Evaluation of magazine

Sophie Cooper7275

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

I have tried to stick to the codes and conventions of front covers, contents pages and double page spreads in many ways.

In my magazine I have made my title a large and eye catching font in relation to the “VIBE” title. On my own magazine the “MIX” is the largest font on the front cover just like “VIBE”. The colour scheme I have used is yellow, black and white which is the same as the “VIBE” magazine I have used for ideas and inspiration, I decided on this colour palette because I felt it looked good and professional on the “VIBE” magazine and wanted mine to be as much like this as possible. I have used

cover lines that wrap around my main image on the front cover so they are easy to read and the cover lines reveal what will be featuring inside the magazine. Also, like on the “VIBE” magazine, I have used the idea of “exclusive interview with” as I

thought this was a good feature to use. The image used of my model is large and eye catching and is an image of the person who the interview is about, just like in the “VIBE” magazine. My header follows the codes and conventions of the real

magazine as it has names of featured artists along the top. The use of sans serif font connotates simplicity and is aimed towards a lower brow, less sophisticated audience which is the audience who it is aimed at and follows the codes and

conventions of “VIBE”. I have got a barcode which makes my magazine look like a real magazine as these are essential to a front cover.

Title

Limited colour palette

Cover lines

Striking image

Header

Barcode

1. continued – contents page

Title

Cover lines with page numbers

Main image

Limited colour pallet

Like on my front cover, I have got a title saying contents which is positioned at the top of the page in a large eye catching text like on the real magazine I am comparing it to. I have used cover lines all over my contents page with page numbers which sticks to the codes and conventions of the real magazine as this is what they have done as well. On the real magazine, they have used one large image and a few smaller images around the page whereas I have used two large images so I havent stuck to the same codes and conventions here but still used images on my contents page which is an essential part of my

magazine to keep the readers interested – also, one of the images I have used is of the same model on the front cover and the person who the article will be about which is the same technique that the real magazine has used. My limited colour palette

keeps the magazine looking proffesional and not too much for the readers to look at. Yellow, black, white and leapord print are the colours I have used throughout and on the contents page of the real magazine they have instead used quite a few bright

colours but it isnt too much because the background and text are a simple black and white so both these have the same proffesional effect.

1. continued - double page spread

Image

Plain background

Text

Grab quote

Stand first Drop capThe image on my double page spread follows the codes and conventions of the real magazine, “now” as I have placed a large striking image on just one side of the page so this is the first thing that the audience will see and it automatically attracts the reader as the model is looking into the readers eyes, as on the real magazine. I am

following what Nick Logan did for the NME. The text also follows that of the real magazine because it is on the opposite side of the page although it slightly challenges it because on the real magazine, part of the text is placed on the side where the image is whereas mine is all on one side. This is possibly because I have less text in mine. On my magazine I have used a grab quote in large text which is also used on the real magazine in the bottom right. They are both for the same effect of grabbing the readers attention as to what the writing is about. I have used a stand first which tells the readers basic information such as who the interviewer was. A specific stand first has not been used on the real magazine in the same way, instead it tells the reader the name of the person being interviewed which I have included too, “An interview with Millie cleverley”. I have also used a drop cap which is essential to a real music magazine. The limited colours used keep a consistency throughout my magazine and I have stuck to the codes and conventions of the real magazine by using a plain background behind the picture so its simple and appeals more for the readers to look at.

Limited colours

1. continued – Planning

Before creating my magazine I drafted what I wanted it to look like and used this as a guideline when making the magazine. Doing this made it easier for me when creating my magazine and helped me to understand the codes and conventions whilst doing this. I was also to use it to make improvements to my magazine during the process of making it. Although, I made drafts I did not stick to them and they changed quite a bit.

The questionnaire I conducted enabled me to look at the answers and take this into account as I knew what the audience would want to see in a magazine. One of the main questions that helped me a lot was the choice of name, The results showed that 90 percent of the people I asked to fill out my questionnaire preferred the name “music MIX” to “R’n’B MIX” and found it more appealing.

Finally, looking at other magazines of this genre helped me to create a magazine that looked professional and stuck to the codes and conventions used for existing magazines.

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

What different areas of society are represented in your magazine?

I have chosen to compare my front cover to this image of Ciara from “vibe” magazine to show how my magazine represents a particular social group.

The posture of the two women are almost identical in the way that they are both stood to the side with there shoulder face the camera and looking back over their shoulder and the facial expressions are also similar in the way that they

are not smiling and instead have more of a pout which represents on women being quite proud and they are not revealing much to the readers by their face, it’s a neutral expression. Also, both women are wearing tight black dresses

which are quite revealing and this portrays women as caring a lot about their image, the fact they are both wearing quite a lot of makeup and have long hair gives the readers this impression as well. The image on my front cover also portrays women as sex objects. My target readers (young women) will be the same as my model and so this helps

them to relate to the model on the front cover and want to read the interview inside. The differences with my model and the model shown on “vibe” magazine is that they are both from different ethnicities but despite this, still appeal to the

same type of society.

