Evaluation Of My Music Magazine

Q1: In what ways does your media product use, challenge or develop forms and conventions of

real products?

Evaluation

One convention of magazines is the masthead running along the top of the page, and the masthead being cropped in order for part of the models head to run across it. I have placed my masthead along the top of the page and cropped it to place part of my models head over the top of it (shown below right), as have ‘mixmag’ magazine (shown below left)

Another convention of magazines is additional information being added along the sides of the model. I have placed information about articles within the magazine along the right hand side of my model (shown below right), as have ‘mixmag’ magazine (shown below left).

Also magazines conventionally use larger writing for their main cover line. This makes it stand out to the audience and emphasises its importance. I have used a bright colour and larger writing for my main cover line (shown below right), ‘mixmag’ have also used larger writing for their main cover line (shown below left).

Magazines typically place their barcode and price in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover. I have placed the barcode and price for my magazine in the bottom right hand corner (shown below right), as has ‘mixmag’ magazine (shown below left).

However, magazines usually place cover lines along both sides of the model in order to add information about more articles onto the front cover, as shown with ‘mixmag’ (shown below left). Whereas, with my magazine front cover I have only places cover lines along one side of the image which allows my model to gain more attention and emphasises her importance (shown below right).

Front covers for magazines, conventionally follow a particular colour scheme. For example, ‘Mixmag’ follow a black, red and white colour scheme (shown below left)which is common among many magazines such as ‘Kerrang’ and ‘Q’. However, for my magazine although i have followed a strict colour scheme, my colour scheme sticks to bright colours (shown below right)including: fuchsia and yellow.

Evaluation

Conventionally magazine contents pages use a simple layout consisting of two or three columns. I have used a two column layout for my contents page (shown below right), as has ‘Mojo’ magazine (shown below left).

Also magazines conventionally place the magazines release date along to the top of the contents page. I have placed mine in the top right corner (shown below right), while ‘Mojo’ have placed theirs in the top left (shown below left).

Another convention of magazine contents pages is to have the page numbers with correlate to the appropriate article information on the left of the information in a different colour. I have placed my page numbers to the left of the article information in a different colour (shown below right)as has mojo magazine (shown below left).

Q1

Magazine contents pages conventionally follow a particular colour scheme. For example, ‘Mojo’ follows a black, green and yellow colour scheme (shown below left) for their contents page. However, for my magazine although I have followed a strict colour scheme throughout , my colour scheme sticks to bright colours (shown below right)including: fuchsia and yellow, but also blacks and whites.

Evaluation Q1One convention of a magazine double page spread is the use of drop caps to start an article. ‘Kerrang’ (shown below on the left) uses a drop cap to start there article, as does my magazine (shown below right).

Magazine double page spreads conventionally follow a particular colour scheme. For example, ‘Kerrang’ (shown above left) follows a black, green and yellow colour scheme for their double page spread. Even the models clothes and hair are in keeping with the colour scheme which maintains its consistency. However, for my magazine although I have followed a strict colour scheme throughout , my colour scheme for my double page spread is: fuchsia, navy, black and white. Like ‘Kerrang’ I have made my colour scheme consistent as it incorporates the models hair and clothing too (shown above right).

Another convention of magazine double page spreads is there use of pull quotes. ‘Kerrang’ (as shown below left) use pull quotes to emphasise certain phrases of the interviewees response, similar to ‘Kerrang’ my magazine (shown below right) uses pull quotes to emphasise certain parts of the interviewees responses.

Also magazine double page spreads conventionally follow a column layout. For example ‘Kerrang’ (shown above left) uses a two column layout for the first half of the double page spread as it contains the image of the model, and a three column layout for the second page which just contains text. My magazine (shown above right) uses the same column layout as ‘Kerrang’.

The text is conventionally wrapped around the image of the model on magazine double page spreads. ‘Kerrang’ (shown below left) wrap their text around the outline of the model used, as does my magazine (shown below right).

Q2:How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation

My media product represents the younger generations, as the vast majority of the artists who will be featured in my magazine are of the younger generations. My magazine’s main focus is on the music created by the artists, however it also shows how young people can work hard to achieve their dreams. . My ideal age range of readers is 15-23. I want my magazine to show that although it may appear the younger generations have it all laid out for them, that isn't always the case.

EvaluationMy media product doesn't specifically represent any social class, as it features artists from a wide range of social classes. However, the language used in my magazine may appeal to the higher classes more so than the lower classes, as a lot of the language used is quite sophisticated. My ideal ABC1 figure is 58%, as it means well educated people who understand all the language used are reading my magazine so it is reaching its full potential. My magazine aims o show that the class system doesn’t effect somebodies talent and that although it may be harder to reach success it is still possible.

