1. A Level Media Studies –
Evaluating your coursework
Ryan Blackford

2. Task Two– In what ways does my
media product challenge forms of
media products.
• Masthead
• When looking at the Vibe masthead when I was
researching this showed me that it was very
bold and helped it to stand out to the audience
and I wanted to do something like this when I
created mine and ensured that it was bold and
stood out at the top of the page.

3. Task Two– In what ways does my
media product challenge forms of
media products.
Cover-line at the bottom
• This cover-line that I researched was the Rolling
Stones issue which looked well and vibrant at the
bottom and attracted the attention due to it being
colourful and in big writing. When creating my
cover line I wanted it to also be in capitals and use
this to help include it in my magazine to make it
look better and stand out in the magazine to help
make people want to buy the magazine.

4. Task Two– In what ways does my
media product challenge forms of
media products.
Main title of ‘An interview with Stereotype’
• When I researched this main front cover I thought that the
word ‘Amy’ made it stand out even more with it being in Red
and capital and very large text which grabs the reader with it
looking very good for a front cover. I wanted to do this when
creating my magazine and I had Stereotype in capitals and large
letters which helps to make it stand out and gives the reader an
instant in-sight into what will be in this magazine.

5. Task Two– In what ways does my
media product challenge forms of
media products.
Contents Page Columns
In this NME contents page the writing and
the contents of the magazine was on the
right hand side with it being very clear into
what is in the magazine and the images were
on the left hand side to make it stand out.
However, when I created my contents page I
thought that it looked better when I had all
the contents on the left hand side with the
mages on the right which helped to make it
look better and by me researching how NME
did their contents page this helped me to
create a better contents page overall.

6. Task Two - How does my media
represent particular social groups?
• Due to me aiming my magazine at an audience of 16-20 this
therefore was shown in the photographs that I took with the people
that I used in the main front cover models were in the my target
market age bracket to help my target market be able to relate to
this with this representing youth and the pop image in the clothes
that were being worn were the typical clothes that would be worn
by the teenager. As well as this when looking at the pose this is
symbolising the pop image and how the typical pop star would look
and I have done this through the way that they look in terms of the
costume and the bright red lip stick to help make her stand out and
look like the typical pop star. Also, when looking at the articles that
are in my magazine this is highlighting the age that my magazine is
being aimed at due to the articles being based on festivals and
concerts which are what the typical target market will be doing
ensuring that it is being related to the representation of age.

7. Task Two What kind of media institution
might distribute my media product and
why?
• IPC are the most suitable company to distribute
my product due to them being a large company
and dealing with similar media products to the
one I have created. I think that this is a lot more
useful than Bauer as they deal with magazines
like ‘Take a Break’ which isn’t what my magazine
is like so I will therefore ensure that I deal with
IPC who are one of the biggest distributing
companies and could help with connections to do
with other distributing companies which would
be useful for my product.

8. Task Two Who would be the audience
for my media product?
• These are two members who would typically be in my target market
range due to their age and with my market being aimed at both
male and females I wanted to get information form both genders.
Also the singers and interests are linked in well with my magazine
with we having a section on festivals, gigs & concerts with exploring
some of the big artists that Danny and Jess have said they like to
listen to showing they fit my target market.
• Danny Stewart:
– Age 18
– Interested in Law and Festivals
– Example, Rihanna & LMFAO
• Jess Foster:
– Age 17
– Interested in Cheerleading & Concerts/Gigs
– Beyoncé, Mumford & Sons, Once Direction

9. Task Two How did I attract my
audience?
• When looking at the market research that I undertook I
tried to listen to what my target market had said and
take this on board. I ensured that the price was at the
price the majority of people said they would pay which
was £2.50. I also ensured that the popular answers for
what content they wanted including reviews, fact files
and interviews which is what they wanted to see and
as shown in my contents page all these features are
shown all the way through the magazine. I also
ensured that the magazine name was what they
wanted it to be so the name ‘Simply Pop came from my
research as this is what was chosen due to it being
suitable for my magazine.

10. Task Two How did I attract my
audience? (Front Cover)
The bold masthead helps to
instantly show the target market
what type of magazine this is
due to the two words that have
been used with it being a
‘simple’ magazine showing that
it is a casual magazine and that
it’s also a pop magazine to help
meet the needs of my target
market instantly.
By me putting the price in black
this clearly shows the price and
indicating that due to this being
the most popular price when
doing my market research so my
audience is aware of the price of
the magazine.
The use of the ‘teaser’ with the
words ‘star interview helps to
entice the audience to want to buy
the magazine to want to read the
article especially due to it being in
capitals and is meeting the target
market as this was chosen to be
what the main article would be in
my magazine highlighting that this
is likely to make them want to buy
the magazine.
When looking at these two
cover-lines that I have
created, it stands out and
with the numbers being
included this helps to
break the text up and due
to it being a large number
it is a good persuasive
technique.
When I made the banner ‘Stereotype’ I wanted this to be the
main part in the image with me wanting this where the readers
eye goes to as this is likely to convince the audience to buy the
magazine which is why I made it big and stretched it across the
whole of the page.

