2. In what ways does my media
product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media
products?
By James Willis
3. USE
I have followed real media magazine conventions when constructing my own as I wanted it to be
recognisable and look the same as others on the market but at the same time as creating
something different and eye catching.
When I was deciding where to place my masthead I decided on the traditional format of the top of
the page (in the left) I did this to try and replicate NME’s style and layout and this would make it
similar to the other conventions used in magazines. I also made the font of the masthead the
biggest on the [age like all magazine do to make it stand out and be recognised as well as giving
away clues to the type of genre that my magazine is based around and if it was to sold and stacked
on shelves then this section of the page would still be exposed showing the name of the magazine.
What I told my model to wear was also important as I found out through looking at other dance
magazines like mixmag and Billboard that they wear hoodies and headphones. These types of
clothing or equipment are easily associated with the genre of my magazine and this should be
more precise when targeting the audience and make them more interested in what my magazine
has to offer.
The main image I have used for my front cover is a mid shot which engages the audience as they
are drawn into the magazine as it also creates a centre point for all the other cover lines and
information on the page to revolve around. He also looking away from the camera this was done
on purpose to show that usually the DJ’s are in the shadows behind the scenes and also gives a
cliff hanger for the reader to be intrigued.
4. DEVELOP
When I was creating my contents page I made it in a similar design to my double page spread. I did
this as it gave my magazine similarity and kept the house style the same throughout. The main
image on this page also took up half of the page so for the readers that prefer images and to be
more visual and be able to make the link between the text and the image this was for them as I am
targeting a far smaller audience/market and I wanted them to be able to see the link between the
pages and understand the text. It also meant that my magazine flowed from page to page making it
easier to follow and read. When writing my text and layout for my contents page I combined ideas
from NME and VIBE as I divided each column up into separate columns with subheadings and also
the use of colour.
What I wrote inside follows any music magazine conventions with the featured and contents as well
as the interview for the double page spread. However I also added my own twist on the puff as I
offered a recording day and I also included a editors note to differentiate from other contents pages
and give something else for the reader.
For my masthead I decided to give it a double meaning as this would again engage the audience
FWD is a control often found on DJ decks to mix the songs and the niche audience I was attracting
would understand this. It also means that it is up to date and finding the latest news and giving it to
the fans.
5. CHALLENGE
Apart from my poster offer image on the front cover I used a male model for all of my images this
kept it the same and made the magazine pages flow together but this could have restricted my
target audience as there is no change for each of the different pages and this could become tedious
but in the written contents I still mention both genders.
When creating my contents page I created it on a double page spread using a close up my model,
this took up half of the pages as one side was just an image, and on the other side of the double
page spread I used the image background to colour the page and the write over the top. This could
have restricted the amount of content I could fit on the page but it then matched the double page
spread making it look more professional.
6. How does the media product
represent particular social groups?
By James Willis
7. The audience for my magazine is targeted at anyone who enjoys dance/DJ music, this is quite a niche market as
not everyone is interested in this genre of music. Males and females could read this magazine as I haven’t
secluded it to one genre. I have done this by using neutral tones and not “boy” or “girly” colours using primarily
back, orange and white. Mixmag and Q magazine have a readership that varies from 15-44 and this market is
who I am aiming my magazine at as these magazines have been successful but there is still room in the market. I
haven’t limited the artists featured into gender groups as I have included artists from both genders and stories
that should interest every reader.
The mode of address I have used varies throughout the magazine, it is mostly informative and uses language that
only fans or followers of this music genre could understand but I do this formally and informally to suit both ends
of the age spectrum so the younger scale of the audience don’t feel intimated but the older readers still feel like
it is a formative and well planned out magazine. Throughout the double page spread interview I use a chatty
tone to engage the audience as well as make them feel as in contact with the interview as possible. However
apart from the specialist words I can be understood by all no matter how intellectual they are due to the simple
layout and short bursts of writing.
The content of my magazine is similar to other music magazines that I have researched I also based it around
findings from surveys as to what people want in a magazine. From this I found that they want is interviews
(BOWIE) as well as whats new, track updates and competitions. This keeps it fresh and each issue would be
different so that the reader would stay interested.
