This document contains Megan Saunders' log book and evaluation for her AS Level Media Studies foundation portfolio task on producing a music magazine. It includes details of her preliminary research on the R&B genre and conventions of music magazines, descriptions of her magazine's target audience and USP, photography planning, and analysis of the front cover and contents page layout. The evaluation reflects on how the magazine represents its target demographic and what publisher might distribute it based on the research. Megan discusses what she has learned about targeting audiences and using software through constructing the magazine product.

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Preliminary Task, Log Book and Evaluation
Name: Megan Saunders
Candidate Number: 8032
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

3. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step

4. Section 1) – Log Book

5. R&B
• R&B stands for rhythm and blues. In the 1940/50’s it
was more known as African American music, in later
years this then spread and was performed by different
nationalities and races.
• In the 1940’s R&B was mainly a mixture of jazz, electric
blues, gospel and soul music. It was reality and put
their feelings and emotion into their songs. The style of
R&B ranched off and helped to create rock and roll in
the 1950’s.
• R&B now has many different forms these are;
contemporary R&B, new jack swing, neo soul, funk.
R&B music is mainly dominated by African-Americans.

6. Established Magazine for my Research

7. Features of R&B music
• “R&B music broke away from the more traditional "big
band formula" of earlier years, and R&B artists began
performing in small, musical combos. The music
tended to emphasise blues-style vocals and song
structures. As in the bands of the big band era,
saxophone and piano were still present, but electric
guitar and bass started to add a different power and
electricity to the music, which translated well to radio
and jukebox play.”
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6577928_r_b-music.html

8. Target audience
I am aiming my magazine at young black teenagers between the age of 13-17.
This magazine is aimed at both genders as I believe that the music artists that my
magazine presents are most commonly linked with this. My magazine helps to
boost self esteem and purpose as it provides articles of the artists linked to my
target audience. It should help to inspire and help show readers the life of pop
stars, it should show the struggle they went through and how they are happy that
they have overcome these barriers. The target audience for my magazine can be
denoted as R&B genre.
What is the USP of the magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is the
hybrid of content for my magazine production as it provides articles of artists
and the behind the scene background. This may be deemed as appealing to
the target audience as it helps to show an insight of the aspiring artists.

9. Publisher
research
http://www.vibe.com
Vibe magazine is a music and
entertainment magazine. The
magazine was founded by the
producer Quincy Jones. The
publication mainly features
R&B/Hip-Hop artists, actors and
some entertainers. Production was
shut down in summer 2009 but
was the purchased by a private
equity investment that was funded
by Intermedia partners. The
magazine is now issued in a semi-
monthly edition that contains
double covers and online presence.
The magazines target audience is
predominantly young, urban
followers of the hip-hop culture. In
2014 the magazine transferred to
online only.

10. Conventions of a Music
Magazine
Barcode
Headline
Main cover image
Website
Masthead
Cover lines
Convergence

11. Target Audience
The magazines target audience is predominantly young, urban followers of the
hip-hop culture. In 2014 the magazine transferred to online only. This may be due
to technology purposes and convergence, teenagers tend to use technology a lot
more than they do to sit down and read a magazine, this way the magazine can
still be read but through a phone instead making it more easily accessible.
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is the
divergence of the ethnicity. The magazine is the only magazine to only ever
star black R&B/hip-hop artists. This attracts an audience of young black
teenagers aspiring to be a music artist. It helps them build confidence if they
know more background knowledge of the artists, and how they struggled but
fought to be the music artist they are today.

12. Section 2) – Evaluation

13. 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…
There are examples of some ‘difference’, however, in terms of the forms and conventions
in my own media product for example….

14. How does your media product
represent particular social groups?
Example sentence starters:
The denotation of representation is…
The magazine, across the 4-pages, helps to represent…
For example, on page….

15. 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 … may
publish ‘name of magazine’ because….
The similarities of my magazine to ‘name of magazine’ also ‘sgnifies’ (De Saussure)….

16. Who would be the audience for your
media product and why?
Hartley’s seven subjectivities
According to Hartley’s seven subjectivities,
Katz’ Uses & Gratifications theory
According to Katz’ Uses & Gratifications theory, ,
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, ,

17. How did you attract/address your
audience?
In order to attract the intended target audience of.. I decided to….
The inclusion of codes & conventions such as… helped to appeal to the target audience becasuse…

18. 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 ‘name of magazine’
was…
In order for this product to look fit for purpose and appeal to the target audience, I decided to
create… using the… tool because.
Refer 2-3 examples at least and conclude

19. Photography Planning – Front Cover

20. Photography Planning - Contents

21. Photography Planning - Interview

22. Analyzing my Front Cover
Masthead
I decided to call my magazine QB as it stands for queen bee
showing that it is the queen of all the magazines. I wanted
the target audience to see that my magazine was superior to
the rest.
Main headline
I wanted my main headline to stand put from the rest. This is
why it is in space and is bold. I made it a different colour so
that it stood out from the rest of the headlines it help easily
access the information about the article being about them.
Cover lines
I included five other cover lines to engage interest from the
target audience and encourage the reader to have a look
through the magazine.
Convergence and multi media
I have included extra features on the front of my magazine.
The QR code should help to direct the reader straight to the
website in order to allow no confusion to be added. The
price is also included and symbols of media in order to allow
the reader to know that the magazine has a media page.

23. Analyzing my Contents Page
Masthead
I included a masthead above but in line with the words
to engage the reader with what the contents of the
magazine are

24. Analysing my Double Page spread
Interview
Neatly annotate the
Screen Grab of your Final
Double Page Spread –
X1 page per. Slide!
4-5 Annotations at least
and apply appropriate
media language.
Arrows should be RED as
well!
Screen grab of Magazine
page positioned in the
Center of the slide
(Remove the BLUE box once
placed in as well)

25. Audience Feedback -
• Complete a relevant survey that asks no fewer than 10 people about their opinions of your
magazine.
• This should contain between 8-10 questions – one of which MUST be about your
Progression from Preliminary Task – Main Task.

26. 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…
There is evidence of progression that I feel particularly demonstrates how I met the demands of the
production process, for example…