AS media coursework 2010Evaluation of my music magazine

By Hannah Walsh

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

products?

My magazine, like any other has a main title at the top of the page. Usually this title doesn't change from issue to issue meaning customers can clearly and easily identify it.

Although some magazines change the colour of the title for each issue to match the model on the cover.

Here I have a barcode which is common in many magazines.

During my research I found that many magazines had a banner on the top of the front cover, although i put mine on the bottom of my from cover as I didn’t want it didn’t look ‘cluttered’ at the top near the main title.

Question 1 continued.

My magazine only has one picture on the front cover. Usually on music magazines they have a main picture then other smaller pictures around it. Them smaller pictures could be of other acts/singers who are inside the magazine. I decided that i only wanted one main picture on the cover as i didn’t want it to look cluttered with pictures. I thought it would make my magazine look messy. I wanted a more classier look.

This is my only cover picture.

Question 1 continued

Costumes

I have chosen these costumes as they are typical clothes that are worn by country singers. In my research I found out that on country music magazines the ‘typical clothing’ for a woman country singer would be something ‘summery’, for example a dress. Although I have added a denim waistcoat for as the issues is set to be released in September so by adding a waistcoat it indicates an ‘autumn look’.

Also in my other photos I picked for my models to wear checked shirts. This indicated a country western style.

Question 1 continued.Another convention of a real media product is that on the contents page I have put the title of the magazine at the top of the page again.

Just like all contents pages I have listed all the articles/features in alphabetical order within their suitable headings. By having heading like most other magazine contents page it makes the page look less cluttered and more organised.

Just like other magazine contents pages I have got some pictures of other artists that are featured in the magazine which aren’t mentioned on the front cover. On the photos I have also put the pages numbers on and in a different colour so they stand out.

Question 1 continued.

I have made the name of the artist that the interview is about much larger than any other text on the two pages to it is the first thing to catch your attention as it stands out. I have also wrote a short synopsis about the artist and what she is going to talk about in the interview. I have put this under her name which many other magazines do so readers know exactly who she is and what she’s going to talk about.

Another convention that I have followed is that in the bottom right hand corner I have the page number. So its easy to flick to the page you want to read.

I have followed the convention of having a quote from the magazine made bigger and on the photo. This will draw the reader in to read the whole interview if the quote is interesting. A lot of magazines do this to draw the readers in.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents a particular social group of female students aged 16 who are interested in this type of ‘country’ music. I have represented this age group by the model on the front cover and the artists that are featured within the magazine. Also by the style of my magazine, the pages are sophisticated which adds a grown up feel to it. By using a model that is around the same age as the social group that the magazine is aimed at and who is a stereo typical white female who dresses in traditional country style clothing this makes the female relatable, she represents the readers of the magazine. It may also make the readers believe they can achieve what the cover model has, they can aim to achieve what she has.

The colours on my front cover also represent the social group as it is quite bright and lively looking without being in your face. If it was for an older age group I would have used more subtle, darker colours and if it was for a younger age group I would have used brighter primary colours.

On my double page spread I have continued to represent this social group by using a chatty/friendly style to the text. On the two page spread is the interview with the cover model so by reading the interview they can again relate to what she is saying.

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

After my research I found a company called American Media, Inc. Who I think would be a likely distributor for my country magazine. They already sell many magazines such as; The National Enquirer, The Globe, Country Weekly and many more. I believe they could benefit from a magazine aimed at younger people and promotes the new up and coming music and artists. American Media, Inc. Currently sell 14 magazines and also own Distribution Services, Inc who are an in-store magazine merchandising company, so I think I could benefit massively from the advertisement from these.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The target audience for my magazine would be a teenage, middle class, girl aged 16. They would mainly listen to country music sung by young, current singers. For example, Taylor Swift. This is because the model featured on the cover of my magazine is the same age as the reader, meaning the reader can relate to them and get involved. Most of the other artists featured in my magazine are also young showing the readers can relate to them too.

Other people who may read my magazine could just be people who are fans of the artists featured inside the magazine. For example Carrie Underwood. Or who listen to country music and want to see what’s new in country music.

5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

I have attracted my audience by having a young female model on the front that female readers may relate too and male readers may find attractive.I have also attracted my audience by naming all the famous artists that are featured in the magazine, as some people may pick up the magazine just to read about the celebrity the really like who is featured in it.The celebrities I have named on the front cover are all up to date singers that would attract teenagers.

Throughout the magazine I have used the same colours which will appeal to both male and female.

Also throughout the magazine I have kept all the pages simple and easy to read, so more people are likely to want to read it as if it was all cluttered not many people would take their time to read it.

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

To make my product I have used many technologies such as a digital camera and Photoshop.Before making my magazine I had never used Photoshop so I wasn’t very good at it. So over time I began to get the hang of it and used it for every page of my magazine.I edited my front cover picture in Photoshop, the photograph that has been edited is very different to the original one. I have zoomed into the picture so i didn’t have too much space around the model which wouldn’t take away the main focus of her. I have also altered the brightness and contrast as the original picture was too dark. Brightening the picture makes it look like it is warmer and summery which I would be in September.

Whilst using the digital camera I learned how to zoom in and out and how to focus on the object/person. You must have both of these perfect to get the perfect picture needed to my magazine.

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

full product?

Preliminary task: Main task:

Front covers.From the progression from my preliminary task to my full product I have learned a lot especially to do with the programme Photoshop and how to make a magazine look more professional. For example the photo on the preliminary task looks like it has just been taken on a normal camera and it looks like it has just been stuck on the cover. Although on my main task the photo looks more professional as I have edited it so it matches the background and looks like its meant to be there, not just stuck on.

Also on my preliminary task the front cover doesn’t look professional unlike my main task, which has much more writing on it. So the preliminary task looks empty as there is very little writing on it unlike a real magazine which is packed with information about what’s inside the magazine. There is too much white space around the model.

Question 7 Continued.

Preliminary task: Main task:

Contents page.

Again, when doing the contents page I realised that I needed more text and information on it. My preliminary task looks a lot more empty and boring than my main task contents as it has a lot less information on it. I realised it looks better too if I had more than one picture on to show other people in the magazine.