The document summarizes the evaluation of a music magazine media product created by the author. They began by researching various music magazines and genres to understand conventions. For their own magazine, the author paid attention to layout, titles, images, writing style, and color schemes. They applied lessons from other magazines but also took some unconventional approaches. The overall goal was to create a magazine that fit the intended genre and audience.

1. MEDIA
EVALUATION

2. The media product was a front cover, contents and double page
spread of a music magazine. For my research look into various
different music genres and magazines and have analysed how
they made the genre obvious e.g. by using written, symbolic and
technical codes.

3. Before I started making my
magazine I first looked at other
music magazines., also I didn’t just
look at POP genre (which is the
genre I have chosen) instead I looked
at all different genre so that I may
see how all of them differ and
compare.
By doing this I also was able to
understand the basic layouts of
front covers and to see what
regularly comes up on the front
covers. I will also use these
magazine as inspiration.

4. The main areas that stood out and were
clear in all the different magazines were the
title and images., also there were other
things created specifically to cater to the
genre of the magazine.
• An example of this is that the types of images
I found on Rolling Stones would be very
different to ones used in Music in both
clothing, models, make up, pose’s and lighting
• The writing and colour schemes between the
magazines were also very different. For
example the written in Music is more formal to
suit a more mature audience, were as POP’s
writing is informal and chatty.
• To conclude I decided that like POP and
Rolling Stones the informal writing would
best suit my audience father then the formal
writing in Music.

5. Front Cover
• When doing the title I found that it was
easier to stick to convention since I thought
this worked best. I have also used simple
and easy to read fonts that are effective and
have placed the title over the top section of
my cover as to make my audience
remember the name of my magazine.
• I wanted my title to stand out to catch
readers attention so I looked at how other
magazines have done this. I found in other
magazines such as POP and NME have
used bold blocks of contrasting colours to
help make their title stand out front the
background. I think this works really well
and have divided my title into to different
contrasting colours and have added a blue
glow to the outline, I think this has worked
well on my magazine.

6. Most music magazines cut out the images on the front covers so that they
can place them on another background, they do this so that the picture
stands out against the background. I though this Idea was really effective
so I place my picture that contrasted and complemented my picture, this
made it stand out. Also with the old background removed there wont be
bits and pieces that would be relevant to my magazine like there might
have been in the old background this would have confused the audience
otherwise. Now in stead the audience can no focus on the picture.

7. I think the cover line
works well on the front
cover.
But here I think the
cover line takes
attention away from
the image.
The next thing I noticed about the magazine was cover MY FRONT
lines. Most music magazines try to avoid covering up the COVER
main image with cover lines and if they do put any they
try to put in on the bottom or on the sides of the picture. In
the end I also put cover lines over my image but followed
the rule of putting them at either bottom of the image or
sides. I also put my main cover line in a shape box to draw
attention to it, I also found that this helped t make
audience to look at the rest of the magazine.

8. The colours I used were a
mixture of 4 different colours,
the ones most featured on the
cover were blue, black, orange
and pink or other variations
and shades of these colours. I
was very carful of how I used
these colours as I didn’t want
the cover to look to cluttered or
over barring.

9. Contents
Again for contents I research a few different music
magazine genres as I thought I this would give me extra
insight into how I should style my own contents
This time I didn't stick with
contention, normally music magazine
writes there contents on one solid colour
where as I copies the background
pattern from the front cover an place at
as background for my contents. I did
this so I could connect the pages.
Although I did follow convention in the
fact the most music magazines put the
contents title on the top of the page, I
also did this as I felt it meant the
readers knew which page there are
reading.

10. • The images where tricky as I wasn’t sure as to were to
place them and how many to use as I didn’t want to
over crowd the page in the end I went with 2 pictures,
one main one and a smaller picture I felt this suited
my contents well.
• I had an image linking to my double page spread as
well as an image of another image. I also added an
editors letter as it let me connect with my readers on
another level as well as to make the page seem more
informal as to make my readers more comfortable.
• I added page number to all of the features. How I have
done my numbers are a little unconventional as they
are at the end of features when usually they are at the
start.
• I also wanted to add subheading to my contents
much like NME and other magazines, I did this
because I wanted to group together features that were
similar.

11. Double Page Spread
• I noticed that on most double page spreads that
they usual have the name of the artist/s or have
a quotes from the article as the title. I decided to
use a quote for the title I found this was a good
idea because I think it help connect the title well
to the article.
• I wanted my title and main image on both
pages as to link the pages together, so the reader
can clearly see the flow of the writing and to
not separate the pages completely.
• To bring out different main parts of the page
for the I reader I changed the colour of the font.,
I also changed the colours of the person doing
the interview and the artist so that the readers
did not get confused.

12. • All the magazines I research had one side of the double
page spread just for writing and the other for the image. I
didn’t like this idea and instead I put my image in
roughly the middle of the page and instead placed the
writing around it. I thought this worked well because it
connected the pages together as well a helping the flow of
writing.
• I wanted the image to capture the feel of the article, to do
this I had the models face turned away from the camera
and playing the guitar this had quite a sad and mellow
feeling which fit the article.
• To start the article the first paragraph was and
introduction of the interview and a little information on
the artist themselves which is what is usually put into the
magazines. I then did my article as a interview as I
found this the most suitable for the age of my readers it
will also keep the article informal.
• I used 2 quotes from my article and placed them around
the rest of the page, this is normally done in most
magazines as it keeps readers interested of what's further
to come in the article. I also had to change the colour of
my font in one area as I placed a picture behind the
writing so I changed the colour so the writing was still
readable.

13. • I kept the same font for my title on my
front cover and my contents. I have also
used the same font on the subheadings on
the front covers, the features on the contents
and the title on the double page spread. I did
this so that the magazine would have flow
so it would be nicer and easier to read.
• I used the same colour theme throughout the
whole magazine and just either lightened or
darkened some of the colours, I did this to
keep the POP style relevant throughout the
whole magazine.
• Over I liked the colour scheme and thought
it was successful as it goes with the with the
theme and style of the magazine, however I
do feel that it could be improved my maybe
using fewer colours to make the magazine
look more professional.