EvaluationMy media product doesn't specifically represent any gender, however it may appear to represent females more than males. This is due to more females being featured more frequently in my magazine and males not really being featured within my magazine as individual artists, also the content of my magazine may appeal more to girls as it allows them to gain an insight into artists personal lives and music. My ideal gender ratio of my readership is Male 41% and Female 59%. The main female model used within my magazine is shown in floral prints for my front cover which emhasises her femininity. However, most of the females used within my magazine are wearing unisex prints and colours which suggests more so that they are serious artists.

Male41%

Female59%

Ideal Gender Read-ership Percentages

Q3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Evaluation

A media institution is an organisation which creates, advertises and distributes media products. They are collectives where individuals work towards common goals to develop media products based on the aims and ethos of the institution. They assume shared values of their employees and have a powerful status and relationship with the public and other institutions.

EG, Time Inc.http://www.timeinc.com/

EG, Bauer Media. http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/

EG, Development Hellhttp://www.developmenthell.co.uk/

I believe a company such as Bauer Media would be best to market my product. This is due to them already owning a wide variety of music magazines such as: Kerrang, Mojo and Q. Therefore it has experience of dealing with lots of different music genres. This would allow me to deal with experts of all music genres; as all music genres will be featured in my magazine due to my magazine focusing on upcoming artists and not being genre specific. Also, Bauer is a huge company with access to music channels and radio stations such as 4music and Absolute Radio, who could feature singles or interviews from the artists within my magazine in order to provide them with more publicity.

Q4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation

STEPHANIE IS 18 YEARS OLD AND VERY KEEN ON KEEPING UP WITH THE LATEST CHART HITS. STEPHANIE IS CURRENTLY A STUDENT AT COLLEGE SO THEREFORE HAS

LOTS OF DISPOSABLE INCOME FROM HER PART-TIME JOB. STEPHANIE IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE FIRST TO DOWNLOAD THE NEWEST RELEASES OFF ITUNES.

STEPHANIE IS INTERESTED IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC AS LONG AS THEY ARE FRESH OUT OF THE RECORDING STUDIO. STEPHANIE IS ALSO A KEEN FESTIVAL GOER AND HAS ATTENDED LEEDS FESTIVAL FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS AND PLANS TO ATTEND

GLASTONBURY THIS UPCOMING YEAR.

STEPHANIE AND HER PARTNER ARE BOTH WELL EDUCATED AND MUSIC SAVVY, AND TEND TO HAVE DETAILED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE LATEST MUSIC AND THEIR ARTISTS. STEPHANIE ALSO TENDS TO STYLE HER OUTFITS AROUND THE TRENDS

WHICH ARE BEING WORN BY THE LATEST ARTISTS WITHIN THE CHARTS.

This is my original reader profile I createdfor my magazine, based on my research…

Evaluation

However, based upon actually creating my magazine,I feel this would be a more appropriate reader profile…

SARAH IS 17 YEARS OLD AND VERY INTERESTED IN UNRELEASED MUSIC WHICH HAS HAD VERY FEW LISTENERS. SARAH IS CURRENTLY A STUDENT AT COLLEGE STUDYING MUSIC AND THEREFORE HAS LOTS OF DISPOSABLE INCOME FROM HER PART-TIME JOB. SARAH IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE FIRST TO HEAR MUSIC BEFORE ITS OFFICIALLY

RELEASED, AND LOVES INTRODUCING HER FRIENDS INTO THIS MUSIC..

SARAH IS INTERESTED IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC AS LONG AS THEY ARE FRESH OUT OF THE RECORDING STUDIO. STEPHANIE IS ALSO A KEEN FESTIVAL GOER

AND HAS ATTENDED GLASTONBURY FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS, DUE TO ITS DIVERSE ARTIST LINE-UP.

SARAH AND HER BEST FRIEND BOTH HAVE A LOT OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ARE VERY MUSIC SAVVY. THEY ALSO LOVE HAVING DETAILED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT

NEW MUSIC THEY HAVE RECENTLY HEARD, AND CREATING NEW OUTFITS BASED ON THOSE WORN BY THEIR FAVOURITE CURRENT UPCOMING ARTIST.

Q5: How did you attract/address your audience?Evaluation

I attracted my audience through using bright colours for my colour scheme. This would make my magazine stand out within the magazine racks as it uses colours other than black, red and white like most music magazines which are currently available. I chose to use these colours as they are bright and vibrant and stand out against the white back ground of the front cover (as shown below).

