12/19: Magazine Marketing/Distribution

Target Audience:
Readers Interested in Travel, especially south Florida travel

Marketing:
To get the word out, we would use the social media website, Facebook. (The only social media outlet to be utilized in developed as well as in some developing countries by persons of all ages) We would also reach out to many local newspapers such as, but not limited to, The Herald Tribune and The Tampa Times. Common sense tells us that you have to start small. Sales would be garnered by advertisements who would support us based on the views we would receive for the online magazine publication. Like certain apps intended for online/streaming purposes such as Pandora and Netflix, readers can pay a monthly fee to temporarily rid themselves of the ads.

We would charge $5.00 and as the magazine grows more popular, gradually raise this amount for new patrons. Any fees allotted to readers would be subject to contract. If fees were left unpaid by the time the next issue came around, they would be subject to ads for an additional three months (or three issues) as an incentive to pay.

Distribution:
Considering what I know and what my partner knows from living and vacationing in the south Florida region, we are well aware how the most frequent and agile leisure travelers range between 40 and 65 years old.
They typically, thanks to the years on their lives, have the financial means in which they need for leisure travel and the physical ability to do it.
Also, while this group of people are on the older to middle aged side of the age spectrum, generally, they are no stranger to computers. Furthermore, while digital is difficult, as I previously stated in my 11/16 blog post, it allows access to this magazine on a much broader scope.
Armed with this reasoning, my partner and I both decided to make our magazine an 'online-only' publication.
Issues would be monthly and a print copy for a $7.99 (plus $5.99 shipping and handling fee) will also be available upon request.

Research:
I did some research, aside from our own reasoning:

1) http://www.cnbc.com/id/44375222
~Online magazines draw the attention of celebrities and are exclusively funded by advertisements

2) Newsroom sitcom
~vividly depicted the need for viewers, which are directly linked to funds from advertising corporations

12/19: Current Progress

Happy Holidays, everyone!

As of right now, current progress for my south Florida travel magazine issue is as follows:

What is Done
-->Medium of magazine decided
--> Topic concerning south Florida travel decided
--> My partner does her issue on Sanibel Island and I elect to do mine of Sarasota
-->Cover
-->Table of Contents
--> Tourist and Local Interviews
-->Article
-->Four pictures
-->House style instituted
--> Discussing perks and downsides of going digital in regards to a magazine

What needs to be done
-->Meeting with partner over break to make sure that her magazine is compatible with the house style mimicked in mine, and to compare blog notes
--> Discussion concerning Marketing/Distribution of Magazine
--> Final product post

12/16: Revisions: Researched and Added Bar Code to Magazine

Courtesy of: https://worldbarcodes.com/magazine-barcodes/ 

New and Improved Magazine Cover

Evidently, even online magazine publications are expected to have a bar code, according to my AICE Media Studies instructor.

12/15: Table of Contents and Article FINISHED!

All of these articles are running pieces

12/14: Current Progress

My AICE Media Studies instructor always mentions to our class that, "If you didn't blog about it, then it didn't happen."

Therefore, today I worked on my table of contents and will post the picture of the finished product soon.

I added 'tape' to the pictures I took to add authenticity as well as a scripted overall font.

Finally, I added the descriptions of shots and how each contributed to the overall meaning of authenticity intended for this magazine on the 11/30 blog post.

12/09: New and Revised Cover

Camera shot of Lido Beach- Long Shot in order to encompass the entirety of the scenery.

There are also headings for articles that my partner and I felt we ought to include in our travel magazine, along with a credit to where and when I took this picture.

12/08: Magazine Layout Revision

Today and all week, I have set out to revise the cover art of our magazine and will work on the table of contents once my partner comes back.


She liked the layout I had pieced together early on, but figured a picture I had taken would be best suited if it were enlarged to fit the cover.


I also added useful subheadings to grab readers attention along with a source intended for the picture on the cover.


Pictures to come soon!

12/01: First Page Article Topic/Current Progress

Because we are already equipped with pictures of each of our south Florida travel locations coupled with interviews we gave to locals and tourists, my partner and I decided our article would be titled, "Why (blank)?" The blank being of course, our particular destination for our individual magazine issue.

