Evaluation On Vimeo

here is my final evaluation of the entire project:

Audience Feedback On Television Ad

the responses i got back showing the advert were quite positive.
many points were raised both positive and critical, the critical i was already aware of and sahemd to say that i wasn't clever enough to correct :')

TUMBLR FEEDBACK

• "Really like the characters portrayed in the ad, like that the same actress has been used throughout, shame about the audio dipping at the end" Jess
• "like the variation of speeds of the video, keeps the advert exciting" Ash
• "Was a very long advert but didn't get too bored, not sure how I'd react to it if i was waiting for my programme to come on and this appeared though!" Serene
• "Very funny and interesting, and the product is different also" Jasmine
• "i don't know if it's down to you but the visual quality of the advert was very good, and the camera angles were good too, i really like the exchanged glances between the paris girl and the dog" Annie
• "I want the garbage dress! the plot is very unique and i liked it" Ryan

I then showed them the magazine cover and the response was very positive.

Jess: "I really like the use of colour, it's very unique and i haven't seen that on a cover before, they are normal quite neutral backdrops and the people on the front are famous, this is a nice change, and the magazine name is quite clever"

Ash: "this is really cute, but i'd worry that it may only attract girls who find the person on the front relatable, it may take more to encourage a guy to give it a second glance"

Serene: "The colours are really nice, it's a very warm cover, i think people would be happy to look at it, it's eye-catching"

Jasmine: "the stuff on the front seems like the sort of things i would like to read about, I LOVE AMAZING PHIL HAHAHA<3 so i'd definitely read it"

Ryan: "I agree with Ash in some respects, the issues and articles on the front would appeal to me but in a shop i would be unlikely to look at it in the first place, i gave your blog a quick read though and i agree that it'd be a good idea to have it more web-based so both genders could be approached differently"

10 second ancillary task.

This is a sponsorship sequence, it would appear before a series of adverts during prime-time television or just before the programme returns. It is short, but would be viewed many times over during the multiple commercial breaks that are common with popular television.

Popular sponsorship sequences, i am aware of are those such as the Xfactor ads, which although short and repeated all too often.. stick in the consumer's mind.

IDEALLY..

..there would be no limit to how long my advert is.

Generally adverts are 20-40 seconds long, some as short as 10-15.

My advert is over a minute, i thought this could hinder it but Yeo Valley have become very successful after their two-minute Rap Avert (now, even available of iTunes to download)

I feel that if the audience's attention can be held for the duration for the advert, then the length is not relevant.

Transitions

i decided against using fancy transitions as i feel it distracts from the advert content, and so i used very simple/quick cuts and one fade out at he advert's end which was also quite quick, i wanted the transitions to fit the fast-pace i wanted through the ad.

Because, i feel that although it is very long, for an advert, it doesn't seem like a minute and a half.

Audio In My Ad

In the end i did choose 'Miss Hilton' by the Penfifteenth Club as my audio, i felt the lyrics of the song were fitting to the plot of the ad. Also the first part of the sing was quite gentle (listen for sound of, what could be a triangle of a xylophone) and then picks up upon my 'heiress's' entrance. I felt it 'ironically' fitted my own narration of the advert, while the song talks about the strong attitude of the celebrity, when used in my advert it could be said that the celebrity is being presented as someone who is too air-headed to realise they aren't always liked.

I used track ducking to bring the volume of the song down when voice overs were played, so the audience could clearly hear the narration of the ad but could still appreciate the background music. Unfortunately i struggled with the fading in and out of the music, the fade out near the end is very drastic and i was unable to figure out myself how to correct it.

I added in audio for my dog growling, and also brought the volume of the audio up when my actress was speaking, this also brought up the background interference which was a shame but i feel that the music added helps to disguise this a little.

The voice-over/narrative is myself, not just out of convenience but i felt because the main character was female then.. the voice over needed to be also, or there could be confusion as to who was speaking. I also feel that a female voice sounds more emotive, and i wanted sarcasm to be shown subtly through the voice over itself.

My Finished Advert

unfortunately my memory stick has gone walkies, so more pre-production may appear after this.

but this is the finished, edited product.

