Evaluation - written
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My magazine does use forms and conventions of real media products, such as the style of the masthead being placed at the top of the front cover and the bar code with issue number and price at the bottom. The form can be compared as the same, with the cover lines and main cover image being placed in the middle. However, it also challenges the forms and conventions this is because as my music magazine is an alternative, indie and folk rock genre but does not match the same style to other rock magazines. I’ve designed my magazine to be aimed at women therefore it’s a non-typical rock magazine as it’s girly. The contents page does challenge the forms because I’ve named the contents page ‘this week’, which means my magazine is different to the current rock magazines. My content page does use forms of real media products such as: list of features and regulars, images with captions and subscribe with website name at the bottom which is often seen in magazines. Also, usually magazines either leave gaps or have lines separating writing or images but I’ve decided to have the lines overlap each other making the magazine look different my magazine look unique. My double page spread also uses forms and conventions of real media products because the image on the left side is often seen in magazines with the interview or article on the right side.
2. Who does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine is aimed at only females, to allow them a chance to be able to read rock magazines that suits their style as many females like rock music yet are not the typically rock music fans. My magazine represents females which is clearly seen through the front cover as there is a fashionable female and the magazine is in the style of black and white and vintage which is typically more liked by females than males. My magazine represents that females also can like rock music but doesn’t need to be the typical rock music fan.
3. Who would be the audience for your media product?
My magazine is targeted to females aged 16 to 25, this is because many females like rock music especially alternative, indie and folk rock sub-genres. There is also a gap in the market as there is no music magazine which only targets females. The age range I'm targeting allows my magazine to have a wide target audience therefore it's more likely to liked. The target age range is more likely to attend concerts and gigs which are already targeting the late teens and early 20s. The audience is clear especially through my front page and double page spread; the images used can be linked with fashion which many girls like.
4. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Through looking at different publishing companies, I thought the best for my magazine would IPC Media (International Publishing Corporation), who publish more than 60 media brands including magazines in music, fashion and sports. They focus more on females which would work well for my magazine and as NME is published by IPC Media this means they already have experience in music magazines meaning my magazine can be more likely published. Also, they have multiple platforms including print, online, mobile, tablet and events which would benefit my magazine as I think it would be good to set a website up where readers can subscribe and have further read about latest music and top charts. Social network sites would also be good such as: Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, to allow readers to get latest news and videos including interviews with singers and editors.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
As I already decided to target my magazine at females, I decided to have a vintage style so my magazine didn’t look manly. I decided to have a female as the front cover so the fashion style could be more noticeable and with the red lips as the only colour on the page this made the audience be interested. Also, my front cover of my magazine attracts the audience through the quotes used, which came from the double page spread making the audience know a little what the article is about and grabs their interest. My magazine also attracts the target age range by the interview style on my double page spread. The language is very chatty which is liked by most teenagers and young adults, this will make them like the magazine.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
By using Photoshop, I realised that it was easy to use and could easily change and edit images, shapes and colours quickly. Photoshop allowed me to create a professional looking magazine by being able to edit an image which makes them look professional. It was easy to add the red lips on images by copying the coloured image onto the edited image and cutting the lips and then editing them making them fuller and darker. Photoshop also allowed me to edit my masthead making it transparent which makes the main cover image still clear. I also used InDesign for my double page spread, at the start of using the software I found it difficult to edit and add images on the pages, then I realised it would be best to edit images on photoshop and place them into InDesign after.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
From doing my magazine I realised that the background of the image should be removed so that the image looks professional. I learnt that bright colours that I used in the preliminary task didn’t work well together and made the magazine look cheap, that’s why I decided to make my magazine black and white. I also learnt that the masthead shouldn’t have a simple font but should have an interesting font that stood out. I learnt that overlapping images in my preliminary task didn’t work well and I realised it blended in with the main cover image which made the magazine look even childish. This is the reason; I decided not to have other images on my front cover which made the main cover image seem more important especially as it’s the cover story. From doing the preliminary task I noticed that the cover lines being placed in a box didn’t look good and made the magazine look boring. So for my music magazine, I placed the cover lines on the right and left sides without boxes.
