Monday, 10 December 2012
feedback
How are particular groups of people represented in my magazine and do you think i could have done more to illustrate the audience I based my magazine on in my proposal?
Audience Feedback
Who do you think my target audience is? Please describe my audience, you could comment on for example social class, age, etc.
Friday, 7 December 2012
Final Contents pages
As I uploaded my last pieces i noticed a few things that needed changing, nothing major but everything counts.
Monday, 3 December 2012
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Thursday, 22 November 2012
Contents page so far
So as you may already know we have started our music magazine and so far my contents page is coming along well, just need some pictures.
Im not sure on the font of the writing so far, and whether the twitter and facebook sign should be in blue or keep it as it is.
Im not sure on the font of the writing so far, and whether the twitter and facebook sign should be in blue or keep it as it is.
Student magazine evaluation
Finally putting up my student magazine evaluation
Evaluation
For my cover page I first used a
photograph of my friend although he was not looking at the camera and was later
told that he had to look at the camera as the cover page usually only uses
photographs where the person being photographed is looking at the camera and/
or audience. Again like professional magazines I used a clear portrait, medium
close up of my friend who features in the cover story (the main article of the
magazine). A medium close up is used to give a clear image of the person;
against the clear, bright orange background the person stands out and seems
more attractive to the audience. For this image I did not use photo
shop although learning how to use it in the future could/ would improve image
quality.
How the image layout on the page allows space
on the either sides of the head of the person and the black background created
by the clothes allows me to use a brighter font to attract the audience with
colour coordination of text and the image. Ashran Says “The colours go
well together”. Black and white text have been used on either side of
the cover page, these colours were used because they stand out on the bright
orange background. Lining the sides of the page with text make way for the
cover story and represents the importance of the cover story. The masthead in
the top-right corner of the Cover page is placed there in magazines, I
personally done this because in my research I discovered that many other
established magazines such as XXL place there mastheads in the same place. I
later learned that this is to do with attracting the audience because when the
magazines are displayed the masthead and text down the side are visible and
will catch the audience’s eye. I easily gained a barcode from the internet and
place it in the bottom right corner of the cover with the number of the issue
laid on the left side of the barcode.
On the cover page not much writing is
needed. I had to decide what masthead would be; I did not want to be the same
as some of my friends by including LSC inside the masthead instead I came up
with the study which is also a study area within the college I also placed the
black, white and orange version of the LSC logo which goes well with the orange
and black cover page image. The rest of text for cover lines only had to be brief
but interesting for the audience. So I used appealing words to describe some of
the articles within the magazine such as the newest and free. I used the same
bold font for the cover lines and masthead although the size and colour was
altered.
The photography of the contents page
could have been better because it was poorly organized and I did not take my
time to take the photographs. The first photograph of the trainers was quickly
taken with no patients and time to waste all thought the composition of the
image was ok and was taken by a quality camera from an I phone. The second
picture of the poster from a media class in Leyton was a quick idea because I
desperately needed another image on the contents page. This would have been
better if I had a copy of the poster on the computer that I could easily place
on the page because the picture did not come out how I wanted even after many
attempts .Another image would have been good because there is one empty gap on
the page which should be filled.
My layout for my contents page is
different from what I planned in my contents plan. The title of the contents
page is located on the top of the page and clearly underlined with a bold line.
The contents information is arranged in three columns although the columns are
not clear and organized properly because I did not use the rulers on either
side of the computer screen to create lines to make and separate equal columns. The first content
listed is the cover story this is done because it is the main attraction of the
magazine therefore it is more important than the rest. The rest of the content
is listed in chronological order. The images are not placed randomly but placed
next to the related contents. If they had been placed randomly then the
audience may not know which part of the contents they are linked to.
The contents page needed less writing
on it because more writing will be needed to describe the different contents
within in the magazine. Again I used descriptive words to draw in the readers
and get them interested in the magazine. I also gave my contents catchy titles
to get the readers interested because the younger audience might not be into
reading a lot so I would have to use words and language that appeal to them in
order to get them further into my magazine. The title of my contents page (open
sesame…) was chosen because I didn’t want to be like
the rest of my class mates and just name it contents page. All the text on this
page is the same font as the cover page; as I said before I rushed the contents
age and so I didn’t think of changing the font of the text. The font should
have been changed both for the contents and cover page, especially for the
cover page because the masthead font is the same for the cover-line font and in
most magazines it is different for the two; maybe I could be different. The
Pages numbers of the contents are placed under each bit of contents in big font
to make it stand out.
