My Media

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Preliminary Task, Log Book and Evaluation
Name: Olaf Blazewicz
Candidate Number:6605
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number:64770
Set Brief - Print
Music Magazine – Production
Preliminary Task Progression, Log Book and
Evaluation

2. Preliminary Task Progression– Evidence
Front Cover
Step-by-step
I firstly took a
image of the school
building, there was
shade to add
contrast, I cloned
some of the sky to
make it seem that
the school was the
best school but I
also tried to keep it
realistic.
I then added a smart font
to replicate a students
handwriting, then I added
the chalk font to replicate a
whiteboard as chalk is
normally associated with
writing and schools so I did
this to make it seem like a
school magazine
Then I decided to
keep the font, I then
had to put the box
at the bottom to go
with my contents
page, this was to
keep it fluent. I
decided to put the
website at the
bottom as this was
inspired by a couple
of magazines.

3. I took some ideas from these magazine as at the bottom it has a website where
people can go to. From the rugby one I used the colour as it seemed as a
appropriate colour and I used the text from the chosen hill magazine as this was a
appropriate font for my magazine (Steve Neale). However my magazine has some
differences and they are I have less straplines, as well as I used a picture of the
school and didn't add anything else.

4. Preliminary Task Progression– Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step
I decided to use
purple as these are
colours which are
associated with
young people who
go to school. I also
used blue as it is a
nice colour which is
associated with the
sky and peace.
Then I decided to create a guide
for everyone who is viewing my
magazine in order to make it not
look messy and I used black to
make it a heading and red for the
subheading or the information.
I then decided to
add my editorial on
the final box and I
decided to screen
grab my magazine
and underneath it I
had some extra
space so I added a
bubble and put in
it the website.

5. Section 1) – Log Book

6. The masthead has the colour yellow
as this is meant to represent the band
as a lively band.
The main headline is in he same
colour as the masthead to
represent the liveliness of the
band and the immaturity that
comes with it.
The cover lines are in pink which is a
stereotypically a feminine colour to appeal
to the feminine side just like the male side.
The main image is there as a reminder
who the band is or if you don’t know
them then it gives you a certain idea of
what they are/ do, the a main image
represents the band being bonkers
therefore you can conclude that their
music will be unique.
The barcode is there to show the
price, the issue number and the date.

7. Convergence- at the bottom is a link
to their website where you can see
all of the magazine issues, reviews
and many more.
This magazine hasn’t got a strapline
because it is already established in
the genre which is different types
of rock, such as hard rock and many
more.
Rock sound is promoting itself as it has
an website, social media page so that
people are aware of the magazine or
what they are associated for.

8. Established Magazine for my Research
We have a variety of things that are missing for example
we have not got a strapline. There is no strapline as they
don’t need one to appeal to the audience as they use a
variety of colours which can attract anyone.

9. • The magazine hasn’t got a strapline which is
promoting the magazine such as UK’s number
one rock magazine as it has no competitors.

10. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs
The target audience for rock sound are teenagers who are into the modern
rock bands as it only features s it features exclusive interviews that’s are
made for teenagers as they are interested about the band, also the magazine
that I have annotated is childish and unique just like teenagers.
What is the USP of this magazine?
The unique selling point of the magazine is the cartoon animations as this
attracts a different amount of audience, for example the hand can represent
Mickey mouse as he wears that sort of animated glove.

11. Publisher research
The first magazine that was published was in 1999 by a French publisher called
Editions Freeway, from that day they have been publishing monthly around the
world, the magazine aims to be more in with the community and less
commercial, the magazine generally focuses on pop, punk, post-hardcore, metal
core, punk, emo, hardcore, heavy metal and other extreme genres of rock music,
however it rarely covers indie rock. Today the main offices are in London. The
magazine company was firstly French but it was then brought by a British
company, it has got a few offices around the world, the main three are located in
the UK, France and Spain. RockSound.tv is the second most read magazine site in
the world, following Kerrang which are number one. They specialise in facts
about band members backgrounds such as their article about the Foo Fighters.
They like for their fans to be informed about everything prior to any event that
may occur. I firstly decided to take some inspiration from their magazines as they
were based around rock, but then I decided to use some of Kerrangs features
such as their yellow text and incorporate it into my magazine.

12. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs
The target audience for Rock Tribute magazine can be denoted as teenagers
ranging from 13-21. I made my target audience that big as I am using songs
from the 80’s and 90’s as well as the 2000’s hence the name Rock Tribute. The
magazine is meant to build a personal relationship with the user by making
them more involved.
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is my
star appeal as I have the picture on my front cover, contents page and as well
my double page spread.
The logo of the magazine SHOULD be placed on this slide neatly somewhere

13. Publisher research
• This was my magazine of inspiration.
The Publisher was Bauer Media Group and the first issue was
released in 6th June 1981, in the UK, they are devoted in the
New wave or British Heavy Metal bands and the rise of rock
acts such as Paramore and Fall Out Boy including bands which
are popular such as MCR or Linkin Park. In the early 2000’s it
became the best selling British music newspaper. The founder is
Alan Lewis.

