By Michael Scrafton

Style ModelsThe style model that I have chosen throughout my music magazine has been Q. The key conventions I used from Q were:

Front Cover• Masthead.• Shapes.• Large Image.• Layout.

Double Page Spread• One page filled with text.• One page with large image of the artist.• Page numbers.• Layout of masthead, sub heading and then text.• Drop Capital and column structure.• Quotes and stripes.

Contents• Page numbers.• Images.• Layout.• Sub headings followed by text.• Use of lines to help it stayorganised.

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

media products?

My Music Magazine Front Cover Q’s Front Cover

The use of ConventionsMastheads

Red Background

Large White Font

Capital Bold Font

Capital Bold Font

Large White Font

Red Background

The reason why I kept the same layout for the masthead is because it stands out for the target audience to see clearly and to recognise on the magazine shelf for future purchase.

Shapes as text boxes

Colour Scheme of Red, Black and White

Capital Bold Font

Capital Bold Font

Circle Shape

Circle Shape

The reason why I chose to use a circle shape was that it stands out from the rest of the other text on the front page and attracts the target audience into reading that certain piece of information.

Large Image

Prop Prop

Middle of the page

The reason why I chose one large image and positioned it in the centre of the page was because my target audience said it stood out clearly and appealed to them.

Focused facial expressions

Colour Scheme and Layout

The response from my target audience was that I should chose the colour scheme of red, black and white for my genre of music magazine as the colours are bright and attractive to catch the audience’s eye.

Colour Scheme: Red

Black and White

Text around the large

image

Bold Sub-Headings

The Development of Conventions

When adding the text for the main article I decided to add a interesting shape behind the text so it helped it stand out and catch the readers eye even more.

Positioning of text is across the male model

Black text box to help the text stand out

Red, capital, bold font

Text about main article

Positioning of text is at the bottom of the page

Large red, capital, bold font

Capital white font

Banner

Barcode

Red capital

font

Small plus signs separating each article

Original Beat Brand style

The reason I chose to add a banner at the bottom of my front cover was to make the target audience become more intrigued to see the variety of articles included in my music magazine.

Large plus sign

Large plus sign

Barcode

Large Red sub-heading

Contents Page

My music magazine Contents Page

Q’s contents Page

The use of ConventionsPage Numbers

I decided to put my page numbers like this because these two colours work well together as the page number stands out well for the target audience to see.

Black Background

Positioned in the corner

Black Background

White colour for the numbersBold

white numbers

Positioned in the corner

Images

I decided to use this image because it is a good medium shot and it shows a clear image of the artist for the target audience to see.

Natural Lighting

Focus facial Expressions

Costume

Suit for Costume

Focused facial expressions

Natural LightingProp

Medium Shot

Close up Shot

Layout

I set my layout like this so it was organised and easy to read for the target audience. I made the sub-heading bold and the text under it un-bold so the audience knew what the main heading was.

Smaller font

Page Number

Line to separate articles

Large, bold font for sub - heading

Medium Shot

Red text box for font to stand out

Black bold font

Page Number Red smaller

font

White capital font

The development of Conventions

I included the image of the editor and his name so that the target audience know who the editor is for future personal contact.

Black bold font for title

Page Number

Different colour for text

Editors name

Image

Title in bold capital font which is underlined

Editors Column

When deciding on the masthead for my contents page I decided to keep the same colour scheme because it was attractive but instead of using low case letters I decided to use capitals as I felt it emphasised it more, for the audience to see.

Masthead

Same Colour Scheme.

Red background

Black capital font.

Black low case font.

Logo of magazine.

Issue Number

White low case font.

White capital font

The Conventions I challenged

I included a banner on my contents page so I could fit more articles onto the page. The use of the “Plus” which is underlined helps the articles stand out and catch the reader’s eye.

Banner

Page Number.

Colour scheme of red, black and white.

Plus sign to separate stories.

Black capital font for the reader to easily read.

Bold, underline title so it stands out for the reader to spot.

I decided to put this subscription advert on the contents page, because it stands out more clearly, which could attract the readers to sign up for the offer, instead of doing what Q does and put the advert amongst a random article hoping for readers to find it while flicking through the pages.

Advertisement

Black Background

Red capital bold font.

Strip to separate from other articles

Colour scheme of red, black and white.

Page Number.

Logo of magazine.

Double Page Spread

My music magazine Double Page Spread

Q’s Double Page Spread

The use of ConventionsLayout

I decided to keep my layout like my style model as it is well presented and the use of one image on one side and text on the other side makes the double page spread look organised and appealing

Page Numbers and name

Page Numbers and name

Drop Capital

Drop Capital

Column Structure

Image on one page

Image on one page

Quotes and Stripes

I positioned the quote on the page where the image of the artist was. I also kept the two lines in one thick and one thin so that it banded the text together well.

Red thick line

Red Capital font

Grey background

Thin black line

Thin black Line

Grey Background

Red Capital font

Bold line

Masthead and sub-heading

I decided to make the masthead a different colour from the sub-heading as it stands out clearer and catches the eye of my target audience.

Red Capital bold font

Smaller black font

Black Bold fontLine

separationWhite Background

Line separation

White background

Black smaller font

Name of artist

On my double page spread, I positioned the name of the artist in the top right hand corner so it caught the readers eye as they flicked through the articles. I underlined the font so it stood out more for the reader to spot.

