2. In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real media products?
3. For my final production I tried to
slightly challenge the typical codes
and conventions found in popular
magazines by changing the target
audience to a more feminine
audience. I did this because
magazines such as NME target a 73%
male audience, as well as Q
magazine targeting mostly middle
aged men. This therefore left a gap
for a female audience of young
adults, one that I decided to target.
I did this by using stereotypically
feminine colours such as the pink
box around ‘BETH BULLARD.’
However, I feel by keeping blue as a
colour though out, it still allows both
genders to be represented, just
focusing on the feminine side of
things.
This contrasts slightly to NME as they
use mainly blue and red, colours
seen as typically masculine.
4. I followed successful techniques in magazines such as having
‘flawless hair and skin’ following Kilbourne’s media
representation theory
Logo and masthead colour repeated throughout – recognisable
to audience
Direct mode of address connects audience to artist, personal relationship (uses and grat.)
‘Exclusive’
Tag line, draws attention, infers information is unique to this magazine
Bold, large font-
grabs attention
Appeals to young
adult audience
Bar code/date in bottom left corner, out
the way
Masthead hidden by main image- audience familiar with the
brand, don’t need to see entire masthead to identify it
3 main colours including magazine logo
to keep covers both simple, eye-
catching and recognisable to an
audience that know the brand
5. For my contents page I
repeated the feminine
colour scheme still with
highlights of blue to
apply to mainly women
but still some men,
keeping a consistent
target audience.
Repeated use of
logo throughout –
following magazine
codes and
conventions
Examples of
twitter/facebook
6. Magazine’s brand logo featured in
contents page to reinforce the brand to
the audience
Direct eye contact with audience
creates personal relationship, entices
audience
Kilbourne’s media representation
theory – perfect hair, skin without
a blemish
Feminine font to
support the idea of
a feminine target
audience
Different fonts- eye-catching
Same colours repeated throughout
magazine help to reinforce the brand
Main images in
centre/just off
centre to get
attention from
the audience
3 main colours to keep
contents page simple
7. Main
article
on one
side,
avoids
page fold
so it’s
easy to
read
Main image takes
up half the
double page
spread – catches
audience
attention
Kilbourne’s
media
representation
theory –
perfect hair,
skin without a
blemish
Colours
repeated
throughout
magazine –
remind
audience of
the logo
Magazine
logo
repeated
thoughout
8. My magazine used the codes and conventions of most other magazines by following
theorists such as Kilbourne in representing models with almost flawless skin and hair. It
also followed the conventions of having colour schemes followed throughout, with the
same recognisable fonts to remind the audience of the original magazine. I followed
these as they work for successful magazines and I think it’d make my magazine ‘Level’
more recognisable to my target audience of female young adults, as well as making it
seem more professional.
I decided to go against the typical codes and conventions of targeting a male audience
that so many magazines such as Q and NME seem to do, hence keeping my colour
scheme feminine with pinks rather than the harsh blues and reds seen in NME.
It goes against Wolf’s theory of women being sex objects to be consumed by the male
gaze as I want my magazine to target a female audience, hence it wouldn’t be right to
portray that same audience as simple sex objects and nothing more.
9. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
10. My magazine represents different particular social groups, mainly women. It
does this by having female artists featured in the actual magazine, as well as
using colours such as pinks and purples to follow the stereotypes and appeal to
women. It also however appeals to men due to the range in artists I’ve
featured in the magazine (going from The Arctic Monkeys and Sum 41 to the
fictional Beth Bullard and Eilish Barrett.) I’ve ensured I cover a range of artists
purposely so my magazine does have a larger appeal to my audience,
interesting more people than I would if I’d stuck to only people like Beth
Bullard.
My media product doesn’t aim to represent any ethnicity or social class in
particular, I’d rather it cater for all than have one specific group it is aimed at.
Saying this, however, my magazine isn’t very culturally diverse in terms of the
models, but this is done purely coincidentally rather than to appeal to a
specific audience, and I feel if my magazine were real and had more issues,
then there would be more diversity to it. In terms of social class, I’d also say
that it doesn’t have a specific target, instead appeals to any and all to give it a
wider audience.
I feel that the age group my magazine is aimed at it young adults, ranging from
16-25 mainly, however it isn’t limited to that. I used young models to
correspond to the audience age group, and also used the appeal of Eilish being
a ‘youtube sensation’, something that targets a younger audience more and
appeals to them.
11. What kind of media institution might distribute
your media product and why?
12. My magazine might be distributed by IPC media, the institution that also distribute NME and the
magazines aimed at very young girls such as Teen Now. I feel they’d distribute my magazine as it is
aimed at young adults between 16-25 rather than the young girls that Teen Now is aimed at, and as it
is also inspired by NME, it’d appeal to them. It’d also be shared out across their social media
platforms, and would have it’s own, examples being the use of Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and it’s
own website.
13. Who would be the audience for your media
product?/How did you attract/address your
audience?
14. My audience would be mainly girls aged from 16-25, however it’d still have a slight attraction to a small male audience.
The magazine appeals to females due to the colour scheme used, as well as the models in the magazine. As the models are all also
female young adults, they’d be familiar to the audience, making them feel included and important like the models.
The contents of my magazine, however, would go against the stereotypical idea of a typical girl loving pop music such as One Direction
or the Vamps, as instead of those bands my magazine contains bands such as The Arctic Monkeys and The Maine. It also features the
Isle Of Wight festival, appealing to anyone who is a fan of the festival, opening the audience up to more than just a stereotypical young girl.
The language used in my magazine such as ‘EXCLUSIVE’ helps to attract my target audience because it implies out of every magazine, mine
Is the one that someone would want to be.
15. What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing this
product?
16. From my production I have learnt to use Photoshop to create my magazine. I
have also learnt to use Slideshare to help make it easier to upload things like
this evaluation. In the production I also learned to choose the right settings on
the Canon 60D to get the best picture, including to change the
exposure/brightness etc.
17. Looking back at your preliminary task, what
do you feel you have learnt in the progression
from it to the full product?
18. I feel like since the preliminary task I have learnt to fully use Photoshop as the camera I used for my photography.
I have also learnt to properly edit, and to take into consideration real media theorists whilst putting my piece together,
along with thinking fully about the effects my editing will have on a chosen audience. I have also learnt that nothing is
done by accident in regards to the media industry whilst researching other magazines, showing that every detail in my
final production matters and is done to create a specific effect.
