Future Publishing or IPC Media would be good choices to distribute the rock music magazine. Both companies have experience distributing music magazines, but the magazine focuses on a niche genre that is not represented in their current offerings. Distributing through a large publisher like Future or IPC could give the magazine access to their distribution networks to reach fans of rock music. However, choosing IPC may be slightly better since they do not currently have a magazine in the same rock genre so it could receive more focused support.

1. Media Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
Title and Font Masthead
Due to the ‘rock’ genre of my magazine, the title follows Similarly to many
the codes and conventions of a rock magazine such as Price ‘rock’ magazines,
Kerrang! My title ‘CHARG’D’ has strength, as it has I set my magazine my title is placed at
connotations of something electric and powerful. The price at £2.20, the top, centre,
title also links to the genre, as ‘rock’ music often uses which is the same although my
electric guitars. I used the font ‘Skratch Punk’ which I as Kerrang!, as I masthead is slightly
sourced on the website www.dafont.com, as it is similar thought that overlapped by my
to the Kerrang! font in that it looks bold and strong. Kerrang! was the tagline: ‘Powering
Unlike Kerrang!, I decided to develop from the bold rock magazine your music
black title and use electric blue as the title colour, again most similar to my obsession’. My sell
making links with the genre, which I achieved using A magazine fitting lines however are
particular codes and
‘Microsoft Paint’. magazine. conventions not in keeping with
the usual codes and
conventions, as
instead of being in
Promotional offers the centre of the
I have followed codes and page, mine are on
conventions by using the right hand side
Before After
promotional offers on my cover to
entice readers. For my
magazine, I have used the offer
‘free poster special’

2. Media Evaluation
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
Blogger
Having never used a blog before, I have now learnt
Photoshop
how to use a blog to showcase all my work as I have Although I had used Photoshop briefly before, I had
progressed through the different stages. I found this not used it in some time and was hesitant in using
site reasonably easy to use, although I did have some it again, however, I found that it was simple to use
problems with viewing my work in the beginning, and I and worked well at editing my photographs, despite
also found that it could be made personal through the being rather time consuming.
choice of background and settings.
Video Cameras
Photography
Before starting on our magazines, To help us with our
online tutorials were available feedback, we used SurveyMonkey
through OCR -http:// cameras to video people
www.youtube.com/watch?v= who were giving feedback, To conduct my surveys, It was recommended
ElDOiblXFPw, which taught me how so that we could share our that I use the website ‘SurveyMonkey’, which I
to make images sharper, how to information with our class found to be simple and easy to use. It was a
make my subject fill the entire shot, and our blog. We learnt useful website as it already had an array of
and how to use lighting correctly. I about setting the camera question layouts to choose from, it was easy
was also able to try different angles to distribute, and the results were already
up on the tripod and how
such as low angle and high angle. shown in graph form when the survey had
to record.
been completed.

3. Media Evaluation
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Social groups interested in my
music magazine will be Live Music
interested in the ‘rock’ genre.
They will be interested in Readers of my magazine
finding out about new music in will be interested in seeing
the ‘rock’ genre, and buy some of their favourite
magazines regularly. The bands play live, which is
reader would go to concerts why my magazine contains
often. They would be a section of live reviews,
interested in any news as readers may want to
regarding music. The reader know how bands come
will probably be sill in across live. My magazine
education, whether it be school also features a ‘gig guide’,
or university, and they will so that readers never miss
need to be interested in the out on seeing an artist live.
musical content rather than the
gossip surrounding an artist.
Lifestyle Festivals
The reader of my magazine should be The reader of my magazine will be interested
interested in the whole ‘rock’ lifestyle. They in festivals of the same genre, such as
should be interested and knowledgeable ‘Download’ and ‘Slam Dunk’. Also linking to
about instruments. They will most likely also the fashion and lifestyle side is the ‘Vans
be wearing clothing in the same style, buying Warped Tour’, which is sponsored by the
from stores such as ‘drop dead’ and ‘Vans’ brand Vans.

