2. Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
My music magazine uses the conventional
form of a rock magazine but develops it in
a way which is quite original. I took an
influence from several different rock
publications like Q, NME and Uncut, and
merged them together.
My front cover design was mainly based
on the Q magazine and the NME cover
because with some other covers, I found
that there was too much going on and
there was a lot of text and unnecessary
images which I found distracting.
3. With my contents page, I based it on
Uncut magazine because I liked its simplicity
and its layout. I also took some influence from
NME magazine.
I didn’t want my contents page filled with
unnecessary things and too many images so I
kept it as simple as possible. I suppose this
would challenge conventions of real media
products because I’m doing my contents page
in a way that not many magazines would.
4. As for my double page spread, I decided on a Q & A format because I wanted
to feel like the audience needed to know these answers that I asked. In a lot
of magazines, the interviewees answer is embedded within the article, rather
than setting it out in the way I did.
I have started the interview
from the top so I could fit
more text in.
I have put what the article is
on the images for an edgier
and different look.
My idea for the double page
spread was quite original as
well, I have wanted to do an
‘in the studio’ feature since
the start.
I have done a montage of
picture rather than just one
image, as this seems to be the
convention of most magazines.
5. I used a Calisto MT which is pretty
much my house style font for the
rest of the page and the double page
spread. It looks very similar to what
Uncut uses on their masthead for the
contents page.
I used big numbers because
it presents itself in bolder
way than smaller numbers
6. Question 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product was based towards a more
male audience so I decided to feature an all male
band on the front cover, in the contents page and
on the double page spread.
Also, the lead singer is wearing a Harrington
jacket and they have had a resurgence in
popularity with the more indie rock crowd
but the other band members have kept their
style quite casual so they aren’t trying too
hard like hipsters do.
7. Question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media
product and why?
I think IPC Media would distribute my magazine
because it is a rock orientated magazine, similar to
Uncut, but for a younger generation as Uncut is
leaning more towards classic rock rather than
indie and alternative like my magazine.
Also, 26 million people purchase
magazines that are owned by IPC
and 42 percent of them are men.
8. Bauer could be another distributer because it does
many music magazines as well, like Q and Kerrang. Q
has a broader range of music than Kerrang in the way
that it reviews and interviews artists from many
different genres such as reggae and folk.
Again, I think that my magazine could be
distributed because the younger generation needs
something that is original and edgy like NME.
9. Question 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
My audience would be a younger demographic,
such as 16-25 year olds but it could appeal to the
older generation as well as may magazine covers
a broad range of rock styles, such as psychedelic,
industrial and progressive rock.
The magazine would also be aimed towards
music enthusiasts who are serious about music
and what to know about the new artists and
albums that emerging from the rock scene.
People who would be reading my magazine will
probably have already read NME or Q so they
know the basic template. I wouldn’t want to
divide them too much as they need something to
familiarise themselves with.
10. Question 5
How did you attract/address your audience?
I think the name Vision would attract my audience
because it represents the vision that so my musicians
have to be the best band or singer in the world today. It
could also mean that they had a musical vision for their
next album or record and having a vision for it to be
successful.
I attracted my audience in the way I wrote on the front
cover “Exclusive Interview and Photos”. This could be
taken as a lure because you couldn’t get these photos
and the interview in any other magazine.
11. The sub-image at the bottom left of my magazine
will draw the reader because they will want to be
informed about why John Hayes, the rock hero, is on
a boat. What’s he doing? Where’s he going? These
are the sort of questions the consumer has to ask
itself.
Having good artists to review will draw the reader in
because they will want to know whether the album
is good enough to buy or not.
12. I have kept my contents simplistic so it would not put the
reader off. I have also put some text below the text in blue
to lure the reader in. A couple of them are questions or a bit
absurd so the reader will want to know what has been
happening.
With my double page, the reader will enticed
by the photographs that I have taken of the
band. They will also want to know what
they’ve been doing in the studio. I wrote “This
could kill us..” above the band name which
would also interest the reader.
13. Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
I have learnt how to use Photoshop to manipulate images.
Even the smallest change in an image that you’ve chosen to
manipulate will look prominent compared to the image
before.
Before After
I have
removed
the cluster
of mess
from
behind the
piano.
14. Microsoft Publisher also helped me develop my
knowledge of technologies because I didn’t know how
you could place a guide on the page to help you align
things so your magazine looks as neat as possible.
15. Question 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you
have learnt in the progression from it to the product?
I think I have learnt a lot since I did my preliminary task, and it shows
too.
Here, my front
cover is a lot
more
professional and
informal. They
are similar in the
way they both
have quite a
central image.
This front cover
is quite bland
and its not
professional at
all.
16. I have learnt that I can make a professional looking contents page,
compared to my preliminary task contents, which again was really bland
and didn’t really mean anything. I didn’t split the different stories into
sections so it wasn’t really ordered.
17. Overall, I feel like I’ve improved a lot technically since we
started this course and that I have realised that making a
magazine is hard but ultimately rewarding.