The design of my magazine is simple yet effective. Throughout I have gone for a less cluttered feel with minimal
writing with maximum insight into the stories within. This gives my magazine a crisp and un-cluttered feel so that
the reader can easily pick out information that interests them . The use of my images is also good as it merges in
with the writing to give it a smooth transition between the pages and they can also help the reader make the link
between the article and the image. The including of posters may attract a younger audience as they could be
seen as idols and this would give them a reason to buy it opening up to a wider target audience.
8. What kind of media institution
might distribute my media product
and why?
By James Willis
9. Publishing
• Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group.
The Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 230 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV
and radio stations. This means that my magazine will be advertised all over Europe and this would attract
a wider niche audience to my magazine. I would also get their reputation and this would get the audience
of current magazines to see mine and become interested. As Bauer has a reputation for quality it would
also give my magazine the edge over others.
• They publish well known music magazines already like KERRANG and this means that my magazine could
have another marketing platform to be sold on. This could also be good for publishing as they already
familiar with what to include to appeal to customers.
10. Distribution method one
I feel the best place to sell and advertise my
magazine would be in traditional
stores/supermarkets and newsagents. This is
because the stalls are usually placed near the
tills or checkouts so they will get a large
audience viewing them each day and this
would make my magazine a well known
name. I would also get more sales from this
as the audience have more access to them.
Selling directly in newsagents could also help
sell my niche market magazine as it is far
more specialist and this is where people may
go to get magazines that aren’t sold in the
larger shops.
I have also designed my magazine especially
to be sold this way I have placed the
masthead in the top left corner like NME. This
means that when they are stacked up on the
shelves the brand name is still visible.
11. Distribution method 2
I could advertise or sell my magazine on the internet
using sites such as www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
to sell my magazines. This could open up my magazine
to a mass audience interested in my genre of
magazine. This could be more convenient to people as
they can access these sites through their phones with
the advance of technology. I could also create a small
advert in front of YouTube music videos of the genre
of people I am aiming at. Alesso’s latest music video
has had more than 7 million views in 2 months, this
means that they are fans of my genre and would be
more interested in my magazine and what it has to
offer.
I could also create my own website along with my
paper copy. This is using technology to create another
marketing platform to sell my magazine that would
make my magazine well known and I could also keep
up with the competition of mixmag etc. I could also
create social media pages as there over 220 million
active users.
12. Who would be the audience for
your media product?
By James Willis
13. Mood board
This is the typical
attire for the artists
that my target
audience is interested
in and they will be
able to make the link
from the clothing and
the artist featured to
the genre type.
My audience will likely
listen to music via TV
channels like clubland or
watch the music videos
on the internet through
sites like YouTube as well
as listening to the radio,
podcasts and also
through iTunes etc.
They should also be very up to date with the advances in
technology and be able to see most things via a mobile phone.
This links in with the how they listen to music and also how
they buy and support the music industry. This means that they
will also be able to check the web for events or magazine
websites.
Again this a piece
of equipment
that my audience
should be able to
recognise and
make a
judgement on
the genre of the
magazine.
These are the kind of
artists that my
audience should be
well aware of as Calvin
Harris and Tiesto are
world famous DJ’s
14. Client profile
I have used this mood board as research as to
what my target audience will recognise and are
into. I used this to make a magazine that was
tailor made to meet the needs of a niche market.
It also allowed me to add extra into my magazine
to create a selling point and give it the edge over
other magazines available. I have included a
website link on my page to give the audience an
alternative way to view my magazine and also be
able to mix it up and make it more interactive as
this way the reader should feel more involved
and it also shows that the magazine is fresh and
up to date as well as competing for the market
against mixmag. I have also considered what my
model was wearing as he was in a hoodie and
the readers from my research were able to make
the link between the music genre type and the
style of clothing worn. Naming and featuring
other artists from the dance music genre will
also give the reader a sense of security and
recognition as they can make the link between
the artists featured and BOWIE who I have made
the main feature of my magazine about.
15. How did you attract/address
your audience
By James Willis
16. Masthead, text and language
• The masthead on my front cover is the largest text on the page. This makes it eye catching to
the reader. This will attract the reader as they will see my magazine name but also give away
the genre of the magazine in the process giving the reader some more information about my
magazine. I chose to use a neutral colour like white as stands out against the black
background of my images and also gives my magazine a fresh feel.
