- The document discusses a student's media studies assignment to create a magazine called LOUD. - It analyzes how the magazine used conventions from real magazines like NME in its cover, contents page, and double page spread layout. - The target audience is described as males and females aged 15-23 interested in rock/alternative music. - Technologies used included Microsoft Publisher, Paint.NET, and Blogger. The student learned about their strengths and weaknesses for magazine design. - Reflecting on a preliminary task, the student felt the final magazine product was much more detailed, professional-looking, and fulfilled the assignment requirements better than the initial draft.

1. AS MEDIA STUDIES
G321 EVALUATION
BY JACK DAVIES

2. Question 1
In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?

3. Front Cover:
My front cover uses conventions of a real
media product because the cover has the
same layout as magazines that I based
mine on; such as NME. The masthead in
the top left corner, the cover star using
direct mode of address and the cover lines
down the sides of the cover. I also used a
pugg at the top of my cover which would
attract people to by the magazine just for
the chance to win free Glastonbury tickets. I
wouldn’t really say that I did anything with
my front cover that really challenged the
typical conventions of a real media product.
I based my front cover on NME magazine:

4. Contents:
My contents page follows the conventions of a
real media product. I have chosen 5 main stories
and put them in the centre of the page. The main
story is the story on the cover and the other 4
stories are dotted around the main story. This
idea was influenced by NME contents. I also used
features that will be in my magazine every week
at the bottom under the header ‘plus:’ this will just
show all readers and new readers too where to
find these features. I have also added a subscribe
box in the bottom corner of my magazine. The
subscribe idea was influenced by NME, I like this
idea though as it can attract people to give the
readers a better deal as they turn to their first
page.

5. Double Page Spread:
I have stuck to the conventions of a real media
product. I really wanted to do the left page a huge
picture of the cover star with a quote. I see this in a lot
of magazines now and it stuck to me as the best way
to do this. The left side of the page can also be used
as a poster for anyone who gets the magazine. The
next page is the article. The article is pretty simple. It
just explains the bands EP and discussing the bands
future (touring, album etc) I think this is how music
magazines would structure an interview with a new
artist. So I feel I have used to correct content in my
article here as we would see in magazines I am
influenced by such as NME etc.
Here on the bottom left is a DPS that is in NME, as we
can see the left is a picture/poster and the right is text.
Here is a link to my blog, showing my understanding
of codes and conventions:
http://jackdavies96.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/codes-
and-conventions-analysis.html

6. Question 2
How does your media product
represent particular social
groups?

7. I have gave my cover star; Liam Connolly, a ‘cocky’
look with attitude. The smug look he gives off, gives it
a sense of cockiness and attitude. It looks like he
knows he is the best and I wanted to portray this kind
of look to the target audience. Teenagers of the
magazine would see this and automatically want the
look of ‘rebellion’ and ‘attitude’. The look he gives
down the camera, is smug. He is wearing a leather
jacket, which is normally clothing people associate
with rebellion and attitude.
The gender stereotype in the 21st
Century is that way
more men than women are in rock/alternative rock
bands. I could only think of a few women in bands
from the top of my head, whereas there are loads of
men. In my magazine I have added a female into the
contents page, which we don’t see a lot of. But there
are still more men than women in this magazine.

8. Question 3
What kind of media institution
might distribute your media
product and why?

9. The distributors of my magazine would be IPC Media.
It would be IPC Media because my magazine is a
major magazine distributor and LOUD magazine
would be a major magazine if it was on sale.
IPC Media distribute NME magazine which is the
magazine that influenced my magazine. This is the
only thing which would make me choose IPC Media
over Bauer Media who are also a major magazine
distributor who are notable for distributing Q, Kerrang
and Heat magazine among many others.
Magazine Distributor

10. Question 4
Who would be the audience for
your media product?

11. My magazine mainly targets both males and
females aged from 15 – 23 who enjoy
rock/alternative rock music. My magazine will
give information of different bands, tours,
reviews and posters covering many different
bands.
I would say my magazine would be more linked
to magazines like NME and Q who will focus on
the bands and music that LOUD will focus on
rather than other major rock magazines like
Kerrang who focus on heavy metal/pop-punk
bands.
The link here takes you to my blog which has the
questionnaire of my target audience which
influenced how my magazine was going to be
made:
http://jackdavies96.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/publi
cation-plan.html

12. Question 5
How did you attract/address your
audience?

13. Colour Scheme:
I chose red, white and black as my colour
scheme because they appeal to the
reader. All three colours are different from
each other therefore it makes it easy for
things to stand out and jump out at the
reader. Normally my text is black but the
main things are highlighted in red. On my
cover the black is my masthead and the
information bit underneath my cover lines.
My cover lines are red, which makes it
stand out.
Language:
I have used simple language so this can
appeal to a younger audience. The
conversation I have is an informal chat, but
it sticks to the lines of what needs to be
said. It involves everything that the reader
would want to know.
Exclusives:
I have used two PUFFs. These are
at the top of my page ‘win tickets to
glastonbury!’ and also ‘free posters’
these will attract people to buy the
magazine even more. Also, saying
my interview with the cover star is
an exclusive will also attract people
to buy the magazine because if
they want to know what he’s got to
say then they will buy it as they
can’t read it anywhere else.

14. Question 6
What have you learnt about
technologies from the process of
constructing the product?

15. Microsoft Publisher
Strengths:
-Easy to use
-Easy to move objects
-Less ‘fiddly’ than paint.net
-The lines tell you if it is straight so
it helps organise the document.
Weaknesses:
-Less detailed than Paint.Net
Paint.NET
Strengths:
-A lot of effects to use
-Change the brightness a lot easier
which gives a better image
Weaknesses:
-Complicated
-Time consuming
-Very ‘fiddly’ to use

16. Blogger
Blogger made the whole process easier.
All of my stuff, my whole work was on
the internet, I didn’t have to worry about
printing stuff out, putting it in my folder
and keeping it safe because it was all
there available for me to use on the
internet.
Photography
I took my pictures in Digbeth. I found
there was more places where I could
get good images. I eventually found
a very good place in a side street
where there was a white background
which is where I took my photos.
Here is a link to my blog showing my
original photography:
http://jackdavies96.blogspot.co.uk/2
013/01/blog-post.html

17. Question 7
Looking back to your preliminary
task, what do you feel that you
have learnt in the progression
from it to the full product?

18. FINAL PRODUCT PRELIMINARY TASK
The front cover of my preliminary task is just so basic. There’s gaps in
the masthead. I am using basic ‘calibri’ font. The colour of the main
cover line clashes with the red of my jacket. Whereas my final product is
so much better, detailed and looks more professional than my
preliminary task.

19. FINAL PRODUCT PRELIMINARY
Again, my final product is so much better. My preliminary attempt is basic and
looks like I done it in 2 minutes. Whereas, my final product looks much better.

20. How successful do you feel your
end product is in fulfilling the
task? How well does it fit the
brief?

21. I feel that my final product is a decent attempt. Obviously I was never going
to live up to NME expectation as I’ve never done this before and I done it on
my own. But I feel as a lone and first attempt it was quite a decent job. I
think my strongest bit was my front cover and my weakest bit was the
contents page. The DPS was a good attempt, I thought. I feel that the
content in the article is what you would see in a normal music magazine.