Media studies as production evaluation

Media Studies AS Production Evaluation

Paul Fernley

Questions1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products? 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product

and why?4. who would be the audience for your media product?5. how did you attract/address your audience?6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of

constructing this product?7. looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have

learnt in the progression form it to the full product?8. what have you learned from the evaluate of your product from

your target grade?

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and

conventions of real media products? The research into other music magazines included: looking at various music magazines e.g. Kerrang, Q, MOJO and Metal Hammer, I found that all these different music magazine each have different layouts and colour schemes e.g. Kerrang – Yellow, Black and White.

The conventions I have retained are the use action shots within the magazine, I have used two action shots within my magazine of myself playing guitar on stage these two images have been placed in the contents and the double page spread. I have challenged forms and conventions of music magazines by not adjusting or manipulating any of my newer images, in most magazines I have found that near to all images have been ‘touched up’ (all except live action shots), by challenging the forms and conventions I have not manipulated any of my current images.

The genre of my music magazine I planned was Punk/pop-punk because more and more people are both coming into the music industry, more people are becoming fans of the genre and also I am also a fan of this type of music, I believed doing a music magazine on a genre of music I know and like would help me.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine represents the younger generation from the ages between 14 – 21, this aged difference does look small but I find it is good to have a small target to begin with. Gender, my magazine was intended for both male and female, this is starting to widen my original small target market.

I feel that my magazine would represent these social groups in a positive way, to do this I have, made a music magazine which is similar to others why adding some of its own style which would help prove my point. As I have said on the previous slide, “I have challenged the forms and conventions” my answer to this statement will support me as I also believe that younger people will/want to see images of ‘non fake’ images, granting I have not done this with my magazine I have done my research into this and have decided to agree with it.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product

and why?My music magazine would be positioned among:

• Kerrang

• Metal Hammer

• Classic Rock

Because I have found out that they have close or up scale costs for the magazines themselves. The magazine are also very similar due to their genres of music they look on. Without these styles of music e.g. rock, metal ect. Pop-punk would not exist therefore making them close and to be able to be positioned among each other.

The publisher that might produce my magazine would be MusicMags, the reason I have chosen MusicMags is because they have such a variety of the magazines they publish. These range from: DRUM! – Recording.

who would be the audience for your media product?

My specific target audience is younger ‘adults’ the ages from 14-21 both genders (male and female).

Looking at the demographic profiling side of my target audience I targeted: 14-21, both genders, mainly white race (during research they seemed to be more interested in these styles of music magazines), middle class, employed, any religion, in a relationship, English.

Now looking at the Psychographic side of my target audience. The target audience I have targeted in Psychographic profiling is that they must: have an interest in pop-punk/rock music, they have the ability or the desire to play an instrument, they need to have a positive outlook on life why still being able to stay calm but when needed to they can ‘lash out’.

From initial audience research I learned that White people (race) are both more likely to read and be more interested in my magazine due to the genre. The ages which would most likely attract would be the ages of 14-19 I found that having such a small target age would mean it would start getting bands which are seemed as ‘fake’ (only in it for the money).

how did you attract/address your audience?

I have appealed to/attracted the audience by using various techniques by talking about both bands and also the use of tabs which I have mentioned in the contents page. I used san serif fonts because it connotated in a positive way for my magazine, my magazine is a straight cut easy to understand magazine. Adding serifs to the magazine I think confused the genre of the music magazine. Graphics for the masthead were chosen because it stands out on the background of a brink layout, having a bold white masthead is easy to read and when I believe the magazine can be noticed without the whole title it will be easily covered in some points.

In planning the mise en scene (lighting, costumes, props, setting) I considered are the headphones on the main object of the image, the guitar to show I’m a musician, the clothes I’m wearing show I’m a smart man but when looking at the contents page and double page spread it changes.

In editing the pictures/images I changes/cropped. My original images because I did not think they related to my genre of music I was aiming for as they were deemed to relaxed due to the colour I manipulated them into and the fact I was sitting in every shot, changing them into shots which are action shots e.g. playing on a stage head banging (double page spread)

Looking at the image above it shows where I have cropped the image to suit my front cover.

