EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The front cover of my magazine (left) uses and challenges form and conventions of real media products, for example, Q magazine (right).

The conventions that my magazine uses is a masthead, main image, and main cover lines and cover lines in the left hand third of the front cover. The reason I chose this house style and layout of my magazine is because it is clear and easy to read. The main image is also not clustered by cover lines and the masthead, the same as Q magazine. This is a traditional layout of a music magazine front cover, some examples of this are the images below.

In these 2 magazine, (NME & Vibe) the layout and conventions are similar to the layout that I have used, this layout is commonly used throughout music magazines.

Main image is on the right hand third of the front cover, with main cover lines, cover lines and pull quotes on the left hand third of the front cover. Masthead as well as puff are at the top of the front cover with barcode at the bottom. The house style and colours used are similar on both magazines, for example, NME & Vibe use the same colour scheme, they stick to 2 or 3 colours. Vibe uses a Blue background with Yellow coloured font for the masthead and lighter shade of blue for some of the cover lines. NME have also used the same style, they use a white background with the colour red used in their masthead and cover lines. This is the same house style that I wanted to use on my magazine front cover.

I have used 3 main colour that I have used consistently throughout the design of the magazine. Charcoal grey for the masthead, blue for the background and a gold colour for the cover lines. I chose this because it makes the front cover clear for the audience to see and read, also no colours clash and they go very well together.

I have also used the specific conventions of real magazines by the use and placement of the main image and masthead. The main image used on my front cover is on the right hand third of the front cover, this is also used by Vibe magazine. The masthead is also similar to Vibe magazines masthead by being on the top third of the front cover.

Cover lines, Mastheads, Puff, Pull quotes and other images do not cover up any part of the main image on my magazine front cover and Vibe magazines front cover. This is a specific convention and technique that I wanted to use on my magazine front cover.

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product has a typical representation of the age range and demographic of my audience. For example, the main image of the model on the front cover of my magazine is a young model, aged between 18 20. This represents my audiences age range as also being the same age.

The demographic for my music magazine is the age range of 18-24 year olds, with the use of the model on my front cover this clearly represents the type of audience that will read this magazine.

The model is not posing and does not have any props, for example, instruments. This is because the type of music that I chose for my music magazine is mainly Electro Dance Music which does not use many instruments and is composed on DJ equipment. I have also represented this through the use of the main image and the model on the front cover. This is not a stereotypical representation of the type of music as it is not mainstream.

The magazine on the left is a clear stereotypical representation of the genre of music that this magazine represents. For example the model is wearing a hat and chains, representing that the genre is rap or hip hop. My music magazine (right) does not use these typical conventions and representations like Vibe magazine (left). Vibe magazine also uses words like Hip Hop to also strengthen the representation of the genre of music. I also use this convention in music magazine with use of the word EDM an abbreviation of Electro Dance Music.

3) What kind of media Institution might distribute your media products?

The type of institution that might distribute my media products would be IPC. The reason for this is that IPC distribute a lot of music magazine ranging with different genres of music, for example, NME, Vibe and Kerrang. Using this type of institution would mean that my magazine would gain a lot of publicity and reputation. As my music magazine is not a mainstream magazine, using IPC would mean that my audience would be able to purchase the magazine easily from anywhere. This type of genre would also gain reputation. The distributor would be able to sell my media product anywhere, for example this could be through Supermarkets, Corner shops etc. Using a big institution such as IPC would also mean that they would be trustworthy and a very powerful company to be in partnership with.

4) Who would be the audience of your media product?

5) How did you attract/ address your audience?

I attracted my audience by carrying out research and finding out information about my audience, for example, their age and hobbies, what they like doing in their spare time. I carried out his information by using surveys, and then analysing these results as shown in the image above. Using this information I was able to alter and change my music magazine so that it would appeal to my audience and attract them. For example, the main image of the model who is aged between 17-18 so that this would attract a younger audience. To find out what I had to change I carried out hot desking where I gathered information from other people and see what they thought about the design and the layout of magazine and whether or not it would attract and appeal to my target audience.

These are the results and opinions that I received:

6) What have you learnt about the technologies of constructing your media products?

I have learnt through the use of the technologies that I have

used how to create a magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread.

Using Indesign and Photoshop I was able to create my media products whilst learning new skills to improve and enhance my understanding of the software involved.

For example I learnt how to create my own background and masthead for both the front cover and contents page.

7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
My personal response to this message Is that I have learnt and picked up a lot of new skills that helped aid the production of my media products. Without these skills I do not think that my media product would be as creative.

The use of gathering information through surveys and hot desking also helped a lot as well, using this information I was able to alter and change some

elements of my media products.