How i created my Magazine and AD.

• combining similar images
• the theme of the fonts and colour scheme run through both the magazine and the pop-up ad so you can see they are linked
• the pop up ad appears like a youtube video, hopefully interesting the consumer (who may go to 'play' the video but instead will be redirected to the 'free magazine voucher' and they may just print it out of curiosity).

I kept an existing magazine cover at close-hand at all times to consistently refer to, to check none of the main features were missed out. i used a combination of Adobe Photoshop CS & Picasa 3.

i used my own video on youtube as a template for my pop-up ad.

the scheme of the colours and fonts ran consistent throughout the magazine cover, and continued this way into the finished pop-up.

FINISHED POP-UP AD, WHY IS IT SUCCESSFUL? WHY IS IT CONVENTIONAL?

• eye catching phrase "got you!" may confuse/startle the consumer into taking a second glance at the ad, and then continuing to read what we have to offer.
• the offer is clearly visible "GET VOUCHER HERE, GET 1ST ISSUE FREE" so hopefully curiosity would encourage further interest.
• the same fonts and colours run through the pop-up ad as they do on the magazine, so some form a corporate identity is established, the ad can be recognisable after sighting the magazine cover.
• added in "506 million views" this may momentarily trick the consumer into thinking the magazine is extremely popular and very mainstream already.
• the YouTube logo is present, not only is it recognisable, it is established so the consumer would know the pop-up has a certain level of safety linked to it.
• the content of the magazine is make clear, repetition of the word 'real'.

I went out to test the lighting in preparation for filming.

I decided it was worth trying out the lighting during the dimmer time, just as a precaution, in case bad weather hit and there was little light to use.

I didn't find the quality of the image anywhere near as good as it had been during the day, but it was a workable light so in the event that bad weather/lighting did strike then i know it wouldn't be the end of the world.

My Magazine Task, how i came to the final product.

• Deconstructed it.

i cut and folded many gossip magazines that i had found (plus the occasional Music and 'Pigeon Shooting' magazine from my dad) and found the main elements of the magazine cover, which i later used to created the magazine template (see a few posts back) which most magazine covers seem to follow. i focussed mainly on a copy of Cosmopolitan.

• Edited it.

i tried adding different images onto different magazines, trading round titles are faces and it completely changed the appearance of the magazine, the characteristics and what you'd expect to find content-wise.

• Playing with Size.

i made a photocopy of "company magazine" and then made it bigger, i found that once it was bigger i realised just how much content there was simply on the cover, and i also realised the range of fonts used for each heading and the alinement of the text, it all varied depending on the image displayed and the importance of each article or feature.

i then made a small version of the same cover, i found that because of the amount of content on the cover, when made small it was very difficult to identify the content minus the person onto the cover and the magazine title, although this way it was easier to identify the hierarchy of each article and statement, depending on how well i could read the text, i could see which parts were more important.

What can i tell about the age/gender/class/race of different people shown on the cover.

The front cover has Lady Gaga, she is a white american popular for her unique outfits and dancer's physique, she is standing provocatively and her article is about caring more for her career than pursuing a love life. This suggests that she is career driven and the women who read the magazine are independent, free-thinking women, despite the fact that from looking at the magazine content i would expect perfectly ordinary women to read it.

POP-UPS,

i need to analyse pop-ups in order to understand them, then i can create my own working with the theme of my television/web ad and magazine cover.

Pop-up ads or pop-ups are a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses. Pop-ups are generally new web browser windows to display advertisements. The pop-up window containing an advertisement is usually generated by JavaScript, but can be generated by other means as well. A variation on the pop-up window is the pop-under advertisement, which opens a new browser window hidden under the active window. Pop-unders do not interrupt the user immediately and are not seen until the covering window is closed, making it more difficult to determine which web site opened them.

what i need from my pop-up ad:

• it needs to be bold and eye-catching, including an appealing image or phrase to prevent the consumer from clicking out of it.
• it needs to encourage the consumer to click on it, leading them to the product or website
• it could have a jingle/noise that accompanies it, to draw attention but this could also irritate the consumer.
• it needs to explain what it's offering

USING HUMAN NEEDS TO SELL. SELL. SELL.

