Music Magazine Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My music magazine follows and uses conventions of most music magazines. The front cover of my magazine has just one main image, which takes up the whole of the front cover, and is a convention followed by most music magazines. My front cover also follows conventions as it also has cover lines, the date and the barcode included, but my front cover also challenges conventions. The masthead of my front cover has been tilted and is on a slant, which is unusual in most magazines; as they usually have their masthead on a straight angle at the top of the page. I have also given my background a red tint to fit in with my colour scheme; which is not following forms and conventions of most music magazines. My contents page also follows conventions as it has text, images, and page numbers, and it also has headlines to go with the stories. This is a form followed by most music magazines. My double page also uses and develops forms and conventions. It has a main image of the people used on my front cover, as in most magazines the double page is based on the people on the front cover. There is also an interview and an opening headline, which is used in most magazines.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My music magazine represents a particular type of social group; teenagers in the later years upwards from the age of 16-21. My magazine represents the group in all the things I have put on my magazine. The images on my magazine are all young people. The magazine is quite indie; which is the type of social group I am aiming for and it is represented by the colours, which are red and black and are used in NME which is an indie magazine. My magazine just represents my particular social group, and in the images I chose for the magazine my models are dressed in the particular clothes indie's wear, and they fit the particular social group. They are dressed in skinny jeans and in black, which is representative of my social group. Other aspects of my magazine also represent my social group, i.e. the stories, text, cover lines. They have all been chosen to represent the particular social group.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The media institution I chose to distribute my music magazine is IPC, as it is one of the leading consumer magazines selling over 350 million copies of magazines a year. This is a very reliable and popular publisher, which would in effect increase the popularity of my magazine; and would in turn make the magazine much more well known. The publisher also divides into groups of different magazines; which shows that it publishes for a range of different magazines; and which could help to expand the range of the readers. IPC is also a digital publisher which could help me to create a website for my magazine, which could in turn increase the popularity of my magazine. Most magazines have a website, so by IPC distributing my magazine it shows that it follows conventions as other magazine have websites. With IPC distributing my magazine it increases the popularity which in turn increases the readers.

Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my media product is late teenagers upwards. I chose this because I can appeal to them easier as they are around my age, and I know what attracts them to particular magazines. I have particularly aimed my music magazine at girls rather than boys. The magazine is also aimed at a particular type of audience; indie. The target audience is teenagers from the age of 16-21 year olds. I chose this age group as it is around my age, so I would know what appeals to the audience and what they would like to see in a music magazine. It makes it easier to create the magazine as I know what does and doesn't appeal e.g. I knew that putting an old woman on the front cover would not attract my readers to the magazine. The target audience is very specific so everything I put on my magazine was designed with my target audience in mind.

How did you attract/address your audience?
I attracted my audience through everything I put in my magazine. The images on my magazine were all of young people, as I knew that would attract my audience. The models in the images were also dressed in indie clothes that I knew would appeal to my audience. The cover lines on my front cover and the stories on my contents were also done with my audience in mind. The cover lines include bands who my audience listen to e.g. The Killers. One of my cover lines includes Rob Pattinson which definitely appeals to the target audience; the girls. The stories in my contents are all about the music that my target audience listens to which appeals to them. Also the colour scheme represents my target audience. The colour scheme of my magazine is red, black and white, and especially the red because it is bright; which reflects the attitudes of my audience. The red and black are also used in a lot of music magazines who have a similar target audience to me e.g. NME magazine. They use the same colour scheme and that is also aimed at indie's like my magazine. Everything else in my magazine was done to attract and address my audience.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt many things from doing this task; manipulating images on Photoshop, learning and developing skills on different programmes we used, and different techniques to create my magazine. I learnt many different things from taking the images; the different types of images e.g. close up, medium close up. I learnt how to decide which ones to use, and which ones would be appropriate for my magazine and would work well. Then after taking the pictures I learnt how to manipulate them and put them on the magazine. I manipulated my images on Photoshop; and by doing this I developed my skills using this program. Other than manipulating my images I also learnt different techniques using Photoshop, as I also made my front cover on Phototshop; which helped me to develop new skills. Also I learnt how to use different techniques to attract my audience to my magazine. I learnt how the text, stories, colours and many other things attracted the readers to the magazine; and this helped me to create a better magazine.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task we was given to create the college magazine; helped me to progress in using the different technologies needed to create the music magazine. Creating the colloege magazine we had to learn how to take the pictures and to manipulate them, use different programmes, use our blog, and to realise how to attract our audience. Throughout this task I learnt many different things about creating a magazine which helped me create a music magazine. Doing the preliminary task I learnt how to use Photoshop, and to create a front cover on Photoshop, and I was able to develop these skills by doing the music magazine. I also learnt how to create a contents page on Publisher, which I also did for my music magazine Contents, and by doing this I was able to develop my skills and make my music magazine better. I also learnt many other things whilst doing the college magazine which helped me to create a better music magazine. The college magazine was a good task to do as it helped us to develop and create a new skills.