My contents page presents both males and females as there is an image of both genders and the artists mentioned are also male and female so will attract my audience. The fact that Rihanna and Chris Brown are both mentioned might be an interesting point for the readers because of the previous stories that have revolved around these two artists.

My cover lines are used specifically to attract the target audience into reading the magazine as they are topics which that particular age range would be interested in because I talk about tour dates and top songs.

Also I have used the same girl on the front cover, contents page and article to keep consistency throughout but on this page have also used a male model who is of a different race to attract all different ethnicities and both genders – this is who my target audience are.

2. continued – contents page

My article page has continued in presenting the same model to the readers with a grab quote which will work at attracting the target audience as they will be of the same age range and might relate to this themselves as a lot of young teenagers would love to become a singer as a career.

On the right hand side of the page I have also told the readers who the interviewer is and who is being interviewed which is information they will want to know. The questions being asked in the article are also aimed at the target audience and work at keeping them interested by asking questions that this age group would want to possibly ask themselves. The article isn't too long and draining and so the audience will not get bored of reading it which is important.

The colour palette are simple and consistent throughout my magazine which means it looks professional for the readers.

2. continued – double page spread

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

Which companies might distribute your magazine e.g. IPC, Emap, Bauer?

Do they already distribute magazines from a similar genre?

IPC may be an appropriate publisher for a new music magazine because they are well known magazine publishers and so people would recognise and take it into consideration if they were to release a new magazine for this reason. IPC have previously made music magazines with NME, this means that they have had experience and so are able to know what audiences to attract to music magazines and how to do this.

IPC may not be up to date to make a success out of magazine publishing because internet downloading has become more and more popular and the wide spread of internet downloading has cause a major effect on the interest that audiences will take in reading music magazines. To overcome this, IPC will need to publish a specific music magazine that will work at attracting audiences that are the most dedicated to reading by using a particular genre. This is why I feel my magazine based on then R’n’B genre would be a good one to distribute and fills a gap in the market. It is a little different but still has many young audiences that would be interested in reading my magazine.

Another reason I feel that IPC would be good to distribute my magazine is because it focuses quite a lot on women's magazines specifically and so would have a good amount of knowledge for my own magazine as mine is aimed mainly at young women.

A link to the IPC website:

http://www.ipcmedia.com/

Bauer is another large and well known magazine institution so this may also be a good company to use to publish my magazine.

Bauer Media owns more than eighty media brands catering for all sorts of interests, these include:

Heat, GRAZIA, Closer, FHM, Parkers, MATCH, Magic, Kerrang and Q

Even though this is the case, I don’t feel there is a gap in the market for my magazine because unlike IPC, I don’t feel Bauer are as good at targeting the type of audience that my

magazine is aimed at (young females). This is because they are more concentrated on the rock genre, for example magazines such as Kerrang and Q.

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

Continued

A link to the Bauer website:

http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/

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

The target audience for my magazine would be the younger generation as they are the people who will be the most interested in a music magazine based on R’n’B. I have worked at making it appeal more to this particular age group by

using images of teenagers rather than older people in my magazine.

In my magazine, both male and female images are used but the main person featured is female, this shows that the genre of music, R’n’B is targeted at both genders. The front cover will be the first thing the readers will see and therefore will

appeal to both genders because of the colour choice being neutral rather than aiming towards one particular gender and also the use of sans serif font which will work at appealing more to the lower class audiences. The age range of my

audience will be 15-19 and both males and females, although it may be more biased towards females because of the leopard print pattern which may appeal more as a female rather than a male pattern, this pattern also gives the magazine

an urban feel and so this is why it would attract all ethnicities. The images on my magazine are of white and black models, so this is another reason why it will appeal to all sorts of ethnicities and the fact that mainly black artists are mentioned in my magazine on the contents page as well. My typical target audience will have a big interest in music, specifically the

R’n’B genre and will be mainstreamers. Therefore, they will be a different audience to those who will be interested in pop or rock magazines etc.

The main artists that my audience would be interested in listening to and reading about would be Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Drake and J.cole (all the ones mentioned on the contents page). They would be interested in knowing about tour dates and

chart updates featuring these specific artists.

This is the type of thing that my target audience would be interested in watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLW3_Ieckm4

• 5. How did you attract/address your audience?

What in your magazine tell us what your target audience is/ is designed to appeal to them?