"In the 1970's, Abraham Maslow suggested that human behaviour is focussed on satisfying the basic types of needs. Adverts are designed to show you how buying, or using a product can help you satisfy those needs. They may address the needs directly (food-hunger, locks-safety)

or they may be less obvious, making you maybe identify with a situation or problem and hoping you would put yourself in that position and see benefits in making a purchase or decision."

How Adverts Use Human Needs, How My Product (Magazine&Ad) Uses Those Needs

• Need to survive, using adverts for food drink and housing. This doesn't really apply to my magazine or advert as the magazine is not an essential, more of a leisure item.
• Need to feel safe, adverts for insurance, loans and banks promise security and freedom. Again, due to the nature of my product, this could never really be applicable to my project, as my product neither provides or promotes the feeling of safety and protection.
• Need for affiliation and friendship, adverts that focus on lifestyle choices like diet and fashion, plays on the consumer's desire to be popular, or may threaten the consumer that popularity/friendship will be lost otherwise. I would that this heavily applies to gossip magazines but on a lower level it would apply to my product, as the You-tubers my product would have (it's content) would be very relatable and many would aspire to be like them that's why we have the option to ask questions and get a response from the people who post videos, they are accessible and frequently asked for advice etc, people would take advice from them and may feel influenced by them when making choices about how they look/eat. This would be useful if companies were to approach us, asking us to trial and test products, if You-tubers were willing we could suggest that they rate products and get those products publicity, while the consumer would benefit knowing that any products they viewed would have a fair evaluation.
• Need to nurture or care for something, advertising which shows something cute and/or attractive such as small children, cute animals, brings out the nurturing side of a consumer. i'm not sure if this is applicable, but in many cases the You-tubers that receive the most hits are generally attractive, many people stop and give their channels attention because their initial reaction is a positive one (due to that person's appearance), which in a way is unfair, but an effective way to grab a customer's attention, by putting an attractive face in front of them.
• Need to achieve, adverts that are linked with winning, often promoted by sports personalities, tap into the need to succeed. Again it may not be applicable, but many channels on Youtube offer advice on games/sports/hobbies etc that aim to give the viewer an 'edge' or 'advantage', offering ways to cheat or informing them of better methods, just as an example: Call Of Duty (the playstation or xbox game), many thousands of videos exist in which people show off particular skills and techniques, sharing these and other secrets of the games giving each other the edge over other players, could this be considered a way of tempting the viewer in.. playing on their need to be better than someone else?
• Need for attention, beauty adverts often play on the need to be noticed and admired. See the beauty of youtube is that there's so much on offer, hundreds of thousands of channels offer help and advice on what the buy for fashionable/cosmetic purposes, how to apply them, where to get the best deal, when to wear what.. every possible thing is explained and so many girls are reeled into youtube seeking advice to make the most out of their appearance, on a budget, with the most skill they can gather.
• Need to find meaning in life. many people may upload videos to youtube, describing difficult times in their lives, they may describe feelings and views on important subjects or maybe even snapshots of their travels, all these may broaden the viewer's mind, evoking sympathy/curiosity etc from them.

Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with the largest and most fundamental levels of needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top.^[1][6]

The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "d-needs": esteem , friendship and love, security, and physical needs. With the exception of the most fundamental (physiological) needs, if these "deficiency needs" are not met, the body gives no physical indication but the individual feels anxious and tense. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs. Maslow also coined the term Metamotivation to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment.^[7] Metamotivated people are driven by B-needs (Being Needs), instead of deficiency needs (D-Needs).

Courses in marketing teach Maslow's hierarchy as one of the first theories as a basis for understanding consumers' motives for action. Marketers have historically looked towards consumers' needs to define their actions in the market. If producers design products meeting consumer needs, consumers will more often choose those products over those of competitors. Whichever product better fills the void created by the need will be chosen more frequently, thus increasing sales. wikipedia

MY MAGAZINE COVER.

i will embed my prezi, so you can have a closer look at the cover, and read the explanations as to why i did it this particular way.

