The document provides details about the construction and design choices for a media product - a country music magazine called CMB. It discusses the target audience as teenagers and young adults aged 14-25, and how various design elements were chosen to appeal to this audience. These include the choice of fonts, colors, clothing styles of the cover model, and inclusion of smaller images showing a natural countryside setting. The document also discusses the potential distributor as Bauer Media and how revenue goals were set to sell at least 9,000 issues in the first year. Overall, the document reflects on how research informed the design of CMB to attract its intended target readership.

1. 1.In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media product?
When I finished my construction and the research and planning parts of my
media product, I think I can clear understand the convention and the publication of
the media product. I did my primary research on survey monkey, there were 20
people wrote my questionnaire although just some basic questions, it still impact
me. Billboard is one of the most influential magazines in America with a variety of
music genre. I found out in their country genre magazines, they not only chose
some typical colors of country music(such as light yellow and blue), but also some
relevant media texts to attract the target audience.
I want my magazine can have a really clear country style, so I try to show it from:
-My font: -I chose a very vintage and classical font to be my masthead, it’s very
complicated, if I can make it big enough, it might be able to attract the reader.
-For me, country music means happiness, natural and degage, so there
are some leaves and butterfly surround the cover line.
-I chose simple and decorated letter as the four important singers in my
magazine, it can stand out well.
-Media texts: -one of the puff on the top left corner with“ BIGGEST COUNTRY
MUSIC GUIDE” can let the readers know the genre of my magazine.
-I listed more than four very popular country music singers in different
areas of the cover page.
-Small images: -I shoots some images outside with natural scene and the model
with a wooden guitar in order to imply the music genre.
In the other hand, I think it need to be international and popular in order to attract
my target audience from 14-25 as well, so I use the elements from billboard
magazine to incorporated in to my product. such as:
-Put some important singers on both side of the cover image
-Add the review section—can attract more groups of customers, like someone who
likes collecting articles about LIVE concert.
-No.1 chart on the content page provide some popular country songs with singers
during the month.
-Exclusive—This part I have used the idea from Kerrang Magazine. I know Kerrang
is one of the most popular rock genre magazines in England, so it must have the
strength elements. So after I added this element on my cover page, I think it is
more abundant than before, it can show more details to the readers as well.
Here are the elements include in my magazine:
-Cover Page: Skyline, Masthead, Features, Cover Line, Bar Code, Cover Image, -
Puff, Date Line.
-Content Page: Cover Date, Volume Number, NO.1Chart
-Double Page: Headline, Drop Cap, Main Image
I have been unconventional in:
–The Chart Heat. It is a list of the rest of the singers (except the main four). The
reason why I created it is because I think customers want to know in this magazine
whether have the singer which they’re interested in, so role of the chart is help me
attract customers in order to buy it.
-The meaning of the colors on No.1Chart. This tips can help people knows the
fashion cycle of each song, provide convenience for readers.

2. I try to improve my magazine is these ways. Here is the comparison.
2.How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The social groups I was chosen are the teenagers and young adults aged 14-25.
My cover star of the magazine is a 19-year-old teenager, based on the feedback of
the research, I found out the group of audience which she can attract are older or
younger than her about 5 years old. I did this in an effort by sending questionnaires
to people who fell between these age brackets and asked them whether would like
to be a fans of a teenager singer and what would you like to be interested seen in a
new country music magazine. I’m in the target age range so I think it’s very helpful,
as I know what can appeal me in a magazine. Typically these kinds of people are
stereotyped as being facetious, active, optimistic, some of them are keep on the
rails as well. They like to wear clothes with latticed, jeans and a cowboy hat! So
regard to this, I tried to make my product appeal these categories, so for example, I
chose very classical and traditional songs for people who is walk the chalk, but
CMB is focusing on the popular music trend, too.
I want my magazine can be unisex, so I try to show it from these ways:
-Colors. In my media product I try to use both warm and cool colors (pink, red and
light golden/ blue and black) to represent men and women, and I felt these colors
could work well together.
-Clothing Style. Sherry, the main model in my magazine, I chose two kind of clothes
for her. One is very formal shirt with black laciness; the other is a black and white
jumper with hollowed flowers. One is serious and the other is pretty is the way I try
to achieve unisex.
I tried to create my product looks like a real, professional and personality music
magazine, so I have used fonts like light, bold, rough, graffiti together, they worked
well and can stood out the important details. I have used vocabulary choices often
come up from the feeling of listeners in order to match the standard stereotypes
that audience aged 14-25. For example, I have tried to use word like “let’s and we”
to make the “conversation” very active; write true stories to strike a chord of readers
make them want to read more. From ethnicities, my model is a Chinese but the
main language of my magazine is English so I think the target audience can be
global.
3.What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
Publishing house is a company that takes the written work for a writer or a
musician and makes it available to the general public. I have been a research 3
publishing house for my magazine— Bauer Media, IPC Media and Future Media
With Passion. I have chose Bauer Media to distribution my media product. Bauer
Media has different target audience that aim to publish different magazines; a very
widely customers source as teenagers, male, female; many ways to spread their
brand through Internet, radio stations and TV. These features of Bauer Media make
it has a huge successful in worldwide. Bauer Media sales 300 magazines in 15