11. Task Two How did I attract my
audience? (Contents Page)
This is a good a way to show
what page this is for the
reader with it being in
capitals and large text which
helps to make it stand out
and is where the readers eye
will go to straight away
which helps the audience to
know this page.
With this being in white and
coinciding with the blue and
in capitals it helps to make it
a good introduction into the
content into the magazine
and due to the use of ellipsis
this makes the reader want
to see what’s in this issue
with this method enticing
the audience.
I decided that these two parts to the magazine showing that these had relevance importance
and with it being in bigger text and the use of images and models to help make these articles
stand out more and helps to engage the reader and attract their attention better.

12. Task Two How did I attract my
audience? (Double Page Spread)
The text of ‘an interview with’ in
pink makes it look good and helps to
make the reader anticipated into
what this article is about with it
being in block capitals and
coinciding with the blue Stereotype.
The blue title with Stereotype
stands out well and is very eye
catching for the reader as due to
this being the main article, this
stands out as the main article due
to how bright and vibrant the
band’s name is showing the
audience that this is the main
article.
With me using columns for the main
article, this helps to add order and
organisation to the article helping the
reader to not be overloaded with text
and breaking it up into columns and
paragraphs.
I have used a stand first to the benefit of my
audience as this gives an introduction into the
band and the interview which is important for
the audience to have this to split up the
interview and the images.
The use of these model
images help to give
context of what the
band look like with
these being causal
photos to suit the
photo with it also
helping to break the
text up and to make
sure that the audience
are still engaged with
the article.

13. Task Two What have I learnt about
technology from constructing my
product?
Photoshop – When I took my photos on the camera, I
then wanted to edit these to make them look more
suitable to go into my magazine with me having to get
used to the software to make different adjustments in
my photos. These include hue/saturation, levels,
brightness/contrast and curves which are very
important to help make the photo look more
authentic. As well as this, I used the cutting out button
on Photoshop with me specifically using the lasso tool
which helped me to cut out some of my photos.
Therefore I have learnt how to Photoshop my images
to a good standard and what needs to be done to make
the images look how I want them to by using the
different filters to help make this happen.

14. Task Two What have I learnt about
technology from constructing my
product?
Quark X Press – By me using the Quark X Press software, this helped me to
create my magazine by doing all four pages on this software. I used a variety of
the settings on the program by me using some of the windows including the
tools, measurements, page layout, style sheet and colours as these were very
useful in the creation of my magazine as well as the layers section. I also found
that the item tool, the text content tool and the picture content tool as this
helped me to create text and images. This therefore helped my knowledge using
this software as I now am reasonably competent at using Quark.
Wordpress, Prezi & Slideshare – These three websites helped me to make my
magazine creation experience more technological using different types of
technology to show the progress that I had made in my research and planning,
creation of the magazine and my evaluation to show all the content that I had
done throughout my coursework. This has therefore helped me to learn different
interactive ways of showing my work.
Camera – I have learnt a lot about technology and helped to improve my
photography skills with me trying to get suitable photos and taking all of the mise
en scene into consideration when taking my photos and what is suitable enough
to go in my magazine.

15. Task Two How have I progressed with
my preliminary task?
Preliminary Magazine
Final Magazine

16. • From my preliminary magazine, I didn’t have any colour scheme which was a major disadvantage
due to any random colour being used which didn’t made it look professional with no house style or
order at all to the magazine which should have been done better making sure that a consistent
house style with the fonts etc being similar to show a theme throughout the magazine like I have
done in my final magazine by having the colours of blue, pink and white throughout the magazine.
• I also have learnt how important the cover model and the masthead is to a magazine with the
masthead in my preliminary magazine not being big enough and clear enough to the reader
instantly with it not being eye catching enough. In addition to this, the cover model should be fairly
close up to help to see the facial expressions which didn’t occur in the preliminary. I ensured that in
my final magazine that I got a close-up to help see the facial expressions and to help the masthead
stand out.
• I also needed to make the cover lines smaller and in some sort of order to make it look for a
magazine with the cover model taking up the whole front cover with all the coverline around this to
indicate what is in the magazine and this was therefore developed in my final magazine with me
ensuring that the cover model in the middle was foregrounded in the centre with cover lines and
the strapline is then around the cover model.
• When looking at the contents page there was no sense of organisation with the images and logos
being in a bad place with the writing being in different places and not taking into consideration
vectors by where the readers eye will go which should have been thought about as well as the
colour scheme. However, I learnt from this for my magazine with me having the contents on the left
hand side and the images on the right to show that there is come cohesion between the images
and the text.
Task Two How have I progressed with
my preliminary task?