I have almost all of my pictures for the magazine that I need, so that's looking very good.

11/30: Pictures taken of Sarasota for my 'South Florida EXCURSION' issue over my recent holiday break

'Insert' of a Lido Beach sign to give readers a sense of location.

'Vertical Wide Shot' of the Street of St. Armand's Circle to portray an idea of place and to show a restaurant featured in our magazine, Daiquiri Deck.

'Horizontal Long Wide Shot' intended to give readers the opportunity to see Lido Beach on fairly wide scale, almost as if every aspect is captured within this photo.

'Insert' of VW Van with Spongebob along St. Armand's Circle intended to add humor to this travel magazine.

This bay overlooks the Marina Jack Restaurant by Downtown Sarasota. This 'Wide Shot' is meant to encompass as much of the atmosphere as I can do for the readers, again allowing them to get a better glimpse of Sarasota, our featured south Florida location.

Another 'Wide Shot' to encompass the entirety of the main entrance to the famed AMC Mall and its shoppers towards the Venice end of Sarasota. This allows me to better communicate how many people come here, as I can show all of them using this shot as well.

'Wide Shot' of the AMC Movie Theatre in the AMC Mall. The decor is interesting to me, very eye-catching, and therefore, I wanted to use this shot so that I could capture that for readers. This type of shot also conveys how busy the mall is because I can fit more people in the frame.

'Wide Shot' and 'Insert' of the Unconditional Surrender statue located in Downtown Sarasota. The 'Wide Shot' is meant to broadcast to readers that it is indeed a popular tourist attraction in the area because it has made me capable of showing these tourists. The 'Insert' shows them the statue.

'Canted Mid-Shot' of the Asolo Theatre located in Northern Sarasota. The 'Mid-Shot' allows for one to read the words on the photo such as, Asolo Rep and West Side Story that convey place and meaning of place, such as the fact that this fancy building is a playhouse. The image is 'canted' so that the readers will most likely assume that they have to look harder at the particular photo if they intend to ever understand it. They then will have to read the words that I want them too in the photo.

11/30: House Style Revisited

Today, my partner and I reviewed the house style we had come up with and I had initially put together using Microsoft Publisher technology.

She approves!

11/28: House Style Rough Draft

Today, I created my overall house style on the Publisher software, by Microsoft Office.

Unfortunately, the whole process had taken me awhile because I was quite unfamiliar with the technology. Evidently, while my partner and I had each helped to come up with the house style, I decided that my role in this group would be to initially put it together. My partner is out of town on holiday, but once school starts up again, I intend to show this to her and see whether she likes it.

This first picture is the cover page. The only thing left for me to add is some pictures I must take of Sarasota for this particular issue, attached by a paperclip or a piece of tape to make it seem as if someone, by hand, had put it on---again, really striving towards an authentic feel for our south Florida travel magazine. The words there so far, I made myself on wordle.net.

This second picture is actually page 2 (left) where the Table of Contents will go, and page 3 (right) where the one page article will go. My partner and I, to keep the house style intact, will have to meet up at a later time in order to discuss what will appear on these pages. 

11/24: My Original CoverArt For My Sarasota Issue Created Using Wordle.net

11/23: My Interview (Tourist) Answers

Questions Posed to Tourists:
           1. What are some of the most important reasons that you have decided to come to Sarasota, FL for vacation?
           2. Which Sarasota attractions has captivated your attention most of all?
           3. What was your favorite local restaurant?
           4. And would you come back again?

Interview Answers for Tourist One:
          1. "To bask in the sun and escape the harsh winters of Connecticut with my kids."
          2. "The "Kissing Statue." It portrays two strangers kissing after hearing that World War 2 has been won by the Allies. One is a nurse and one is sailor---based on the famous photograph."
          3. "O'Leary's" at Island Park
          4. "Yes, I come here to vacation every year! My children love it!"
          ---Shoshannah Francis, Mother of 7

Interview Answers for Tourist Two:
          1. "To see family."
          2. "The beaches and the women."
          3. "Columbia on St. Armand's Circle, because I'm classy."
          4. "For sure, because I have family to see."
        ---George Holiday, A Family man

