Evaluation

EvaluationQuestions:•In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

• How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

• Who would be the audience for your media product?

• How did you attract/address your audience?

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

• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

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

Front cover

With the front cover I used some of the conventions featured in Kerrang magazine. I used a similar menu strip, a bold font that stands out from afar, the use of the heading and sub-heading across the main picture and also the use of mentioning artists featured in the issue.I used a similar menu strip because I thought it looked like a good feature and added some texture to the magazine.I used a bold font, just as Kerrang does, so that if my product was in the shop it would be easy to spot from afar and gives it a little bit of an edge.I put the heading and sub-heading across the main picture because it stands out and shows it’s clearly related to that certain picture.I mentioned artists featured in the magazine to appeal to the audience e.g. buying the magazine for a certain artist.

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

Contents page

Again, like the front cover I used some of the conventions featured in Kerrang for example a main picture at the top of the page. I used this convention because it was a nice way of using the cover artists in the contents and to carry on using them as a constant feature on the cover, contents and double page spread.

When I was looking at other magazines one that caught my eye was the double page spread from an issue of NME, with two main bodies of text separated by a section of different text. Another thing that caught my eye was how they used their pictures, with a one at the top of the article and one big picture on the next page. I used the double page spread as a guide but used my own ideas and changed certain aspects e.g. I used pictures to separate each body of text and I added more text and pictures on the second page whereas NME had one big picture. I did this because my survey results showed that my audience preferred to see an equal ratio of pictures to text, which the NME article didn’t have.

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

Double page spread

Another convention used in both products was the style of text. In NME the title ‘Fighting Talk’ is in two different colours, the word ‘fighting’ is in grey and ‘talk’ is in black. I used this on my product with a slight change – the title of the magazine ‘IndiePop’ in black and the title of the article ‘ExE spill the beans’ in grey. The only reason behind this was pure coincidence seeing as the title of the magazine is that colour all the way through.

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

Front cover

GenderThe target gender for my audience is female so I have used females on the cover for the audience to look up to as role models. I’ve used this idea by the way the girls are dressed. One of the girls (Elena) is wearing shorts however I haven’t had her in pose that shows her off in a sexual way because of the age of the cover stars and the audience.DressThe girls dress sense is a mix of indie and pop, it shows that dress sense as bright and colourful. The colourful aspect represents teenagers as people who want to stand out in the crowd and their smiling faces represent teenager girls as generally happy and friendly.Age and classThe girls on the cover are the same age and similar class as the audience, this shown through their inexpensive clothing (e.g. converse not the leading brand) this attracts people being similar to them and shows their style as easy to copy (for those wanting to look up to them)The cheap price of £1.60 also shows how people in the age group don’t have a lot of money to spend on magazines, this also reflects the working-middle class audience.

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

Contents pageAge and class My contents page features a picture of the latest iPod nano, this represents people who are able to buy the latest gadgets representing the middle class, however it also keeps in mind people of a working class background, I’ve done this by using competitions to win concert tickets.The three girls featured are shown as the kind of people who would read the magazine themselves.DressThe clothes shown in the top picture are the same as the ones on the front cover, showing a nice consistency. The clothes shown in the picture towards the bottom are practicaland quite ‘cutesy’ and inexpensive relating to the age and classGenderThe girls featured on my contents page both challenges and represents the typical stereotype of females shown in music magazines (presented in a sexual way).Challenges: I’ve challenged the typical stereotype by dressing the girls in casual clothes that aren’t revealing. This shows how the modern day young woman dresses to please herself rather than menRepresents: the girls are wearing make-up and the top picture shows the girls smiling and talking a very common stereotype of girls loving to talk and gossip.

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

Double page spread

Age and class

DressThe clothes shown are the same as they were on the cover and in the contents. As said about the picture on the cover the dress sense is a mix of indie and pop, it shows that dress sense as bright and colourful. The colourful aspect represents teenagers as people who want to stand out in the crowd and their smiling faces represent teenager girls as generally happy and friendly.

