My media evaluation

1. AS Media Evaluation
Emma Wheele

2. 1: In which ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
In my magazine I have tried to fit conventions while also trying to create a unique
product. I have stuck to a conventional magazine as I thought it would appeal to more
people and my audience I have used conventions in each of my final outcome, for
example the title for the front cover is on the left hand side with a large main photo over
half to the title and the barcode, price and issue number are positioned on the bottom
left hand side. My double page also follows conventions as it has an introduction
explaining what the article is about, one large image on the left and then the article on
the right hand side. I added in extra information so that readers know what would be in
next weeks magazine there for they would want to buy it, you see this is most music
magazines because they want people to carry on reading the magazine. My analysis of
existing products has helped me when creating a conventional product as I have looked
at existing products for inspiration

3. 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product represents the social group of teenagers and young adults who
listen to “pop” music. I think I have achieved this through the images, layout and
informal language I have used. I think I have met all of the aspects of an “pop”
music magazine and have represented the particular social group well. My media
product also divides social groups through gender and age. For example the
images I have used throughout the product are of the same age as my target
audience. If I had used an older person on the front cover I may not have attracted
the audience I was aiming for or represented their social group. I have aimed my
product at both males and females as I wanted to attract a wider target audience.
As I have used a young male on the front rather than a female I feel I was able to
attract both genders. In order to represent the social group “pop”, I looked at
existing products and did research on the internet of bands. I noticed that there
was a very stereotypical view on “pop” and I have tried to represent this in my
magazine through what the people were wearing in my images. Also from my
research I looked at the hobbies and interests of my social group and tried to focus
on this in my final product for example upcoming tours

4. 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
I think that the following institutions are most likely to distribute my product:
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Music stores such as
HMV , Newsagents/convenient stores , Gigs and festivals. I believe that music
stores such as HMV are the most likely to distribute my product as it would
target my particular target market better. Gigs and festivals are also a good
way of targeting my social group of “indies” as that is where the social group is
more likely to socialise. Digital publishing is now becoming more popular with
17% of magazines now available online; therefore this would enable my
product to be distributed on a larger scale if this method was used.

5. 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?
The target audience for my media product is teenagers and young
adults both male and female aged from 16-24. I have chosen this age
group as my target audience as they are more likely to buy music
magazines and be interested in pop music. I have targeted the
magazine to both genders as I wanted to target a wider audience. To
choose my target audience, I did research to find out if there was a gap
in the market of music magazines. I found that there weren’t many
magazines aimed particularly at the social group of “pop” so I decided
to focus my magazine on this genre. I am also interested in pop music
so I felt this would be give me more ideas for my product and allow me
to relate with my target audience.

6. 5: How did you attract/address your audience?
I feel I have attracted my audience in a variety of ways. For example on my
front page I have used an image which fills the majority of the page to grab my
audiences’ attention. I have used the image of Kyle as he is in the age group I
have targeted my magazine at. In each of the images I have used I took into
consideration what the people were wearing as I wanted the audience to relate
to the magazine for example people with the same style in clothes. I have used
conventions in order to attract my target audience. For example a conventional
layout which I felt would attract my audience. The fonts I have used are also
conventional and are bold to attract the audience’s attention. I feel the colour
scheme I have used also addresses’ my target audience as I have used dark
colours and big bold fonts instead of using a distinctive colour such as pink’s or
purples.

7. 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing
this product?
Throughout the project I have come across lots of new software and
technology which I haven’t previously used. I have learnt about lots of new
editing skills using the programme Photoshop using tools such as the magic
wand tool. Learning how to edit images has proved very useful in this project
and it will also help me in the future. As well as learning to edit images, using
new programmes has given me knowledge on how to construct a magazine.
Looking at existing products helped with this and I feel confident that in the
future I would be able to cerate another magazine from the knowledge I have
gained.

8. 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from
it to the full product?
Looking back on my progress from my preliminary product, I feel that my preliminary product has
helped me in many ways when creating my final product. One major factor that my preliminary
product helped me with was planning my time, for example when organising when to take my
images to allow enough time to edit them. However I had difficulty with some of the images I had
taken as they were hard to edit due to the background I used. I think if I had taken into account
the background of the images I was taking I would have been able to create more unique shots
throughout my final product. Another major factor I discovered when creating my preliminary
product was that fireworks is a much better programme to use than publisher for final products as
it creates a much more professional finish. Although my preliminary product helped with the
planning of my time I have also had to learn new things which weren’t covered in the preliminary
products. For example as the magazine was a school magazine and I don’t used a couple of basic
colours and simple fonts whereas my music magazine I was able to be a lot more creative and
pacifically target my audience. Overall I think I have improved significantly since my preliminary
product and have created a much more professional and creative product with the knowledge and
experience gained.