As Media Studies Music Magazine evaluation

By Jordan Porrino

Most Magazine titles appear either to the top left of the front cover or in the middle. My title is too big to fit on one side of the magazine, so it fits perfectly in the middle.

A lot of front covers use more than one image on the front cover but I have chosen to use the full page with just one image. This is because I want the readers to realise the Zac Hancock is the main feature in this magazine.

The ‘+’ Icon is used to make the reader feel as if they are getting something extra in magazine.

I have added a price and issue date. And the website to let the reader know a little bit about the magazine before they buy it.

My Magazine uses the forms and conventions of any other magazine, except I have only used the one, close up, image.

In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, develop or challenge forms and Conventions Of Real Media Products?

I noticed that most magazines stick to their contents page following the same colour scheme as there front cover. I have chosen to stick to this colour scheme. Although I didn’t find a use for the light blue colour.

I stuck to the same font for the heading as the front cover to help keep a link with the theme through the magazine. But I have split up the letters to add change to the stereo typical contents pages. I also added one pink letter to match the magazine name font colours.

I have inserted a faint ‘V’ at the top of the page because the ‘V’ for ‘indieVidual’ in the magazines trade mark.

I have challenged the most magazine contents pages by only having one image. I have made it out to look as if ‘Zac Hancock’ is actually stood next to the Features and sub-headings . I have done this because it makes a change to magazine ideas, and keeps the reader interested by not getting bored of the same kind of magazine over and over again. This is one of my USP’s.

I have only put the main pages of the magazine on the contents page with page numbers. In between these pages would be advertisements and lesser competitions.

This whole page challenges the stereotypical design of a doublepage spread. This is because I have an image crossing over the middle of the pages and many magazines keep the images to one side or on each side of the doublepage spread. However, I have done this because it makes my magazine different, and unique. I hope that it may catch the reader as being unique and have it stand out of all the other music magazines.I also think that it makes it look quite interesting , too.

Magazines usually use the name of the artist at the top of the magazine as the heading, this is a lot bigger than the rest of the writing to make it stand out. This attracts the readers attention to the artist. This is a common trend in magazines, so I have used the same design for my magazine. The title also follows the colour scheme, and fits in with the text.

Throughout my interview I used only quotations. I have done this because I want the reader to link themselves with the band on a personal level, making them feel as if they are involved with the interview. Doing this with every interview may make the reader interested in my magazine because its different than other magazines.

Interviews are set in columns and I have stuck to columns but I have set the columns to work around the images. Having columns makes it easier to read, and is nice to look at.

DoublePage Spread

I have also used more personal photos I took whilst they were socialising or just being themselves. I have done this to make the reader feel like they are on a more personal level with the artists.

Again I have not put the interview in separate columns. I have left it to fill the page and work around the images. This is an extra interview that I included because If I based everything on zac Hancock the magazine would be too repetitive and the reader may get bored. So I left the double page spread to ‘Blindside’ and added and additional interview.

Most magazine would just have interviews in the magazine, and mine has too, but by making this an extra interview buyers believe they have some special/unique within this magazine that others do not.

I have still stuck the main colour scheme.I have used the magazine heading at the top of this interview because this interview is a one off, and making out that my magazine is boasting about it.

Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product?

My magazine is aimed at teenagers ages 16+, but mostly just for music lovers.It’s mainly teenagers who listen to dance music and DJ’s. But a lot of older people like dance too, but a lot more older people are into the actual instrumental side of music like bands, and that’s how this magazine also relates to older people.

This artist is also very young and very new, so all content is extremely up to date and no other magazine would have material quite the same that includes Zac Hancock.

How does your magazine represent particular social groups?

Different groups like different types of music, and some groups like a mixture. This magazine dabbles in a bit of different types of music, for example, dance music and indie/alternative rock music,I have done this to expand the target audience for my magazine.

Zac Hancock is a DJ who is a massive part of today’s dance music. I have used a DJ because a lot more people are interested in dance and remixed music, and that is a large percentage of the population.

My magazine represents social groups that are obviously interested in music, but interested in modern/ most popular music. It involves different genres of music such as dance, and alternative rock. I have done this for a few reasons. One is that it increases my target audience for more buyers. I have also done it because a lot of people today like a mixture of genre’s and listen to more than one kind of music. Instead of buying two different magazines, or having to choose one over the other, they can just buy this one magazine.

