FINAL PRODUCT

Evaluation - looking back at your preliminary task, what have you learnt in the progression to your full product?

I've learnt alot about different technologies, magazines and photo's since I made my preliminary exercise.

Firstly, I learnt that the quality of camera majorly affects the quality of pictures you get from it, this allowed me to get much better looking photo's than the ones I used in my preliminary exercise, I also payed alot more attention to camera angles in my final product, for example i used a low-angle shot on the cover to suggest he is in control of the situation.

Secondly, I learnt alot about the conventions of music magazines as I progressed through the year. This was by looking at various magazines, paying particular attention to the cover, contents and feature articles. Since the preliminary task I've looked at many different music magazines including: Kerrang!, Total guitar, Rythm, METAL HAMMER, Top of the Pops, Terrorizer and many more.

Finally, I learnt a large amount about the difference in quality from using a more versatile product. For example, sinceusing InDesign my work's qualityand layout has increased dramatically when compared to my prelimary task whic had a very basic layout and very little detail, this was due to the lack of tools on the programme, Microsoft Publisher.

In conclusion, I believe that my work has improved alot since I made my original preliminary task.

Evaluation - What have you learnt about technologies from constructing your product?

I have learnt that using Adobe photoshop and InDesign are much more difficult than standard microsoft programmes. For example, to use more complicated effects on photoshop you must be accurate with the lasso tool whixh is rather difficult.

On the other hand, InDesign is alot like other publishing programmes I have used, but it has alot more options and is a much more versatile programme than, for example, publisher. It allows me to be more accurate making the quality of my work much better than if I'd used a different programme.

I had a small problem using the two programmes together, the problem was that when I transferred some of the images from photoshop into my InDesign project the images lost thier quality making them look unprofesional. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a successful solution and therefor some of my smaller images are of less quality than others.

Evaluation - Who would be the audience for your media product? How you address/attract your audience?

My main target audience Is teenagers and people in their early 20's with an interest in rock and heavy metal music.

I have asked 3 people whio fit my target audience whether they like my product.

Person 1 - Age 16, Male
I like the use of the contrasting colours on the cover, the use of the Purple and Yellow make the picture seem spray painted. Also the use of the dark colours in the article and contents pages are fitting for the music styles.

Person 2 - Age 18, Male
I like the words "Underground" and "Contents" because of the font and also the 'bricks' in the background, they give the magazine a gritty, 'Underground' feel to it.

Person 3 - Age 16, Female
I like the use of the pictures on the first page of the article, it looks profesional and makes it easy to Identify the band members.

Evaluation - What kind of media institution might distribute my magazine and why?

I looked at both Bauer media and Future publishing.

I looked at Bauer as it publishes Kerrang! magazine which s a very popular music magazine which features rock and metal music. It also distributes MOJO which "is the world's biggest UK music magazine" and Q which is "The UK's biggest selling monthly music magazine"

I looked at Future Publishing because it publishes a wide range of guitar and drum magazines, including: Rhythm, Total Guitar and guitarist. As well as the many "music-making" magazines, it is the home of various "music-listening" magazines including Metal Hammer, Classic Rock magazine and Revolver (US) these are all rock and Metal magazines.

In conclusion I would choose Future Publishing to distribute my magazine, this is because it distributes a much larger number of music magazines than Bauer media and the magazines distributed by Future Publishing fit in with the genre of music featured in my magazine.

Evaluation - How does my magazine represent social groups?

I used the website slideshare to upload a presentation I made on The representations of social groups in my magazine.

PRESENTATION

Evaluation - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? - April 2012

I used the website Prezi to create a presentation on "In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products"

Presentation

Article 1st Draft - March 2012

In this Article we’ll be bringing you inside the mind of Liam Kiernan as well as the rest of his new band Skies Are Falling.

Liam Kiernan, formerly known as “MC Orange” has turned a page in his musical career. Last month it was announced on his twitter page that he had started a ‘hardcore’ band, the post read “I’ve been doing the same S*** for the past five years, I need to shake things up and that’s what I’m doing with my new band Skies Are Falling” This post was followed with a large amount of criticism from fans of his previous music.

The Underground team have had a listen to their new debut album, “WE ARE THE END” and we have nothing but praise for this energetic, powerful and insightful band with their politically charged lyrics and awesome guitar riffs, this band are a breath of fresh air compared to most of the other bands in the hardcore scene right now.

Q + A

So how did you guy’s come to form SAF?

Liam - “Well actually the three of us went to school together and have been playing in a band together since we were thirteen years old, It’s only recently since I decided to stop creating Rap music that SAF has had a chance to shine”

So what are your personal influences?

Liam – “Well I personally listen to everything from rap, to Death Metal and I take influence from everything I listen to”

Nathaniel – “My main influences are punk bands like the sex pistol’s and Black flag but I take influence from some metal and ska bands too”

Charlie – “I mostly just listen to hardcore bands like More Than Life and Touché Amour”

So Liam what helps influences your lyrics?

“My lyrics are influenced by the world around me, whether it’s a newspaper article, a news report or just something I see on the street”

What band would you like to be as famous as?

Liam – “I want to be as big I can be, I’m not really interested in standing in someone else’s shoes”

Nathaniel - “Metallica, they’re the biggest metal band in the world. It would be a dream come true if we we’re as big as them”

Who would you guy’s like to tour within the not to distant future?

Nathaniel – “We’re hoping to tour with Touché Amour in the next few years so that should be cool”

 Liam – “personally I’d like to tour with Rise Against, they’re a massive influence on my lyrics and music”

How did you guy’s come up with your strange band name?

Charlie – “Well It’s actually a lyric from a Queens of The Stone Age song, which I was listening to on the way back from practice a few years ago, and when I took it to the other guy’s they liked it and so the name stuck”

How important is the music you make to you?

Liam – “It’s my Life; I couldn’t live without being able to make music”

Charlie – “It’s he only thing I can think of when I wake up in the mornings as well as when I go to sleep at night”

When did you realise you wanted to be a musician?

Liam – “for me it was when I got given my first guitar at the age of ten, I’ve been writing ever since”

Nathaniel – “I’d probably have to say when we started the band back in school, music started to feel more important than anything else”

If you weren’t a musician, what job would you do and why?

Charlie – “I’d love to be a footballer if I couldn’t be a musician, I’ve always loved sport”

Liam – I’ve been working as a musician my whole life, I don’t think I could actually do another job”

What’s the best gig you’ve played?

Nathaniel – “In my Opinion it was our first gig together back when we were only sixteen years old, we played at the Barfly in Camden”

Liam – “for me it was probably the biggest show we’ve played which was last month at Brixton academy”

And finally, how would you describe your sound to anyone who hasn’t heard you before?

Liam - “Hardcore and then some”

Artist Profile

Name: Skies Are Falling

Members: Liam Kiernan – vocals, lead Guitar

                 Charlie Richards – Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar

                 Nathaniel Mir – Drums, Percussion

Years Active: 2005 – Present

Genre: Hardcore, Post - Hardcore, Melodic Hardcore

For Fans of: Touché Amour, La Dispute, More Than Life, Alexisonfire, Funeral For A Friend,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Every Time I die, Gallows, Your Demise, The Ghost Of A Thousand

Out Now: WE ARE THE END – 2012

               Skies Are Falling EP – 2009

More Info: Facebook.com/SAFofficial

                 Myspace.com/skiesarefallingUK

                 SkiesAreFalling.com