Interview Answers for Tourist Three:
          1. "I love the water, the artsy element to the city, and the shows presented at the 'Van Wezel' and at the 'Players Theater'. My late husband, just adored these places"
          2. She says with a denture-bearing smile, "Everything I just described would just about do it!"
          3. "The Toasted Mango"
          4. "Yes, in fact, I will be journeying back to Sarasota. I cherish the place far too much not to, and I own a summer home here. I am certainly what the townspeople here would call a true 'snow-bird!'"
        ---Doris Watson, Retired Widow

11/19: My Interview (Sarasota Local) Answers

Questions Posed to Locals:
           1. How long have you lived in Sarasota?
           2. Do you like the year-round hot weather?
           3. What is your favorite thing to do for fun around here?
           4. Overall, do you like living here?

(Local) Interview One Answers

1. "Whole life"
2. "I only like it in the summer. Wish we had a winter. Never seen the leaves change and snow."
3. "Kayakking in the Mangrove Trails"
4. He winked, "Yes."
    ---Sarasota High School Senior, Camden Jeffrey

(Local) Interview Two Answers

1. "7 years."
2. "Yes."
3. "I like the shows best."
4. "I like Sarasota! Yes."
    ---Elderly Resident, Sara E. Reed

(Local) Interview Three Answers

1. "Five years."
2. "I love it! However, my AC does tend to cost me quite a bit of money in the summer months."
3. "The Ringling Art Museum, for sure. It's free to the public on Monday and everything from the diverse art to the gardens are just magnificent to see."
4. "Aside from the Republicans who try to run this town, I really am quite fond of the place."
---45 year old, Quentin Marshall

11/17: Interview Notes for My 'South Florida EXCURSION' Issue: Sarasota, FL

--> I will want to interview (2) local residents and (2) tourists
--> I can do this during Thanksgiving Break or during a coming weekend

Questions I will ask:

     (Tourist)
           1. What are some of the most important reasons that you have decided to come to Sarasota, FL for vacation?
           2. Which Sarasota attractions has captivated your attention most of all?
           3. What was your favorite local restaurant?
           4. And would you come back again?

      (Local)
           1. How long have you lived in Sarasota?
           2. Do you like the year-round hot weather?
           3. What is your favorite thing to do for fun around here?
           4. Overall, do you like living here?

Locations:

          1. School and Work (All ages of Sarasota locals thrive here. Also, I am well acquainted with quite a few who I know would be glad to take an interview from me, as I have established credibility with them)
          2. The Siesta Key/Lido Beaches
          3. Sarasota Downtown

11/16: The Road to Digitaliztion: Contemporary newspaper and/or magazine publishing, including the ways in which the web is raising issues for the production, distribution and consumption of print media.

  Having been requested by my Media Studies instructor and the AICE syllabus to write something pertinent to, "contemporary newspaper and/or magazine publishing, including the ways in which the web is raising issues for the production, distribution and consumption of print media," this is what I shall dedicate my latest blog post to.

  According to an essay written by a prominent, retired American TV historian and executive, Tim Brooks, the road to digital from print in regards to the publishing of magazines has been a difficult one to say the least.

   This is because magazine publishers are now having to strive to cater to readers on not just a straightforward conventional platform, but on a digital platform as means for additional profit. This kind of transformation can be a very exacting process for magazine publishers. Magazine publishers also have no way of knowing just how many readers will end up viewing their webpage pertaining to digital publication methods, whereas in regards to conventional publication, such as print, these magazine publishers will have a very good idea of just how many people will read their magazine and therefore, a good idea of just how much profit they will rake in from ads.

Taking these difficulties into consideration, my partner and I both agree that we would like to keep it conventional, relying on ads and consumers for profit. This will also enhance the authenticity of our 'bookish' layout.

11/11: Planning Our Magazine (Layout and Title)

  Today, my partner and I decided we ought to first look at other travel magazine layouts in an effort to select a house style for the issues we will each be responsible for producing for the exam.

Below, are three examples of travel magazine layouts that my partner and I liked. 