My Magazine Cover 'editorREAL' on Prezi

Test shots based on Storyboarding

plus costume fitting, checking that the 'bin bag' dress was plausible.

• these are the bench shots i wanted at the very beginning of the ad, they are good establishing shots as the audience is introduced to the character who is reading a magazine, they are made aware quickly that the magazine is being criticised. it also shows that the light outside is very suitable even in less-that-bright conditions.
• travelling shots as Sophie walks towards camera, this way we got to experiment with the travelling shot, i gained a lot of practice so when real filming was upon me, i would be fluid in my camera movements, it was a good idea to test this as we found that a good pace had to be established when walking towards me and the camera, otherwise the actress would be left behind or even treading on my feet as i didn't move swiftly enough.
• we used a tracking shot to show how we would film the 'paris hilton' figure, at first we saw the camera jumped a little as it followed her steps, but i found this was effective as it showed the airiness of her walk, as if she's in her own little world as she literally 'struts' through life, with ease.
• we then tested the dancing scenes, the high angle worked really well as we were able to see Sophie's feet working (hahaaa!) but the distance wasn't too great that eye contact couldn't be established between Sophie and the camera/audience. I played round with 'slowing' down the video, i thought when audio was added (with a heavy beat), it would be that more effective, and could also reflect the influence the alcoholic beverage was having on the character. But i then also tried speeding it up, i found this made the 'celebrity' look all the more comical and foolish, this would make it easier for the consumer to take sides with the character that criticises the celebrities and therefore they would be favouring the side on which the product lies.

Began the storyboarding process Plus: Development of the Ad Plot and Meaning

first storyboard was very detailed, but got lost during test shots.

but it's fine as i had it quite clearly in my head, apart from the first 5/6 frames.

But as i lost my 'fine art' that was my storyboard, i decided to explain the background the advert plot and the sort of camera angles i wanted.

I apologise for the audio lagging, and my husky voice.

as for audio: the key things i wanted were

• the sound of the rustling bin-liners when my actress was shown in her 'designer' dress
• the sound of tearing (when the magazine is torn) or audio/music that fits the action of the ripping.
• the sound of the dog growling, when a new dog is handed to my 'paris hilton'-like character.
• when i have a character in a nightclub with his alcoholic drink, i want the club/d&b music to be very heavy and for flashing lights in the room to fit the beat of the music and his movements (very fluid movements).
• the voiceover at the beginning, i would like to get louder and for the tone of 'annoyance' to become stronger as the reading progresses.
• i would love to include the song "Miss Hilton" by the Penfifteen Club, as it's describing the LA life and attitude of Paris Hilton and i feel it fits my celebrity characters, as we witness their naive actions and irritating tendencies.

LYRICS annotation

Oh my, looky there
Stone-cold foxy, platinum hair typical celebrity image - fakery and material items
Short skirt, barely there willing to act/appear foolish or outlandish to get press attention
Make a chick wanna hate, make a boy wanna stare dog-eat-dog, gain many enemies and haters.

Well, Ms. Hilton you must be worth a trillion bucks celebrities receive unnecessary amount of money for the very little they do.
Get the feelin' that you don't really give a fuck not bothered by the press, or in some case every much bothered by the press, money can't give you happiness.. it appears most celebrities are very unhappy but put on a positive image for the camera.
Ms. Hilton I like the way you push and glide
Rollerskates on a social butterfly, whoo! Social ladders to be climbed, it's who you know not what you know in the world of celebrity..

Breeze by, velvet ropes once you've 'made it', you can get away with anything, no such thing as bad press.
Ski this town like a bunny slope Breeze through life with ease.
Oh my, there she goes
A Long money girl in her short money clothes Material goods, image, all important.