I am now able to use indesign alot
better which enabled me to quickly make my contents page. One thing i could of
done on indesign when creating my ccontents page was to make columns so that
the text was allined neatly and accurately.
What do i need to improve?
In
order to make my cover and contents page better in the furure i need to invest
more time into them to make them as good as i possibly can. Because i didnt
organise my time properly i did not have enoughn time to take enough quality
photos for my contents page also the the arrangement of the text and images was
poor, i should have put more though into my plan. I do not think my cover page
had any it problems with although i could of placed columns on either side of
the page where the text is to make the text look neatly arranged.
•
Organising
my time to allow me more time to create my final music magazine.
•
Be
patient and take time on t qaulity pictures that are appropriate for my music
magazine.
•
Make
sure layout of my magazine is well planned and completed using the right tools
on the software for the cover page, contents page and double page spread.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Feed back on powerpoint
Overall the feedback on my power point was positive and very constructive and from this i have been able to make changes to the plans of my magazine. Some of these changes include...
- Decreasing the price of my magazine instead of making it free so that my losses are not so great.
- The teacher also liked the idea of hvaing two contents pages.
- Some fellows class mates thought that the name of the magazine didnt really make sense or they thought it was irellevant but I stuck by its foundations.
- At the end of the powerpoint I was not sure which font i should used so i decided to go and find a different one.
- I also changed the nae of my magazine to HOLLA MG because I think it is better than just HOLLA.
Friday, 9 November 2012
Magazine Newsstand
task
A newsstand from
Walthamstow’s WHSmith.
|
Some magazines use
different forms of media to get there products distributed and heard about.
These include social websites such as Facebook and Twitter. These can be used
to tell the audience that the next issue will be coming out. Or they may have
their own website where the audience can subscribe to the magazine which will
include discounts and subscriptions.
subscriptions offer the audience a fixed price for a subscription in which each month or week the magazine would be sent to there house instead of them having to go to the shop and buying it. This would benefit the company because they would have a reliable incomel; they are getting paid on a regular basis.
Another form of distribution is direct distrinution, this involves actively handing out issues of the magazine, going to the audience instead of waiting for them to come to you. this is usually free or at a lowered price, this may cost the company but is a good idea to start a magazien up.
subscriptions offer the audience a fixed price for a subscription in which each month or week the magazine would be sent to there house instead of them having to go to the shop and buying it. This would benefit the company because they would have a reliable incomel; they are getting paid on a regular basis.
Another form of distribution is direct distrinution, this involves actively handing out issues of the magazine, going to the audience instead of waiting for them to come to you. this is usually free or at a lowered price, this may cost the company but is a good idea to start a magazien up.
Vibe Magazine Case study
Vibe Magazine
Cover Page
Image
This shot is a
long shot because we are able to see the whole of their bodies; this has been
done to show off what they are wearing as they seem to be wearing formal and
expensive clothing. Although it is a
long shot, some things have been cut out for example parts Azelia’s legs have
been cut out of the frame and small parts of Diplo’s shoes and knee. There is
also a contrast in the chosen costumes, Azealia is wearing something more
revealing and so it which seems less formal where Diplo is wearing a suit which
is formal.
The scene they
chose doesn’t fit the outfits or the cover story; the setting seems random, but
perhaps they were going for an effect I’m not aware of. The lighting indicates
that it is hot and if you’re wearing black you’re going to be hotter and it’s
the same if you’re wearing a suit. Azealia is obviously wearing makeup, and it
all seems dark, dark lipstick, eye shadow and mascara; she is dressed as if she
is going to a funeral. It is not clear to me whether Diplo has had to put on
makeup. The lighting comes from the left of the setting which lights up the
left of their bodies and explains the cause of shadows on the right side of
them.
Page
layout
The layout of the
cover page is ordered in importance the masthead is at the bottom of importance
the image is next then first it is the text. The image partially covers the
masthead and the majority of text and the cover line covers the image.