14. Section 2) – Evaluation

15. In what ways does your Media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
Example sentence starters:
The magazine, across the 4-pages, ‘repeats’ (Steve Neale) codes and conventions from
the yellow strapline which is seen on the front cover and the contents page at the top,
but it seen at the bottom of the double page spread.
There are examples of some ‘difference’, however, in terms of the forms and conventions
in my own media product for example is the way that the contents page as my contents
page goes from the top right hand side to the bottom whereas in the picture the
contents page starts at the bottom half of the magazine.

16. How does your media product
represent particular social groups?
Example sentence starters:
The magazine, across the 4-pages, helps to represent the genre of rock by having rocky
text as well as the colours that represent a rock magazine such as yellow and black,
originally I was going to use red and black but it didn’t seem to have the vibe that I
wanted it to have so I changed it.
For example, on page 8 the heading is in yellow and the straplines are multi-coloured,
they have colours ranging from pink to white.

17. What kind of media institution
(Publisher) might distribute your
media product and why?
Example sentence starters:
From the research that was completed pre-production, I would envisage that the
magazine would have similarities and differences from different magazines making it
unique and Kerrang may publish ‘Rock Tribute’ because my magazine is unique and it will
cover the rock of the past making this magazine special, it will be targeted for teenagers
and people who are in early adulthood.
The similarities of my magazine to ‘Kerrang’ also ‘signifies’ (De Saussure) an element
which links to Kerrang as my magazine will use the same colours as Kerrang.

18. Who would be the audience for your
media product and why?
Hartley’s seven subjectivities
According to Hartley’s seven subjectives I will be focusing on my targeted age group which is 15 to
21’s, the gender can be both, any class can enjoy this magazine, any ethnic background can
enjoy it and it will be family friendly. It will come in several languages ranging from English to
Austrian.
Katz’ Uses & Gratifications theory
The audience will be able to relate to the interviewee of my magazine as there will be a lot of
relatable things as it will be going into the persons life and giving them inspiration. I will also
ensure that the audience will build a strong bond with the magazine.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs the audience will be able to sympathize with the
interviewee’s situation as the magazine will provide a full interview with the select artist which
will cover their life stories.

19. How did you attract/address your
audience?
In order to attract the intended target audience of people who like listening to 80’s rock up to 2015
rock bands so decided to make the magazine seem a bit old fashioned as well as using some
styles that modern day rock magazines use.
The inclusion of codes & conventions such as the headline, straplines and the main image helped to
appeal to the target audience because I blackened the image surrounding the main picture.

20. What have you learnt about
technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
The denotation of the software used to construct the media product entitled ‘Rock Tribute’ was
Photoshop CS4. It offered many things to manipulate images as well as touching them up.
In order for this product to look fit for purpose and appeal to the target audience, I decided to
blacken the wall around the main character using the sponge tool because I wanted to make
the image seem old fashioned but not removing a lot of the colours. I also used the spot
healing tool because I wanted the character to look older than he is.

21. Analysing my Front Cover
I used Yellow and Black
which signifies the
stereotype of rock.
Screen grab of Magazine
page positioned in the
Center of the slide
(Remove the BLUE box once
placed in as well)
I used a typewriter font
to symbolise how the
magazine uses older
bands.

22. Analysing my Contents Page
Used black box to
stereotype the genre of
rock.
Used Combat text to
symbolise the brutality
that comes with rock.
Screen grab of Magazine
page positioned in the
Center of the slide
(Remove the BLUE box once
placed in as well)

23. Analysing my Double Page spread
Interview
Screen grab of Magazine
page positioned in the
Center of the slide
(Remove the BLUE box once
placed in as well)
It is yellow so
that it has
the same
colours as my
Front page
and double
page spread
The image is
positioned on the
right just like
kerrang has done
(Steve Neale)
I used red to show
who is the
interviewer and
black for the
interviewee

24. Looking back at your Preliminary task,
what do you feel you have learnt in the
progression from it to the full product?
I feel that, having completed the preliminary task and learning about the demands of this
production process, I have learnt how to use Photoshop, how to manipulate images to suit my
liking. I have also learnt the different tools which are needed in order to manipulate an image.
It takes a lot of time and effort as well as dedication in order to create the perfect image.
There is evidence of progression that I feel particularly demonstrates how I met the demands of the
production process, for example at the beginning I didn’t know how to use photoshop so my
work turned out very amateur.