The target audience for my magazine would be the younger generation, male and female as they are the people who will be the most interested in a music magazine based on R’n’B, In many ways I have worked at designing my magazine so it appeals to this audience, the colours I have used are neutral so they attract both genders although possibly my magazine might appeal a little bit more to females because of the leopard print theme throughout which gives the mnagazine an urban feel throughout and is relevant to the R’n’B genre. I feel this was relevant to the magazine genre and target audience because it has an R’n’B feel to it with the leopard print theme. Also, the text I have used is large and easy to read so interests my audience straight away, the fact it is in an eye catching yellow has this same effect. Unlike general pop magazines which will work at appealing to a certain type of audience by using a range of bright colours, my magazine has a different target audience and therefore sticks to a more limited colour palette with still a bright and unusual theme throughout (yellow and leopard print). The cover lines on my front cover and contents page work at attracting the audience that is interested in R’n’B featuring information about concerts and songs associated with R’n’B artists so this is information that the audience will want to carry on reading about inside. The images used in my magazine attract all ethnicities and genders as I have used both male and female models from different cultures and the questions asked in my article also attract my target audience because they are music based questions and this is what the audience want to know about.

Also, before creating my magazine, I conducted a questionnaire based around my specific chosen audience which helped me to created my magazine in a way that appealed to them by knowing what they would be most interested in looking and reading about in a R’n’B music magazine.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Questionnaire results.

I my target audience what colours would attract them into reading and go the most with the chosen genre of R’n’B. These were the results...

Getting these results back I decided for my colour scheme to be black, white and yellow with the consistent leopard print scheme throughout so I took into consideration what my target audience had chosen when completing the questionnaire.

COLOUR SCHEME:

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Questionnaire results.

Another question I asked my target audience and used as a guideline when creating my magazine was what they would most like to read about in a

music magazine and therefore what my cover lines should be based on...

This showed that my target audience would be least interested in reading about celebrity gossip and fashion, therefore these were not the chosen topics for my cover lines and in my magazine I talked more about tour dates, charts and interviews.

COVERLINES:

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

What hardware and software have you used to plan your pages? How effective was it?What hardware and software have you used to construct your pages? How effective was

it? - Photoshop

When creating my front cover on Photoshop, I used the brightness and contrast tool to enhance the colour of my image, this means it looks more eye catching and is overall better for the readers to look at rather than it being my original image colours that were slightly dull and not as lively as it looks now.

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

I also used effects on my masthead such as a drop shadow and a bevel and emboss, this made my masthead look more professional and interesting to look at when the audience first of all see the front cover.

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

Furthermore, I changed the colour of the box behind my iTunes offer from white to yellow using the colour box on the right hand side and selecting the same shade of yellow that is used for my masthead and cover lines. This means that it stands out more on the leopard print background and therefore draws the readers into looking inside my magazine at the offer that is shown on the front.

• 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?Continued – In design contents page

I used effects on the masthead and cover lines such as a drop shadow to make it more bold o n the white and yellow blocks behind.

• 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?Continued- In design contents page

The rotation tool on In design enabled me to change the boxes to whatever angels looked good on the page, this meant I could make my contents page look slightly more interesting for the readers rather than them just being straight boxes behind the text.

• 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?Continued- In design Article

Using this tool, fitted the grab quote, “My family used to laugh when I told them what I wanted to do as a profession” around the main image to make my article look professional as this is what other real music magazines appear to do. Also, it makes the article more interesting to look at and the layout looks better overall.

• 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?Continued- In design Article

Originally my main image was with the model on the other side but using the rotation on in design I changed it to a way that I thought looked better and more professional.

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

How have you developed your skills and knowledge since you constructed your preliminary task?

The text used on my music magazine appears to stand out more than the text used on the other magazine.

Able to see image better as no text is covering it. Effect on image means its brighter and more eye catching. Pose that model is doing is more interesting on front cover.

Barcode is used to make it look like a real magazine

Better use of colour palet. More limited means more proffessional.

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

Continued.

After sending out my questionnaire, the results from the audience showed that 95% of them they believed “music MIX” overall looked more professional, appealing and realistic as a magazine

than my previous one “life as a student” due to the colours, images and texts used.

I feel I have learnt a lot more in the process of making my real magazine compared to my preliminary task. When making my prelim task I didn’t have much knowledge on how to make a magazine look professional and how to work at attracting my target audiences in a particular way. Also I feel like when making “Music MIX” I had more of an idea of what people would like from conducting questionnaires and taking on my own research of previous magazines that I would like my magazine to look like. In my real task I tried to make my magazine look as interesting as possible by thinking about particular fonts, colours and the poses my model could do in instead of a simple mid shot position. I feel my cover lines are more interesting than they were for my prelim task and the colour palette I have used is more limited so attracts the age range I was aiming for rather than maybe a younger audience that the prelim task would have been ideal for based on the colours I previously used. The text on my real magazine stands out more to the audience and is easier for them to read compared to my prelim task. Overall, I feel I have learnt a lot in the progression from my prelim task to the full product in terms of better text choices, colours, cover lines and images.