Media Coursework Evaluation

1. AS Media Studies:
Coursework Evaluation
Amanpreet Kaur

2. In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real media products
• In my magazine I used a variety of images as we had to use four of our own
images. When researching other R&B magazines such as ‘Billboard’ I found that
they had an image on the front cover, at least two or more on the double page
spread and a couple on the contents page. Researching other magazines
helped me create and layout my magazine as I researched magazines that are
quite popular such as ‘Billboard’ and what persuades people to buy it.
•

3. • For the masthead of my magazine I used alliteration ‘Music Matters’
to make it more memorable and catchy. I made it stand out by
making the font big and bold. The magazine that I focused on most
when I was doing my research was ‘Billboard’ as it is an R&B
magazines which is very well known and popular. The masthead for
Billboard stands out as it is big and bold which makes it noticeable
which is why I wanted to mine to be big and bold so it grabs the
audience’s attention. Also from the questionnaire I did a majority of
people chose Music Matters to be there favourite.

4. The Genre
• The genre of my magazine is R&B as it’s the type of music I like
listening to. Also an R&B magazine with is very popular called
‘Billboard’ which I researched a lot whilst making my magazine so I
have an idea of why people enjoy reading it an what makes them
buy it.

5. Cover Lines
• The cover lines on the front cover of my magazine link to the main image which
will be of a new R&B duo. I will included rhetorical question for the cover lines
on my magazine cover, to make the readers think and to persuade them to
read my magazine. I have used a rhetorical question on the cover of my
magazine which says 'Do you want to apply for next year’s XFactor?’ I included
this rhetorical question as the magazine is to do with music and also to engage
the readers, making them want to buy my magazine.
•

6. Colours
• The colours I used were blue and pink
for the text on my magazine as my
background was black and it
contrasted well which makes the
text stand out on the black
background. Also, the Billboard
magazine which I researched I found
that there was not a lot of colour
used as otherwise it looks
overcrowded with too much going
on, which Is why I only used two or
three colours consistently
throughout my magazine.
•

7. How does your media product represent particular social
groups?
• I think my media product persuades a younger social groups as the
artists that sing R&B are quite young and mostly aim their music
at a young generation. Also the images which I took myself that I
included in my magazine are images of two young teenage girls
which will persuade them to buy my magazine instead of an older
generation. The colours I used in my magazine are bright and
stand out more to an younger generation. For my photo-shoot I
wanted only two main people to be the main topic in the
magazine as I wanted the main story in magazine to be about
these two new artists called ‘the duo’. I wanted the pictures to be
fun and show the audience two teenagers having fun which Is
what I achieved to do as the pictures I took show the audience
the teenagers are close friends and shows them having fun. The
clothing of the teenagers that I used were casual clothes as it
represents them in a positive way, also the poses they were
doing were fun and friendly to represent them in a way to show
them having fun
•

8. What kind of media institution might distribute your media
product and why?
• The institution that will distribute my music
magazine would be ‘Prometheus Global
Media’ as the company owns and operates a
number of major entertainment industry
trade publications including the magazine
Billboard which is a R&B music magazine
which is a magazine that I have used in a lot
of my research. Also this institution produces
a lot of R&B magazine which is the type of
magazine I am going to be making.
Prometheus Global Media has been in
business for 5 years which shows that they
have had a lot of experience and know a lot
about music magazines. The magazines they
already produce and sell is Billboard
magazine.
•

9. Who would be the audience for your media
product?
• The audience for my media product is teenage boys and girls age
13-19. As the genre of my magazine is R&B which is aimed at
teenagers, also the artists that sing R&B are quite young. The
colours that I have used are bright and contrast well together
which makes my magazine stand out altogether. Also the images
I included in my magazine are of teenage girls and I have also
included images of well-known R&B artists such as Drake and
Trey Songz. Also my audience would be people who have
interest in R&B and enjoy listening to it. From my questionnaire I
mostly asked teenagers as I only decided to ask people in my
college about what they like inside a magazine, also as I am a
teenagers myself it is easier for me to make a magazine for
teenagers.
•

10. How did you attract/address your
audience? • The way I attracted my audience was by using colours
that are bright and blend well together to make the
magazine stand out to the audience. Also I
researched other R&B magazines that are well known
such as ‘Billboard’ to see what makes them so
popular and what persuades people to buy it. For
example the way I laid out my magazine was by
researching other magazines to see what makes them
stand out. Another way I attracted my audience was
by to hook them In including free posters inside my
magazine of R&B artists. Also the font I used was big
and bold to catch the reader’s attention. The way I
attracted my audience was by using images of
teenage girls to attract the younger audience at that
is audience I am targeting my magazine to.
The masthead for
magazine is big and bold
to attract the audience,
also the colour of my
masthead stands out from
the black background. For
my masthead I used
alliteration ‘Music
Matters’ to attract the
audience and make them

11. What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing this product?
• I have got a better understanding on
how to use software’s such as Serif as
I had to use that quite a lot to cut and
crop images to put on to my
magazine. Also by uploading mocks
and drafts of my magazine on to my
blog helped me throughout the
process of making my magazine as I
could look back and see what I
needed improving as my teacher has
access to my blog and she would tell
me how and what needs improving.
•
Before and after
pictures which I
edited on Serif
Draw Plus.

12. Looking back at your preliminary task, what
do you feel you have learnt in the progression
from it to the full product?• I have learnt how to make my
magazine more presentable by just
changing the layout of it and not
including a lot onto one page. Also I
have learnt how to cut and crop
images to make them look more
effective and stand out just by using
software’s such as serif and photo
shop. Also for things such as the
masthead by using alliteration
makes it more memorable and eye
catching. Also sell lines on the cover
of the magazine have to be
interesting enough to make the
audience want to buy and read it
and also has to be in big, bold font
so it grabs the audience’s attention
and makes them want to buy it.
•
I have also learnt the colour you use on a magazine have
to be consistent and bright to grab the reader’s attention.
It also makes the magazine look more neat and
presentable.