Emma Small

Evaluation

12Si

In what ways does your magazine use, challenge or develop forms and conventions of real music magazines? My music magazine challenges conventions of other music magazines by having the barcode in the top right hand corner. In most magazines, it is in the bottom left hand corner of the page so that it is very inconspicuous compared to the rest of the information on the front cover of the magazine. It also challenges conventions in that there isnt much difference between the cover lines. They are all black and red, sized 18 and in the font Impact. This challenges conventions because most magazines have a variety so that your eyes are attracted to it and you will pick it up to read and look at it. Also it challenges conventions by having a covered up woman as the main image. This challenges convention as the feminist theory of Laura Mullvey suggests that women are design to give men pleasure and that is all they do, therefore meaning that they should be half naked in photo-shoots and in the media. I have challenged this convention to show how women in the media arent for mens pleasure and in this case it is about the artist and the music in which she is producing. Therefore, having a covered up woman and properly dressed challenges this convention. My contents page challenges conventions as it has a panoramic photo taken from a camera phone as a supporting photo underneath the main photo. This challenges conventions as most music magazines only feature photos that have been taken professionally rather than on a camera phone. My double page spread challenges conventions, as it does not have one page with just a photo. Most music magazines have one whole page dedicated to a photo of the artist the article is about, however I have used both pages for an interview and placed the interview around the photo. I use conventions of other music magazines on my magazine by having a medium close up of a woman as my main photo on my front cover. I have used this convention because I believe that having a medium close up makes the magazine more personal and intimate. I have also used the optical center, in the center and slightly to the left, by placing my image in this space. I have used this because I believe that the image on a magazine is the thing that your eye catches therefore meaning that this needed to be in the optical center. I have also used the rule of thirds on my front cover by having two rows of cover lines and the main cover lines in the middle. Also I have put the most attractive cover lines in the first third so that when the magazine is stacked on a shelf you are able to see the most attractive. This also shows that I'm following conventions as most magazines use the rule of thirds and all magazines use the optical center. I also have a big masthead in bold font Bulletproof|. This follows conventions as all mastheads are bold and a main part of the magazine. Also I have named my magazine Fusion. I have done this because I want the title of the magazine to have a meaning. The meaning of the name Fusion is that I would like to fuse Indie Rock and Indie Pop together in this magazine. Also it follows magazine conventions by having the image placed just over the masthead, which is what most magazines do. It doesnt take too much attention away from the masthead, however places even more focus on the front image, which is what attracts people to a magazine. The cover lines also follow conventions of magazines by using left and right alignment. The cover lines on the left are aligned left and right aligned for the right cover lines. This also goes back to when a

Emma Small

Evaluation

12Si

magazine is placed on a shelf, you would like to be able to read the cover lines, therefore they have to be aligned the right way. I have also used this convention by sampling colours. I have sampled colours off of the main image to ensure that there is a particular colour scheme throughout the front cover. In this case, I sampled the colour off of the hat in which she is wearing and used it for the colour lines and main headline. This uses conventions as in most magazines they want to get a colour scheme throughout the magazine and front page so they sample the colour off of the main image. In my contents page I have used conventions such as having a contents list down the right side of the page. This uses conventions as on a contents page you would like to know whats in the magazine and most magazines also place the contents list on the right side of the page. It also uses conventions as I have photos that support my contents list. On most music magazines, they use many photos to show an insight into the magazine and what is on the contents list, just like mine does therefore using conventions. Also as one of the photos is of the model on the front of my magazine, it creates continuity within the magazine. Furthermore, I have placed a subscription box at the bottom of the page as a persuasion to buy the magazine again. This uses conventions as most magazines have a persuasive idea on the contents page such as a subscription box to keep you buying the magazine. I have also placed the title of the magazine at the top of the page to create continuity between the front page and contents page. This uses conventions as if you look at other music magazines such as NME or Kerrang, the title of the magazine is at the top of the page which also creates continuity. Also, I have put an editors note on the contents page. This uses conventions as most music magazines also have editor s notes on the contents page to show the reader that the editors care about their audience and the quality of the magazine. I use conventions on my double page spread as I have imbedded a quote that stood out in the article within the article section of the page. This follow conventions in that on other real music magazines they usually put a eye catching quote in the middle of the article to attract readers. Also, I have placed an introduction to the article at the top of the page to attract my readers, therefore following another convention. I also placed the photographer and reporter names on the photo and above the article so that they get their credit in the magazine, which therefore also follows conventions of other music magazines as they also do this. How does your music magazine represent particular social groups? My music magazine represents particular social groups through the use of mise-enscene. My magazine is aimed at the indie social group of people. I have represented them by having my main image as a pretty girl, dressed in a brightly coloured button up shirt, a red beanie and no makeup and straight hair. She also has a straight-faced expression and is staring straight into the camera with her lips slightly parted. This represents my social group as most dress how my model has dressed and have a cool persona about them. Also having the model staring straight into the camera shows her emotions and how she may be vulnerable therefore relating to my social group. I have also not used props as indie magazines do not use props to take the attention away from the artist.

