2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms
and conventions of real media products?
Front cover
My front cover relates more towards rock magazines such as Kerrang. My
front cover follows similar conventions as Kerrang especially the layout. The
Kerrang layout conventions that I have followed are: having the Magazine
title across the top of the page and the band name in the centre of the page
with a caption bellow it. I had a banner at the bottom of the page and an
image in the bottom left corner. I used the Kerrang layout conventions
because I like the style of their front covers as well as having artists of the
same genre to mine on the front cover. I used the “Kerrang!” title font as
inspiration for the font I used for my “Flux” title.
With my magazine I mainly tried to challenge forms and conventions. The
main way I tried to do this was by applying the concept of my magazine
solely to the punk rock genre, there isn’t really any other magazine that does
this so there is a gap in the market for this type of magazine. The colour
scheme I used on the front cover is a lot different to any other magazine,
Kerrang and Q two of the biggest music magazines both use red white and
black. My magazine is black white and purple. The purple, represents the
punk rock genre really well, it allowed my front cover to have a unique look.
I used an unusual old fashioned looking font for some of my text particularly
the “From Death to Glory” text, it added contrast and style to the font cover, I
thought it related to the Punk rock genre well, the elaborate style that bands
and band members from this genre have, such as Blink 182 and Green Day
as well as the band member is my photo.
3. Contents page
The inspiration for my contents page came from a magazine that isn't a music magazine, the one
featuring a skate boarder. I wanted something different that would challenge the conventions of regular
magazines. I wanted my contents page to look unique and by using so I used some features from. Q
and some from the Skateboard one. This challenges the convention shown by the mainstream
magazine Q who have a very basic and boring layout. To represent the punk rock genre I had to make
my contents page look a bit edgy and unusual. To do this as well as using an unusual layout I put
“Fatality” down the side of the image and used it as and acronym, this idea challenges conventions as it
is an unusual feature that you don't see in magazines very often.
The ways in which my contents page follows the conventions is by having a large image dominating the
page, nearly all contents pages have a large image dominating the page. I have used the same colour
scheme for my contents page as the Q contents page, I wanted to use purple again but this wouldn’t
have suited the contents page and there is no purple in the image. I chose red instead of purple partly
because of the Q contents page but partly because I wanted to tie the rest of the contents page to tie in
with the image and the heart on the graffiti was an obvious choice because it stood out, this was red so
using the Photoshop dropper tool I copied this colour from the image and used it for some of the text.
4. Double Page Spread
My double page spread relates closely to the NME radar
double page spread this is because I liked it a lot and I knew
I would be able to emulate it as it was simple and effective. I
used a similar layout, a large image to the left and a
separate column to the right and the middle filled with the
article. I highlighted a key piece of text in the article, similar
to the NME double page spread and over lapped some text
on to the image.
However despite the conventional layout I did try and
challenge the conventions. I used an unusual colour
scheme, Purple, blue, black and white. I used this colour
scheme because with out the unusual colour scheme it
would have looked too mainstream and this magazine is
meant to be a punk rock/alternative magazine. I copied a
feature on the unconventional Paramore double page
spread of having the band’s name on an angle simulating
the angle that the band members were sitting at.
5. How does your media product Represent
particular social groups?
The idea for my music magazine was to focus on how the band members have been able to become
successful, despite their working class background.
I wanted my music magazine to mainly represent young adults between the ages 16-24.
The setting of the images are important in symbolising the working class background, they are taken in
quite a run down are on the edge of Bristol.
The graffiti represent the genre of music and the personality of the band, the creative punk style. It adds
colour to the grungy setting.
The article text, shows that the band members are quite arrogant and brash when talking about their
success, this represents the “rock star” status that they have earnt. The interview is informal and feels
like the interviewer is just chatting to the band members, this shows their laid back approach and that
they are still young lads who are basking in the glory of their recent success but also people who really
enjoy making music.
The media product and the Fatality success story I created is good for young aspiring musicians and
shows that it doesn't matter what background you are form you can still be successful. They can be seen
as role models for the teenage working class.
6. What Kind of Institution might distribute
your media product why?
My magazine has some links to Kerrang, Q and NME. I think it mainly follows the conventions of
Kerrang because their target audience is similar to mine this is shown by artists that they feature
and the design of their magazine.
Kerrang are firmly associated with the rock genre and alternative artists and are already under the
Bauer media institution that is why I would choose IPC media to distribute my media product
because then my magazine would be able to rival the magazines distributed by Bauer Media which
as well as Kerrang includes Q and Mojo.