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

The technologies I used included (software, digital cameras, DTP, blogs, slideshare) and I have learnt how to manipulate images by using the website Picnik.

I have learnt much about new technologies from the process of constructing this product for example using digital imaging software can enhance the attractiveness of the band by deleting blemishes ensuring that they light is favourable ect. Creating the blogs I learnt how helpful it can be to show your progress and to be able to get feedback from other people on the same website. Using the internet I learnt how music magazines are published and which publishers publish which magazine.

looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression form it

to the full product?Looking back at my preliminary task,

the student magazine, I started to learn how to manipulate images and how to use every day objects and turn them into something else for example on the front cover of my student magazine I used a T.V screen and turned it into a portal or ‘Paul’ to stare into.

I have progressed from the preliminary task to the music magazine by focusing on the different types, styles and genres are most popular e.g. Kerrang, Q and NME and to also see how they can create such a thing.

what have you learned from the evaluate of your product from your

target grade?

I have done several attempts to gain feedback on my product these are:• Gaining an insight with what I can do better (done by class mates)• Focus group – 5 people (with my target audience – each also given a

questionnaire) • Questionnaire – 7 people (done by who I could find willing to do this for me) These ways of gaining feedback have worked and I now know what people

think of my music magazine. The evaluation from my target group indicated that there are some good and bad points from both my original front cover and also my newer double page spread. The feedback from my focus group suggested that there is still work that could be done to improve my work, and that most people would buy the magazine depending the stories within.

Results Focus Group:

• Would you buy this magazine basing on what you have seen? yes(2) no(1) maybe(2)• Front cover • Do you have any queries about the cover e.g. price, picture, fonts, typing ect. no(3) price(1) Text(1)• What is your honest opinion about the image?good(3) ok(1) could look at the camera(1)• Does anything catch your eye on the front cover (this can be good or bad).Image and name of magazine(2) Title(1) Image(1) Colour of text(1) • Can you please describe anything that you can either think of to change or make to make the front cover a better

quality?Not sure(1) text needs to be moved(3) any give always?(1)• Contents Page• Does anything attract your attention on the contents page?The pictures(2) Title and pictures(2) redlines image and title(1)• What is your initial thought of the two images to the left of the page? Good/clear(3) Cool(1) Detailed(1)• Does the detail under the headings to the right of the page clearly show what the story/item is about? Yes(4) Enough(1)• Can you think of any think that could be improved to make this a better piece of work?Page number(1) Too plain(1) No(3)• Double page spread• What is the first thing that you have noticed?Picture and “gyroscope”(1) image(4)• What is your opinion of the band logo ‘Gyroscope’?Hard to read(1) Ok(1) Good(2) Ok(1) Awesome(1)• When looking at the image can you figure out what is happening?Yes(3) live shot(1) playing live(1)• Can you think of any thing that can be done to make this page better (not including “make it into A3”). No(2) Title fonts same(1) Fill out the top left of image(1) interview spelling(1)

Results Questionnaire: • Please state your age

18(2) 23(1) 17(1) 15(1) 25(1) 42(1)• Please state your gender

Male(5) Female(2)• Do you regularly buy music magazines

Yes(3) No(2) Sometimes(2)• Would you buy this magazine

Yes(2) No(2) Depends on the stories inside(3)• Do you understand the genre of music which is being represented in the magazine

Yes(4) No(2) Not sure(1)

a) Punk(3) Rock(4) Pop(1)• Have you seen any problems with it so far

Yes(5) No(2)

a) Spaced out(4) Laid out better(1)• Do you think of the images I have used are good enough quality to be used in this piece of AS work

Yes(6) No(0) Not sure(1)• What is your opinion on the types of images I have used (please write your opinion)

Can not tell work has been done (if used Photoshop or not), No comment, well shown – double page could use a caption, easy to see nothing in the way, good, very clear.

• Is my idea of not manipulating any of the images a good idea or a bad one. When I say the reason for this I to keep the readers interested about what they really look like and making sure they are not deemed ‘fake’

Yes(4) No(0) You could be onto something(3)