How Did You Attract/Address You audience?

I have directly informed the audience of what the magazine is with the top banner heading. I have done this right on top of the magazine heading because when the audience see’s the heading and wonders what kind of music magazine it is, they will be able to identify it quickly by noticing the banner above it.

Almost all headings are featured mainly on Zac Hancock, and used personal advice from Zac to reach readers on a personal level and make them feel that Zac has helped them.

I have also used zac because he is modernly styled with big fashionable headphones and long hair.

I have left the other features of the magazine on the contents page because it leaves the viewer curious of what other acts will be in this magazine.

Zac is supposed to be an up and coming music star that has hit Britain and America by storm, using him will attract so many people of both sex’.

Again he is fashionable and wearing clothes such as ‘Hollister’ is what many stylish people wear to day.

In my interview I have only used quotations of the interview. I have done this to make the reader feel like ‘Blindside’ are talking directly to them, and getting more honest answers that aren't manipulated by the interviewer. When it comes to information like this, and just information in general, the reader is going to want the truth. If the quotes, or articles are proven to be fiction/fake the magazine would lose viewers because they now feel the magazine is dishonest with the reader and the information could be/is wrong.

Also by using a slightly unique way of presenting a contents page, buyers will think this magazine is better than others because the presentation is different/better.

Using a personal style of interviewing by only having quotations in the throughout the interview, readers feel more personal with Zac Hancock, and getting a feel of what zac Hancock is like. I have also included an online interview/recording of the interview because then readers will known that the writer is making information up and that everything in the interview is genuine.

Also using personal photos of zac with his equipment people see a side of zac they wouldn’t see when watching him tour or on television.

Using big photos and interesting photos gives the reader more variety to look at on the page. There’s more things to look at and the page isn’t boring and doesn’t look like an essay.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I think IPC would be a great institution to distribute my magazine because IPC magazines are based of different genres, And seeing as my magazine is a mixture of genres it would fit perfectly in with IPC’s products.It wouldn’t fit in with say, EMAP or Development Hell LTD because these institutions stick to one kind of genre. They stick to popular dance genres and themes, unlike my magazine that dabbles in different genre’s in each edition.

IPC produce such magazines as; Guitar & Bass, NME, Woman Weekly, etc.

My magazine is a little different to IPC’s magazines but fits in best with that institution because of it variety of genre’s. but it is also unique because the magazine in its self contains a variety of different genre’s and is appealing for both sex’. It uses a colour scheme that is quite different to other magazines, and by making each page interesting and easy to identify the pages aren't clustered with different headings making things hard to find. By keeping things neat but effective the overall out come is quite appealing.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I learnt how to edit photos to a professional Quality using both ‘Lightroom’, and, ‘Photoshop’. With these programs I have edited the photos to make them really stand out and burst with colour. I have been able to remove backgrounds of an image but being able to keep the photograph in good quality. Removing the background was a big adjustment but editing the saturation and contrast or brightness of a photo can really change the quality and perspective of the images.I used a burn tool on photoshop to make the effect of a shadow behind Zac’s head, giving the effect that he is stood in front of that wall and not being plain and looking un realistic.

By having photo shoots and looking at different magazines and professional images has really influenced of how I take my photos. I think that my images have come out quite professional looking because of the quality of camera I used, and how I edited the photo. I don’t believe I over edited it or under edited it, and the angles and poses I have gotten the model to do makes them come across as being famous and knowing what they’re doing.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have in the progression from it to the full

production?• I feel as if I know all aspects and conventions of a magazine a lot better, and now

when I look at magazines I can image all the hard work that has actually gone in to designing and producing them. I know good ways of collecting data now thanks to my hand outs. I learnt how things were placed properly on the pages that I didn’t quite know when I was designing my college magazine, in my prelim I tried to fit as much as I could into one page, but I have realised now that it doesn’t need to have a lot on one page if by using less you can make it effective.Instead of using quick photos for the prelim task, I have learnt how to set my camera up properly for professional looking photos.I have also learnt that planning for the music magazine really paid of, for the prelim not a lot of research was done. In my music magazine looking into different magazines and getting audience feedback I found ways to make my magazine become more appealing to my targeted audience.