***All graphics from Google Images (2015)***

After discussing these examples further, we both decided that the last picture, the notebook style, would suit us and our premise on South Florida travel much better than the first two options for magazine layout that we had previously come up with. This is simply because the notebook aspect brings about a real feeling of 'authenticity' to the piece since it gives an impression that you are reading actual notes from one's travel journal.

Because this particular notebook layout for the magazine gives off an impression of authenticity to perspective readers, it will then provide this travel magazine with an implicit blanket of credibility, even though it will have only recently been thrust headfirst into circulation and is not necessarily well-known. Credibility is essential, especially if you are trying to get people to visit certain places. This is because they cannot make any decision from your magazine unless they believe you because it is focused on travel, which of course requires one's time and money.

As for the title for our magazine, we have come up with, "South Florida EXCURSION."

On the cover will be a 'wordle,' a graphic that uses many words revolving around the same theme and artistically arranges them on the page for each issue to use as a house style. There may be a picture of our particular place for the issue attatched with a paper clip, furthering the authentic appeal. Inside, there will be more a Journal appeal to stimulate a traveler's log. This is why my partner and I decided that we would want to use a standard size for our magazine.

11/09: My Decision: Magazine or Film?

      From looking at the positive and negative aspects of producing a magazine rather than a film, or vice versa, I have come to the decision that I will be choosing a magazine as my medium for my AICE Media Studies Exam.

      I will work with my friend Amber. Each of us will labor to produce an individual issue of our magazine and work to collaborate on a house style and on content (table of contents, articles, running pieces, interviews, etc.) which we aim to start doing this week. Our premise will be focused on South Florida travel and it will consist of a target audience of adults with the means and interest to travel. The first issue will be on Sarasota, Florida since this is where the two of us reside. There is also quite a bit of tourist attractions here, whether it be in the beaches, art museums, downtown, etc. The final issue will be on Sanibel Island in Fort Myers, Florida because both of us have been before and it is a known tourist attraction.

     We will distribute this magazine online only and we will collect money through advertisements and page views.

11/09: Would a film be a good fit for me? Why or why not?

       A film could be a potential fit for me. One reason happens to be that the final product is merely intended to be two minutes in length, as it is to serve as an opening. A magazine, on the other hand, happens to require more than an opening. To me, an opening is really a title page of contents...enough said. However, a magazine will not only request a title page coupled with a table of contents, but rather an additional article---per person, per issue, while maintaining an equivalent house style. Further, there is also additional software that is required if one is to set out to create a living, breathing magazine that I am not aware of just yet.

       Although, there are issues with choosing to make a film as well that were described in my previous blog post that arise due to my particular skillsets. The act of filming with various shots, angles, and editing, is truly a foreign and highly tedious process in my opinion. The writing in the magazine, I feel, would exemplify my skillsets better in this regard. Finally, films require more people in contrast to a magazine. (Actors, Writers, Directors, Editors)

11/03: First Blog Entry Ever: Magazine Pros and Cons

       There are pros and cons that come with choosing to produce a magazine for the AICE exam rather than a brief video. To commence, a magazine is a great idea for me, simply because writing is one of my greatest strengths. Magazines rely on solid writing and fortunately for me, solid writing happens to be my forte. Another great reason for me to choose a magazine as my project medium happens to be that I will not need to research various shots and angles that comes with filming. (This can be a very tedious process.) Finally, a magazine is a great fit for me because there will be less people to worry about over the duration of the process. For example, in a video, there is an entire cast, writer(s), producer(s), editor(s) and a director. However, a magazine merely requires writers, editors, and interviewees.

       While there are enough perquisites to using a magazine rather than a video for the AICE exam, magazines also come with cons as well. This is due to the fact that it will be more verbose than a brief video because it will contain multiple issues (if there is to be more than one in a group) and written articles within it. A final con would be that I will have to learn a whole set of technology when it comes to creating a magazine; I am already well aware of how to use a video camera and I could even utilize my cellular device instead...it is the shots and making of a film that I mentioned before that I consider not to be one of my strong suits.

       In summation, there are indeed pros and cons that accompany the choosing of a magazine for use as a medium on the AICE exam, as oppose to a brief video submission.