The mast head is
very bold and bright which would stand out to anyone, and because it’s on such
a plain back ground it’s easily recognized. Red is a very passionate colour and
maybe that reflects the on the magazine, that the magazine is very passionate
about what’s inside. Above the mast is information on one of the pages included
in the magazine and because it’s so bold and dark it also stands out which
could signify importance. Down the left hand side of the magazine there is
three sections of information that’s included in the magazine. On the bottom
right hand side you find the cover line which is in various sizes and colours
of the same font. Diplo being the biggest and brightest word could mean that
Diplo is bigger than you; another importance factor.
Language
The Language of
the cover page is very limited in terms of how much of it there is. Although it
is not about the amount of text that is presented on the cover page that
matters, it is the way the text is presented and the techniques used to grab
the reader’s attention. The use of Rhetorical questions makes the reader wonder
what it could involve, big exciting things make people want to be involved
which is why DIPLO was made bigger than the rest of the text on the cover line
is much smaller. Also the way that the text is multi-coloured may seem
attracted to the audience especially those of a younger age which may be why it
is done.
Contents Page
Picture
The image on the
features contents page of three members from the music group MMG. The picture
contains Wale on the left, Rick Ross in the middle (because he is supposed to
be the main man) and Meek Mill on the right. Each artist is dressed in white
with tattoos and designer clothing which shows how successful they are.
This long shot
shows the whole body of each artist, every image has a purpose in a magazine.
This image is to show off the wealth of the group and each individual.
Obviously this long shot was taken so that everything would fit onto the page.
The only shadows
that are present are the ones under their shoes which could mean that there was
lighting coming from various directions. The extra light was needed for the
white clothing; the extra light would make the clothes brighter. Although, they
are wearing white against a white background and so they don’t stand out as
much and so the image isn’t as attractive as it could of been.
Page Layout
The title of its
contents page is very small, not noticeable and is not like typical big bold
titles that you see in some magazines. The title (features) is just above the
contents information which is right at the bottom in three columns in black
font and is very small, this could lead to people straining their eyes to read
it. I think that the contents page's space could have been used more
effectively instead of using one big picture and then scrunching the text up at
the bottom. By doing this the artists are made to look more important than the
magazine itself.
Language
When they address
an artist they will describe them first e.g. "Maybach Music founder Rick
Ross" or “Canadian teensation Justin Bieber". Like the contents page
in XXL magazine the text is short, snappy and interesting; aiming to get the
readers involved.
Double page spread
This double page
spread is based on Heineken and social networking which is the reason for the
green white and black colouration.
Image
On the first of
the two pages there are four portrait images of four different rappers. Each
image is either a medium close-up or a close-up because their head is only in
view or their shoulders and hear are in view. Each image has been altered so
that the face is the main feature of the image. Some effects such depth of field
where the background is blurry and the closer image is in focus which makes the
person/ objects seem more detailed and clear, this is especially visible in the
first of Smoke DZA.
The lighting of
these photos varies. Some of these photos seem to have taken advantage of
natural light and some look as if they have been taken with artificial light.
For example, the first image looks as if it is outside and there are no shadows
on Smoke DZA's body or face whereas the third picture looks like it has been staged
because of the shadows along the left side of Kid Ink's arm and neck which may
have been cause by a lack of light from behind.
The second Page
has one big macro image of a Heineken bottle cap again done with the technique
of depth of field. This is a really detailed and attractive; the reflection of
the cap helps create this. This same image is in the top left corner of the
left page.
Page
Layout
On the first page
there is blurred green and black background with a white border a centimetre
away from the edge of the page with the four pictures and text within in it. At
the corner of the border/ text box there is a small picture of a bottle cap. On
each of the pictures there is a text box with names and data from social
networking sites based on that particular artist. This layout is very neat, the pictures are
correctly lined up and the text is in a single column. This sort of layout may
apply to the younger generation because it lacks in text, it has a good colour
scheme and everything is presented well. Younger people are less likely to want
to read a lot of text especially if they are still in education even though the
tone and words say something else.
Language
There is not a lot
of text in this double page spread there’s one column of writing on the first
page and then there is much, much less concentrated text on the second page.
