1. Evaluation

2. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? My media magazine follows many conventions, to gain an understand of the conventions of current magazines I analysed Rnb magazines as this is my chosen genre, I looked at front covers, contents page and double page spread and incorporated my own ideas toward it. I have researched suitable pictures I could use and colours I think will suit my genre, Front cover - by my research collected I can see that there is a master head, at the top. sky line at the top or bottom, main images, cover lines, insert images, date, price, website, barcodes and quotes and a consistent house style of mainly three colours Contents – by my research collect I can see that the conventions of a contents page is a clear master head, inserts or montages, features, date, website at the bottom, and page numbers at the bottom of each page Double page spread – from my research collected I can see that the conventions of a double page spread involves, a masthead, a big main image, inserts, text about for example: an interview, quotes from the artist, date, website, page number located at the bottom.

3. How does your media product represent particular social groups? There are different social groups, these are upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, skilled working class and working class, the social groups I aim to focus more on are middle class, lower middle class, for example students. As these are my chosen social group I have included models of a young age as it will attract my target audience, they are posing and wearing suitable dress code based on my RNB genre, I have used thick simple writing as these are commonly used when creating a music magazine. I have kept my target audience in mind when choosing, images, colours and pictures. The colours I have decided to use are, red, yellow and purple, this is because the colours are loud and bold making the making fun and interesting to read, I have these colours consistent throughout the whole magazine.

4. Target audience my target audience is 16-24 of the female population, as my genre of my magazine is girly hip hop I think I have chosen a suitable age range as I have targeted people who are most likely to purchase magazines. As I, myself, fit into the age range, it made it easier as I could incorporate all my ideas and opinions of what someone my age would want a magazine to include, such as interviews with famous celebrities. I kept my audience in mind as I chose images where my models are wearing funky, interesting outfits, appealing to the readers.

5. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? There are two different types of distribution, traditional and online distribution, magazines can be purchased from shops and newsagents, but as times have evolved magazines can now be available online to look at, making it interactive as competitions can be taken part in. this is why my magazine has a price and website located at it, targeting both types of distribution. IPC is a institution that distributes many genes, included RNB.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? Whilst creating my magazine, I have learnt about lots of different technologies, when taking my images I used a SLR camera as I have found out that they produce high quality images, making my magazine realistic. I have learnt how to use the camera and how to take effective pictures, as pictures are on of the main conventions as images is what attracts the reader first. To create my magazine I used a software called Photoshop, which has all the tools, after practice and learning I can now use Photoshop to my best ability and I think my magazine shows my Photoshop skills. For the distribution web 2.0 platforms are used, web 2.0 is associated with web applications that allow interactive information to be shared, and can collaboration on the World Wide Web, examples of web 2.0 are YouTube, social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites where my magazine can be displayed.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? My preliminary task involved me producing a school magazine, since this I have learnt a lot of things along the way, I now have a better understanding on how to use Photoshop, I can now cut images, layer them etc. I have also learnt how to analyse magazines and include my knowledge in the creation of my own magazine. I have improved my photography skills and I can now conclude what are poor photos and what are high quality photos that can be used.

8. How did you attract/address your audience? By collecting all my research I have used conventions that would attract the target audience, I have used bright colours that I think appeal to my female target audience, these colours are popular and liked my the younger audience. The layout is very busy and packed, showing that my magazine has a lot to offer, from research, audience like a mixture of images and text, which I have tried to achieve. My including a flash button, it makes my magazine more interact, attracting my audience as they could gain something from reading my magazine. I have included a suitable price that my audience would be attracted to, as they think they are getting a lot for such a small price.