This document is an evaluation of a student's media magazine project. It summarizes the key ways the student's magazine uses and develops conventions of real media products, such as including the magazine title, issue date, and barcode on the front cover. It also represents particular social groups by featuring a young female model holding a guitar to appeal to music fans aged 17-20. The student analyzes how Bauer Media could be a suitable distributor for the magazine due to its experience with similar music magazines and multiple media platforms. The student learned important Photoshop and layout skills from constructing the magazine project.

1. Evaluation...Grace Canning 9142Group 21

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

3. A single image of a band or artist in a music magazine is shown on the front. With text wrote about that artist/band . I used this image as I think, although it isn’t clearly music related, still goes with the magazine style I was trying to achieve.In the same way as other magazines, the title is a dominant feature, and the edition date is shown. I used the same colour scheme and font on both the front cover and contents, with varied sizes. However, for the double page spread I expanded the range on fonts I had used. I chose to use these colours, in my fonts and also in my models clothes to attract both a male and female audience. I tried to stay away from any stereotypical features linking the magazine to just one gender. The position of the model reflects the caption below ‘shows her wild side’.The main features of the magazine are show n on the front cover, following the conventions o f some real magazines. The main stories are shown , and artist names included in the magazine are listed below. This is a common feature of NME magazine.A barcode, with magazine issue, date, price and website is a typical magazine convention.

4. My contents page doesn’t follow normal conventions of most magazines in the way it only includes a single image, and the features are listed in columns. However, I looked at the magazine ‘Mojo’ and really like the way it was different to that of other magazines. The title of the magazine is shown again in the same place to on the front cover, with then issue number and date.In the same way as other magazines, the title is a dominant feature, and the edition date is shown. The genre I chose to base my magazine around was varied, however, with focus on indie/ folk music.My model wore the same clothes as on the front cover in keeping with my colour scheme. I included an acoustic guitar in this image to show clearly the aspect of music, and also the type of music .

5. I designed a title for my magazine, in the same way as other real media magazines have a recognisable title. When I was first creating my magazine title I considered using a very short version, like ‘Q’ or ‘NME’. However, after looking at other magazines, such as ‘Mojo’, I chose to make the title of my magazine a full word.

6. The layout of my double page spread is quite simple and is typical of real media prducts. I got the inspiration for this from NME magazine. A majority of magazines include ‘exclusive’ interviews.Another feature of real media products is the use of an opening paragraph before the main text, giving a very brief overview on the band/ artist and topic.Many of the magazine articles I looked at whilst researching didn’t have text wrote over the images, however NM|E did. I liked the way this made the image appear busier and attractive so I included a caption and a quote.

7. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

8. My media product represents particular social groups in the way it targets a particular market, of music fans aged 17- 20. The artists included in the magazine, and also the model I used, targets this age group.The model is a young, white female and is holding an acoustic guitar, therefore eliminates doubt on the genre of the magazine. The costume and hair of the model also relates to her being an a folk singer. The headscarf and the casual dress gives a feel of informality, and makes her appear natural and also quite friendly. This is reflected in the natural gesture and her facial expression. Despite my magazine being aimed at both boys and girls, I think my model targets a female audience more so than a male. In the same way as articles just about females are more directed at female readers in real media products. The image on my front cover works in a similar way to that of Beyonce on the cover of ‘Elle’ magazine. She is photographer smiling, and whilst my model holds a guitar in reflection the magazine genre, Beyonce is dressed fashionably to reflect the type of magazine Elle is.

9. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

10. Bauer Media are responsible for… … And many more

11. Bauer is the largest privately owned publisher in Europe, publishing in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom, and also publishes in the United States and Mexico.It is behind magazines like Q, Kerrang and Mojo , and also many radio and TV channels.The multiple links to different forms of media would provide links to different artists that could be included in my magazine. The selection of magazines would create links to numerous distribution opportunities, and also would provide a wide range of people to be in the magazine. Also my magazine could be distributed using different media forms, such as radio or television. Bauer is responsible for Kerrang!, and Q radio and has a 50% share of Box Television which they share with Channel 4. This could perhaps open links to channel 4. Furthermore, the channels reach a broad range of audiences. This is an example of synergy, different media forms working together to achieve one thing.

12. Who would be the audience for your media product?

13. My media product targets an audience who enjoy indie/ folk music, but also who enjoy music related programmes and events e.g. Glastonbury festival. They are individual, and make their own style rather than following others. Who conform to the true meaning of ‘indie’ – individuality.

14. How did you attract/ address your audience?

15. The model I used is someone the audience of the magazine could relate to, in the way she is a similar age to my target audience.Rather than using dramatic poses for the contents page and article, I kept them quite subtle and natural, to reflect the fact I really wanted to make my magazine appear closely connected to the readers. I also wanted to bring the idea in to my magazine,. To differentiate it from others real media magazines, as to the interviews with them being the ‘real people’ rather than the artists/bands. Also, on my front cover I included a ‘music guide’, and from the way it is separated from the other stories in the magazine, it gives the feel of a sot of added extra to attract the audience. The image on the front cover was also a way of targeting the audience as it is quite fun and quirky.

16. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

17. I have really expanded my Photoshop skills whilst putting together my magazine. From looking at real media products, I saw the different aspects of making to make a magazine look professional. I also used Microsoft Publisher to construct my article, after editing my images in Photoshop.I used Photoshop to remove any blemishes on my model, and to enhance the image.

18. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

19. Looking back at my Preliminary Task, I think my full product is a big improvement, and looks much more like a real media product…The features are clearer, and much more balanced in correspondence with the image. In my full product the image is edited much better, with no background, it is also not obstructing any text to the point that it isn’t clearly visible. However, the gesture of the model is clear, and although the image is the largest thing on the front cover, it doesn’t distract from the text.The title can be read much more clearly, and is linked directly to the magazine topic.

20. On the Preliminary Task the image hasn’t been edited to a good standard. Where as on the final product, I edited the image very carefully, and used many more effects on Photoshop to achieve the affect I wanted.For my contents page I looked at the magazine Mojo, as I liked how different it was from others. However, for the Preliminary Task we looked at magazines like Kerrang! The way the features have been listed is also very different. However, in the same way the title of the magazine is at the top of the contents page. On my final product it resembles the title on the front cover almost exactly.After doing research I realised many magazines include the issue and date on the contents as well as the front cover.