Questionnaire

Questionnaire:
To complete the task, I decided to make a questionnaire and ask a student some questions about my music magazine. My friend and media student Jodie Abbott did my questionnaire.

1. Does my magazine look like and follow conventions of music magazines?
Yes it looks like a music magazine, I like the front cover that looks good.

2. Does the magazine appeal to you?
Yes, especially the front cover because I like the bands what have been put on the cover, and I think the magazine looks good.

3. What do you think is good about the magazine?
I like the front cover and the double page, they look cool, my favourite is the front cover because it is quite eye catching and fun.

4. Do you think the cover lines are interesting?
Yes I would read them, I especially like the story with Rob Pattinson thats quite interesting.

5. What else appeals to you from the magazine?
I like the pictures on the magazine, they're cool. I like the colours on the front page and I think the double page and the contents look interesting.

6. Do you think the magazine is overpriced?
No, because most magazines are around this price and the magazine looks good, so I think the price is quite reasonable.

7. Do you like the title of the front cover being on a slant?
Yes, because its different to other magazines, because the titles are always straight and this is different, I think its unique.

8. What would you change about the magazine?
I would maybe add some more colour to the contents and maybe a few more images, but that's it.

Double page

Double Page

This is the double page for my magazine, and it is on a white background like my contents page so the text and images can stand out. The title at the top 'Sharp Battle' is quite interesting and eye catching; and makes the readers want to read on and find out what the title means. The title is in red so it stands out from the rest of the text; and your eyes get drawn staright to it.

I have put a little introduction at the top of the page underneath the title, so that the audience can read it and it can encourage them to read the rest of the interview. The text is very interesting and follows the forms and conventions of double page spreads in magazines. The text is in black to stand out against the background and the title.

The images have been put on each side ot the pages to make it look like they're antagonising each other, and to reflect the selling line on the front cover 'showdown'. The images stand out against the background, and as they are dressed in black it represents my colour theme, and also represents the target audience.

The interview is set in the middle of the page as it is one of the focal points of the double page spread. The interview asks quite personal questions, which will grab the interest of the reader and make them want to read the rest of the interview. The interview asks questions that are seen in a lot of magazine, which shows how it follows conventions of magazines. The interview is in black to stand out against the background, and it is in clear font so that it is easier to read. I have also put an arrow after the interview on the second page to show how there is more of the interview.

Contents page

Contents Page

This is the contents page for my blog and I chose to just have a plain white background so everything on my contents stands out, it also reflects my running colour theme. The title is at the top of the page so it can easily be seen, and is in black and red so it stands out against the background. I chose to just have a simple font for my title, because I don't want it to take away from everything else on my contents, and also because it is not the main focal point of the page.

The image is at the top under the title so your eyes are drawn to it, the image is of the girl with of the front page with someone else, I chose this because you can see that maybe the showdown is between the two of them, which is why I chose to have them back to back so you can see their rivalry. The background of the image is also white so that the models pop out, and it makes the image much more eye catching. The boy is also around the age of my target audience so it attracts them to the magazine; and makes them want to read it.

Underneath the image I have written some text about the image, this is just to gain the readers interest and make them want to read the story about the two of them. This hopefully attracts more readers and encourages them to buy the magazine. the text is in black so that it stands out, and also I chose the theme of black and red because that is a convention of most magazines to use them colours e.g. NME use the same colour scheme.

I have put the regulars and features columns next to the images so you are drawn to them. I have put the features above the regulars as they are the most interesting, and attract people to read the magazine. The stories are of things my target audience would want to read, and I put the most interesting stories at the top. The regulars are underneath because they are there to make people want to carry on reading the magazine, but they're not what attracts people to the magazine. I have alternated the colour of the text and the page numbers to make it seem more eye catching; and to stand out, also the colours are in red and black to continue my theme.

