2. Comparing the conventions of my magazine to a real
magazine. I chose a magazine of very similar colour to
compare mine to because of the way they have used all the
pink on the page as well. I think my magazine (on the right)
has a better masthead than the Rolling stone magazine
because mine is much clearer where as the magazine on
the left pretty much has no masthead as the image is
covering a lot of it up. I don’t think this is a good idea to
attract new customers to the magazine because if someone
has never seen It before, they wont know what the
magazine is called. Looking at the cover lines, there is a lot
packed in to the one on the left, this makes me think I
should have moved everything up and tried to fit in some
more information and cover lines on the cover as there are
a few gaps.
Both magazine covers do have a variety of pinks on the page so it doesn’t look flat and boring. Both of them also have only
used three colours. Even though the magazine on the left has a lot more writing on than mine, I think its quite difficult to
read being that size. Also because of the quite messy font I have used, I needed to keep my writing quite big so its still
readable. I have put the most interesting cover lines on the left of my page because if it was on a magazine rack, these
would help to lure the customer in. Also when they have picked the magazine up, I have used a badge to promote a
competition that the customer could get involved in. Whereas on the magazine on the left, the only clear lure on the page is
the fact that ‘Lady Gaga’ is in it, however it does not say why. I also have information at the bottom of my magazine for the
customer to contact my magazine where as the Rolling stone magazine doesn’t have anything like that. I cant see a variety
of fonts on the Rolling stone magazine, which I purposely tried to incorporate into mine so it does not look boring and too
organised. I also made some words bold and highlighted the word freebie, because even though you can deny it, everybody
loves a freebie. My magazine also has a price and barcode on the front, which the Rollingstone magazine doesn’t. Overall I
think my magazine does have all the conventions of a normal magazine and a few added like the tagline at the bottom. I
tried to keep the badge I added, looking 3D so my magazine will stand out and jump of the page at the viewer than being
flat, I think it was worked well. I was worried that my black and white image would not work at the beginning but once I had
done some research about other magazines with black and white images, I gave it the pink hue to make it more interesting
and less flat and I think this worked well.
3. • The normal forms and conventions of a magazine is, the masthead very large at
the top, lost of cover lines on the left because of the placing on a magazine rack in
a store and sometimes cover lines on the right as well. The image would usually be
placed down the middle and be well thought about including, colour, clothes, hair,
the model, and posing position. As all these things must go with the genre of the
magazine. Also the fonts, sizes and designs of them. I think my magazine portrays
these well as I have thought about all of these things.
Even though this is not a music magazine, I decided to include it because it also has
very spaced out cover lines as my front cover does. This one also has the barcode
and price unlike the Rolling stone one. This one also has a lot of the masthead
covered up, which as I said I don’t like as its not easy to attract new customers by
doing this. I have made the models head on my front cover interact with the
masthead/logo of my magazine but not cover it up as the main image of my
magazine is not as relevant as the masthead. Because my magazine would be much
less known than the examples I have used, I think I did the right thing not having
the main image cover the masthead. Not all magazines have logos but they do all
have mastheads. I wanted to challenge this by using my masthead as my logo as
well, I have also used the heart logo for page numbers on my other two pages. I
think my magazine does connote pop music very well as it is aimed at teenage girls
and this is obvious, and teenage girls are known for listening to pop music.
Although the stereotypical girls pop magazine would have a lot of pictures of boys
for example ‘One Direction’ I have also challenged this by making mine about a
successful new singer Frankie jones, who appears on the front cover and on the
double page spread. To create some variety in my magazine I died my hair purple
for the contents picture to look like someone else. This is because a normal
magazine would not be all about one person.
4. My contents page is on the right, I will be comparing it to
the one on the left from vibe magazine. The background
on the left has black and grey saturation as there isn’t
much on the page, I feel the page needs the background
to be interesting. My page has no background as there is
a lot of colour and things going on in the foreground.