The tone of the text on the first page is very encouraging and formal as it
attempts to promote its product. It’s clearly a formal piece of writing, we can
see this through certain sentences e.g. "Social networking is an
ever-evolving medium" and "presented by". This is an advert for
an international brand which has been going on for over a century; Heineken may
have to be formal to preserve its history and class.
XXL case study
As part of my AS media coursework I had to pick to music magazies that were of the same genre I want to use in my actual magazin, I picked VIBe and XXL because they were both based around either R&B, Hip-hop or Rap. Compared to my XXL case study the VIBe case study is more detailed because that was the first one did and I tried not to include ideas that were repeated in both magazines because I did not want to come across as copying parts from the first case study. The VIBe case study could still have things added to it such as the media kit.
XXL Magazine
Cover Page
Image
This XXL issue’s
cover page has an image of Dr. Dre and his newest project Kendrick Lamar. Dre
is in the background to the right of the cover and Kendrick is sitting down at a table in front of Dre and is more central on the cover
compared to Dre. The fact that Dre is behind Kendrick could be a sign of
importance as Dre has more experience whilst Kendrick is fresh faced and has less experience, this would relate to the clothing that they are wearing and the cover line "Dr. Dre brings us...". Dre is wearing
plain black and looks more official and serious whilst Kendrick is comfortably
wearing some kind of patterned jacket which does not match the font whereas Dr.
Dre’s choice of clothing fits in with the font colour perfectly because it makes him seem big a bold just like how his name is in bold in the cover line.
The lighting of
the image varies; on Dre the lighting is all over causing a shine on both sides
of his face but on Kendrick there is only light reflection shown on the right
and front sides of his face which could mean a single light was aimed at him at
an angle form the right hand side possibly using a bright spot light; "next big star". Even though Kendrick has a dark shadow on
the left side of his face there is still reflection of his clothing on the
table.
Within the image
there are two types of framing, Dre. Dre is a mid shot because you can only see
from him from his waist upwards because Kendrick is sitting down in front him
therefore blocking our view. Kendrick is a medium close-up because we can only
see from his shoulders/ top part of his chest upwards and he is also closer compared to Dr. Dre. This image takes up
about three quarters of the whole cover all though some of the text is
overlapped with the image.
Page Layout
The image of the
cover has been arranged so that it covers the north, east, south, and southwest
of the cover page which makes less room for text to be placed which causes the
text to be overlapped with the image. The mast head is always the same, I know
this because this is a special issue because it is the magazines 15 year
anniversary, because of this anniversary they place a picture of all the front
covers of every XXL magazine made in the past 15 years. In every XXL magazine
the masthead ‘XXL’ is placed in the top right hand corner of the cover page
usually with a red text box and white capital text although there is the odd
exception. In most issues the masthead is partially blocked although in this
issue it is not.
On the left hand
side of the cover page the cover article makes up 50% of all the text on the
page. The cover article goes down the side of the page varying in width and
text size; Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar are the biggest sized words on the page.
And on the right hand side of the page there is contents like text which tells
you about the special features for the 15 year anniversary. Below those
contents there is the barcode, month of the issue, the price and the website of
the magazine.
Overall the text
and font of the text on the cover page are the same it is only the size and
colour (black and red) that varies. The size of font and the capital letters
which are used relates the the meaning of the tile; ‘extra extra large’, which
is probably why it is so large. As I mentioned before, Dr. Dre’s outfit of
plain black matches the black and red font. The white background also makes Dre
stand out more due to the contrast in colour. Dre standing out for could relate
to him being well recognized for his music which reflects him as being an
important figure. Unlike Dre, Kendrick’s outfit is not colour coordinated and
also makes him stand out as he is different compared to Dre. When Dre’s,
Snoop’s, Eminem’s, and 50 cent’s name are written down in black which signifies
that they are old and well recognised especially Dr. Dre because his name is
much bigger larger than the rest of the artists. When it comes to Kendrick’s
name it is in red which represents difference and danger; a warning.
Language
used
The Dr. Dre and
Kendrick Lamar interview and cover story has an exciting tone to it which is
meant to get the reader interested in the story, what makes the reader more
interested is the range of font (colour and size). This range in font in the
cover line could indicate that the magazine is not the most formal magazine;
you would not expect a rap/ hip-hop magazine to be formal anyway because of the
language and presentation of artists in this particular genre.
