The document discusses the creation and evaluation of two magazines: a music magazine targeting mainstream audiences and a college magazine with a Christmas theme. It outlines the design strategies used to attract specific audiences, including the use of bright colors and well-known artists, as well as the distribution potential through institutions like Bauer Media. The author reflects on their learning process, particularly in using technology and design programs to achieve a professional look in their media products.

1. Magazine Evaluation

2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
The media attracts many different audiences. I researched many music magazines
such as ‘NME’ and ‘Q’ as they are some of the top music magazines around. I made
my media product by looking at these magazines as I think that they attract their
audience well. For my magazine I made sure that the name of my magazine was big
and bright, this is to attract the attention of my audience. I tried to make my main
picture be the main feature on the cover as it is a well known artist that will attract
the attention of the target audience. I also made the name of the artist bright and
bold and included a quote from one of their songs. These compare to the top
magazine that are out there at the moment as they also use bright colours and make
the picture the main feature.

3. College magazines are there to tell the students what is happening around the
campus. My college magazine is based on Christmas so it says what Christmas
seasonal fun is happening around the college and also in the town. I have used
bright colours such as green and red which are associated with Christmas but
also because they will attract attention. Although many magazines would
probably be £1 I have priced mine as being free as the students are more likely
to want to read it if they don’t have to pay for it, it is a resource so therefore
should be free.

4. How does your media product
represent particular social groups?
There are many different social groups that buy music magazines like there is
many different types of magazines to buy. There is Rock, jazz, pop, main
stream etc. My music magazine would represent the social group that buys
more of the main stream music magazines such as ‘NME’ and ‘Q’. This is
because it has well known artists that are in the charts included in it. ‘NME’
and ‘Q’ are magazines that have the latest news from the music world and the
latest songs and new artists. I have tried to do this in my magazine and have
created an interview with James Morrison based on the things that he said
whilst I was at one of his concerts. This is so that it is more believable and is
also the latest news from that artist. James Morrison is a soulful artist but he is
also in the charts right now, he has just released his new album which is why I
chose that to write about in my article.
My college magazine is for all the social groups as it is Christmas themed and
tells the students what seasonal madness that is happening around the college
including decorations and bake sales.

5. What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and
why?
The media institution that might distribute my media product is the ‘Bauer Media’
as this institution distributes magazines such as ‘Q’ and ‘Kerrang’ this institution
generalises with music magazines so it would distribute my magazine into news
agents, book stores and supermarkets etc. This is because my magazine includes
well known artists that are main stream and will attract many social groups and
many ages, especially teenagers.

6. Who would be the audience for your
media product?
I have made my media product to attract the audience of teenagers. I think that it
will attract them as I have included young, well known artists that are in the charts
and that I personally enjoy listening to. In my contents page I have included
pictures that I have taken from my personal experiences of these artists in the
hopes that it will encourage the audience to go and see the artists too.
I also think that young adults would enjoy reading my media product as they also
enjoy the music that is in the charts and the artists that I have included in my
magazine.
For my college magazine the audience would be for any age as it is Christmas
themed and everyone loves the Christmas season and loves to get involved in the
celebrating so would enjoy reading my magazine.

7. How did you attract/address your
audience?
To attract my audience I have used bright colours and exciting pictures and
interviews with the well known artists of today that are in the charts. At the
top of my media product I have written ‘special Edition’. This is to make the
reader see that this magazine is going to be different than what it usually is.
This is to keep them interested in the magazine and also enjoy writing to and
sending in their photos to the magazine. The special edition was photos and
letters from fans that have been sent in to the magazine.
In my college magazine I have also used bright colours such as green and red
they are all the way through the magazine to keep the excitement of the
magazine going. I have also used shapes to create snowflakes down the sides
of the borders this is to make the magazine look more interesting and fun.

8. What have you learnt about
technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
To create my media product I have used many different types of
technology. I used a camera to take the photos within my media product, I
used a laptop/computer to create my media products, I used the
programmes Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher to create my
magazines. To create my blog I used the internet and the website ‘Tumblr’
I also used ‘google’ to research college and music magazines to get
inspiration for my media products. To make my photos look better and to
make them match the themes I chose for my magazines I used the
programmes Photoshop and paint.

9. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel
you have learnt in the progression from it to the full
product?
Looking back at my preliminary task I feel that I have learnt how to use new
programmes that I have not used before such as Microsoft Publisher to create
my magazine. For my college magazine I had to make a front cover and a
contents page this could be very simple and didn’t necessarily have to have
programmes such as Photoshop to create it. Whereas, for my music magazine I
had to make a front cover, a contents page and a double page spread this was
more challenging as there is more work to do and the magazine had to look
more professional. To create the professional look I used the programmes
Photoshop and paint to make my own photos better and to make them fit into
the theme of my magazine. From this I have learnt how to create a media
product that can compare and challenge the top media products that are
currently in the media.