3. countries such as Germany and the USA as eel as they have over 80 inflectional
brand names covering a diverse range of interest, so it’s international institutions.
Bauer Media has a really well-known rock music magazines called Kerrang, but
they don’t have a really popular country music magazine yet, so I think depend on
the strength of them, CMB can have a really bright future although with risk— they
don’t have experience or there just less people interested in it. But if this business
success, it can also help Bauer Media expand their market to increase their market
share. I think Bauer Media is a very good company to work with as they have rich
experience in other music magazines will help my product to attract the target
audience, which we need. I have a set price of £1.50 for a monthly CMB. My target
is to sell at least 9,000 issues in the first year of my product going onto the market,
which would gain a revenue £13,500. Besides, I found out some people would like
to subscribe magazine online. It’s can provide people who can’t buy your magazine
for some reasons in a shop and save the space for their house, it’s bring readers
convenient so I will offer this service of my magazine, hence you can subscribe
CMB on your laptops, iPads and smart phones.
4.Who would be the audience for your media product?
After I finished my market research (involved making a questionnaire on Survey
Monkey and discussing ideas with my friends) I’m sure my magazine would appeal
to people aged 14-25. I have chose the age range like this is because it’s really
hard for a country music magazine to appeal the target audience which is a
younger age group as under 14 on the market. For example, the target audience of
Billboard is from the age of 16- 26, and I want my product can focus on the age
range between 14-25. The experience of American popular pop-country star Taylor
Swift is very similar to my cover star Sherry. They released their first album at the
age of 16, become more and more popular when they released their second album
at 19. They write their own experience in the song and share with people. They are
very similar so I tried to find Taylor’s target audience and market. She original
market as sub-20 females who believe in romance, and the writer sees it as
teenage angst songs targeted to teenagers by someone in their demographic. In
my opinion, I think overlap between those two descriptions is about 90%. It can be
Taylor’s market, Sherry’s market; it also can be CMB’s market. So in CMB, we try
to still save the older particular singer, excavate new power in country music for
those younger audience because I feel almost teenagers like to see something
new, special, something can catch their eyes. I want my magazine can be unisex,
so I did very carefully in choosing colour scheme (I try to use both warm and cool
colors -pink, red and light golden/ blue and black to represent men and women) and
the clothing style. I’m in the age range of the target audience, for myself, I won’t be
interested in a magazine with lots of text and less images, it’s too common and
boring. So in my Double Page, I did best effort in the snowy effect of the
background. If I change the common white background, I think it can help me to
attract people to my article. To attract the audience and keep their interest, I
changed the original round puff into a toothed gear shape, which represents the
development in country music, making the whole page more vernal. I also created
exclusive stories and revision section, you can only know it through CMB, and so it
can be a reason for people buy your magazine. Otherwise, I want to build CMB into