(sorry the image is not clear but blogger will not allow me to enlarge the image or rotate the pictures I am uploading)
Contents Page
Image-the
A-side
The A side
(features) contents page contains only one image which is of Kendrick Lamar
against a dark background who features on this issues cover page. Kendrick has
his face turned at an angle to the right as he holds his chin with a cold chain
wrapped around his hand and ring on his finger.
The camera shot of
Kendrick is a medium close up because only the shoulders upwards are visible.
This type of shot provides a lot more detail in face of the person being
photographed which allows us to see face expressions clearer and find out the
purpose of this type of picture/ image and something about the artist/ person
being photographed. This picture nearly takes up the whole page; his head takes
up a central position on the page and his shoulders take up the whole south of
the page.
Unlike on the
cover page, the background of the image is black instead of white, this could
mean that more light may have been used to emphasise his features and make him
stand out more. As you can see there are bright reflections around the side of
his face and back of his head which could indicate strong lighting coming from
behind then. Then there is some kind of glow in the right side of his face with
more concentrated bright spots on his forehead and right cheek which may have
been caused by a light facing down towards the right side of his face.
The chain around
his hand which is holding his chin looks like he is showing off as you do not
wear chains on your hand; you wear them around your neck. The chain and
ring are very central in the image which may mean they are important and that
he has a lot of money. Where Kendrick doesn’t seem to be dressed for the
occasion on the cover page on this contents page he is wearing a burgundy shirt
which may seem more formal although his hair looks messy like he is not
bothered which puts him across as relaxed and careless; appearance puts across
attitude and personality.
Page
Layout-the A-side
The title of the
first contents page ‘the A side’ is in big, bold, bubble writing against a dark
background; this effect is used to get the audience’s attention the masthead is deliberately made informal by
not placing a capital letter at the start of the heading. This masthead is then
underlined by a white text box with Features wrote inside of it in red brackets
with the date 2012 at the end of the text box. Next to the text box is XXL’s
logo. Because there are two contents pages they have two different sub headings
for the first contents page it is called features which I think includes some
of the main/ important articles.
On this contents
page there is an order of importance, first there is the masthead, subtitle
etc, then the picture of Kendrick Lamar is put in front of the masthead and
subtitle partially, blocking it as it is less important that the cover story.
The majority of the text is placed over Kendrick because there is not much
space for the text to be placed around him due to the large portion of space
that he takes up. The text is again placed over the image because it is more
important that the image. If the text is not visible then there is no point of
a contest page because we do not know what the magazine includes. Something
else to do with order of importance is the list of contents. The contents are
usually put in chronological order which it has been although the cover story
has been placed at the top of the contents information and has been written
with more detail. The contents information on the cover story has also been
underlined and separated from the rest of the contents information. This
information has been place down the left hand side of the magazine where there
is more space for the information to be placed. At the bottom right of the page
there is a quote made by Dre. Dre about Kendrick and on the bottom left there
is the page number, date and website of the magazine.
Language-
the A-side
At first the tone
of writing seems informal, because of the mast head not having a capital letter
at the beginning, other than this the language is formal and punctuation is
used correctly. The type of writing used in writing the contents is different
for the cover story and the rest of the contents. The cover story is written in
more detail and the fonts used in the short piece of writing vary but like the
rest of the contents it is short and snappy as it tries to get the audience as
interested as possible.
Images-
the B-side (departments)
The second
contents page (Images- the B side (departments)) has more pictures than the
first contents page which may be because of the lack of text used to help
explain what the different features are about. Each photo contains different
angles, shot types, poses and lighting made to give different effects for
different reasons.
The first picture
which is for the eye candy section of the article shows the most attractive
parts of the body, this is done in order achieve its purpose of entertaining
the audience of the magazine. The chest and neck are especially highlighted
because they are they are the eye candy of the magazine. In each picture the
people being photographed are either wearing what makes them comfortable e.g.
Stevie Stone because the articles/ interviews are based on them. Or they are
wearing what they need to wear for the photo shoot e.g. in eye candy and the
good life. The photo for the good life has purposely taken a long shot to be
able to view what the models are wearing as that section is based on fashion.
Everything done in an image has a purpose.
Page
layout- the B-side
The page layout of
this contents page is similar in terms of the masthead of the page with the
same underling of a text box except the colour coordination has been reversed;
instead of being a white title on a black background it is a white background
with black text on top.
