Media Evaluation

Blue Parker

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

• On my front cover I have used similar conventions to other magazines within the genre of dubstep, for example I have used bright dashing colours which are stereotypical to this kind of music.

• I also have a large title at the top of the page which is bold and eye catching which is something that features in all music magazines. I also have a large central image which is common in music magazines with the artists on the page having a large feature within the magazine. My image is also a mid-shot photograph which conforms with the general norms of a music magazine image .

• I have used a cover line which reads: “The UK’s loudest dubstep magazine” the uses conventions of other music magazines as almost every music magazine has one, however it is not largely featured in dubstep magazines so it can be argued that it is challenging the conventions of its genre.

• Also I have a section on the front cover that shows who will be featuring in my magazine which many magazines do, this is done so that just by looking at the cover the audience can know what is going to be in it and whether or they want to buy it.

• I kept to a certain colour scheme like other magazines do, my colours were pink, green and white on a black background, I did this to simulate being at a nightclub or rave which is generally where dubstep would be heard. Also unlike most other types of music magazines my front cover does not feature a background image which is like other dubstep magazines.

• These are both dubstep magazines with no images in the background whereas most music magazines have more layers behind the main image.

Examples of magazine covers (dubstep)

The conventions that I have challenged are through the use of colour, although they are stereotypical to the genre of dubstep many magazines would not dare to be so “in your face” bright therefore not many magazines use such bright colours, however I am hoping that by doing this my magazine will stand out from any other magazines and be noticed for being different and exclusive.

Contents page

• On my contents page and double page spread I have kept to the general conventions by using a large central image on by double page spread which is done in many music magazines as it identifies that they have something to do with the article. Also I have a large title at the top so that it is eye catching and to make sure that the audience can easily find the main article in the magazine. Also it is laid out into neat columns so that it is easy to read.

Examples of contents pages.

Contents page continued

• Although I have a large image it is different to most as my image forces the text around it which is different to most as they usually have 1 page for a picture and 1 page for text mine is different because the text covers the whole 2 pages with a large picture in the middle.

• My double page spread breaks the conventions of music magazines in and out of its genres as it does not have any background behind the text it is just blackness which is good in terms of it fitting norms of dubstep as a genre as, again, it almost recreates the atmosphere of being in a nightclub or rave.

My contents page conforms with general conventions as it has a feature image which will inevitably be something to do with the main article of the magazine. Also it sticks to the house colours, it does however, use more colours than is usually deemed “average” but this is so that it fits the mood of the genre and of the magazine. I have also used large numbers and slightly smaller text which is done in many magazines so that the audience can easily know where each item in the magazine will be.

• Although I have featured an editorial I have no left a name which I am hoping fans will find it easier to relate to as a faceless icon which is like many DJ’s within the dubstep world.

• Also my contents page has the main names and featured in a different colour so that the audience find it convenient to navigate through.

• My image is slightly smaller than on most magazines but this forces it to be different and it fits the bland colour scheme and black background which is why I decided to have a smaller image.

My Cover

Masthead in the centre of the page, large and eye catching. I used the specific colours to make it stand out and also to fit the genre of the magazine.

I put main features on the front to make it look realistic and professional sticking to the same bright colours.

I put an issue 1 text at the top just to raise awareness that it is a new exciting magazine.

I have also included a free music download with every issue, I did this to give the magazine a unique selling point.

I have also included a tag line which says: The UK’s loudest dubstep and drum & bass magazine, I have done this so that it will cry out to the audience and influence their decision to buy the magazine.

My main image is a mid-shot which conforms with the general norms of a magazine.

My ‘Featuring’ section has lots of big names in dubstep on it which will entice readers into purchasing the magazine.

I have also included a second slogan which reads: Play it Loud. Which will hopefully relate to dubstep fans as they will agree that it is the best way to listen to music…LOUD

My Contents Page

I have included a large title at the top so that it is easily identifiable and it is in the same style as the other pieces of text throughout the dubstep magazine.

I have clear text which tell the reader what will be featuring in my magazine, again sticking to the house style.

I have used fonts that are easily relatable to this type of music, this font is called high volume and was downloaded from www.dafont.com . I used this font as It fits the genre as a whole, also it adds to the slogan “Play it Loud” on my front cover

My main image is quite small and off centre which is different to most magazines as they have a large image in the centre taking up most of the page but I wanted to keep the look dark so I just used a smaller image which in my opinion captures the darkness better.

My Double Page Spread

I have used a large title again in the same style and font to keep to the style of the magazine.

I stuck to the black background to keep it bland and basic, also to make it seem like the night club colours

The image I used was edited in this way to look psychedelic and to fit the whole look of the magazine. Also by using this editing technique it doesn’t show the faces clearly which is also like being at a club.

