AICE MEDIA STUDIES
AICE Candidate #2194
Critical Reflectoin
How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
Running magazine
Conventional Similarities
Content
Because I interview an experienced former cross-country and track runner for my magazine, it still has elements that are geared toward the athletic community as a whole.
Main Image
The pictures you see on my front cover do conform to conventions, to continue. This is due to the fact that I imitated the format used by the majority of running publications (a good example is the one shone above "Running").
Masthead
The masthead in "Running" magazine is also laid out in the top of the page, so that it does not obstruct the model in the main image. I utilized this layout for my own magazine.
RUN WITH IT! magazine made by myself
Conventional Differences
Content
Running magazines frequently target the athletic community, which is particularly conventional. Despite this, my magazine focuses on advice for beginning runners and a community of un-athletic newcomers. This makes it possible for my magazine to appeal to a younger audience because it is more geared toward young novice runners.
Main Image
Unlike the example of "Running" magazine, I wanted the runner in the center of my primary image to be farther away rather than closer up.
Masthead
The masthead in my own magazine utilizes a more modern sans serif font whereas the masthead in "Running" magazine utilizes a classic, serif font.
Conventions Summary
My publication defies conventions in that it caters more to novice, inexperienced runners and targets audiences in their teens because it is oriented toward high school students. whereas the majority of running publications are intended for seasoned runners.
Overall, the format of my publication follows conventions. Except that mine had a greater shot with my model farther away, my main image was somewhat comparable to that of "Running" magazine. Additionally, both have mastheads that are big and attract attention. Overall, my publication adheres to conventions while still offering an unique outlook on an athletic magazine.
Representation of Social Groups and Issues
The student and new runner social groups that are interested in joining the running community are represented by RUN WITH IT! It inspires readers to consider the potential of running and the various ways that adopting a positive outlook can enhance your athletics. It is exciting for those who want to become more active in fitness and health to have the chance to discuss these subjects with their teammates and peers and possibly make new friends who share their interests.
In addition, my magazine implores young people to put down their electronic devices—a significant social issue- and begin exercising so they can be healthier and more active in school and athletics. It gets kids who previously didnt have anything to do after school to join clubs such as cross country and track, and better their lives and expand their worldview past their phones.
Multimedia integration: Podcast on in depth look at social and conventional factors
Linked below is a Soundcloud podcast i created better explain the critical reflection of my magazine!
How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
Media Distribution
I believe it would be ideal to employ specific social media applications to help catch my audience's attention when trying to draw readers to my magazine. Using TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms, for instance, enables my magazine to connect with a younger generation and community, increasing magazine viewing and sales from my target audience. Because, let's face it, teenagers simply don't find scrolling on their phones as captivating as reading a magazine. In terms of running, having a digital edition makes it simpler to obtain information when beginning your first run or using some of RUN WITH IT! Magazine's tips and tricks because you don't have to look for the paperback.
Target Audience:
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Novice runners
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High schoolers and teens
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Experienced runners
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Casual, informative readers
Audience Engagement
RUN WITH IT! magazine will engage with all the audiences (for reference, i made a chart which can be seen to the left of this text) it wants to grab their attention. By utilizing media, it will attract a younger audience, and by having content skewed to high schoolers, it can also interact with my audience by constantly referencing high schoolers themselves, and interviewing young, teenage runners. Which will interact with my younger audience in a way that makes those readers feel more connected to the magazine since it is relevant to their age group.
As for experienced runners, there are interviews with coaches, and also dietary articles that would still remain beneficial to runners who despite being experienced, could use a younger, more modern opinion on tips and tricks for runners.
Summary of Media and Audience Engagement
In conclusion, even though my magazine caters to a wide range of ages and levels of running expertise, I will be able to advertise it to the younger audience through social media and have an online version of my editorial to make it more accessible to all of my target demographics.
Multimedia integration: Youtube video explanation about audience and media engagement.
Linked below is a youtube video I created to help explain to my readers about how i will engage my audience and distribute media.
