danny williams

Danny Williams

As Media Studies Evaluation

Question 1.

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

…..

Conventions and Genres.

• My genre of music is indie.• I researched the music world via the internet

and through magazines to find out what is currently popular in the music world today.

• This gave me a clear selling point and a target audience.

Front Cover.My magazine contains all vital conventions that a magazine must. It has a logo (top left), straplines (top and bottom), subheadings (various) and images (center, top right, bottom left). I’ve also added a barcode (bottom left) a price, and of course the date. These key features are all important when selling a magazine.

A regular NME magazine 2011

Double Page Spread with Article.

Headline of article

Images of the band

Article

Contents Page.

Band index, showing what bands will feature in the magazine.

News, Interviews, Reviews and Live showing what main interesting eye catching features will appear this week in the magazine.

Offers to attract the reader.

Final Print Products

What separates my magazine from the rest currently on the market is my editing style and skills used to create an indie magazine. I used the same colours and fonts throughout to keep the style crisp and edgy. On my double page article I didn’t go for the traditional large picture, I split one up and made each band member stand out and have their own say, something magazine such as NME fail to achieve. I feel this magazine could be successful on the market as it is unique and edgy the way an indie magazine should be.

Question 2.

• How does my media product represent particular social groups?

• I have used one particular convention and style, the indie style of today.

• Fred Perry, Barbour jackets, skinny jeans and pumps.

• My use of setting also conveys the indie style, it is in a back alley, showing that these are working class lads and anyone can amount to their level and the audience can relate to it.

Target Audience.

• My target audience are working class people between the age of 14-35 who enjoy indie music.

Product Testing on my target audience to prove it worked.

Does the layout make you want to buy it?

YesNo

Does the magazine look genuine?

YesNo

What makes the magazine look genuine?

ImagesTaglinesFont

Question 3.

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

Two Main Producers

• IPC• Emap

• The most likely one to distribute this type of media is IPC.

IPC MEDIA

• Previously known as International Publishing Coperation is a consumer magazine and digital publisher since the 1950s thus proving why the are the most dominant publishers in media for magazines like mine.

3 or 5 Current Divisions – Connect (women’s weekly) Inspire (leisure) Ignite (men’s lifestyle, entertainment)

As much as I focused on magazines such as NME, Alternative Press is a magazine I focused on. Produced by IPC it has everything that mine contains, I just added to it to make it even better!

This has traditional conventions such as taglines, logos, prices, barcodes and everything else!

Question 4.

• Who would be the audience for your media?

• Males and Females (Particularly Males)• Aged 14-35• Ethnicity – All• Interests – Music (indie/rock/metal)

Question 5 - How did you attract/ address your audience?

• I attracted my audience by putting an up and coming indie band as my center image, and as my magazine is to help promote young up and coming bands, this attracts music lovers nationwide.

• I also made the band look down for my pictures as this gives a mysterious look, an unusual concept for a typical music magazine. I also photoshopped my pictures to make them look darker and more deceptive.

• The name of my magazine is from a classic song by The Jam, Start!. This will attract the older ages in particular.

• I also had a tagline of “how our band name nearly killed us!” to attract anyone, not just my target audience and to make people want to read it.

• My choice of things to put in my article and contents are things I know my target audience would want to see, found out by research via questionairre.

Question 6

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

• I was already used to the concept of blogging, but indesign and photoshop I have learnt whilst making my magazine

• I also have got used to using a digital camera and a tripod

• In particular I have learnt how to use in design which is helpful

Question 7

• Looking Back at my preliminary task, how do I feel I have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Progression

Comparison

• My first magazine draft was very basic, it included a title, some sub headings and a main image

• My final cover included these conventions and much more, such as barcodes, taglines etc. but I kept a similar font and the magazine title.

Conclusion

• Overall my magazine could be better, in particular I would of liked to use better fonts so it would stand out and a few more professional looking images.

• Other than that I am pleased with my magazine, I used all the conventions I thought were needed and the front cover, contents and article spread all looked good and professional.