The way my text and picture are laid out is different to most double page articles as my picture cuts right through the text where as most have a large image on one side and a full page of text on the other. I did this to make my magazine different.

The type of language I have used is quite informal but not so much that it feels like the audience is reading a child’s magazine, I have used this particular language because my target audience is between the ages of 16 and 25 which are all part of the digital age.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

• My magazine represents males between the age of 16 and 25 which is majority of the dubstep audience, I have gone for a more informal attitude to most magazines as dubstep fans a more ‘street’ and hip. My front cover features 2 young males that are an imaginary dubstep duo they are both wearing modern clothing which fit my audience perfectly. Also the way they are dressed says a lot about the genre of dubstep, each artist has their own style, the 2 on my cover look more indy than most but this is ok because all dubstep artist look different. The 2 men in my image represent young people today as their clothing and general look is common in teenagers and young adults in todays society. The way they look suggests that they care about their look and hygiene which is a new way to look at males as apposed to being scruffy, smelly and unshaven. I really believe that my 2 characters are a good representation of my target audience as dubstep is a growing genre with an ever growing fan base from all different kinds of social group which is good for everyone as it gives people who wouldn’t usually speak something in common.

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

• When researching media institutions I found that there are not many dubstep magazines out there so I believe that a company such as IPC media would benefit from stocking my magazine as it will broaden their horizons and also benefit the magazine workers by making it possible to print. This could be said about any magazine distributor as hopefully the dubstep fan base will get more popular and therefore the magazine sales will boost, I believe that it would be a good investment for any media institution because dubstep will continue to grow and by publishing a magazine about dubstep will make it possible to advertise other magazines within mine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

• The audience for my magazine will be males between the ages of 16 and 25 however I am not excluding female fans, I hope that in future issues of my magazine I will be able to appeal to a wider range of people. However most dubstep fans are male, although my cover features 2 white men I believe that it will still appeal to different races as there are many black artists in the dubstep community whereas I don’t know many black people and certainly not enough to ask them to be a part of my magazine. By using 2 males that fit my average age group I believe that dubstep fans will immediately identify with these two and will want to buy it as they will share interests and obviously music taste. By using a mixture of bland and bright colours I think that people will see that it looks like more of a night life/ club scene magazine, which could entice new readers and possibly make it an easy magazine to pick up and buy.

How did I attract my audience?

• My magazine attracts readers through the use of bright colours which are associated with the rave scene. Also I have kept a professional style which will help the audience to feel like they are reading an adult magazine.

• I started off at pricing my magazine at £4.20 which I thought was a fair price for giving away a free song with the magazine but I decided to lower the price to compete with other music magazines, the price is now £3.50

• I have included an editorial where I can address my readers personally and hopefully readers will read this and feel like a part of the community.

• The fonts and textures that I have used throughout my product are relevant to my magazine and audience as they are bright and look like neon lights which Is a connotation of a nightclub.

• My average audience age Is 16-25 which is why I have used 2 young men between these ages so that people of the same age will identify with them and buy the magazine.

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

• I have learnt many things using many different tools to complete my media product. First of all I used the internet as a research tool which I have done before but not to the extent that I did for my product where I researches all kinds of things from magazine publishers and distributors,. I also created a blog which I had never done before, I learnt that it is a convenient way to store and share data, also it is easy to update and browse to find specific pieces of work. Blogging was a good place to put work as it is easy to view and is accessible to anyone, also there is a comments section in which other bloggers can leave comments and constructive criticism. We also used digital cameras which are easy to use and put anywhere through the use of a computer, the file size is quite small so it is quick to upload to a website. Also using digital cameras made it possible to use any real background without photo manipulation as apposed to a large camera on a tripod. I also used photoshop to manipulate my images which I struggled with at first but soon picked it up and progressed my skills. It is a great program with many tools and features which is perfect for my use as my image will look original and not manipulated in the same way as everyone else’s. We also used photoshop to create our cover page which was much easier than using paint or another basic program without as many features which would make it harder to keep my images original. Finally I used quark to write my article, I did find it difficult to use with many unnecessary features for my purpose, however when it came down to adding my images it became clear that quark was the right program to use as it is possible to put the text around an image therefore using quark was better than using a program like word or notepad as it is much more professional.

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

• Since my preliminary task I have got much better at using photo shop as when I created my first magazine cover it looked very basic and the image was not properly edited, it looked very un professional compared to my media magazine. Also by doing this I have a better grasp of what a real magazine should look like.

• I have also become much more capable when using programs like quark, I found it hard at first to grasp but as I got used to it I improved. Also my general article writing has got much better, at first I was unsure how to lay it out and how to address the audience but as I persevered I became much better and able to comply with the general norms of article writing.