My second image is smaller than the other one because it is not the main image, but it is an image from my stories. My first story is 'Jo Simmons arrested for booze hell', the picture represents the story, and I have made the image look like a mugshot so it mirrors the story. The image is also a girl around the same age of my readers, I have done this so they feel a connection with her. She is also dressed as my readers would dress, so it appeals to my audience.

I have also put a subscription to the magazine at the bottom of the page, just to attract more people to the magazine and to make them want to buy it. The subscription is of 10% of, and just encourages people to get the magazine. I chose to put the text in yellow to add something different to my colour theme.

Front Cover

Front cover

This is my front cover for my music magazine and it is aimed at teenagers from the age of 16-21, and it is aimed at a particular type of social group; indie teenagers. The background has been given a red tint as it is quite unusual and quite unique, and it challenges conventions. I have also put my masthead on a slant to challenge forms and conventions of magazines, as usually the masthead is on a straight angle. My title is in quite a bold text to catch the eye of the readers, it is in black and white as it stands out against the red background and catches your eye. I chose the word fuel for my magazine because it represents how this magazine gives you what you need about the music industry; like fuel helps your car this helps you with the music industry.

The image takes up the whole of the cover; as that is what it does on most magazines; and it shows how I have used conventions of magazines. The image is of a teenager as that is the target audience I am going for, and it will appeal to them more if the person on the front cover is around their age. The girl is in indie clothes as that is the particular social group I am aiming for, and it will attract them to the magazine if the model wears clothes similar to what they wear.

I chose the cover line to include Rob Pattinson because I knew it would appeal to 16-21 year old girls, and I am aiming for my target audience to be mostly girls, hence the image of a girl on the front cover. The cover line is of something they would want to read, so it is appropriate for my target audience. The other cover lines I have are of different bands e.g. Reverend and the makers, these are bands who my target audience listen to; so therefore seeing there names on the front cover it makes them more likely to read the magazine. I also put the cover lines in black and white because it stands out, and it is also a running colour theme throughout my magazine.

My selling line is 'showdown' and I chose this because it is very dramatic; and will instantly attract people to the magazine as they want to find out why there is a showdown. I put the selling line on top of my image so people can recognise that the selling line is associated with the main image. It is also in black to continue with my colour theme of red, black and white.

I have put an advertisement on the front cover offering a free poster of Rob Pattinson to attract more readers, and because it appeals to my target audience and will encourage them to buy the magazine. Again the text is in black to stand out; and to continue my theme.

The bar code has been placed at the bottom so it is out of the way, but it can still also be seen, this follows conventions of most magazines as they usually have it at the bottom. The date and the price are at the top above the masthead, so they can easily be located. The price is 2.00 which is quite reasonable, and also my target audience can afford to buy it.

Double page mock up 3

Double page mock up 2

Double page mock up 1

Contents page mock up 3

Contents page mock up 2

Contents page mock up 1

Front cover mock up 4

Front cover mock up 3

Front cover mock up 2

Front cover mock up 1

Mock up double page spread:

This is my mock up doublepage spread, and I have made up two ingers and my double page is of them. The title is 'Battle of the charts', this is mirrored of my front cover title which is 'showdown', I chose this because it is quite eye catching, and makes you want to read on. The title is in Algerian; because it is a very bold text and stands out, the title will be in red to continue my colour theme running throughout the magazine.

I have put a main headline on to just make the page seem more interesting, and so it also reflects the front cover headline. The headline will read 'Jess wins the race to the charts', this again makes the page seem more interesting and it matches the front cover. I chose to have the headline; because it also makes the page seem more like a double page spread.

The interview is on the left side next to the image, as when you open it your eyes instantly go to the image and then go straight to the interview. The interview will be questions about their music and songs; and responses from the singers. One example of the questions will be 'What do these songs mean to you'. There will then be a few lines of response from each singer.

The main image is on the right to draw your attention straight to the page, the image will be of Jess and Alec. The image will consist of Jess and Alec staring at each other face to face, the image will represent the rivalry between them. The image will be an extreme close up of their faces so you can see their facial expressions. I chose to have this image like this; because it mirrors the front page image and headline, and it is quite a dramatic image; which will therefore encourage people to read the interview.