My magazine does use forms and conventions of real media products, such as the style of the masthead being placed at the top of the front cover and the bar code with issue number and price at the bottom. The form can be compared as the same, with the cover lines and main cover image being placed in the middle. However, it also challenges the forms and conventions this is because as my music magazine is an alternative, indie and folk rock genre but does not match the same style to other rock magazines. I’ve designed my magazine to be aimed at women therefore it’s a non-typical rock magazine as it’s girly. The contents page does challenge the forms because I’ve named the contents page ‘this week’, which means my magazine is different to the current rock magazines. My content page does use forms of real media products such as: list of features and regulars, images with captions and subscribe with website name at the bottom which is often seen in magazines. Also, usually magazines either leave gaps or have lines separating writing or images but I’ve decided to have the lines overlap each other making the magazine look different my magazine look unique. My double page spread also uses forms and conventions of real media products because the image on the left side is often seen in magazines with the interview or article on the right side.
2. Who does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine is aimed at only females, to allow them a chance to be able to read rock magazines that suits their style as many females like rock music yet are not the typically rock music fans. My magazine represents females which is clearly seen through the front cover as there is a fashionable female and the magazine is in the style of black and white and vintage which is typically more liked by females than males. My magazine represents that females also can like rock music but doesn’t need to be the typical rock music fan.
3. Who would be the audience for your media product?
My magazine is targeted to females aged 16 to 25, this is because many females like rock music especially alternative, indie and folk rock sub-genres. There is also a gap in the market as there is no music magazine which only targets females. The age range I'm targeting allows my magazine to have a wide target audience therefore it's more likely to liked. The target age range is more likely to attend concerts and gigs which are already targeting the late teens and early 20s. The audience is clear especially through my front page and double page spread; the images used can be linked with fashion which many girls like.
4. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Through looking at different publishing companies, I thought the best for my magazine would IPC Media (International Publishing Corporation), who publish more than 60 media brands including magazines in music, fashion and sports. They focus more on females which would work well for my magazine and as NME is published by IPC Media this means they already have experience in music magazines meaning my magazine can be more likely published. Also, they have multiple platforms including print, online, mobile, tablet and events which would benefit my magazine as I think it would be good to set a website up where readers can subscribe and have further read about latest music and top charts. Social network sites would also be good such as: Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, to allow readers to get latest news and videos including interviews with singers and editors.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
As I already decided to target my magazine at females, I decided to have a vintage style so my magazine didn’t look manly. I decided to have a female as the front cover so the fashion style could be more noticeable and with the red lips as the only colour on the page this made the audience be interested. Also, my front cover of my magazine attracts the audience through the quotes used, which came from the double page spread making the audience know a little what the article is about and grabs their interest. My magazine also attracts the target age range by the interview style on my double page spread. The language is very chatty which is liked by most teenagers and young adults, this will make them like the magazine.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
By using Photoshop, I realised that it was easy to use and could easily change and edit images, shapes and colours quickly. Photoshop allowed me to create a professional looking magazine by being able to edit an image which makes them look professional. It was easy to add the red lips on images by copying the coloured image onto the edited image and cutting the lips and then editing them making them fuller and darker. Photoshop also allowed me to edit my masthead making it transparent which makes the main cover image still clear. I also used InDesign for my double page spread, at the start of using the software I found it difficult to edit and add images on the pages, then I realised it would be best to edit images on photoshop and place them into InDesign after.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
From doing my magazine I realised that the background of the image should be removed so that the image looks professional. I learnt that bright colours that I used in the preliminary task didn’t work well together and made the magazine look cheap, that’s why I decided to make my magazine black and white. I also learnt that the masthead shouldn’t have a simple font but should have an interesting font that stood out. I learnt that overlapping images in my preliminary task didn’t work well and I realised it blended in with the main cover image which made the magazine look even childish. This is the reason; I decided not to have other images on my front cover which made the main cover image seem more important especially as it’s the cover story. From doing the preliminary task I noticed that the cover lines being placed in a box didn’t look good and made the magazine look boring. So for my music magazine, I placed the cover lines on the right and left sides without boxes.