2. 1) In what ways does you media Product Use, develop or challenge formats and conventions of real media products? Front Cover I have taken some idea’s from billboard magazine in terms of contents so that it relates to the types of things on magazines that are shown. I have a web address also like Billboard as an alternate way for the audience to access things about the website. In comparison to the conventions of a typical music magazine, a lot of the conventional effects have been used. The font used for the masthead isn’t conventional but it relates to the target audience which is aimed at the teenage age group therefore they will understand the concept of it. The layout of the front cover is very conventional with the masthead at the top and the text surrounding the picture like a frame. The colours relate to the pop genre because they are bright and lively. A medium close-up image is very conventional for a website
3. Contents Page In terms of the contents page, the use of big numbers against small text is conventional for a website to make the main pages stand out. The bold subtitles also follow the conventions of a contents page for a music magazine to make sections stand out. I have followed the conventions of the billboard magazine, adapting it to my own, in terms of the layout of the page that has been followed in order to make it seem more realistic. The list of artists allows the contents to be more relatable to the pop genre because its naming pop artist. The colour of the contents follows the house styles of the front cover so that it matches.
4. Double Page Spread The colours of the double page spread don’t match the front cover of the contents page completely but it relates to the character of the artist and what they like. The use of quotes is conventional on a double page spread because it relates to the interviews shown. The size of the picture is conventional because it’s the main subject of the page. However the use of the big text to make it stand out isn’t very conventional. The little detailing on the double page spread just makes it more realistic such as the “World Exclusive” text which makes it more special and it would attract the audience more.
5. 2) How does your Media Product represent particular social groups? My music magazine represents the fun and brightness of happy teenage girls, the pictures used of Heather show her as being happy so the magazine becomes more inviting to bubbly teenage girls who want to be like the cover models. There is no particular race represented in the magazine or a certain class because teenage girls will read anything that looks interesting regardless of what class they are therefore only the female gender and age are represented through the magazine because of the pictures.
6. 3) What Kind Of Media institution might you distribute to your media product and why? There are many ways in which the media institution can distribute my media product; these are in shops as an actual magazine, an online magazine, social networking sites and programs for Ipads and kindles. I would use the actual magazine that is buyable from a shop because that is mainly where the most recognised magazines come from, they are easier to buy and they are more likely to be seen because they will be on a magazine stand, and because of its bright colours it will stand out against others.
7. 4) Who would be the audience for your media product? The audience for the magazine would have a niche audience because it is aimed at teenage girls and the entire magazine is focused on that genre therefore it can only attract that segment of the market therefore it would be useless to mass market the magazine because only a segment would buy it. In niche market allows more focused advertising for the magazine and it also allows an estimate of how many magazine copies need to made for teenagers to buy them. A mass market however would allow the magazine to become more well known and widespread but it isn't appropriate for my magazine.
8. 5) How did you attract/address you audience? In order attract my target audience I made the magazine relatable with the font used it is modern and in keeping with what teenagers will be doing which is school work therefore by using that font it’s trying to make it seem more fun for the teenagers, the colours are light and summery and they draw you in because of the boldness. The image used is of a fashionable teenage girl which is relatable for teenage girls because they want to see their idols wearing clothes that will be sold in high street stores therefore it becomes more admired. The language is isn’t really formal but it isn’t completely informal either because when girls read magazines they don’t want big text blocks with really complex words but they also don’t want really easy words that younger children understand so the language used is in-between the two categories.
9. 6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? I have learnt a lot about media technology when I was constructing my magazine because I’d never used a blog site before so being able to update my work through the internet was a new experience and I have learnt now how to change the posts if there is a mistake or its been updated, I have also learnt new techniques in fireworks which include blurring the picture into the background because I took the pictures at sunset/night therefore it was easy to blur them into a black background because they were nearly black anyway. I also used Photoshop to change the brightness of the pictures so they pop more against the black background. Using slide share was also a new experience that wasn’t always easy because of the long wait; I have learnt that if you use a common font it uploads quicker because
10. 7)Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? There is a major difference in the quality of the magazines between the preliminary and the music magazine. The main point is the pictures, on the school magazine the model on the front cover because on the preliminary magazine they eyes aren’t focused and very visible whereas on my music magazine they are wide and they draw you in which is something that i learnt while I was creating Turn It Up. Another point is he layout of the magazine because there is a lot of empty spaces on the preliminary but the space has been used more on my music magazine. The placement of the pictures on the contents page on my preliminary task looked like it didn’t belong and the box round the information looks weird whereas on the music magazine everything is incorporated in to make it all look better.