Emma Small

Evaluation

12Si

What kind of media institution might distribute your music magazine and why? I believe that the media institution that would distribute my music magazine would be a music magazine company such as IPC Media. This is because when I conducted my research I found out that my intended audience also like fashion and photography and as IPC Media also distributes the magazines NME and Look I thought that this magazine would successfully attract my intended audience. Also I would sell my magazine in newsagents and supermarkets to get more publicity. I would also use below the line advertising such as word of mouth and social media. This would create a buzz for the magazine and making it recognizable and distinguished therefore marketing the magazine and also distributing it. Who would be the audience for your music magazine? The intended audience of my music magazine is both male and female teenagers/young adults aged between 16 and 25. They also must be interested in indie rock/pop music and may also have an interest in fashion and photography and gossip about other celebrities. I have attracted my audience by having cover lines about gossip about other celebrities and placed my model in fashionable clothes that my target audience would wear and like. How did you attract your/address your audience in the forms and conventions used in your music magazine? I attracted my intended audience of my music magazine by having a young female adult aged between 16 and 25 as my model throughout my magazine. I also attracted my intended audience by using names of some well-known indie artists as cover lines such as Arctic Monkeys and Jake Bugg and using language such as ha-ha and damn which is normal language a 16-25 year old would use. This would attract them as if they like this music then they would want to read about them in more depth and they would also relate to the magazine through the language used. Also as my intended audience like gossip as a diversion, I have used the words Exclusive Interview to attract them. As they are also young adults/teenagers, they do not have much money to spend so I used the words Free Music to attract them and make them want to buy the magazine to find out exactly how they get the free music the magazine is offering. I have also put in an advert to make the magazine cheaper when you subscribe, therefore attracting and addressing my audience. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your music magazine? In the process of making my music magazine, I have learnt how to use an Apple Mac computer, a Canon 1100D camera, the website Blogger, Slideshare and Scribd and also the program Photoshop. I learnt how to take images on the Canon 1100D and then how to open them through an Apple Mac computer, manipulate them on Photoshop and how to upload them on the three different websites Blogger, Slideshare and Scribd. I also learnt how to place shapes and test onto the background of my music magazine in Photoshop to create my over lines for my front cover. I also learnt how to remove a background off of an image in Photoshop by using the magic wand tool and clicking the background, changing the tolerance and

Emma Small

Evaluation

12Si

creating a model look by smoothing out the skin using the blur tool and spot healing tool. Looking back at your Preliminary Task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it (the preliminary task) to the full product (the music magazine)? Looking back at my preliminary task, I created my magazine on Microsoft word whereas I have no created my music magazine on Photoshop. On my preliminary task, I have also not used any cover lines I just had one article. However, on my music magazine I had changed the article for 5 cover lines, which show what is in the magazine. Also the images in which I used were not good quality as they were taken on a camera phone and they were not manipulated at all. I have now taken my photos on a professional camera to get a better quality photo and then I also manipulated the images using Photoshop and enhanced all of the images I had taken. Furthermore, on my preliminary task contents page I had a lot of dead space that wasnt covered and my contents list was unaligned. I have now changed this and there is no dead space and the contents list is aligned and straight, therefore meaning I have learnt a real music magazine does not have dead space. I have also learnt from my preliminary task how to use positioning theory as previously I didnt use it. I have now placed my images in optical centers and used the Z theory. I also have a range of font and sizes to create variety where I previously didnt. Therefore, I believe I have learnt a lot from my preliminary task, as I now know how to create a music magazine using conventions from other magazines and how to use the different skills needed to create a magazine like technology and theories needed.