4. the UK’s biggest country music guide, we have chance as long as we can make it
good enough. We also offer free posters to customers for people who would like to
collect things. The Chart Heat (a list of singers) on the cover page can directly
make customers consider whether these singers they are interested in. However, I
don’t think these reasons are enough. The market is competitive so I want to do
something like a promotion. I decided to make a 5 digits code with something cover
over it at the back of the magazine. If you buy the magazine and go to CMB
website, there will have special column there and you type in your code, it will tell
you whether win the prize.
-1st prize– a ticket of a country music concert.
-2nd prize– a chance become VIP of CMB or you can individually talk with a
popular country music star.
-3rd prize– get an object with a country music star signature on it.
I believe it can have a great influence to audience, leading the consumption
enthusiasm of customers. I made an advertising poster as well, I offer customers if
they subscribe CMB for a year just for £15 and they will get
-Digital Download
-50% off of rock records.
-Get £20 I-TUNES voucher
I decide also provide small presents during daily packaging and when some special
days come up such as Christmas and New Year’s Day we will also give customers
a special gift.
5.How did you attract/address your audience?
My target audience is teenagers and young adults aged from14-25, they are
facetious, active and optimistic, some of them are keeping on the rails as well. I
tried to make my product follow the stereotypes in appropriate manner in order to
help me appeal my target audience. In Q2 I have mentioned I want my customers
can be all genders, so I have been chose carefully the color scheme and the
clothing style. In language I tried to make there is no grammar or vocabulary
mistakes and I think it’s quite informal even a little bit ridicule sometimes. I want
when people read my magazine can be really relax and follow my texts, not tired
and boring. My images on cover page and double page spread can appeal my
target audience in these ways:
-My model Sherry (the main image on the cover page) wore a very formal white
shirt to appeal my target audience. I admitted it’s can’t relate to country music really
well but nobody says country music must wear a latticed shirt with a cowboy hat;
it’s very neutral and also teenagers wear in common days. Sherry also made a very
cool face, it’s a message want to readers know country music can also be cool.
-We chose different poses for model Sherry. The pose on cover page which put
one hand behind her head seems international; put both hands in front of chest can
show people she’s confident, this pose is popular all the time between the
teenagers; image on double page she was leaning toward like inviting people to
read.
-Small images on cover page (a girl posed with a red wooden guitar) can clear and
definite show the genre to readers with a natural background. This group of photos

5. is very implicitly as our target audiences aged 14-25; I tried to make resonance
between these two in order to attract readers to read more.
I’m agreeing with color and font choice is very important. I went for
“KellyAnnGothic” to be my masthead. This font is really crooked that effect like a
retro stamp. I felt this font is the best choice for me because if I choose a kind of
scrawl font, people will be confused about your music genre. “Black leafs” is the
font of my cover line. This font is special because these are leaves around each
letter, make the whole page lively and reiterate the genre of magazine in order to
appeal target audience aged 14-25. I know it’s maybe a little bit dull to use black,
but if I use colorful font, it can’t stand out well because of the color of background.
So I deiced to use colorful font in other details to make it up. Back to Billboard, I felt
we both use one rough the other regular font to performance our masthead and
headline.
My audience feedback came back from people aged 14-25 as wanted CMB
released once a month. I also took their advice in the feedback—become VIP of
CMB or have a individually talk with a popular country music star if you won the 2nd
prize. For teenagers, it’s a great experience undoubted. We had a briefly evaluation
in class as well, the feedback from my classmates are make the masthead bigger
and add some small images in order to provide more details for readers. Their
advices give me more chances to appeal my target audience.
6.What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing
the product?
Slide Share is a programme which you can create Power Point online and put
the related links on blogs for people to see it. I uploaded my power points and
coursework on Slide Share first then put the links on my blog for my exam. I felt it’s
very easy to set up and nothing complicated here. I’m very pleased to use it show
my progress to teacher and examiner but I don’t think it’s good to upload something
with a specific font because sometimes it will be changed.
For me, Blogger is a programme that can upload my course work on for teachers
and examiners to mark it. It’s very easy to use, you can upload lots of things—
texts, images, Power Points, you can also linked a website with an underneath. You
can put whatever you want to show what skills you are learnt. I create “Pages” and I
found out it can make you blogs have a clear method, make teachers mark you
work easily. I’m quite happy to use that and it can also bring me fun and interest
when I do my media work.
Photoshop is a useful editing software. When I use it at the first time, I found it’s
so hard—not the software, it’s language problem. I consulted my teacher and
classmates, they are very patient, taught me how to use it step by step. I
downloaded a Photoshop on my McBook for practicing in my free time as well. I
think the order of the layer is really important when you use it, or you will be
struggled. “Magnetic Lasso Tool”, “Rectangle Tool” and “Line Tool” helped me a lot
when I created my product. I used “Magnetic Lasso Tool” to cut the image out and
use refine edge to make the edge of my image more natural. “Rectangle Tool” and
“Line Tool” you can see the great progress on No.1 Chart, which is on the content
page.