4. Media Evaluation
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product
Media Institutions and why?
There are lots of media institutions which distribute IPC Media
various magazines covering many genres. I have
IPC Media produces over 60 iconic media brands, with print alone
researched into some so that I could decide which
reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men –
institution would be best to distribute my media product
almost 26 million UK adults – while our websites collectively reach
over 20 million users every month. NME has built on its heritage and
credibility to become a truly unique multi-platform media proposition.
Across the magazine, NMETV, NME Radio and the brand's live
Bauer Media events and awards, NME reaches over one million music fans every
Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, week. Uncut is the most authoritative music and movie magazine.
Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group. The Every month, it celebrates all that is great in rock and film, both new
Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 and old, cult and classic.
magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and
radio stations.
Bauer Media owns more than eighty influential media
brands spanning a wide range of interests, including I think that it would be best for IPC to distribute my media
heat, GRAZIA, Closer, MCN, FHM, Parkers, MATCH, product, as it does sell well known music magazines, so it
Magic 105.4, Kiss 100, Kerrang and Q. is experienced in distributing them, but it does not have any
magazines which are the same ‘rock’ genre, so instead of
being one of a few ‘rock’ magazines, the company could
Future Publishing focus on my magazine as an individual. I could also have
Future Publishing is a media company which in 2006, chosen Bauer, as they distribute Kerrang!, which is similar
was the sixth-largest in the United Kingdom. It to my magazine, although by choosing IPC Media, I can
publishes more than 150 magazines in fields such as make my magazine rival Kerrang!.
video games, technology, automotive, cycling, films and
photography. Its biggest-selling magazines include T3,
Total Film, Classic Rock, Guitar World, and Official
Xbox Magazine.

5. Media Evaluation
Who would be the target audience for your media product?
Gender: Both Male and Female, although predominantly male Music
Age: 15-25 The audience I am targeting with my magazine
will be interested in rock music, and will want to
Occupation: Most likely, students, at school or university, or just be updated with new information about their
starting out in jobs. They probably have jobs at the weekend, working favourite bands regarding new music, tours,
in shops interviews and reviews
Clothing: They buy clothing online most of the time from stores
such as ‘Drop Dead’ and ‘Vans’
Music: They are in to rock music such as ‘You Me At Six’, ‘All Time
Low’, ‘Bring Me The Horizon’ and ‘Lower Than Atlantis’
Style
My audience will most likely dress similarly, shopping
online and at shops including Topshop, Topman, H&M
and American Apparel
Hobbies
Some of my target audiences hobbies will be music related, with
many being in bands of their own and many going to gigs
regularly

6. Media Evaluation
How did you attract/address your audience?
Survey Response Title
I asked questions in my survey which would help me to make my For my title ‘CHARG’D’, I decided to use a bright colour
magazine address my target audience successfully. From the which would attract attention, so I went with an ‘electric’
responses, I was able to adapt my magazine to what my readers blue to link it with the ‘rock music’ genre
wanted to see.
One question I asked was ‘how much do you spend on music
magazines per month?’, and whilst the majority of people did not
actually buy music magazines, the next most popular answer
was ‘£1.00 - £2.00’. I used this information for my magazine
production and therefore set the price of my magazine at £2.20,
after researching other music magazines as well, and Artists
considering that I was creating the magazine for an audience at
the bottom of the category chart, in ‘E’, To make my magazine address the needs of my
intended audience, I needed to feature artist whom
Another question I asked so that my magazine attracted the my audience were interested in. On my cover, I have
correct audience was ‘what would most entice you to buy a music included a sell line at the bottom of the page, where
magazine?’. For this question, the most popular answer was artists names who are featured in the magazine are
‘vouchers’ with ‘posters’ coming second. As a result of these shown, to attract fans of a variety of artists
responses, my magazine contains a ‘free poster special’, and the
chance to win money off vouchers at clothing store ‘Drop Dead’
Images of my questionnaire responses

7. Media Evaluation
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have
learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
During the progression from my preliminary task to my full music magazine, I believe
that I have learnt a great deal of skills. In my preliminary task, my skills were particularly
limited, especially in technological elements, whereas they have progressed through
the task, and I am now more confident using media. I have learnt how to use different
media, such as cameras and also video cameras, as well as using computer programs
to develop my work through editing and blogging.
I have also learnt about researching as a means to making a successful product, as I
now know that there has to be a great deal of research into genre, target audience and
statistics, which can be achieved through surveys.
It was critical to look into the codes and conventions for both magazines, although I
believe it was slightly more important for the music magazine rather than the school
magazine, as the music magazine had to fit the codes and conventions of a specific
genre as opposed to the school magazine, which did not have as many separate
genres.
In my school magazine, my colour scheme was simply two shades of blues with the
reasoning being that it went with the uniform. For my music magazine however, I took
longer to decide on a colour scheme, and progressed from the school magazine by
trying out both green and orange for my title before finally settling on ‘electric’ blue,
because of its strong links to my chosen genre.
My school magazine survey did not ask the participant about what would entice them to
buy the magazine, whereas I progressed in my music magazine task by researching
into what the audience wanted, which meant that I was more likely to get the target