• This also links in with my text as I chose to write my masthead in Viner Hand ITC which gave
my magazine an alternative feel and look and it also stood out against the font I used for the
rest of the writing which was Gothic 720 BT.
• I used a mixture of formal and informal language all the way through my magazine. I felt that
I had to get the balance right as if I made it too formal then the younger target audience
wouldn’t be attracted to it an if it was too informal then my magazine would have no
structure and the older audience wouldn't enjoy it as much or in some cases understand
some slang words.
17. Images, layout and choice of
representation
• The main image on my front cover large and takes up the majority of the page. The
age of my model has also been used to attract my audience as he is a 17 year old
teenager, this is who I am specifically aiming my magazine at. He is looking away
from the main focus of the camera, this could address my audience and give you a
hint of the genre as the DJ’s are usually in the dark and could be quite shy. It also
draws you in as there is a hint of finding out what he is about.
• This also links in with my layout as I have added text around my images. As the
cover lines and pull quotes revolve around the images I have used. This gets the
reader to read all of the information on the page and read into the genre and what
is featured in the magazine.
• From research I was also advised to add in adverts. This again would attract the
audience and make them purchase my magazine and further find out the genre. I
also used representation in my images, this gave the genre of my magazine due to
the costume (hoodie) and props (headphones) that my model was wearing.
18. Audience
• My magazine is niche to the reader as not everyone is interested into
dance music. However I tried to make my magazine unisex so both genders
could be interested and buy it. I did this by including text from both sex as
well as images. However I chose to do a main feature on a male. As he was
a new artist both sex should find this interesting and engaging. On my
front cover I also included a poster offer and this was of a female model.
• For contents page I did a questionnaire to see what information and layout
as well as order would be most important for them. I decided form this
that I would include a features column, up & coming as well as regulars. I
also put a competition offer there as well as a editors note. This would
target the audience as this is what the majority is interested in and make
it more interesting and involve them a lot more.
19. What you learnt about the
technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
By James Willis
20. Tumblr
I chose Tumblr for my blogging as it was a lot
easier to navigate than Blogger. I found it
difficult to use at the start but eventually I
grasped how to use it. I was also able to use
the app on my phone to update my blog on
the move.
I also managed to upload
slideshares and photos to break
up the text and make it more
interesting and interactive to
the viewer.
It has given me an organised place to
present all of my work as it is a lot
more organised than using pieces of
paper. It can also provide a back up if
you manage to loose any pieces of
work.
The blog posts also allowed you to go back and
tweak or change blogs to improve them without
having to rewrite the whole post which saved
time and made it easier.
21. Slideshare
I found Slideshare easy to use straight
away and it is easy to make an
account. I found the layout of the
website user friendly and the ways of
making them also straight forward.
You either had a choice of using
Microsoft PowerPoint and uploading
or creating them straight on the
website.
I also like the way that it gave me a
different way to present my wok and
allowed me to use a programme that
I was already comfortable with.This made my research and analysis tasks a lot
easier as I could make slideshows and then
upload them one at a time. It also gave me a
different way to present my blog posts to make it
more interactive.
22. Adobe Photoshop CS5
One of the most useful tools that I
learnt to use was the guideline/ruler
markers onto the page. This was
particularly useful when creating my
contents page and double page
spread as I could see where the page
fold would be and get the columns in
straight lines with all the text
organised.
It is also useful as each piece of work
added could be made as a different
layer. This means that if you make a
mistake it can be easily deleted or if
you need it again easily replicated
identically without remaking.
I also learnt how to resize and edit my pictures to suit my
page. I used the spot healing tool as well as using the stroke
and shadow tool on my text to give it more depth and make
the more important writing stand out more and grab the
readers attention first.
23. Canon DSLR 500D
I learnt how to use the camera to full
effect and set it up correctly to take the
best shot. Learning how to use different
lenses for different shots and also how
to zoom, this was good for long shots of
my model and also to change the
shutter speed on the camera either
speeding it up or slowing it down this
then allowed me to take an action shot
at that precise moment or get a still at
the right position.
I also learnt how to get the images from
the SD card in the camera onto the
computer or memory stick to create my
magazine by using a card reader that
plugged into the USB port of the
computer.
I also used this camera to take my
college magazine pictures, this allowed
me to get to grips with the basic
techniques and start to learn what all
the different settings do.