Compared to the vibe contents, I think I could make my
writing much smaller, and add some more information
on the page, this is because once it has been printed off
a4, I think the text may look too big. I think my image is
not as interesting as the image on the vibe contents as
there is less to look at. Although I think the amount of
colour I have used, balances it out, as it is unusual to
have purple hair and a heart in your eye. I used the heart
in the eye because it is the same as my page number
theme, I think this helps to link all the pages together
because this page is purple and looks different to my other two pages, therefore I used the hearts to help
link them together. I used music notes down the side instead of page numbers or bullet points because
without them, the page did not connote that it was from a music magazine, whereas if the page was to be
seen on its own, the viewer would know its from a music magazine. I also used three colours as I did in my
front cover, but with purple. I used black boxes to highlight important words that I think my audience would
most like to read about, for example ‘gossip’ and ‘Exclusive’ interview. I also highlighted the website for my
magazine, which is in the same place as the website is on my front cover. I have only used one font on this
page, but I have tried to vary my text by using capitals, changing colour and highlighting. In comparison to
the vibe contents, I think my page is much more fitting to my audience, and the vibe page must be aimed at
an older audience due to the sophisticated colours and fonts. Also due to what the model in the image is
wearing. I like the disjointed title on the vibe contents page, I think I could have used this in my page, and
not having it overlapping the models head. Although I still think it looks good, I could have experimented
further.
5. Most magazines
split there pages in
half, for their
double page
spreads having
writing on one side
and a large image
on the other. Even
though this must
work, I decided to
challenge this
method by using two small images, on each side, shaping round my text.
I used a whole photo-shoot I did and put all the images onto a film background . This is because I think it
helps to show the fun personality of ‘Frankie Jones’ who is the new pop star my magazine is about. I also
used a slightly bigger, full body image, of Frankie Jones. I dressed the model in a pink skirt to match the
colour scheme of my magazine. Also like the opposite DPS page. I used a lure in my page, which is the large
quotation in the middle, from the text of the interview. This is very commonly used in magazines. The viewer
will read this first and if its interesting, it will make them want to read the whole article. I took inspiration
from other DPS while making mine. For example the pink shapes around the page, help to give it splashes of
colour and help to make the page interesting. I got this idea from another DPS page, I have put on my blog. I
have yet again used the heart with the page number, to help link my three pages together. I have also used
the font on my contents and cover, for the title of my DPS. I have personalised the interview, by using a posh
handwriting font almost as if Frankie Jones has signed the page. I think this is a good quality that the other
DPS page does not have. I also think the other DPS could look boring to some people as the only colour on
the page is the girls sunglasses and the matching blue question mark. In my opinion, I would therefore say,
my page is more successful for my target audience. I have also used the large first letter technique that all
magazines use for their DPS. I think this attracts attention to the first paragraph of the article. I have
exadurate this on my page by highlighting it with a pink box.
6. Variety of Banner at the top
pinks, so the evens out the page
Masthead page isn’t and lure.
and Logo. flat.
Different colour
text and fonts.
Smaller
image,
showing
content and
variety of 3d lure.
Using
shots. capitals and
highlighting
to makes
words stand Price and bar
out.
code.
Cover lines.
Black skirt to
balance out the
black masthead.
Main image, black Saturation causes
image to blend Banner to show
and white.
with the web address.
background.
7. Alternating colour
of text, more variety
on the page. Heart to carry
Masthead on the theme
of hearts
through the
image.
Highlighted
important
Striking
words.
image.
Purple hair
matching the
Bullet purple writing.
points
as music
notes.
Banner with webpage
on it like front cover
Page number
shaped as a
heart like front
cover logo/
masthead.
8. Large quote Pink masthead,
Film strip of from text to lure matching theme
smaller the audience. of page.
images to
connect with
the audience.
Pink splashes of
Large first letter colour to make
of the writing. the page
interesting.
Larger, full
body shot of
Frankie Jones.
Page number
Outfit to
to match the
match the
heart theme of
page.
the other
pages. Alternating the colour Signed by Frankie to
of the questions and personalise the page.
answers for variety.
9. Question two.
How does your media product
represent particular social groups?
10. I have constructed the representation of social groups in my magazine by using images of the
same person that my magazine would be aimed for and that could represent my target
audience. Which is teenage girls, I thought I could reach a connecting with them well, through
my magazine as I am a teenage girl myself. Representation means, the view of something made
by a certain person, as different people will represent things differently. In my magazine, I am
representing, teenage girls, from lower to upper class. The class, does not really matter, with my
magazine, because all teenage girls are the same, for example, most like pop/ dance music that
is in the charts, they all try to be different and individual, but really they all like a good girly
gossip magazine to read. Therefore, this is what I have tried to provide. I think I am slightly
stereotyping teenage girls because of my experiences, therefore, this is my representation of
them. I have included fashionable clothes with a slight indie look, with the buttoned up shirt on
the front cover, then girly fashion in my double page spread.