The quotes are on the page to make the interview seem more interesting, and to attract people to the page. The quotes are going to be the most interesting lines of the interview, and I have put them all around the page to entice the reader. One example of the quotes is 'People think I'm a bitch but I'm not', this is again used to encourage the readers to read the page as it is quite an interesting quote. I also have other quotes around the page to make it seem more appealing.

Mock up Front page:

This is the mock up of my finished front cover for my music magazine. The name of my front cover is 'FUEL', I chose this because it is quite an unusual title, and represents how you get your music information from my magazine like you get fuel for your car. The name 'FUEL' is on a slant because I wanted it to be different than other magazines, and therefore attract more readers for being unlike other magazines. The text is in the font algerian and is big and bold, this is to attract people to the magazine and to catch your attention. The text is in black because it stands out against the red background. As my masthead is on a slant and there is space above it; I decided to put my date and price there so there isn't a big empty space. The date and price are also in black because it contrasts against the red background.

The background is of a young girl sitting on stairs, with a red tint to the image. The image will take over the whole page as it is eye catching. The girl is dressed in indie clothes to represent my target audience; my target audience is young indie teenagers. I chose to have a red tint to the picture because it is unusual, btu also because the colour is suitable for the genre of my magazine. The colour red also runs through the theme of my magazine and is used in most indie magazines. The main headline to go with my story is 'showdown', this again is used to attract the audience as it makes the reader want to see why it is a showdown and what has she done. Again the font is in black to continue with my running theme of colours.

The cover lines are on the left hand side; because after you look at the image your eyes go staright to the stories so they have to be interesting and eye catching. My stories are all about celebrities, because I know that people want to know everything about their personal lives. One of my stories is an interview with robert Pattinson 'I'm scared of being killed', this is quite a dramatic headline and immediately the audience wants to read on and find out more about the interview. The cover lines are in Black and white, as it contrasts against the background and the colours are a running theme of my magazine. The font is also quite clear against the background so that people may want to read the rest of the magazine as they can see the stories clearly.

I also have an advertisement on my front page along the bottom, this reads ' a free poster in each magazine', this again is used to attract the readers as it gives them more insentive to buy the magazine. I decided to have a poster of Rob Pattinson because most of my target audience is aimed at teenage girls. The font again is in Black and white and is bold against the background so it can easily be seen.

The barcode has been place at the bottom because it is not the main focal point of my magazine, but I would also like it to be easily seen because it makes the front cover look much more authentic and like a front cover for a music magazine.

Mock up Contents Page:

After I had done my research I decided to make mock-ups of my front page, contents page and double page spread. This is my I.T mock up of my contents page. I decided to use the colours black and red, because they're suitable colours for the genre of my magazine. The genre of my magazine is indie music so it is appropriate for the target audience. The font of my title is quite bold and I have done this so it stands out and is more eye catching. The font is in Black but I have outlined the text in red so it stands out from the white background.

I decided to put the text for my regular and features columns in red rather than black. I chose this because the colour stands out and draws attention, but it also represents the type of audience I would like to attract to my magazine. I chose to use a running font for my regular and features column, I did this because the font I chose is very clear and easy to read. For my features column I chose to have quite an eye cathching font to describe my story; so the readers are drawn to the story and therefore read the rest of the magazine. Also I chose the same font as the title for 'Regulars' and 'Features', because it is a bold font and again it fits in with the attitude of my target audience.

The images are on the right hand side, because that is the side your eyes are immediately drawn to, and I wanted the images to be the first thing my audience saw. The top image is the girl of my front cover standing with a boy. This image represents my double page; as the people in the image are also on my double page. The image is a mid shot of the couple standing back to back; and I chose this because it shows the competative relationship betweent the two which I am trying to portray. The second image is a new image of a girl in bright pink sunglasses. This image is also appropriate for my target audience because the girl fits the genre of the magazine, and the sunglasses also fit in with the magazine, because they're bright and vibrant and represent my target audience. The image is a close up of the girl, I chose this because you notice the sunglasse more and it is also more dramatic.

I also have a offer on the bottom of the contents to make it look more authentic and like a contents page. The offer is a free subscription to the magazine with 10% of the charge. This is done to attract more readers.