perfectly. The text is very imaginative with each of their articles with a twist for the reader the read. The colours of each text has a connection with a part of the background image, the colours of the graffiti at the back.
The bright colours can really attract the young children in the school but inside can have a mature writing for the older pupils like six formers to have a look at.






I like the way the contents is being presented because I like the layout from the close up image blending together with the text. For the background image of the contents page I have used a certain part of the background image of the front cover. The reason I put some of the writing in blue because the blue text are the main aritcles in the magazine.

Front cover progress

I developed my front cover for my school magazine using the software photoshop. I didn't know much about photoshop and how it really works. I have learnt how to use the basics on photoshop and that has help me developed my image in close detail. Photoshop allows me to do lots of creativity on my photo. It makes me change specific ideas in fine details like changing the shading or painting in very close detail using zoom in. Through each of my images I have progressed right from the start of using photoshop for my images to the near completion of my cover.

1) In this image I have used close up images trying to emerge on the background image. With each of these close up images I had to make the right colour balance to try and blend in the background image. As you can see in this image I've learnt how to use the text in photoshop trying to use different fonts and use different size text. I used the red paint under the text to really make the text stands out than from other images and text. Right up to the top left hand corner I tried to use a close up image of the fortismere logo to show that it's a true magazine from Fortismere. I faded the Fortismere logo image out because it would have been to strong on the background image. I've tried different ways on photoshop and to find something that connects well with the cover.

2) The difference between the first image to this image is some parts of the frist image has been cut out. The reason I did cut out the right side of the image is because from before it was looking more like a double page poster but then I cut it slightly to make it more of a front cover format. I took out one of the close up images because the lighting contrasts between the close up and the background image were very different. The close up image was set in the dark and it didn't fit well with the sunlight of the background image. Also I couldn't find the right place to that close up image on my front cover.

3) In my third progress I tried to make it more like a magazine by putting more surrounding texts around it. I had built in three more text boxes around to show the reader what is going to be in my magazine. In this cover I have changed my title on the cover. I didn't think the Fortismere close up image would have work if I put something next to it. I didn't think it was creative enough and I don't think it fitted into the whole cover of the magazine. So I was thinking on what title name was going to be. I needed a title that could've fitted in well with the front cover. I made my title Fortizine. The reason I chose the name FORTIZINE was because I thought it was creative putting both my school name of fortismere in with magazine. So both forged together to make Fortizine, Forti(Fortismere) and zine(magazine).

4) With this image I only made some minor adjustment on my front cover. I only change the size of the font on my title. I made title bigger because I wanted the reader to actually get a clear glance of what the name of my school magazine wa called. I painted purple under the title because I thought purple and green are great colours that blended well together.

Photo samples for front cover

This photo is going to be my background picture. I pick this photo because it gives a lot of meaning as a school from Fortismere. It shows togetherness by the pupils giving you a sense from of a good atmosphere in Fortismere. The block on the left shows that Fortismere is very original and creative in their students because pupils can an opportunity to show their appreciation in the school.

I chose this picture because I like the feeling that is presented from this photos. It brings you happiness of going into school. You can see this from he pupil smile as he is approaching the school (sport hall). It will bring a good mixture with the face of this image with the background photo. But this picture is difficult to use because There isn't a lot of natural lighting and that it might not go well with the background picture.

I chose this for one of my samples because it brings some issues to everyday life towards teenagers. As you can see my friend is making a hand gesture that looks like he is holding a gun. I felt that it is good to put this because I think that people are misleading teenagers of holding a gun or knife and this is good general topic in a school magazine. A school magazine can express the pupils openly and that they're not a lot of teenagers that have been in an activity with a gun or a knife.

I chose this picture because it would be very creative if I layer it over the background picture to make a realistic effect. Also this is a great close up photo on a person just from the chest height to the head.

This was of my choices to be in my final image. Its a great medium shot and its enjoyment in this photo. The reason I might not pick this picture is because it does not connect well with the background layer

School magazine research

All these different school magazines are presented to different audiences and have different ideas on their weekly or monthly edition. I picked these 3 school magazines because they are so different between each of them its good to give a good analysis on. 

McDonough school magazine is very good in many ways. One of the ways is that they present it to their target audience very clearly. You can see this with the font of their front cover. The font gives out a very old and posh look to the front cover. The audience looks like it's being presented to adults. 

The photo is layout very well where you can see everyone having a good time on the grass. The tree gives you idea that it is autumn by the colour of the leaves. Maybe that shows its the start of the school year and it is their first addition of their magazine. The image of the front cover shows everyone laughing even though they are probably acting it out their laughing but it still brings joy and that gives you a sense of happiness in the school.   


This magazine gives you a more of a imagery idea of what the school is all about. The image of the instruments shows that it is based on the articulate subjects like music and art. Religion a key part that they teach in the Harrow Tamil school. You can see this by part of the language of islam at the top of the front cover. Compare to the other 3 magazines this gives you out more information on what is all about.  












This school magazine really disappointed me because they really have put a lot of effort to it. All they have done in this picture is putting photos next to each other and put their school name at the top. The front cover is really important because it brings the audience to wanting to read it. If the front cover isn't good then no one wants to read it. 

Start of school Magazine: Front cover

At the start of making my school magazine i started off by figuring out ways of creative my front cover. First of all i had to find an image that resembles what i am looking for. So iused my camera took take some photos of my school to seek out a great feeling that I see in my school Fortismere. I had to decide which of my pictures are capable to publish as my front cover.

After I pick my image i started using photoshop to see if can I develop my picture. I learnt of a lot of new ways of finding different styles like putting a layers over my image, zooming in and out to paint or edit my picture in fine detail and also using the Lasso tool. The one that amazed me the most is using filter, i like the way you can develop different ideas in different parts of the image using liquidfy.