I have also tried to reach out to those that are
slightly different, by have an image in my contents,
where the model has purple hair, which is
different and eye catching to anyone as this is
unusual. I also included a small film reel of a photo
shoot I did, with a variety of slightly different shots
of the model, but pulling faces, to show the fun
side of her. Even though the leather jacket he is
wearing could connote a harder look, she is still
fun and blonde. The jacket has knitted sleeves,
therefore I think this tones down the biker look.
11. • As most teenage girls will take pictures off themselves for social
networking sites etc., by doing the same with the star of my magazine
‘Frankie Jones’ I think this helps to show, that the audience is not that
different, and it helps Frankie to connect with the audience so they can
relate. This will create more interest in the interview by the viewer, even
though they may not know it. I have also used colloquial language to
connect with my audience, for example ‘Juicy gossip on the hottest celebs!’
I did this, because girls love to know about celebrities and the music
industry, therefore they like to get all the gossip about it. I think by using
language like this, it helps to lure them in. My magazine is not aimed at
anyone of any particular race. Although my images are all of white people,
this is because of the resources and people I could get hold of. As I live in a
very rural area, it is not very multicultural and therefore would not have
been able to use anyone of culture to feature in my magazine. This does
not mean this is stopping cultured people from buying my magazine, as
predominantly white people live in the UK, it would be usual for other
types of people to see white people a lot. I do not have any props or
backgrounds in my magazine, therefore I am not representing social groups
using mise en scene. I think the only way I would have been able to do this,
is make a stage set up and take a shot of ‘Frankie Jones’ singing or even in
a recording studio. As this would have been very difficult to do without it
looking cheesy, fake or very unprofessional, I chose to not use any
backgrounds at all and cut all my images out.
13. Below is a comic strip I made to show the
production process I went through to make my
magazine.
14. • Comag is the distributor I have found that I think would sell my magazine.
• http://www.comag.co.uk/consumerhome.htm Here I have included a link to the page explaining
what they do. Other magazines they distribute, are Cosmopolitan, Glamour, vogue, ect. I think
these are of a very similar style to my magazine. This is because, they are aimed at women, the
content of them is very much, celebrity orientated. These quality's are very similar to my magazine.
Below, is a screen shot from their website of some other music magazines Comag distribute. I think
they would distribute my magazine, because they have a large variety of magazines they already
have, including, Sports, art, buying and
• Selling, fashion, holiday and travel, Children’s, boating, fishing, modelling, Music, and many more. I
think the company Comag, knows all their target audiences very well for each magazine they
distribute. They have had over 30 years
• Of experience working with global trades. It was
• Formed in 1977 and is owned by two major magazine
• publishers, The national magazine company, and
• Conde nast publications. They are the UK’s largest and
• Influential third party distributor. The advantage of
• Knowing the target audiences well, is that they will
• Know what shops to sell what magazines to, and also
• In what areas of the world. For example, small
• Newsagents may just want to sell, the main magazines of
• Each genre, as people are more likely to buy them,
• Therefore they will make more money.
15. • I think my product is very similar to some of the magazines Comag distribute. I do think
its slightly different because it was made by a teenage girl that this magazine is aimed at,
this could be a good thing because I know what I would buy and it puts a young opinion
on things. This could also be a bad thing though, as because I made a magazine I would
buy, it could be very personalised and not to every teenage girls taste. I think the
company Comag has a very good reputation because of the amount of magazines they
distribute, also, the bigger the names they distribute, the more other magazines will trust
them and see the company as reliable as much larger magazines use them. It is important
to have a good reputation because the company may get recommended to others, and
this creates more business for them. I now think my product is more of a Niche product
due to my target audience of girly girls. I think this will affect the company that works
with it, as niche magazines will not sell as much or as well as mainstream products.
Bigger companies will be able to afford to distribute niche products like my magazine but
smaller ones may not be able to take the risk, if it does not sell well enough. My
magazine could be advertised online at first, as the company that distributes it may not
want to put a lot of money on the line, making an advert, if it does not sell well.
Therefore I think online advertising would be the first thing to do. I think my magazine
would only sell well in certain areas, for example, middle class areas, that have the time
and money to be spending it on magazines about celebrities that you don’t get on the
television. I don’t think lower class people would be so interested. I also think my
magazine could do well, in big cities like London, because there are more people
interested in music and celebrities as a lot of celebs live in London. And the people of
London may want to know more about people they may come across. Also there would
be a larger group of girly girls that live in London, rather than here in Devon. People to
also get my magazine, by subscribing online and having posted to them on a monthly
basis.