For most of the
contents mentioned on the second contents page the text is located in a top
corner of the image that matches the text. Each image is separated by a thing
white line. Two pieces of contents mentioned have smaller pictures because they
have to have the text written next to the image because there is not enough
space for the text to fit on the image. The fact that they have more writing
could mean they are more interesting, bigger or important articles.
Language-
the B-side
The writing on the
B-side contents page is very short and brief in comparison to the A-side
contents page, but because there is a picture to go with nearly all of the
contents listed on the page it makes it easier for the audience to know what it
is about.
Double Page Spread
This double page
spread is of the cover story with Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre. Each double page
spread of this article has a picture or advert on one side and text on the
other; this double page spread is just one of four examples in the magazine.
Image
The image on the
left page of the two pages is an image of Kendrick Lamar; a Long shot showing
the whole of his body. The shot type gives us a good view of the body language
that Kendrick is portraying. The two images on the left and right of the
central image look like different parts of him; and because e his hands are in
all directions makes it seem that his mind is everywhere as if he is confused
or lost. This is a direct link to the quote on the second page of the double
page spread which says "The people I grew up with are locked up. There’s a
built-up anger because I can't enjoy what I’m doing as much as I want because
they're not here." .this gives of a negative effect. In this picture the lighting seems to be
coming from above as there are no shadows cast behind him and his face seems lighter
and his legs darker where less light has reached his legs.
Page
Layout-
The Layout of this
double page spread is very simple. On the Left page there is just an image of
Kendrick Lamar which takes up the whole of that page; the right page consist of
3 columns with a quote (which is to do with the text and picture) going through
the 3 columns in the middle horizontally dividing the columns into sections.
Dividing the columns / sections are white lines, this is done so that it is
clear to read and understand. In the image on the left page he is only wearing
black and white; the background on the second page is black and the text is
white. The costume/ outfit that he is wearing match the layout of the text on
the right page of black and white which does not seem very exciting.
Language
The amount of
writing on this page is quite unattractive for the younger audience may not
have time to be reading something so long. The way that it is laid out makes it
seem even longer as well because there are no images limiting the amount of
text aloud on the page which would decrease the actual amount of text aloud on
the page. Also, because of the plain colour scheme of this page younger people
may be put off of it. Younger people are
attracted to more bright and interesting things where this is plain.
A lot of the text
in this articles from Kendrick about his life growing up, I also saw a lot of
opinion involve in this article e.g. "The dance between emotions and
autobiography is what makes Kendrick Lamar the most exciting, original and
captivating" this is also one examples of the many descriptions of
Kendrick, another example is "technical traditionalist and progressive
experimentalists".
This article is
more like a biography. It’s mainly made up of quotes form Kendrick Lamar but
there are breaks where the Kris Ex talks about Kendrick himself.
Audience
Unfortunately I
was unable to find XXL’s media kit/ press pack but the audience of this
magazine varies.
Firstly the
audience is for those who are 18 and above as it advertises many alcoholic
drinks and cars. Secondly, the audience is for those over 18 again presents
women who show a lot of skin and has adult advertisements in the back. Lastly
the magazine is for those who have a keen interest in rap music and may have
been following the magazine from the beginning and those who may be below the
age of 40/ 50 as rapping appeared when people of these generations were younger
and started listening to this genre of music.
Who
publishes the magazine?
- Publisher Dennis Page
I did
some research into Dennis Page and found that he is Publisher at Harris Publications;
Harris publications publish over 75 titles (e.g. SLAM, XXL, King, and Rides
& Antenna Magazines).
- Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten
- Managing
Editor Emily Cappiello
- Executive
Editor Jayson Rodriguez
- Photo
Director Josh Cutler
- Digital
Content Director Carl Chery
- Senior
Editor Mark Lelinwalla
- Online
Editor Jaeki Cho
- Music
Editor Adam Fleischer
- Editorial
Assistant Ralph Bristout
- Editor-at-Large Shaheem Reid
Even though XXL magazine don’t
have their own products other than the magazine I calculated that 47.5% of the
magazine was made up of adverts.
After researching
I found that other that the magazine and their website they use other forms of
media such videos and social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
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