Black Capital font

Grey Background

Underlined

Black Capital font

Underlined

Grey Background

Black font

The development of conventions

Caption

I added this caption onto my double page spread at the bottom of the page as it describes to my audience what the image is.

White font

Black background

Colour Scheme

• Throughout my music magazine I stuck with the eye catching colour scheme:

• BLACK,

RED.• This is because it is an attractive colour

scheme which stands my specific target audience had requested was the most striking.

• Age – my age band for my magazine is between 16 – 30 year olds because this age group like to know the latest gossip on new artists.

• Ethnic minority groups – My magazine is aimed at all cultures as there is a variety of artists and genre included.

• Gender – Both male and females are equally represented.

• Class and Status – My magazine is aimed at multiple classes as the articles are written in a relaxed and informative dialogue.

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

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

why?I would advertise my music magazine by:• Billboards – in key city locations.• Radio – on certain genre radio programs. • Internet – In adverts on Facebook and

YouTube.• TV – In adverts between key genre

programs.

• I would initially distribute my music magazine Nationally around the UK.

• I would try to establish my music magazine in the market place before expanding it Internationally.

How would you distribute your music magazine?

Which company do you think could take on the distribution of your music

magazine?• I have decided Frontline Ltd should

distribute my music magazine.• This is because Frontline is the UK’s

leading magazine sales and distribution company.

• Frontline distributes top consumer magazines from key publishers BBC Magazines, Bauer and Haymarket.

• For my music magazine my target audience would be:

• Age – 16 to 30 year olds.• Gender – Male and Female.• Class – Upper working class.• Music lovers who like to

read read the latest music news• Mixed Genre and artists

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

• My target audience were asked to answer a questionnaire as to what conventions they would like to see in a music magazine.

• From the results I chose key conventions which were popular such as:

• Large image for front cover• Large bright eye catching Masthead• Interview on double page spread• Red, black and white colour scheme

5. How did you attract / address your audience?

Feedback from Target Audience from rough cuts

The main feedback I received from my target audience was to try and improve the following:

• The Contents page was to white.• The Double Page Spread was not cut out very

well.• The editor’s image needs to be cut out neater.• The Photos of the week were too crammed

and unclear.• The background of some images could be

improved.

Front Covers

Final Front Cover Rough Front Cover

Smooth Cut out image

Coloured background

Original background

Shadow Effect

Contents Pages

Final Contents Page

Rough Contents Page

Improved background

No background

One clear Image

Too many images

Coloured background

New image

Badly cut image

White background

Double Page Spreads

Double Page Spread

Rough Double Page Spread

Smooth Image Badly cut

out image

Coloured Background Plain

Background

How do the images attract your target audience

• My images attracted my target audience by:

• Large Images• Bright Colour Scheme• Organised Layout• Key Conventions• Large Masthead• Free gifts to encourage audience• Variety of artists on front cover

What my magazine sets out to do

The general message my music magazine sets out is:

• This is a modern cool music magazine, full of the latest music news, including easy read articles novel features and latest up to date music gossip.

• That's why BEAT music magazine is currently the world’s number one music magazine in the World.

Language used in double page spread

• The language I used in my double page spread is easy to read, relaxed and informative.

• It does not contain any strong or offensive language.

• It is a straight forward interview of interesting questions and answers with an introduction at the start about the music artist.

I have learnt a vast amount of knowledge from using the following technology :

• Photography• Photoshop• Blogger• Power Point

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of

constructing the product?

• From producing my music magazine I have learnt how to use a SLR camera.

• Varying shutter speed and focus

• Applying artificial lighting

• Changing shot distance

• Framing shots and angles

Photography

Photoshop

• These following tools I used on Photoshop to enhance my images and layout.

This tool positioned my pictures and layout.

This tool cropped my images to the size I wanted.

This tool cut out certain pieces of the images that I didn't want.

This tool enabled me to cut out my images very precisely

This tool made my images look smother and rubbed bits of the image out I didn’t require.

The spot tool made my pictures look more professional.

• Blogger enabled me to keep all my coursework together and well organised.

• Blogger set my work out in the correct order by date so people could view my blog and see my recent uploads.

• I could post text, images, podcast and videos onto the blog.

Blogger

• I used PowerPoint to present my media evaluation.

• I found it easy to use and enabled me include a variety of information on numerous slides.

• I could add text boxes, shapes, images and different fonts to make my PowerPoint look professional and interesting.

Microsoft PowerPoint

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

the full product?

Final music Front cover

Preliminary Front cover

Final music Contents page

Preliminary Contents page

My Progress...

Correctly positioned picture

Variety of camera angles

No tilted shots

Positioned page numbers

Bad Colour Scheme

Tilted imagesFirst choice font

Bad page numbers layout

Researched font

All medium shots

During my project I have learnt the following:

• To keep up to date with deadlines and stay organised.

• Research key conventions, such as the colour scheme.

• How to layout and structure a front cover and contents page.

• Position images accurately.

• Remember to add all key conventions to make my music magazine look as professional as possible.

• Try a variety of examples, such as font, try different fonts and see which one suits the style model the best.

Comments on final product

The End