Name of The Magazine

i spent ages trying to create some new rearrangement of "YouTube" so the collaboration with them was obvious to the consumer, but everything i could think of seemed too obvious and unoriginal in it's sound, as when i personally hear a variation of Youtube i think of "RudeTube" the Channel4 programme.

eventually i came up with:

"editorREAL"

it contained the word editorial (and without the spelling, it sounds like it is on paper alone), so the consumer is instantly made aware that it is a magazine/editorial product. With the alteration to include the word REAL on the end, upon further investigation to the magazine (or through interest sparked from the spelling of the magazine name) the consumer would realise the content of the magazine is 'real people' rather than celebrity banter.

i feel it is quite catchy and easy to remember, plus it is easy to pronounce and unique in the sound, as generally magazine names are one/two syllables.

Let's Look At Advertising..

There is obviously a strategy to selling a product.

My teacher was kind enough to hand me tons of information of advertising, what is conventional of advertising, and how does it alter as we target different ages/genders etc or depending on what product is being pushed.

I found some key ideas that are supposedly to be running themes throughout advertising, and seem to be effective.

"applying to my project"

"AVANTE GARDE"

This is the theory that a product can be appealing to an audience (in particular younger people - under 18's) if it's marketed as the 'newest' or most 'updated' model available, people are eager to have 'the best' and so if a product is being pitched as something particularly revolutionary or special then people desire it, as they hope to keep on trend. My magazine is new, and the 'hook' of the magazine itself is that it is offering EXCLUSIVE information/software/content that is ONLY available to those who purchase the product. This fits perfectly, as despite not being expensive the product is being presented as something unique and exclusivity is given to whoever pays (to a certain extent).

"FACTS AND FIGURES"

It's common for products to be backed up by evidence, the companies would pitch products and give evidence (often numerical) as to why it is specifically better than another product. It is difficult to merge information such as this into my advert without sounding 'intimidating', as it's aimed at a free-thinking and creative audience, they may find it patronising to have figures thrown in their direction, especially when the product (magazine) has no particular function that can be compared to another (fabric softener removes blahblahblah% more than leading brand..).

"WEASEL WORDS AND MAGIC INGREDIENTS"

the idea that products can be presented in an ideal light without giving firm evidence or assurance that it does the job, and suggesting that the product contains something revolutionary that makes it different from the rest. This may be more relevant in products that are consumed or used cosmetically etc, but it could be said my magazine uses the 'magic ingredient' as it is suggesting that it is completely different from the majority of mainstream editorials that are available currently.

"PATRIOTISM"

People find products appealing if they are exerting a love for the country in which the consumer lives, for instance..

Jack Wills clothing is displays great British Pride with it's slogan "Fabulously British"

I want to say my magazine would NOT be considered a patriotic brand/corporate identity, as it is merging with the web which in itself is the 'World Wide Web', my product is all about interacting with a variety of people from around the world, but it could be said that my magazine is patriotic in a way.. it is attempting to 'unite' the market it is targeting,

it is encouraging people to get creative and share opinions and views online, being open to debate and meeting new people. Rather than reading the rumour and fiction that often fills the tabloids and magazines available to them.

"SNOB APPEAL"

suggesting the product makes the consumer part of an elite group, displaying characters of a luxurious and glamorous lifestyle. My product does both this and the exact opposite, it insists that the consumer gains exclusivity by purchasing the magazine, gaining access to information etc that is unobtainable to those who don't, while it directly mocks people of anything other than a working class/ from a modest background.

"BRIBERY"

having something to offer the consumer in exchange for their purchase, in the case of my product, it is that a voucher is available to get the first issue free.. otherwise the product is still cheap. And free gifts are also part of the purchase, with promises of more in future issues.

"PLAIN FOLKS"

The suggestion that the product is of good value for ordinary people, probably one of the most important hooks to my magazine, that it is not only specifically targeting ordinary people (though web-literate), the product itself consists of the the works of normal people, making the character's put to the consumer.. relatable and likeable, making the product appealing and increasing the chance of repeat purchases and returns to the magazine website/online content.

"TESTIMONIAL"

basically, product placement.. celebrity endorsement, making the product look more appealing as the audience feels that the product must be effective/successful as the celebrity swears by it's credibility. Again, my product is the exact opposite of this.. it doesn't need celebrity endorsement as it mocks celebrities and what they represent. Although it could be argued that the product would appear more appealing as the you-tubers that it represents, have large followings and fan bases and could be considered celebrities on a lower level (Internet celebrities, simply another 'breed' of celebrity that have worked their way up using different methods, or unintentionally to such a scale).