How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Skill Development
I was able to pick up a lot of new abilities and learn how to use various programs throughout my course. These programs include Wix, Procreate, and Adobe Photoshop. Procreate was the software I used the most, in my opinion. I started from scratch with an app called Procreate to make my final creation. Initially, it was a blank page, and I had no idea how to use the app's features because I had never created anything resembling page design before to this magazine. I was able to create drafts of my table of contents, cover, and double page spread thanks to this website, and I also learned how to create and finish my magazine.
Procreate
Procreate is the app where I made my website. I know it is more common to use Canva, or sites similar to that, but I already had the Procreate app and although never having used it before, I found it easier to learn to use rather than Canva. On Procreate, i was able to upload custom fonts i wanted to use for my magazine, and I expanded my skills for page design and digital art in the meanwhile.
Wix
On Wix, i built this whole website from scratch. I don't have any previous experience with media building, except for social media, and even in that scenario I'm not the most tech-savvy individual. Using Wix has taught me so much of the potential i could have to start a blog, which in doing research and publishing blogs for this class, i have found that i really enjoy it and would dedicate my own time to blogging simply for my own enjoyment. The technological side of building this website with Wix was breazy, to put it easily. Even for someone inexperienced like myself, after a couple days i saw myself becoming more familiarized with the software!
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is where i edited all images i used in my magazine. Unsurprisingly, i have never edited photos or used any adobe software, so it was difficult for me to edit photos on this site. In particular, i struggled with trying to use the software to change the color hues and brightness of my photos. But nonetheless, I eventually got a hang of Photoshop and had 5 beautiful images to use for my magazine.
Adobe Photoshop (in depth)
Before
After
As you can see in the images above, i used the features in the Adobe Photoshop software to develop my images to better suit my magazine. In the "Before" image, the hues are darker, and there isn't as brightness. Overall, the image looks gloomy and serious. Two things i didn't want my magazine to convey. In the "After" image, i used photoshop to brighten up my photo, and have the color blue (one of the main colors of my magazine) to match the text in my magazine.
Photography
The last skill i developed was photography. I was able to learn how to capture images from multiple perspectives rather than just one when I was photographing my runners. And I had a new challenge. Since my models were actually running during their shoots, I had to chase after runners instead of taking shots of stationary models. I discovered how to take photos on my phone in both the horizontal and vertical orientations, how to use the rule of thirds, how to have leading lines, and how to frame a subject. Overall, I took excellent shots because to their abilities.
Although learning photography terms and learning to utilize them was hard, the software itself wasn't difficult to use. I used my phone camera, which I already knew how to work and was comfortable with. Overall, my photography skills were more developed through researching how to do good, professional photography rather than learning to use my camera app.
Multimedia integration: Timelapse magazine cover creation on Procreate
Linked below is a youtube time-lapse video i created to help you, my readers, better understand the creation process of my magazine production.
How did you integrate technologies - software, hardware, and online - in this project?
Online
Online, i used integrated social media to gain insight from my target audience, teenagers, as to what they would like in my magazine, and i actually utilized a lot of the input i got online and took it into consideration when making my magazine!
Below are some images of polls i conducted on instagram where i had viewers choose which colors they found more aesthetically pleasing for a magazine, and which images they would rather I use for my main images in my magazine spread, cover, and table of contents.
Below is a screenshot of the instagram poll results, with usernames blacked out for privacy purposes.
As you can see, everyone voted for the second option, which i ended up using as the main image for my magazine cover.
Multimedia integration: Podcast on Technological Influence
Linked below is a Soundcloud podcast i created to better explain my critical reflection of my technology use in creating my magazine.
Hardware
Software
I used a variety of hardware tools to create my magazine, including a computer, usb, and my iPhone Camera. I started off by using my iPhone 12 to snap images of my runners. When I wanted to use computer technology to open Photoshop to edit my images, I copied all of my phone's photos to my computer using a USB.
Below is an example of a iPhone 12 camera, which i used to take photos.
I primarily used online technologies for this project to gather design components for my magazine. I utilized dafont.com to locate the fonts that appeared in my finished work. I also utilized online photo editing tools like Photoshop. I also used the software app, Procreate, to do the whole final design on my magazine. And of course, Wix, to create this whole site.