GenderThe girls featured on my double page spread both challenges and represents the typical stereotype of females shown in music magazines (presented in a sexual way).Challenges: I’ve challenged the typical stereotype by dressing the girls in casual clothes that aren’t revealing. This shows how the modern day young woman dresses to please herself rather than menRepresents: the girls are wearing make-up and one of the pictures shows the girls smiling and talking a very common stereotype of girls loving to talk and gossip (circled in blue).The pictures of the girls in the woods (circled in red) shows the stereotype of some girls being carefree.

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

I have chosen IPC Media as the media institution that might distribute my media product. IPC Media distribute magazines such as NME, Cycling Weekly, Teen Now and TV Times this shows that they have a lot of experience in distributing many different genres of magazines whether it’s music, sports, teen magazines and TV guides.Because IPC Media has experience in music magazines and teen magazines and my media product is a combination of the two I thought it would be a good company to choose.I also considered Wenner Media as a good distributer. Wenner Media distribute magazines such as Rolling Stone and US Weekly. Rolling Stone is a magazine which is focused on music, liberal politics, and popular culture so this is what made me consider them as the music featured in Rolling Stone varies in genre so they have experience in different music genres.

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

My reader is a white British female aged 15-17. She likes a wide range of music and is unable to choose a favourite artist. She generally only reads magazines once a month, but will sometimes purchase them more frequently if something catches her eye. She purchases magazines to read new information, but is only willing to pay between £1.50 and £2 for a magazine . She enjoys listening to pop music, but will happy listen to any genre. She prefers seeing an equal ratio of picture to text and likes to see bright and bold colours in magazines.

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

Front cover

An offer to win concert tickets appeals to people who don’t have much money to be able to go see their favourite artist/band in concert. This also connects to the low price of £1.60.

My target audience is female, normally in magazines directed at females male cover stars are used however I used female cover stars to pose as people the target audience can look up to as role models.

The female audience are teenagers aged 15-17, so the cover stars I’ve used are in that age group to appeal to the audience.

I included lots of different bands and artists to appeal to more people e.g. some people only buy magazines if someone they like is in it

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

Contents page

I included lots of social network sites to appeal to every type of person who would be reading the magazine and give them more options to where they learn the newest information. They’re also big websites that the age group use on a regular basis. I also added a website.

I included lots of different types of pages that will feature in the magazine including posters. Interviews, reviews and news

Represents the stereotype of girls loving to talk and gossip

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

Double page spread

In my double page spread the writing is quite sophisticated (to hit at the indie readers) however there is the use of modern day colloquialism such as ‘fan-girled’ this attracts the audience by using language they’re common with.Even though the audience is 15-17 the use of no swearing makes it safe for younger girls to read it or if younger sisters read over the older sister’s shoulder.

The style of the double page spread is quite simple and easy to read and there is an equal ratio of text to pictures, something that appeals to my audience.

I used colours throughout the article to attract to the audience and pull them.I used black and white photos as well as colours to give a twist and attract the audience (black and white is usually associated with sophistication)

Earlier on in my production I made a mood board, which I’ve now added to

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

For my front cover I used Photoshop, at first I had a lot of difficulties having never used it before, but once I got the hang of it I found it quite simple to use.I liked using Photoshop because it was easy to get effects I could never get if I’d used Publisher (like I did for the contents and double page spread). The effects made it look more professional and the outline on the text made it stand out and catch your eye from a distance.With Photoshop I could edit the photos – I used an effect that brightened the colours in the photos.

Also the tool which allowed you to quickly copy colours e.g. the blue outline on the masthead is the same as the blue on Emily’s jeans (Emily is circled in blue)

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

Before we started the actual production of our media product we first had to make a preliminary magazine front cover and contents page. The magazine was about college unlike the final product being about music.Looking back at my preliminary task I definitely feel like I’ve come a long way in terms of using Photoshop

I feel that I’ve learnt how to effectively use the array ofdifferent tools and effects that come with Photoshop, e.g. thetext on my preliminary task is quite plain and doesn’t standout, whereas on my final product I learnt how to put anoutline on the text to make it stand out.

I also learnt how to use layers effectively, when I was making my cover for the premliminary task I was worried about how the layers worked and I wasn’t to sure whether or not they’d actually look good so I decided not to use any. Once I started making my final product I realise that the layers were quite easy to use and make them look effective.