"WIT & HUMOUR"

I like to think that my advert would have both these characteristics, and the celebrities are being presented in a satirical manner, it would be good if the audience reacted in a positive way, hopefully entertained by the plot of the ad,

Ads that have Inspired me, or i Admire

1. Guinness - Surfer

This ad i always remember, alike my favourite music video it gives the audience a sense of being.. 'overwhelmed', it uses natural and STRONG imagery, wild horses and the masculine input of a group of surfers. What really appeals to me about this advert is the merging of the white horses and the 'white horses' of the waves (when the wind catches the wave and creates white mist/froth). It is a clever and original idea, and inspired by the 1893 painting 'Neptune's Horses'.

Surfer is a critically acclaimed integrated advertising campaign launched in 1999 by Diageo to promote Guinness-brand draught stout in the United Kingdom. The cornerstone of the campaign is a television commercial, originally 60 seconds long, which centred around a Polynesian surfer successfully taking on a gigantic wave. Shot in Hawaii over a nine-day period and directed byJonathan Glazer, the piece went on to win more awards than any other commercial in 1999 (Clio Awards, D&AD Awards, Cannes Lions), and in 2002 was voted the "Best ad of all time" in a poll conducted by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times.

Wikipedia

2. MoneySupermarket.com

This ad appeals to me because it is humorous and relatable. The main protagonist (Omid Djalili) is blunt and straight-talking/ he doesn't beat around the bush.

His role in this television ad is to speak and act on behalf of the customer, he wants the best deal and mocks/baits anyone who says otherwise. He breaks down the fourth wall by speaking directly to camera, which makes him for appealing to the consumer, as he doesn't sugar coat what he wants and what he aims to get for you, he won't settle for less than the best deal. I plan to have my protagonist speak directly to camera as i feel this makes them for relatable and believable to the consumer. It also makes it more realistic, people often feel lost in film and/or television as they are stuck in the void that this is fictional, and when a character addresses them directly they are caught off guard and pay attention to what is said.

I find it very effective how a tracking shot has been used to follow Omid around, I would love incorporate this into my own ad, the challenge being to keep the filming smooth as both myself and the actor/actress travel.

The lighting is very good, Omid's face is clearly lit, to achieve this i may have to make my location outdoor, or make use of umbrellas, white board or foil (i've been told is very effective) so my actor/actress' face is clearly lit for the camera to pick up, as i hope the plot to be very satirical/sarcastic, emotion in my protagonist's face is important and needs to be registered.

Lighting would be vital for this.

The transitions are quick cuts (see 00.16) and this is effective for keeping the advert at a fast-pace, fitting the dialogue which is loud and blunt.

20 ads That Shook The World - Background Research Into Ads and Audience

I decided to do some background research to see what made a successful ad, or ad campaign and so my teacher recommended this book, "20 Ads that Shook the World" by James B. Twitchell, the book analyses 20 of this centuries most groundbreaking adverts and advertising campaigns and how they've had such an impact that society itself as been altered.

The ad i found most interesting and relevant to my project was the Marlboro Man.

The factor of my project that I would consider to be the most 'post-modern' would be that the people i plan to feature both in my ad and magazine are not in the position of fame or popularity, they are perfectly unknown and unrecognisable, and that is what i hope to be their appeal alike the characters on YouTube. This is a new idea that has only recently cropped up in ads such as confused.com, and the general public only generally make television appearances on the news and game-shows which also aren't as common as they once were, as people are more keen to see 'Celebrities' compete for charity etc.

What the 'Marlboro Man' is, is exactly what my advert is going against.

He is fabricated and fictional, a corporate image representing a product in a way that the company feels will be most effective and profitable to reel in the consumer, who subconsciously aspire to be the clean-cut, strong-jawed and handsome (heroic figure that is a cowboy) representative that the 'Marlboro Man' is.

MARLBORO, went from selling less than one-quarter of a percent of the American market in the early 50's, to being the most popular worldwide in just 25 years, EVERY FOURTH CIGARETTE SMOKED IS A MARLBORO.

