AS level media studies evaluation response

1. By Daisy Bain

2. Question 1
1. In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?

3. My project would be seen by audience as a music magazine die to the main image representing
an artist and the bold text which draws you into reading which then clearly identifies it as a music
magazine. Like other magazines I used the conventional layout of the main image slightly
overlapping part of the masthead on the front cover. I have also included an editors note inside
the magazine at the bottom of the contents page, along with an image of the cover. For the main
cover I used an almost black background which subverts conventional music magazines being of
white background I feel as if the darker background diverts the readers attention to the masthead
and main image. The genre of music my magazine represents is clearly shown on the cover by a
list of a few bands of the same genre and also, the contents page has pictures of gigs and also
more bands are listed who are also of the same type of genre, my model on the front of the
cover also represents how males who listen to that genre would want to dress. My photographs
of the model are showing him looking into the camera which like other magazines connects him
to the reader which draws in their attention and intrigues them into reading/buying the
magazine. For editing my photos I used Adobe Photoshop CS6, and changed the levels, contrast,
brightness etc of the photo and used the background tool which made my photo mesh well with
the magazine and other photos. The layout of my double page spread is a conventional way how
other magazines may present theirs, due to half of the spread being of an image linked with the
cover page main image and then the other half including a bold title and subheading, then
columns and quote.

4. Question 2
2. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?

5. Demographically my music magazine would represent the
youthful audience of 15-22 year olds who listen to this
genre of music due to including information and news of
new indie artists and gigs. The model of the cover is an
adolescent and they represent the magazine to be focused
on the same age and possibly younger, however, all of the
bands in my other images used are of a variety of ages
therefore that would widen the audience age to above 17.
Link to watch a short cutaway clip of peer
feedback
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG8IDeKH
mHg

6. Question 3
3. What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and why?

7. I think my magazine ties into the publishing house of Bauer Media who also
own Q magazine, Mojo and Kerrang, however, these magazines seem to all
target older aged music lovers, and my music magazine is for the younger
generation, therefore I believe IPC Media, who own NME would seem to be
fitted better to my magazine. As for distribution I think my magazine would be
sold in supermarkets as it’s only printed monthly and a supermarket would
open it up to many more potential readers, it would also be sold in music
stores due to it being a music magazine and people who are interested in this
type of magazine may been intrigued. It would also be sold online as there
would be subscription options.

8. Question 4
4. Who would be the audience for your
media product?

9. Due to my music magazine being for teenagers and young adults it would
attract 15-22 year olds. The people who would read the magazine would be
music loving people and who also want to read about new bands and their
success. The magazine would interest readers into seeing gigs and listening to
new bands of the genre of music they listen to already. As for socio-ecomonic
groups, the magazine offers a wide variety of different artists which would
therefore interest groups E-B possibly, however the magazine being for
younger adults it wouldn’t matter too music of socio-economic groups. An
ideal reader would be a 17 year old female or male who goes to gigs in
support of small bands and have a passion in listening to all different artists,
they also give feedback to the magazine and are subscribed to monthly
issues.

10. Question 5
5. How did you attract/address your
audience?

11. Link for youtube
Link for my question response on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bOzEwl6X
1c

12. Question 6
6. What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing the product?

13. To create my music magazine I used Adobe Photoshop CS6, therefore I learnt
how to use tools such as:
• background tools
• Image adjustments
• Healing brushtool
As for my magazine images I used my iPhone 4 camera as I found it takes
good pictures when focused.
I also looked at a variety of fonts on dafont.com and was able to see how they
looked with my magazine and which would stand out to the audience the
most, I used peer feedback to test which font would be best used for the
cover. A peer said “I found that Daisy’s masthead on the cover of her music
magazine stood out against the dark background and as the title of CRNK is
short, I felt that the font style suited the other colours and tied in the rest of
the magazine well”

14. Question 7
7. Looking back at your preliminary task,
what do you feel you have learnt in the
progression from it to the full product?

15. By creating the college I feel as if I learnt the general
knowledge of using Photoshop to edit photos
however, my Music Magazine was made on
photoshop entirely therefore I learnt how to se the
other features, such as ‘Magic eraser tool’ and the
‘Healing brush tool’ From the college to music
magazine I used much more images and bold texts,
and the music magazine is of one specific genre
whereas the college was just to the audience of
college students and possibly tutors. From
conventions I learnt how the eye contact of my
model does attract reader and grabs their attention.