24. Looking back at my preliminary task,
what do I feel I have learnt in the full
progression to the full product
By James Willis
27. Photography
• My college magazine and music magazine don’t share a lot in common. You can see
the progression with my photography skills. Firstly for my final magazine I took a lot
more images to choose from. This then allowed me to pick a mid shot for my front
cover. For my college magazine had to use a long shot with cluttered surroundings
compared to a mid shot with specific lighting and a plain black background. The
more photos I took also allowed me to make the link between the image and the
genre of the magazine through his clothing (hoodie) and his headphones as a prop
both of which are usually associated with DJ’s or dance music. Using the schools
studio I was able to take my images with a black backdrop this was used in my
magazine to write cover lines or text over compared to my original images which had
cluttered background in it. The image quality I have also improved from the first
magazine. As I learnt how to use the camera with the different settings I was able to
create different images, auto focus or blur specific parts of the image either the
models clothing or surrounding background. We also had a photographer Tracy Kidd
come to college and we learnt how different movements and using light reflectors
can change the image. For my college magazine I also used my mobile phone which
the camera is good but once you stretch them they become very fuzzy and the
overall quality worse. For my final images I used the schools Canon DSLR 500D digital
camera with high megapixel capacities.
28. Fonts
• The font of magazine can turn it from a Microsoft document to a professional
magazine. For my college magazine I used WordArt and Calibri for the main text on
the page used to write the contents and cover lines. For my final magazine I used
two main fonts, for my masthead I used Viner Hand ITC FWD. For my other
writing on my page including the contents page and double page spread I used
Gothic 720 BT. This was quite a plain font but it gave my magazine a clear font to
read and also making it more organised and look professional. I also tried to keep
it all of a similar size as I made the double page spread size 12 and the larger titles
in size 48. This was different to my first college magazine as the size varied and this
also make it look a lot less professional.
29. Layout
• My college magazine doesn’t follow the conventions that my magazine does.
However it still has a left third, barcode, puff and a price line. My final magazine
has all of these but looks more professional there is no overlapping and has proper
cover lines as well a price and a set colour scheme. My college magazine had
numbered cover lines that over lapped the main image, I have never seen this on a
magazine before and my final magazine uses less text and is in separate boxes. My
contents page on my real magazine is a lot more organised and has more than one
column and it also follows the house style of my cover and double page spread
giving my magazine a flowing feel. It is also a lot easier to navigate and find the
page or information you want (page number or featured artist) through the sub-
headings. My college magazine contents page only has a single column and no
page numbers, this would make navigating my magazine harder. I have also added
an additional barcode which again I haven't seen in a magazine before.
30. Mode of address
• I have addressed the audience the same on my college and final music magazine
via the direct mode of address. However this was far more apparent in my final
magazine. Firstly through the feel and the images used they will instantly notice
the clothing and props is linked with the dance genre and this will attract them as
it caters for a unique audience. In both of my magazines I included information
and prizes that would interest and catch my audiences attention however it was
very vague and unexplained in my college magazine as I only offered a select few
offers the iPad and the Greggs voucher along with the typical study tips. In my
music magazine I included lots of different and interesting content that would
make them want to buy my magazine. Including ticket offers that are specific and
cater for that genre as well as all the latest news and chart updates. I have also
tried to make my magazine unisex, I did this by including images of both male and
female models. The way that my model on the front cover may be subtle but it
shows that the typical DJ is in the background and they may be able to make this
link and find the magazine more inviting and in my college magazine it was varied
still at a niche audience it had an age range of 16-19 where as my music magazine
was for all ages as long as they were interested in my dance music.
31. Evaluation
• Through producing my own magazines I have been able to see my skill set develop
with technology and conventions as I now know how to layout a magazine so that
it is reader friendly and looks professional. I am now able to use the schools
cameras and technology to full effect as I can set them up correctly and get the
best possible images. I have also found out different ways to present my work
through Slideshare and Tumblr which before this task I wasn't very familiar with. I
have improved my analytical skills as now I can find faults in my own work and
improve on them. using programmes like Photoshop I have now got used to what
each tool does and used them to full effect managing to create a professional
looking magazine. I have also been able to work from constructive criticism from
others to improve my findings and final magazine through the use of
questionnaires and primary research.