6. InDesign is a desktop publishing software which can be used to create works
such as magazines, posters, newspapers and so on. It’s very tricky for me but I
have to admit it can make you layout more accurate. The tools are similar between
InDesign and Photoshop, but in InDesign you can create columns and drop your
texts in, it can improve your layout. Another helpful tool is called “text warp”, it can
make your texts warp around your image automatically and make your product
more professional. The problem I met is about the layer, the layer won’t create
automatically and I’m careless sometimes; I put several things in one layer and I
found out if you want to move one of them to the top layer, it’s really troublesome.
I also used a Canon camera for shooting my image. It’s a single lens reflex
camera. To be honest, I’m confused in how to use it. I knew the basic usage of the
camera after watched the tutorial on YouTube and I’m quite surprised with the high
quality of the image when I upload photos onto the computer via a USB lead.
During the shooting, lighting could be a big problem. I don’t know how to control the
time of exposure at that time, so the images we shot are always dark, I asked my
host for help and we found answer on the Internet at last.
7.Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt
in the progression from it to the full product?
I can clear remember when I started my media course on September. I can’t
manage well with the Apple Mac as well as the Photoshop with my poor English.
I’m really nervous and not confident at that time. But now, I’m proud of myself on
the technology and creativity that can be showed on my media product.
The planning stage for my magazine is very important. I can’t imagine if I didn’t
do the research before how my magazine will be looked like. I created several flat
plans about the layout and color choices by comparing with a real magazine, it’s the
key point of my planning. It helped me draw the best conclusion. Before the
planning stages, we did some conducting research as well:
-Publishing Houses; this research make me feel that I will put my magazine on a
real market and you need to consider and make a decision which publishing house
is the best choice for your magazine, understand how the business work.
-Audience Research; I make a questionnaire of my magazine with very basic
questions such as the price they would like to pay for a music magazine and the
frequency of the publication.
-Generic Conventions of a Magazine; I’m not sure what it is before. If I didn’t do
the research, I won’t be focus on this part and put it into my magazine.
-Mind Map; this is a research about the artists you want to introduce in your
magazine, it helped me consider the component of my magazine.
- Evaluation; we have a briefly evaluation during class and it helped me know the
weakness of my product, gave me ideas on how to improve that can make it attract
my target audience for me.
The Call Sheet and Risk Assessment are very necessary during my construction.
Call Sheet make me have a clear goal (the place of shooting; shooting types, what I
want to achieve and the date) or I don’t know what can I do next. Risk Assessment
helped me think a lot about what troubles we might meet during the shooting, so I

7. will be more careful to avoid the risks which I mentioned in the Risk Assessment as
well.
Comparing my prelim task to my final product, you can clear see the
development of my skills in using Photoshop and InDesign. In my prelim task, I
didn’t edited my image and I just use the type tool typed some words in with the
same font even the masthead. Some words on the background were folded the
introduction as well as a big bar code in the corner; it’s very basic. But in my final
product, I have learnt that the connection between audience, magazine and the
publishing house, so I used various font styles with different size and colors to
attract my target audience aged 14-25. I have learnt about camera techniques and
the effects they have as well, so I followed the shot types in Billboard, pay attention
in the generic conventions and used Photoshop to edited my images, such as
improved the lighting and refine the edge, then drop them into InDesign.
Thanks to Sally, online tutorial and people who helped me, I have enjoyed the
process of creating and working with this topic. I hopefully have produced a good
product that is worth a good grade. I think my product can suit the brief as well as
my target audience. I will continue read magazines and look at the same elements
that I have produced in my work, I’m quite enjoy the work I uploaded on my blog
like what I am writing here. And Finally, these websites helped me a lot and I have
become familiar with them:
-Blogger
-Slide share
-Prezi
-Padlet