So how have Marlboro done it? The first point that '20ATSTW' brought up is that Marlboro are selling an image. Alike 'bottled water' and 'whiskey', if handed a different brand of cigarette, a smoker will identify it as their own if you were to name it as thus, the consumer is tasting an image rather than the product itself, so image is what will bring them in.

The beauty of the Marlboro Man is that he is just that fictional, he plays on the expectations and fantasies of the American public.

After failing to alter the product ("beauty tip" of the cigarette) to attract the female consumer, they focused on finding the most masculine representative they could manage, Cowboy was a fitting image.

"But these admen were not thinking of the real cowboy, not some dirty, spitting, toothless, smelly wrangler. They were city boys who knew cowboys in bronzes and oils by Frederic Remington, or in oils and watercolours by Charles Russell..

.. Marlboro Man was not always a 'real' cowboy, just don't remind them that almost half of real cowpunchers were black or Mexican."

The cowboy image has been hollywood-ised, the Marlboro Man, he is a white American, but tanned, clean cut in his Levi jeans, cleanly-shaven, he 'doesn't speak' because 'he doesn't need to..", he is an enviable image, as he stands strong with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, a heroic figure the Americans would relate to the likes of Clint Eastwood.

What i can gather from this ad, is that generally the public want to be spoon-fed fiction. They will buy and consume whatever visually appeals to them, this therefore technically makes my project all the more difficult. What i plan to give the audience/consumer is the real deal, although i know that the likes of YouTube broadcasters, people like myself, have become is much more popular in the past decade as younger people have been given access to the Internet - what i see everyday in local newsagents etc is magazines pushing stories and photos of celebrities, rumour and scandal is what sells..

but i must also consider, that now with access to the Internet growing and access to the same content is available online, people are less willing to made the distance to the shop to buy paper editorial, this is find would be in favour to my magazine (being web-based once it has become established, apart from the mailed subscriptions).

Frederic Remington

Conventions Of A Magazine

The image isn't just for comedy, seriously..

what i'm trying to demonstrate with this image is what is typical of a magazine, from what i can see after cutting up many magazines..

this being more bias to glossy and gossip magazines rather than magazines in general.

• the Magazine name is always at the top of the magazine, this is so when on the shelf it is visible above the barriers that hold the magazine upright. The gossip/trashy magazines are generally 'one word' and one syllable, short, snappy and easy to remember (Shout, Heat, Now). While specialist magazines generally describe exactly what content the consumer is getting: Horse Riding Weekly, Apple Mac World, Fishing UK.
• Words such as "exclusive" crop up frequently in gossip magazines, as celebrities tell their stories (supposedly making them more believable), and more often than not.. celebrity wedding exclusives appear on Glossy magazine covers. 'at home with..' and similar phrases make stories more believable, as these magazines are known for playing on rumour and unfortunate photographs of celebrities.

• A favourable or recognisable (and ATTRACTIVE) face is likely to appear on the cover, this way the consumer is drawn in, as they may be a fan of the person appearing or may favour one magazine over another after seeing who appears, it's unlikely to be a conscious/deliberate decision but it's a decision that the consumer WOULD make.
• a headline or attention grabbing quote from a celebrity or somebody well-known, further attracting the consumer to favour one magazine over another, playing on the consumer's curiosity.
• "man who ate his.." a startling or strange story to further play on the consumer's curiosity, a story that is out for the ordinary and could be told my a member of the public or a celebrity ("my marriage downfall, blah blah blah..").
• Competitions, offering the reader something in exchange for buying the magazine, this could include vouchers for a popular shop or online store, the opportunity to win cars/holidays, or even a small product coming with the magazine (magazines such as Company frequently give away small cosmetics with their magazines).
• THIS SEASON.. fashion and gossip magazines in particular play on seasons and trends, the summer encouraging 'bikini body' articles in every issue, and winter issues full of 'the most flattering and on trend coats'.

Since i'm creating my own magazine and corporate identify, it is vital that i analyse what is typical of a magazine, i'm going to do this via both existing magazines and through the typical magazine draft i have created. it's important to pick out the key features that always or most commonly appear on a magazine front cover.