Also in order to attract my audience I kept my front cover quite simplistic with minimal writing (as shown above). This would make people more likely to read my magazine as it would suggest to people that my magazine has a simple layout throughout making it easier to interact with. Also it may make my magazine appeal to more less educated individuals as due to there being less writing and information it may make them feel more at ease while reading my magazine as it is simplistic.

EvaluationI attracted my audience by using a model who is within my magazine readership age range (see below). This would make people of a similar age more likely to read my magazine as it is about people there own age which makes my magazine easier for them to relate to. Also it may make younger people more likely to read my magazine as they are intrigued as to how these artists featured in my magazine became famous and also what their personal lives are like.

I addressed my audience through providing them with articles which allowed them to really get to know an artist (see example above). This allows them to feel like they have created a bond with an artist which may encourage them to listen to an artists music more, as they feel like they have a connection with the artists and understand their inspiration behind their music.

Q6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Evaluation

I have used various different pieces of software and hardware during the process of creating my music magazine. These include:

• Adobe Photoshop (production – front cover, contents page)• Adobe InDesign (production – double page spread)• Adobe Premier Pro (research – Interview video)• Microsoft PowerPoint (planning, research, evaluation)• Microsoft Word (production – writing my article)• Survey Monkey (research – Audience Research)• Voice Recorder (research – Audience Research Interview)• Camera (production – Magazine Photographs)• Wordpress.com (publishing)• Slide share (publishing)

Evaluation

While using a voice recorder to gather my raw interview for my audience research, I learnt not only how to use the voice recorder but also how to transfer it from the recorder onto the computer. This allowed me to use my recording as the raw basis for my interview which only needed editing to be more audible.

While using premier pro to create my audience research interview video I learnt how to edit the loudness of my sound clip and how to insert a picture file on top of it to play continuously while the video is playing. Also I learnt how to export my interview in an appropriate format which would allow me to upload it to YouTube in order for people to be able to view it.

while using survey monkey to create an online questionnaire to gather audience research, I learnt not only how to use survey monkey but also how to access the graphs which the programme automatically transforms your results into for appropriate questions. This allowed me to analyse my results a lot quicker as they were already in an easily accessible format.

Evaluation

Whilst using the camera to get the shots I needed for my magazine, I learnt how to alter the cameras zoom and focus. This allowed me to get clearer and better quality shots. Also, I learnt how to position myself as the photographer and the angle of the camera in order to get the most similar shots to how I had planned for them to be.

Whilst using WordPress to publish my media product, I learnt how to make posts on a blog. I also learnt what a blog can be used for and what format of files are compatible with WordPress. In addition, I learnt how to overcome any problems I discovered due to the format of my files. For example, my interview video wouldn’t upload directly onto my blog as it was not a compatible format, however once I uploaded it on YouTube I was able to attach the web link onto my blog in order to allow people to access my interview.

Whilst using Slide Share to convert my PowerPoint into an appropriate format which is accepted by WordPress, I learnt how to upload files onto slide share. I also learnt how to create appropriate tags and titles in order for others to be able to find my PowerPoint presentations.

Q7: Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it

to the full product?

Evaluation

After making the progress from my preliminary task to my final product, I now feel that I am a lot more confident using software such as PowerPoint and word. I already had a lot of experience of working with word and PowerPoint but after using them to complete my coursework I feel like I now have a more detailed understanding of how to use theses pieces of software to their full extent. Also I feel like I now have an adequate understanding of how to use adobe software such as premier pro and Photoshop, although my knowledge on how to use this software is still limited; I now have some understanding of how the basic features of this software operate. In addition, I now have a slide share, word press and survey monkey account which allows me to use these websites again if I require them.

Evaluation

Through completing my coursework, I have learnt how to create a flat plan for how I want my magazine to look and how to plan photographs before I take them using a grid to position each aspect pf the shot. I feel this will benefit me in the future because it has taught me to always plan ahead in order to know the direction in which I want my work to take. Also I have learnt that although my final product may not stick exactly to my plan, I feel like I have used my plan as a starting point and improved upon it while creating my magazine. Also, I have learnt how to edit photos using Photoshop in order to make them more appear more professional. In addition, I have learnt how to correctly annotate a blog with appropriate titles in order to let people know what my posts are about. Furthermore, I have created my blog in a similar style to my magazine: simple. This allows anybody to access the information contained within my magazine and my blog.