I think my magazine would be able to do this because it would focus more on the up and coming
artists. It would focus on alternative genre artists who aren't as instantly recognisable as the
mainstream bands. The artists who haven't reached world wide stardom but play at smaller venues
in the UK and have a loyal fan base.
IPC media distribute NME and Uncut who both are struggling to keep up with the likes of Mojo and
Kerrang in the sales of their magazines, IPC media saw a 14.2% drop in its circulation year-on-
year. This is why my magazine could revamp IPC media, who need a fresh new magazine and
perhaps get rid of the falling lesser known title of uncut who saw the biggest drop in its circulation
in the second half of 2011.
The way forward with distribution of music magazines is subscription including offers on the
website encouraging people to subscribe and getting the magazines cheaper. A downloadable
version of the magazine. Would a great way to reach the younger audience. If magazine was
distributed by creating an app or an Ipad version of the magazine then this would increase sales,
and would mean that you could reach a wider target audience as the amount of people going out
and buying music magazines is decreasing.
7. Who Would be the Audience for your Media
Product?
Age- My magazine is aimed at young adults between the age of 16-
24.
Gender-Predominantly male because of the colours and style of my
magazine
Social background- Students at University, college or Sixth form.
Interests and character types- It would have to be someone
interested in punk rock/indie music. He would be out going and enjoy
going to see local bands. His friends would share his music interests
and music would be the main topic of conversation. Him and his
friends would always be on the look put for new music that suites
their taste, they would enjoy reading and finding out about their
favourite bands.
Demographics
The social class of the audience- C1. lower middle class- supervisory
or clerical, junior managerial, administrative or professional
Social values/ mindset- Strivers. Attaching importance to image and
status, as means of enabling acceptance by their peer group, at the
same time holding on to traditional values.
8. How Did My Front Cover Attract/ Address
The Audience?
Distorted Graphics
relates to genre well
and compliments
the look of the band Shocking pink colour
members related to Punk rock
genre, adds to the style
and works well with the
background. Catches
Exclusive interview draws the readers eye.
the readers attention, a
contrast to the members
of Fatality, a more indie Elaborate text
style, attracts a wider contrasts the
audience. distorted text and
gives it a gothic look
Related artists of A unique selling
Punk rock/ indie point, draws the
genre reader in.
9. Contents Page Analysis
Red title the same
Acrostic draws the colour as the heart
readers attention on the image, ties
because it is the text in with the
unusual. image, and uses a
limited colour
palette.
The angle of the
Strange graffiti shot makes the
makes the reader page look
think about what interesting and
it represents uses the setting
well
Blurred background
highlights the band
Unusual text members presence
layout, draws
the reader in.
10. Double Page Spread Analysis
I like how I have used this text to make the pages look
less split and defined.
Darkened trees
adds to the Purple represents
reflects the the genre and
mood and works well with
expression of the blue, two high
the band contrasting
members colours, to give
the page an edgy
look.
The picture is
the main feature The pull
this gives the quote typifies
page a big what the
visual impact article is
would attract the about
readers
attention
Blue text the same colour as the band members trousers, ties the
text in with the image and helps gives the page a colour scheme.
11. What Have you learnt about technologies from
the process of constructing this product
I have mainly learnt about how to take all the individual components
needed to make a music magazine and piece them together to
create an affective magazine that achieves a certain style depicts the
genre I chosen.
I have learnt how to use a range of Photoshop skills and how to
apply them to the task, I do an ICT course so this helped with the
basic understanding of Photoshop but this course has allowed me to
develop those skills and use them creatively as well as teaching me
how to use some new tools such as the burn tool and the gradient
tool.
This task looks simple but the attention to detail needed to achieve
the desired look and make it look to a similar standard as your
research requires a lot of effort and experimenting with different
ideas and features.
I have learnt how to take good quality photos and the importance of
the photos on the quality of the final piece. I used the photos as the
basis for my designs when it came to choosing a colour scheme for
the rest of my magazine.
I think I have used the Photoshop tools to create some interesting
designs that challenge the conventions of a normal music magazine.
12. Progression From The preliminary Task
I think I have improved a lot from my preliminary task, I feel that I used the
Photoshop tools to better affect and paid more attention to detail.
I filled the page much better and included more features.
I did a lot more research which helped come up with stylistic ideas that
suited the genre of music I had chosen.
The quality of my images improved a lot and this allowed me to create a
more affective magazine that had looked much more professional.
I was much more creative with my designs and came up with some good
layout ideas rather than just strictly following the conventions of other
magazines.