• what's typical of a magazine?
• how do magazines vary throughout "genres"?
• what genres are there?
• what does each individual magazine have to offer to the customer?
• how is the consumer's attention caught?
• what's unique and what's very typical? can magazines combine these?

i feel it's important that my magazine be both typical and unique to the market, it's unique already as an idea, a magazine that is both available online and on paper, buying on paper to allow access to online features. But also picking up on the important characteristics that make a magazine appealing.
it'll be easy access and modern, which will help attract the consumer when introduced onto shelves.

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UNFORTUNATELY, this video should be eight and a half minutes long but Youtube didn't feel like co-operating, so the video has been sped up to try and meet the audio, point is.. the content is still there, hopefully there are some valid points in there despite my hand gestures not fitting what i'm mumbling.

So just watching through the video, i mumbled a lot and so decided to summarise as much as i could, what is being said.

Magazines Research:

• substantial list of genres, many many available, many for specific hobbies.
• periodicals, magazines are generally released at set times, every week/month/day and this affects the size of the magazine often.
• the content available in each genre of magazine, there is a pattern.
• can be purchased or subscribed to.

Arrangement of magazine shelving in shops.

• children's magazines are generally on the lower shelf as they are at the perfect height, in the child's eye-line and so they are more likely to spot them and therefore pick them up.
• newspapers are always together, for people who regularly travel to the shop to pick up a paper.
• gossip/trashy magazine (fashion, wedding, some specialised but still rather mainstream such as Baby&Me, female magazines) aimed at the 'female audience who may approach the shelf to browse', are in the middle and suit the average height. Straight in front of you for easy browsing, easily reached.
• Specialised magazines that people would go and purposely look for are positioned higher up, people who only appear to browse would not think to look up while those who buy the specialised genres would purposefully seek them.
• Clever arrangement, plays on psychology of people, their intentions when going to the magazine shelf, are they looking for a specific magazine or merely browsing? Therefore put the popular magazines at the forefront for the browsers and those magazines that don't need to be shown (as they will be sought and unlikely to be chosen by a browser) out of the way.

Magazine appearance and characteristics

• familiar and comforting faces appear on the covers
• the prices will be low and competitive, some will actually name others "30p cheaper than.."
• Collaboration between magazines, buy 'ok', 'heat' and 'now' for £3! So the consumer believes they are saving money, and rather than competing, the magazines therefore all get a profit from the consumer.
• sizes of the magazines, generally the cheaper magazines are thinner and funded by advertising, monthly and more more expensive magazines are generally thicker and have more content but, to compensate, have even more adverts.
• the adverts chosen for each magazine are specific to the magazine content. While a glossy or a fashion-based magazine would have adverts for deodorant, feminine cars, feminine hygiene, make up and perfume.. A male magazine would advertise aftershave, watches, energy drinks and male-orientated cars.

Applying this to my product.

• who can appear on my cover? must be someone ordinary but.. not (?) referring to youtube stars could be important.
• arrangement of the cover difficult to alter, as shelf arrangement means main parts of the image such as title and cover-focus must remain in the same place.
• the name of the magazine, word play on youtube would show the consumer instantly what the magazine content is, something rememberable.
• who's the protagonist, antagonist for my advert?

(interruption from family) chose not to re-film for sake of 10 seconds, oh..

ta-da!

watched video up and thought I'd add on the dialogue that was cut, if it's helpful.. not so sure :')

i was saying about how in the Glossy/fashion magazines, the first twenty or so pages would be adverts and this would continue throughout the magazine, what i was trying to explain was how the adverts are generally chosen to fit the audience of the magazine.

The missing content is pretty much summarised above (see bullet points).

i then produced what i consider to be the typical template for a magazine, this generally applies across the genres, not just the glossy/gossip magazines. The only exceptions, i would say are Magazines where the subject/content is not 'human' ( .. dont' laugh at that ) but for example Horse riding (other hobby-based genres) and Home/Lifestyle magazines have exactly that on the cover rather than a famous face/faces.