3. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
For my front I looked at a few other magazine
cover, my main covers, but I found they looked to
focus was CLASH “rock” which did not suit my
magazines. They magazine genre.
front covers were
very interesting,
as each of them
had very different
layout.
My first idea was to emulated one of
the CLASH magazine. But I wanted
my magazine cover to look more like
a poster, so that people would be
able to treat the front cover as a
poster. I did this by having less text
on it, but I feel that my front cover
still covers the codes and convention
of other magazine covers.
4. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Although my cover But the main point of my
does not have much front cover was to be
text like other different than others.
covers. And to do this, I creates
more than one main
image, and also the
There are some images are in black and
similarities with my white. This will attract
magazine to others. people as it is very
Nothing covers the different to other
title. So people can magazines.
see very clearly what The layout of it is a grid,
the masthead of my which is my USP of my
magazine is. magazine. It is original
The issue number, and and consistent throughout
the barcode is visible, my magazine.
so people are able to There isn’t much text
check the price etc. which may intrigue
people as to what is in
the magazine.
5. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
For my contents page
research, I looked
different genre I decided to
magazines too. And emulate contents
during my research, I page, because the
found that other images were laid
magazines would use out in a grid form
only one or two images. which I thought
And so I decided to would go well with
follow most music my front cover.
magazine trends and use
more than couple of
images. This is because I
wanted to use my
contents page to reveal
all the different things
my magazine covers.
6. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
I included an Editor’s My contents page has
letter which most many similarities to
magazines will include. other magazines, but it
I feel that this would also has a few
make my magazine differences which will
friendlier and make the be what attract people
audience feels more to read my magazine.
involved. My layout is quite
In my contents. I made unusual as the images
sure that I had put in are in grid form. I had
the monthly topics, so done this so that works
that the people can well with the front
rely on my magazine to cover.
be consistent. And like my front cover,
Like any other I haven’t included much
magazine, I put a information, just titles
picture of the front of the pages so that it
cover on my contents doesn’t give too much
page too. away about what is in
this magazine.
7. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Like my contents page, I did research on
other magazine genres but I didn’t really
find one which interested me. So I decided
that I would “mix & match” a couple of
them.
Big title in capital
letters to attract
readers
Used smaller images
to inform readers that I used a bigger image which
there are pictures to took up half the page to make
look at within the an an article more interesting
article and not just a and more enjoyable to read
lot of reading. as there had been photos
taken professionally
8. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
I made the title big, this A big image, again
is because I am trying to this is to attract
bring this new band out, attention, and
and so I needed to make people would
the band name attract usually look at the
attention for people to picture then
be interested to read decide if they
this article. would like to read
the article.
Like other A little pop out,
magazines, this Instead putting a little arrow to with extra
article is in columns. let readers know that there is information that
This is so people who more on the next page, “p.t.o” my audience may
wish quickly skim in a stylish font, so it would suit want to know.
read, are able to do my target audience more.
so.
9. How does your media product represent particular social groups
I feel that the The people in these
pictures I have taken images are not looking
represents young, directly into the camera,
this shows their
easy going and fun
personalities; they are
people. shy but outgoing people.
I also decided to have my
photo shoots in different
kinds of weather. This
shows the people in them
are adventurous as they
like to experience
“different lifestyles”.
These pictures are close ups
which shows facial
expressions and a variety of
expressions which
10. How does your media product represent particular social groups
My article represents the people
in them as it they sound as
friendly as they look in their
photos.
The way they answered the
interview was in a very natural
way, and they seem very out
going which is how the photos
present them too.
They use simple sentences and
many monosyllabic words which
shows can help to determine the
age of people, and uses lexical
field on music, this shows what
the people are really interested
in and their occupation.
It also represents people who
admire music, as the people in
this article talks about music,
songs and lyrics in a very detailed
way.
11. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
My magazine will be a free monthly
As mentioned before in my media magazine, which will be in social areas in
pack, I will use a number of ways cities, so that my target audience are able to
to advertise and distribute my grab a magazine if interested. And a website
magazine. These include, online will only be available for people who would
radio, and example handouts in like more information. And a website will be
big festivals such as Glastonbury, useful so people can subscribe to my
and V Festival. magazine, so the magazine will be delivered
to them monthly.
I decided that the most appropriate
Having an online website will hopefully
institution would be the Independent
increase more people to read my
production and distribution, for
magazine, as those who subscribe will be
example, Stool Pigeon and Fly
able to download a free album of their
Magazine.
choice, and a soundtrack once a month. This
Fly magazine, a free monthly music
is so that subscribers feel they have
magazine, consolidated its position
something in return.
as the UKs No 1 music title. With a
0.2% rise in distribution to
100,574. and he Stool Pigeon,
I also had a few more ideas. I would like to
another monthly free magazine
create apps for androids and Apple versions of
posted a circulation of 53,676,
my magazine. So that people are able to …
almost double that of NME.
(Information from The Guardian)
12. Who would be the audience for your media product?
As mentioned in my media They would be in the social Group of
pack, my typical reader would Innovators and above. As my target
be in there late teens and audience are those who like to try
early twenties, they are into different and new things. And they
indie/rock music and into self set trends for others to follow.
written lyrics and music.
My magazine would appeal to both
genders with age range between 16-24.
They would be in further education and
some would have just started their first
job.
The main area would be cities such as
Bristol, Bath, London. Areas which many
of my target audience age ranger would
appear. Also them cities because they
are fashionable, and has the “indie” style
which suits my magazine. And my
magazine will be in popular socializing
places so the more popular areas, the
more my magazine will be able to
distribute.
13. How did you attract/address your audience?
I made my product fit the
audience by a number of
ways; photo, layout,
genre…
The poses made by the models are not to
serious ones, this shows the audience
I chose people to model for my magazine that this magazine is lively and it doesn’t
in the age range of my target audience, take things too seriously which can be an
so that readers would feel comfortable to attraction because again, reader are able
read my magazine as readers will be able to relate to things.
to relate to the contents in my magazine.
The layout of my magazine, is very
different to other magazines, and
so people would be intrigued and
that would be how it’ll attract The fonts I used are sans, this
them into reading it. The layout is is because they’re more
also the USP. modern, informal, so more
warm.
14. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Most of the skills I have learnt to
produce my product is on Photoshop. With the skills I have learnt, I think I have done
In Photoshop I have learnt many quite well. It took lot of time and effort for my
techniques to “tidy up” images. final pieces to look as real as other magazines.
Also by learning these editing skills, its made me
realise that even photos taken by professionals
would still be edited as they will never be
perfect, but good enough for ordinary people.
In this picture, there is a white line
in going across the image. And so to
remove this, I used the plaster tool.
This tool uses shades around it and
replaces the white line.
I adjusted my images for my front cover, so
that they are black and white, of high contrast
and low brightness.
To do this, I first made my images simply black
and white, then I used curves, which is similar
to changing the contrast and brightness.
15. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at the preliminary task,
I have learnt a number of things.
Keeping designs simple is an
effective way to attract attention,
but it has to be the right layout for
it to be successful.
I learnt that even if a magazine is very
well known, it is always best if the
masthead is in front of the central
image, as most magazines aim is to try
and gain new readers.
I also learnt that my strength in this
task is being able to create and design
interesting poster like front covers,
and that my contents page could have
been more creative.
