This document summarizes the ways in which the author's media product uses and develops conventions of real magazines. It compares elements of the author's contents page, double page spread, and front cover to existing magazines. It discusses how the media product represents younger girls as its target audience. Finally, it proposes that Bauer Publishing would be a suitable media institution to distribute the magazine, as they have a specific teen section that would be a good fit. The target audience is identified as young girls aged 8-11.

1. Media studies evaluation
presentation
By Lilly Trkulja

2. 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media projects?
Contents page comparison:
As you can see here I have mostly used
connotations from this top of the pops
contents page here. I copied the title as the
word ‘mag’ is abbreviated from magazine, this
is showing I’m using slang, something the
target audience would do too. I then noticed
on the top of the pops magazine, they had
kind of like little sub headings with the
different topics that would be in the
magazine. I used this to then apply to mine,
using things like ‘fashion’ ‘music’ and then a
‘plus’ section. This is then gives the audience a
clear idea of where things are to locate easier
in the magazine. I thought it would be easier
to keep my pictures all in one place as if they
are spread out I would have to change the
layout of everything. However the TOTP
magazine has the pictures spread out, not
really in an order, in my opinion making it look
messy. Throughout my research I found that
the magazines weren’t just about music, but
there was a big section on other things, so I
didn’t just keep my contents page music
based. The colour scheme I stayed with pink
throughout as this relates to the target
audience and they would be attracted to it.

3. Double page spread
comparison:
As you can see here is what I used to take ideas and inspiration from for my double
page spread. I noticed on most of them they had a big quote at the beginning, which
would have been said within the interview as a title, to make it stand out and to
intrigue the audience as to who said it. I also took inspiration from the way in which
the interview was set out, in the ones I looked at they had a main picture covering
most of the page and then the interview around it, I did try this however it didn’t
work out for me and I found it easier and more structured to have a picture in the
corner, and text around it. Right at the beginning I used a larger letter that stood out
more, this is something every magazine does I looked at. I also then used an
embedded quote within the article which is standing out and this is talking about
glamour girls fans. By talking about the fans in the interview is making it more
personal and not just about the
group themselves. I changed the
colour of the questions to
answers as I thought it would
then stand out the difference
between the two, the questions
asked aren’t asked in a formal
way, they are more like a chat,
conversation, I used slang words
and nicknames for the band
members, making it more
relaxed and more about finding
out gossip. I used the Instagram,
twitter and Facebook icons in the
top suggesting for the target
audience to go and find out more
on the social networking sites,
things the target audience would
recognize. I then also used a
bright arrow leading to the next
page advertising a puff, a free
poster of the girls. This would
then draw the audience in a lot
as they are getting something for
not paying a lot of money. I
noticed they done this on the
magazines I looked at, it would
be things like tickets etc. the
colour scheme I kept as black as
it was readable yet looked
formal.

4. Front cover comparison: As you can see I took inspiration from this top of the
pops front cover. I used a title containing the word
‘pop’ to make it clearly obvious it is about pop
music, the musical notes on either side connote this
too. I used the main story line about glamour girls,
similar to the other front cover with a girl group
band. I also used what it said as I thought this would
draw in the audience as it’s a ‘secret’ by them being
able to know the secret gives a personal approach
to inviting the readers in. I used tag lines like
‘festival looks inside’ which is still music related
however cooperates fashion as well, which I found
in research is what a lot of the magazines done. I
also included a puff in which music awards tickets
can be won, the target audience seeing the fact they
can get something free will draw them in even
more. I have a slogan which is a play on word,
making it exciting, and also using slang ‘goss’ which
is portrayed in more of a chatty tone. I have the
date and a bar code making it look more
professional. The main image being the main thing
standing out I took inspiration from and done the
same on mine, the girls look happy, pretty and girly.
They are all dressed in pretty outfits, and they all
look like role models for my target audience that
they would be inspired by and be familiar with.

5. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product represents a particular social group of younger girls. I think I portrayed this
through my mood board which I based my magazine all around girls, not really the boy side of things.
I don’t think it represents the older social groups as they would look at it as childish and in a way
immature. I don’t think they would be interested in it and they wouldn’t find the things inside
interesting, things like which celebs are hooking up, they may be more interested in big mtv awards,
or advice pages where people write in about more grown up things. I think my target audience
would be interested as the tag lines and language I’ve used all appeal to them, this is why I think it
would be very specific in age in which would be interested. I had to take every detail into considering
even from things like font sizes to the pictures I uses. My media product is mostly presenting my
social group by using pink and a picture of a girl group which states the obvious, younger girls love
and aspire to look like other girls. I also then had to think carefully about the font, if I used a big black
harsh plain font it wouldn’t suit the theme of girly so I went for a curly, exciting, cute font. I then
used outlines on the font and on the different tag line boxes to give it a girly, cute effect again. I used
these little techniques to make my magazine front cover appeal to my target audience. I don’t think
my social group is of a high class, but normal middle class. Have disposable income when needed but
then they would be of a young age so wont have jobs however may get money from Christmas or
birthdays or grandparents. I think my social group as they are young would follow issues of the
magazine and get them each week.

6. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Bauer – the better way to sell
I would distribute my media product to Bauer publishing group, I think I would choose this as it is the
largest, privately owned publishing group which caters for all types of magazine, taking into consideration
factors like gender, style etc. Bauer’s titles are sold at a wide variety of retail venues reaching active,
engaged shoppers across a range of product categories, ensuring there products are in just about every
shop. I also decided to choose Bauer as it has a specific teen section which is only set celebrity,
entertainment magazines designed for the young teen market. We combine the best in celebrity, music,
fashion, beauty and relationship edit to deliver the largest audience of young teen female readers in the
country. I believe my magazine would fit perfectly in this group and distributing it would fit in well. In the
teen group it has things to do with fashion, music not just all about music. On the Bauer there is a
subscription page, where you can get a certain amount of subscriptions sent to you for a certain amount
of money. This encourages readers to want to get every single issue. I would also choose this institution as
from research about Bauer I have done, there products are sold in many places. Be it a supermarket,
convenience store, bookstores and newsstands. They also deliver more shoppers efficiently than any
other magazine publisher. I like this institution as I feel it isn’t limited in what genre products they are
selling and therefore limited audience. They have a wide range of audiences which do buy the magazines
and therefore make them the top selling institution. Bauer also have a specific section in which they just
sell music magazines, I think this is a positive as my magazine would fit perfectly however then there is a
debate of would my magazine fit better in the fashion women's lifestyle section. I think with either the
inistition would promote it to its best, exaggerating and selling to the best of there abilities.

7. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my media project is young girls around 8-11. It isn’t ruling out males completely however
throughout the research I’ve done and the reviews ‘ive looked at it is 99% of the time females. This however makes
the audience more limited as it isn’t unisex, just one sex. I chose the ages from around 8-11 as I have a 4 year old
sister and an 11 year old sister, and the 4 year old cant read yet, only limited and the 11 year old is just about
growing out of “little girls” magazines as she called them. So I think the age range I have chose is sensible, and with
the questionnaire I used as research, I asked this range and they all answered relatively similar, suggesting they
would all be interested in picking this up in the shop and reading it and this is the aim of this product. The audience
will be living with their parents still, they may have some disposable income such as pocket money, money from
Christmas/birthdays which they may want to spend on magazines. The younger ones wouldn’t have a busy social
life, however as they get older they may begin to start going out with friends on weekends as such. They would both
attend school full time therefore will not have much to do on weekdays and may want to pick themselves up a
magazine on the way home from school. I think my target audience would watch a lot of TV and therefore this could
be a worry to magazine publishers, the audience may not be interested in taking the time to make an effort to read
a magazine. This is why I think things like posters, free puffs, quizzes, winning days out are included to draw in the
audience and make them feel involved and they will be more likely to if there is some sort of prize at the end.

8. How did you attract/address your audience?
I attracted my audience in a variety of ways. The front cover is most important when attracting the
audience as this is what they will see first. I didn’t use one font throughout, I mixed it around as I
couldn’t decide and thought they all looked girly and pretty. I used the main image as a girl band
called glamour girls which the TA would recognize and underneath that it says ‘one of these girls has a
SECRET’, straight away when the TA see’s there is some sort of gossip that will be revealed inside it
draws them in straight away, especially as glamour girls is a well known pop girls group. The title
‘popmania’ along with the slogan ‘the latest POPular goss’ I think fits really well, and automatically
people would know it’s a pop music magazine. I then use the slogan which I think is cheesy and cringe
but it works! The TA would read that and then be intrigued as they would see the word ‘goss’ and
want to know latest celeb goss! The tag lines on the front cover played a big part in attracting the
target audience, I used ones linked to pop music, so the main story is the interview with the girl band.
Then I used tag lines like this years festival looks, so fashion and music linked, the TA would want to
see what were the looks from this seasons festivals. In the corner there is a tag line box with ‘win a
vocal sesh with avi’, avi being a big pop star they would know. The taglines are very important and I
specifically chose them to attract the TA as I knew what they would be interested in. also then I didn’t
just write them in a text box and leave them, I put a colour behind them and made it stand out. I also
used mini musical notes at the heading to make sure it looked like a music magazine. Throughout I
also used slang as that’s what is down with the kids nowadays and they would understand it, I done
this to make it seem more like I am on the same level as them and make it personal to them.

9. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Throughout making my product, I have learnt technologies aren’t the easiest things to
use! This can vary from softwares to using a disposable camera. In my original plan when
I was going to take pictures in my first location, I was going to use my iPhone 6 camera as
it was of a high quality however I didn’t have anything to lean it on so I couldn’t
guarantee the pictures were going to be of a high quality and look professional. In my
final location I decided on a friend said I could borrow there camera which had things like
self timer, effects, shutter speeds. I was grateful and therefore used that, I managed to
hire out a tripod too in case I didn’t have enough people in the picture and I needed to
pop in the picture myself. I then had the option to use it free hand too. I learnt that
without the tripod it was going to be a lot more hard work. In the end the pictures turned
out of a great quality however on the laptop at school they looked abit pixilated. I then
started off using the simple software of picmonkey however then I realised I needed to
crop out a specific background and that could be done on pixlr, this was the mostly tricky
part of editing as it was so specific and took so much time however in the end it was
worth it as I made the picture look natural however edited with things like bosaic hearts
over the top to make it more girly and pretty. Both softwares worked for me for different
reasons. I then had to use publisher to upload my magazines and it made the pictures
look different when uploaded so I worked hard on making that look natural through
editing and then everything come together finally! I learnt through this process,
technologies can be deceiving and make the picture you think is perfect, look completely
different when uploaded somewhere, therefore it takes a lot to edit and keep going but it
all worked in the end.

10. 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 original first ever task of the school magazine, I can see how far I
have come and how much I have improved. I’ve learnt how you need to be very
specific on the language you use and how it is presented, things like slang that the
target audience you have will be interested in and understand. When including
pictures, don’t just include them with a white background as that doesn’t look
professional, get rid of the background and place it in a relevant place. The main
image needs to link to what the magazine is about, I did do that in my school
magazine however it was plain, boring and original therefore didn’t stand out. The
fonts need to vary if it is a fun magazine like pop music, if you stick with one original
boring font, nothing looks like its going to stand out therefore you wont get the
attention from the TA you need. Even the slightest things like outlining the text to
make it stand out that little bit more. Common sense is key in the colour scheming,
on my school magazine I had a range of about 3 colours max, due to the genre my
pop magazine was I made it as colourful and exciting as possible. Using bursts of
bright colourful shapes on the front cover I found was really fun and took up spaces
that needed to be filled, this could then have a tagline on. The main image ive learnt
takes a lot of editing and deciding to the put it as the front cover, this is because it
will be what attracts the target audience straight away, they need to idolise or even
fancy whoever is on the front cover to want to buy it and be interested. I think I have
improved massively from my school magazine to the pop music magazine front cover.

11. Continued…
Also with my contents page originally if I’m honest it doesn’t even
look like a contents page. It has 2 images on, a title that is in Arial’
plain black and a little bigger, and then a list of what is inside the
magazine. If you compare that one to my contents page you can
see how much I have learnt. I learnt with a contents page that it
doesn’t need to be listed in a specific boring order, it needs to be
clearly labelled what is where but it doesn’t need to be in a list. My
contents page now is set out in little sections with the page
numbers, but also columns with different topics, making it easy to
navigate. I have bursts of mini shapes with prizes to be won and
competitions and it also has a few images varying from a girl group
band to a festival stage and then fashion section. I haven’t stuck to
the plain obvious of just talk about music based things as with
research I noticed this isn’t the case, and it is varied with different
topics of things. Colour schemes and fonts are also based around
pink, and I vary fonts to make it look pretty. I think my target
audience would really like my contents page too and I have put a
lot more thought and time into my new contents page.